Gene Au Yeung

Senior UX Researcher

8+ years of global experience leading qualitative and quantitative research across cryptocurrency, banking, insurance, and AI-powered fitness products.

Mixed Methods Behavioural Science Global Research
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About Me

Hi there,
I'm Gene!

A Senior UX Researcher with over 8 years of global experience leading qualitative and quantitative research projects across cryptocurrency, banking, insurance, and AI-powered fitness products.

I'm a lifelong learner with deep passion in the craft of research, a background in Finance and a Master's in Behavioural Science at LSE. My approach to research is about weaving together conversations, behavioural data, and prior learnings into nuanced insights that give teams clarity and direction, empowering them to act with confidence and drive meaningful impact.

Empathetic and collaborative by nature, analytical and systematic by training — I build trust with teams, turn complex human behaviours into actionable strategies, and bridge gaps between user needs and company goals.

I have the right to work in Australia, Canada, the UK, and Hong Kong.

Gene Au Yeung
Expertise

Skills

As a Senior UX Researcher with behavioural science, project management and finance background, I'm skilled across six key areas.

🎙️

Qualitative Research

  • Usability testing
  • In-depth interviews
  • Diary studies
  • Concept testing
  • Field studies / Ethnographies
  • Journey mapping
  • Competitor analysis
📊

Quantitative Research

  • Survey design & analysis
  • User analytics
  • Card sorting
  • Tree testing
  • Benchmarking
  • A/B testing
🧠

Behavioural Science

  • Behavioural experiments
  • Literature review
  • Cognitive bias identification
  • Decision science
  • Choice architecture & nudging
📋

Strategic Research Management

  • Research strategy & roadmapping
  • Stakeholder management
  • Global multilingual workflows
  • Research process optimisation
  • Research culture building
  • Vendor management
  • Participant management
  • AI integration in research workflows
🛠

Tools

  • UserTesting
  • Qualtrics / SurveyMonkey / Pollfish
  • Optimal Workshop
  • Amplitude
  • Stata / R
  • Figma / Jira
🌐

Languages

  • English — Native
  • Cantonese — Native
  • Mandarin — Fluent
  • Japanese — Conversational (JLPT N4)
Career

Experiences that
shaped me

From finance and audit to behavioural science and UX research — my unconventional path informs how I approach research with rigour, curiosity, and commercial awareness.

Sep 2024 – Dec 2025
London School of Economics

Executive MSc Behavioural Science

Deepened foundation in human behaviour, decision science, and experiment design and analysis. Dissertation: how workplace grudges shape the interpretation of coworker messages.

Feb 2022 – Jun 2024
Crypto Exchange · OKX

Senior UX Researcher II

Promoted to Senior UX Researcher II in recognition of business impact and leadership. Led 25+ end-to-end qualitative and quantitative studies over 2.5 years as a strategic partner to product, design, business, and marketing teams. Established OKX's first scalable product experience benchmarking survey, lifted onboarding conversion by 22%, and improved discovery and conversion across investment products. Scaled and standardised research operations company-wide through training sessions, workshops, and the mentorship of a junior researcher from the ground up.

Oct 2020 – Jan 2022
Insurance · AIA Group

Senior UX Researcher

Led UX research for enterprise SaaS platforms and customer-facing apps across 3 Southeast Asian markets. Uncovered workflow friction and unmet needs through interviews, usability testing, and focus groups — with 90%+ of recommendations endorsed by stakeholders. Built research panels across 5 markets, cut reporting time by 50% through scalable workflows and templates, and supported a company-wide UX Research Community.

May 2018 – May 2020
Fitness × AI Startup · OliveX

UX Researcher & Designer

Led end-to-end UX research and design for 4 AI-powered health and fitness products. Delivered the award-winning Smart Baduanjin app — recognised by Google Play Hong Kong — and drove a 3× increase in smart fitness mirror sales through field research and rapid product iteration.

Aug 2016 – May 2017
Digital Consultancy · ARBA (WPP-Ogilvy)

UX Researcher & Designer

Built a UX research framework from scratch for the revamp of Hang Seng Bank's business e-banking platform. Embedded sprint-aligned research across core financial workflows, establishing UX research as a sustained practice where none had existed before.

2007 – 2016
Prior to UX · Finance & Audit

Financial Analyst / Project Manager / Auditor

Held roles at KPMG China, Fresenius Kabi, and Verizon Enterprise Solutions across audit, M&A, and financial planning. Rated top performer at KPMG for 3 consecutive years. Qualified Hong Kong CPA.

Recommendations

What people
say about me

"
Gene consistently stood out as a top performer, delivering research that was both impactful and of exceptional quality.
Jyothi VenkatEx-Global Head of UX Research at OKX
"
Gene is a great UX researcher and designer who thinks deeply about the problem and delivers an insightful solution. She's also a team player that people enjoy working with. I would highly recommend Gene for any company.
Keith RumjahnFounder of OliveX
"
Gene is an incredible mentor who has been pivotal in shaping me into the researcher I am today. Her patience, meticulous attention to detail, and unwavering support have been invaluable.
Peggy ChangEx-UX Researcher at OKX
My Work

Three projects
I'm most proud of

These case studies demonstrate my key skills in user research — from mixed-methods activation research to establishing global UX benchmarks and designing for underserved users.

Case Study 01 · OKX

Improved new user engagement via mixed-methods research

Led a 4-month mixed-methods initiative to optimise the global activation journey from sign-up to first trade — uncovering 20+ friction points across 4 markets.

Usability Testing Journey Mapping
View Case Study →
Case Study 02 · OKX

Established UX metrics across global markets via surveys

Designed and launched OKX's first UX benchmark survey across 6 markets and 7 languages, gathering ~6,000 valid responses to guide product strategy.

SUPR-Q Survey Design
View Case Study →
Case Study 03 · OliveX

UX research & design for an AI fitness app for older adults

Led research and design of Smart Baduanjin — an award-winning AI-powered app teaching traditional Qigong to elderly users. Google Play HK Best App 2019.

Ethnography UX Design
View Case Study →
Case Study 01

Improved OKX new user engagement via mixed-methods research

OKX · Crypto Exchange

I led this research initiative to optimise the new user activation journey — providing holistic analysis of the end-to-end journey from signup to deposit, identifying friction points and improving engagement for new users globally.

Timeline

4 months start to finish, working remotely with 2 researchers on live-app testing, 5+ PMs and 3 product designers.

Outcome

+22%

Improved ID verification conversion — unlocking deposits and trades worldwide.

Methods

User analytics · Usability testing · Competitor analysis · Journey mapping

Sessions

21

Remote usability tests, 20+ issues uncovered across 4 markets.

OKX app sign-up screen OKX ID verification screen
The Problem

Sign-ups were high. Activation lagged.

OKX invested millions in global growth, driving huge sign-ups — but activation from ID verification to deposit and trade consistently underperformed.

New user activation funnel

1. Siloed Ownership

Different teams handled each activation step, so insights stayed siloed and rarely crossed team lines.

2. Market-Specific Blind Spots

A diary study revealed ID verification and deposit methods were not well localised for key markets.

3. Prototype Limitations

Third-party plugins used in verification and deposit steps couldn't be tested using standard prototypes.

Process

A 4-month remote, multi-phase research project spanning continents and languages

I led this project independently, coordinating with product teams, local team members, and researchers across multiple markets to cover the full activation journey.

Month 1

Research planning & usability testing on released app. Planned and led 21 remote usability tests with new users from 4 key non-English markets, supported by 2 researchers and 4 local team members.

Month 2

Usability testing results & rapid follow-up. Identified 20+ usability issues across sign-up, ID verification, and deposit steps. Collaborated with product teams to implement fixes tracked via Jira.

Month 3

Competitor analysis & journey mapping. Analysed 3 leading crypto and stock exchange apps to identify design best practices, and mapped all research into a single global activation journey.

Month 4

Usability testing of redesigned ID verification flow. Conducted 5 remote tests that validated critical issues were resolved and UX improvements landed successfully.

Research Plan

Scoping the right markets, methods, and team before a single test was run

To determine research methodology, focus markets, and shape the test script, I designed a research plan using analytics, customer support logs, and a prior diary study.

