By: Izzy Grace
As Artificial Intelligence rapidly reshapes how we work, communicate, and create, design leaders like Jingya Chen play a key role in helping ensure that innovation remains both intelligent and human-centered. A lead designer at the Office of the Chief Scientist at Microsoft, Jingya brings together a rare combination of technical fluency, creative vision, and a strong commitment to mentorship—qualities that have helped position her at the forefront of the AI design revolution.
At Microsoft, Jingya has led the design of several AI developer tools, including AutoGen Studio—a platform that aims to simplify prototyping of multi-agent workflows—and Guidance AI, a framework that helps improve user control over large language models (LLMs) through structured prompts and constrained decoding. These tools are contributing to shifts in how engineers and researchers approach AI development, enabling them to build modular, reusable workflows, visualize complex model behaviors, and prototype with a balance of speed, control, and transparency.
What sets Jingya’s approach apart is her ability to translate intricate AI capabilities into user experiences that are often accessible and ethically responsible. With a background in Human-Computer Interaction and years of collaboration with research teams, she is contributing to the design of a future where AI tools are not only powerful but increasingly usable.
Beyond her product and research work, Jingya has prioritized giving back through education. In recent years, she has been invited to speak at universities including California State University, Fullerton, and Purdue University, offering students valuable insights into the real-world challenges and opportunities of designing for AI. In her talks, she explores emerging paradigms of co-creation between humans and machines, the growing importance of transparency in generative systems, and the designer’s responsibility in building ethical, accountable technology.
As one faculty member put it, “Jingya’s presentations weren’t just technical briefings—they offered meaningful reflections on how creativity, ethics, and innovation intersect in the AI era.”
Her dedication to mentorship extends beyond formal lectures. Through Microsoft’s highly selective Reach mentorship program, Jingya has guided more than 40 mentees—from recent graduates to career-changers—helping them navigate some of the complexities of the fast-evolving world of AI design. Her sessions, often booked weeks in advance, are frequently praised for offering not just practical advice but thought-provoking perspectives.
“She didn’t just review my portfolio,” recalls Emily, now a product designer in an AI startup. “She helped redefine the way I think about AI design itself.”
Others, like Jason—now a master’s student in HCI—credit Jingya’s guidance with providing them the encouragement to pursue competitive academic paths. “She asked the hard questions that no one else did,” he says.
In her mentorship and talks, Jingya often returns to three guiding principles: the importance of technical fluency for designers who aim to shape AI behavior; the need for deep, human-centered responsibility; and the mindset of lifelong learning in a field where the landscape changes rapidly. “It’s not just about transferring knowledge,” she says. “It’s about empowering people to create technology with empathy, purpose, and imagination.”
Through her dual role as a design leader and educator, Jingya Chen is helping influence the next generation of AI creators, supporting a future where, as the technology grows smarter, the people behind it may grow wiser too.
Published by Joseph T.
