Read insights and thoughts from mentors, peers, and clients, who have guided and witnessed my professional growth.
Impressions shared by colleagues
Mario Van Der Meulen
Chief Experience Officer at Aleph-Labs
"What stands out most about Lydia is her curiosity and the way she thinks for herself. She does not just run research. She questions, probes, forms her own view, and keeps refining how she sees the problem. She is thoughtful without being passive, and independent without losing the ability to work well with others. That makes her rare.
What also sets her apart is the range she brings. Lydia has real double value as a researcher who can also prototype. She does not treat research as something that stops at findings or handover. She naturally starts shaping what those insights mean in practice, whether that is through journeys, interaction ideas, or clear heuristics that help a team move forward. She has a strong instinct for interaction design, and that gives her work more traction.
What I appreciate is that her strength is not defined by the boundaries of her role, but by where she leads from and where she collaborates into. She knows how to anchor a team in insight, while also contributing meaningfully to how an experience should work. She is on a strong upward path, and I can see her becoming the kind of person people turn to not just for answers, but for direction.”
Eden Pua
Head of Design at First Circle
"Lydia does not shy away from trying to better herself— whether it is re-watching recordings of her interviews or looking out for new skills to pick up, she makes the effort to continuously improve, and it is this spirit that will take her through even further growth. I look forward to seeing the impact she will make on the people around her in the near future."
Kemei Lee
Senior UX/UI Designer at Temus
"Through working with Lydia, I have witnessed how she is a competent researcher who takes responsibility and ownership over her work, always seeking to push for a good research ethic. She also goes above and beyond her role to ensure that the project is handled smoothly."
Thoughts from clients
Christine Ng
Deputy Director, Experience Design and Research at the Health Promotion Board
" It is my absolute pleasure to recommend Lydia, who has worked with me as a researcher across multiple projects over the past two and a half years. Collaborating closely across five projects spanning diverse audiences - from youths and parents to the general population - I have had the privilege of witnessing her grow into a highly capable, thoughtful, and dependable research professional.
When Lydia first joined the team in early 2024, she was already a competent researcher. But what has been truly remarkable is how much she has grown over time. Across successive projects, I watched her develop a much deeper sensitivity to users - moving beyond surface-level responses to ask probing, insightful questions that uncovered the real motivations, frustrations, and needs behind what users were saying. During the parent-focused project, for instance, her ability to build rapport quickly with participants during one-on-one interviews allowed her to surface nuanced insights about parenting anxieties that shaped the direction of the entire design solution.
Lydia's growth was perhaps most evident during the Integrated Programme project, when the CX lead had to go on an extended hospitalisation leave. Without hesitation, Lydia stepped up to lead the research practice in what was a human-centred design project with significant stakeholder complexity. She took ownership of the research agenda, facilitated readout sessions with stakeholders, and ensured that diverse concerns and perspectives were heard and addressed effectively. She handled the added responsibility with a composure and professionalism that belied her years of experience, and the research work went smoothly under her stewardship.
Beyond her research craft, Lydia is a genuine team player. She has a natural ability to hold space in a room - whether in a stakeholder workshop or a user interview - making people feel heard while keeping the session focused and productive. On more than one occasion, she went out of her way to accommodate users who were only available for interviews in the evenings, conducting sessions late into the night without complaint. During periods of tight delivery timelines, she willingly worked over weekends to ensure that findings were synthesised and ready for the team. This kind of dedication is not something that can be asked of someone - it speaks to her character and her genuine commitment to the work.
Across all our projects together, Lydia has been professional, adaptable, and an absolute joy to work with. She is the kind of researcher who makes the whole team better, and any organisation would be fortunate to have her. I wish Lydia all the very best in her next chapter. I have no doubt she will continue to thrive and make a meaningful impact wherever she goes."
Michael Su
Head of Digital Experience and Engagement at Synapxe
"I had the privilege of working closely with Lydia Pung during a critical phase of our experience design of the unified HealthHub app. As a lead researcher, Lydia demonstrated a strong ability to convert complex public health mandates into highlight empathetic, resident-centric experience frameworks. She was able to leverage our 2,000-strong insights community and drove FGDs, surveys, and deep contextual interviews that captured the Voice of the Customer for over 700 residents. Her rigorous approach to data triangulation and user research was foundational in establishing the user-centric experience design that enabled our successful apps convergence, delivering a clear blueprint for patient empowerment digitally. She has played a key role in the experience design project of the unified HealthHub app, whereby she worked with us to uncover and surface market and user insights through the double diamond design thinking framework. Beyond her capabilities in research design and UX methodologies, Lydia stands out as a highly collaborative, adaptable, and articulate professional. She seamlessly bridged the gap between diverse stakeholder groups, translating complex user behaviours into clear, actionable product backlogs and strategic themes for our delivery squads. She possesses a rare combination of intellectual curiosity, methodological discipline, and a strong work ethic. She would be a invaluable strategic asset to any progressive organization focused on driving enterprise innovation and high-velocity product experience lifecycle development. I highly recommend Lydia and look forward to witnessing her future achievements.”
Tom Harvey
Head of Client Experience and Design at HSBC
"Lydia was great to work with. She was thorough in her analysis, insightful in her synthesis, and communicated research findings clearly and effectively. Whether conducting research, analysing qualitative data, identifying patterns across research reports, or presenting insights back to the team, she consistently demonstrated strong attention to detail and a thoughtful approach. Her curiosity and creativity helped uncover valuable user insights and often led to questions and perspectives that strengthened our understanding of user needs. Lydia brought a positive energy to the project and is a great collaborator."