1. Scoping with Data & Method Selection

Used Amplitude to find conversion rates across key markets and selected those with the steepest drop-offs. Reviewed support logs to surface activation issues and tailor test scenarios. A prior diary study revealed ID verification flaws — this led to opting for live-app testing to expose prototype-hidden issues and move faster.

2. Scoping & Mobilising Support

Scoped resources needed to complete live-app testing within 3 weeks. Engaged 2 researchers to support participant screening and testing, and 4 local team members for translation, recruitment, and facilitation. Ran training sessions to equip local staff to moderate usability tests.

3. Test Script — Sample Tasks

"You've done your research and decided to create a crypto account with OKX. Please show me how you would accomplish that using your phone."

"You want to put funds into your OKX account to test out its trading features. Please show me how you would fund your account."

Execution Challenge

Creative recruitment across 4 markets

Finding participants in 4 target markets for live-app testing was challenging — language barriers, no platform coverage, and ID requirements — but creative recruitment and strong local team support made it happen.

Creative Recruitment

Found participants via referrals and freelancer platforms such as Upwork and Respondent.

Strong Local Team Support

Leveraged trusted relationships built earlier for recruitment, translation, and facilitation — enabling 21 sessions and 20+ uncovered issues under a tight timeline.

Execution challenge — creative recruitment
Insights

Task success fell sharply deeper in the activation funnel

Usability testing on the released app revealed critical friction points — especially at ID verification and funding.

⚠️ Due to confidentiality, some details of the findings have been omitted.

Sign-up Methods

Certain sign-up methods didn't work as expected, creating friction and delays that prevented users from progressing to the next step.

"I feel lost. I tried to find Deposit in main menu but couldn't."— Participant 1

ID Verification

Verification steps created uncertainty, with unclear and misleading guidance on next actions after submission.

"It's confusing how long I actually need to wait to [get verified]."— Participant 16

Funding Flows

Funding flows were complex and unintuitive, with key functions missing from the main menu and third-party payment methods falling short in UX.

Recommendations & Impact

Balancing usability with feasibility

I delivered recommendations that ranged from quick wins requiring minimal resources to ambitious long-term redesigns. By rapidly sharing insights, tracking in Jira, and collaborating closely across teams, we achieved a 22% uplift in ID verification conversion — unlocking deposits and trades.

Example Recommendations

Simplification of homepage CTA · Clearer messaging and CTAs by verification status · Improved funding flow navigation

+22%
ID verification conversion
in just 4 months
Competitor Analysis

The activation research didn't stop at usability fixes

I extended the research with competitor analysis to get buy-in for enhancements that go beyond usability to delight — examining how leading exchanges like Coinbase and Binance reduce anxiety and ambiguity in key funding steps.

Coinbase and Binance competitor analysis Robinhood competitor analysis
Activation Journey Map

Consolidating diverse research into a single strategic view

Activation journey mapping consolidated inputs from usability testing, competitor analysis, and prior research — fostering cross-team alignment and enabling me to define three principles that drive new user activation.

⚠️ Due to confidentiality, details of the journey map cannot be shown.

Activation journey map

Curate

Surface the right products and features at the right moment to reduce overwhelm.

Reassure & Protect

Build confidence at high-anxiety moments — especially ID verification and first deposits.

Welcome & Empathise

Recognise that crypto is novel and intimidating — build trust, engagement, and long-term loyalty.

✅ Confirmed Impact

+22%

Improved ID verification conversion — unlocking deposits and trades worldwide and overcame multi-market research challenges, creating a smoother onboarding journey worldwide.

By month 4, follow-up testing confirmed enhancements improved usability and resolved critical issues in sign-up and ID verification.

🏆 Additional Wins

  • Developed a process for qualitative research in non-English markets under tight timelines
  • Drove enhancements in deposits and credit card funding
  • Strengthened research buy-in with teams new to user research
  • Competitor analysis drove delight-level enhancements beyond usability fixes

💡 Learnings

  • Post-dev testing is critical for flows prototypes can't cover
  • Build participant panels in key countries not supported by testing platforms
  • Invest in cross-team relationships early
  • Journey mapping reveals the full picture, enabling strategic insights beyond feature fixes
Case Study 02

Established OKX UX metrics across global markets via surveys

OKX · Crypto Exchange

I designed and launched a quantitative and qualitative survey to establish quarterly UX metrics that track and guide usability improvements, and to gather insights that informed the product roadmap.

Timeline

2 months start to finish, with targeted support from content, localisation, and legal teams.

Outcome

1st

OKX's first ever UX benchmark — shaping product strategies and validating team effort.

Methods

SUPR-Q · CSAT · Quantitative & Qualitative survey design · Descriptive statistics

Scale

~6,000

Valid respondents across 6 markets, 7 languages, 4 continents.

The Starting Point

Design became a priority — but measurement was broken

1. No Consistent UX Metrics

Rich qualitative insights existed, but no consistent, quantitative way to measure UX. Leadership couldn't validate if changes improved UX or compare across markets.

2. Qual Data Alone Wasn't Convincing

Small-sample findings were sometimes dismissed. Quantitative benchmarks were needed to make insights more persuasive and actionable.

3. Siloed, Low-Quality Surveys

Different teams sent surveys independently with varying quality, compromising feedback, risking survey fatigue, and undermining brand credibility.

Survey Design

16 questions. Three sections. One clear framework.

I designed a survey combining SUPR-Q and CSAT for quantitative UX metrics with qualitative questions to identify the "why" behind scores.

Section 1: UX Metrics & Usability

SUPR-Q selected as the core UX metric for comprehensive coverage of usability, trust, loyalty, and credibility.

Section 2: Content Quality & Satisfaction

Evaluated localisation investments across multiple markets with open-ended and MC questions.

Section 3: About Users

Frequency, device usage, primary exchange, and switching intent — to understand behavioural segments.

Survey distribution plan

Multi-channel distribution plan: email, KOLs & followers, and in-app surveys to reach different user segments and reduce method-specific biases.

Survey Execution

10,000+ responses in under 5 days across 6 markets

With support from 6 different teams — marketing, customer support, localisation, content design, legal, and engineering — I successfully distributed across 7 languages.

Step 1

Orchestrated cross-team support from marketing, localisation, content design, and legal for review and distribution.

Step 2

Set up survey in 7 languages across SurveyMonkey and Pollfish, optimised for reduced fatigue and better response quality.

Step 3

Piloted with 100 users per market to validate translations and flow before full launch.

Step 4

Rolled out in controlled batches, pausing once target responses per market were reached.

Findings

⚠️ Due to confidentiality, UX metrics and some qualitative details have been omitted. Chart below is illustrative only.

Satisfactory performance overall — with clear gaps

⭐ Wins

Strong UX metrics across all markets. NPS rose 27% in one market, validating UX and localisation improvements. Small wins and unmet needs surfaced to build on.

🚨 Gaps

Usability challenges for new users. Technical issues like slow loading. Futures & margin trading interfaces less intuitive than competitors. P2P transaction reliability concerns.

Survey findings illustration

For illustrative purposes only — not actual survey data.

Turning Insights into Action

Making findings actionable at every level

Prepared both consolidated and market-specific reports. Organised readouts for all teams, followed by smaller sessions with product owners and designers to drive action.

"The survey results really helped my team in project prioritisation and also validated some usability issues we previously identified as well!"— Localisation Product Lead

Tracking & Follow-up

Tracked all findings in Jira and followed up regularly to ensure progress on identified issues.

Dual Recommendations

Provided both ideal long-term fixes and feasible quick wins to keep momentum while larger changes were in development.

The Outcome

1st

OKX's first UX benchmark ever — validating improvements and steering future product and research decisions.

Outcomes

  • Repeatable survey system across multiple markets
  • Proof of effectiveness of localisation enhancements
  • Qualitative findings made more persuasive
  • Streamlined analysis with templates & AI translation

Learnings

  • Apply stronger statistical tests for rigour
  • Pair ideal recommendations with quick wins
  • Cross-team partnerships accelerate delivery
Case Study 03

UX research & design for an AI-powered fitness app for older adults

OliveX · Fitness × AI Startup

I led the research and design of Smart Baduanjin — an AI-powered fitness app that helps older adults in Hong Kong learn and practise the traditional eight-movement Chinese Qigong exercise on mobile and tablet.

Timeline

10 months from research to launch with a team of 9: CEO, PM, 2 developers, 3 AI engineers, operations, and UI designer.

Outcome

🏆

Google Play HK Best Personal Growth App of 2019. Part of hospital rehabilitation programmes.

Methods

Ethnography · Contextual inquiry · Desk research · Usability testing · User flow design · Wireframing & prototyping

Participants

~18

Older adults across research and testing phases.

Context

Teaching Baduanjin to elderly users with AI

Baduanjin is an eight-movement Chinese mind-body exercise — short, easy to learn, and proven to enhance physical flexibility and coordination.

With Hong Kong facing a rapidly ageing population and high smartphone usage among the elderly, the government funded OliveX to explore technologies that promote active-ageing.

1. Unfamiliar with Tech

Many older adults left the workforce before technology integration, leaving them with limited digital knowledge.

2. Lack of Confidence

Limited digital exposure leads to feelings of incompetence and hesitation with new apps.

3. Cognitive Load

Learning BDJ is challenging enough — adding AI pose detection to a mobile app amplifies complexity significantly.

Smart Baduanjin app
Ethnography & Desk Research

Insights that guided learning flows and app design

Interviews

Interviewed BDJ practitioners and non-practitioners to probe motives, struggles, and habits. Informed journey maps and feature ideas.

Sample: "When you first started learning BDJ, what did you find challenging?"

Contextual Inquiry

Observed BDJ classes to understand how older adults learn and how instructors structure lessons — directly guiding the learning flow design.

Desk Research

Explored different schools, benefits, and the history of BDJ, plus how elderly users interact with smart devices, to shape app content and interactions.

Usability Testing

Testing prototypes in users' homes revealed what labs never would

Phone Setup Was Unintuitive

AI practice required full-body capture, but elderly users struggled to understand the placement requirement.

Cognitive Overload

Multiple new tasks at once — camera permission, phone setup, and BDJ movements — overwhelmed users simultaneously.

No Sense of Progress

Without a coach, users couldn't tell if they were improving — creating uncertainty and reduced motivation.

Doubt Towards New Apps

Many elderly users were hesitant and often sought reassurance from others before proceeding.

Usability testing context
Experience Design

Three key design responses to research findings

1. Video Tutorials + Volume Prompts + Vocal Cues

Added video tutorials, volume prompts, and clear text with vocal cues to guide users through phone setup for the body scan — a completely unfamiliar requirement.

Explored different phone/tablet placement scenarios and added tailored vocal cues for each to increase usability.

App phone setup tutorial
App learning flow

2. Chunking to Reduce Cognitive Load

Reduced cognitive load by breaking learning into smaller, sequenced steps:

  • → Key Points feature to familiarise poses before practice
  • → Tutorial videos with pauses and zoomed-in key poses
  • → Clear vocal guidance mirroring how instructors teach in class

3. Practice Video Recording for Progress Tracking

Inspired by weightlifters who film their form, I designed a recording feature letting users compare their movements side-by-side with the in-app instructor.

"Without a coach present, I wouldn't know what I did right or wrong."

This became the feature users loved most — providing a sense of improvement and progress independent of the AI's limited feedback capability.

App recording feature
App Screens
Smart BDJ App screen Smart BDJ App screen Smart BDJ App screen Smart BDJ App screen

The Outcome

🏆

Google Play HK Best Personal Growth App of 2019. Now part of rehabilitation programmes in local hospitals.

Impact

  • Award-winning product launch
  • Adopted in hospital rehabilitation programmes
  • Validated AI can serve older adults meaningfully
"Smart BDJ has changed the way I teach patients Baduanjin. I see countless benefits for rehabilitation."
— Edward Chan, Occupational Therapist

Learnings

  • Context matters — home testing reveals real barriers
  • AI can enhance or hinder — consider the audience carefully
  • Would enhance: real-time AI feedback, in-app peer communities
Let's Connect

Want to learn
more about me?

I'm open to new opportunities, collaborations, and conversations. Feel free to reach out.

📞
Phone+61 414 597 607
📧
Emailgene.auyeung@me.com
💼
LinkedInlinkedin.com/in/gene-auyeung/
📍
LocationSydney, Australia 🇦🇺