I help technology companies navigate the cultural and experiential gap — whether you're expanding into Western markets, building for global audiences, or leading teams across cultural divides.
Start a conversationGreat products can miss the mark at the cultural edge — not because the design is wrong, but because assumptions travel poorly across contexts. That gap shows up in global product teams, companies entering new markets, and organizations trying to reach audiences that don't yet feel seen. Bridging it takes someone who has lived fluently on both sides.
From Kansas City small businesses to global enterprise teams — if you are navigating a gap between where you are and where your audience is, this work is for you.
Your community deserves more than events on a calendar. I help ERGs and leadership organizations design experiences, workshops, and programs that create real connection — the kind that develops leaders and builds culture from the inside out.
Your team is diverse, your market is global, or both. I help US-based companies align cross-cultural teams, design for multicultural audiences, and build internal experiences that work across Eastern and Western expectations.
You built something worth finding. I help Kansas City clinics, practices, and small businesses audit and strengthen their digital experience — from website UX to Google, Yelp, and social listings — so the right clients can find you and trust you before they walk in the door.
You have an internal design team but need a senior strategic voice to guide direction, challenge assumptions, and bridge Eastern and Western perspectives at the leadership level.
Your organization is crossing a cultural divide — entering a new market, integrating a global team, or designing for users who think differently than you do. I help you understand not just what to design, but how to think differently about the user.
You have the product vision. You need someone who can surface what Western users actually expect and translate that insight into design decisions your team can act on.
Each engagement is scoped to your stage and goals. No retainer minimums to start — just a focused conversation about where you are stuck.
Leadership Workshop Design
Custom workshops for ERGs, leadership teams, and organizations navigating cross-cultural dynamics, team alignment, or experience design strategy. I design the experience — your team leads it.
Experience Design Advisory
Ongoing strategic partnership for teams actively designing experiences for new markets or audiences. Senior advisory bringing 20+ years of Fortune 100 enterprise UX experience.
Cross-Cultural UX Research & Strategy
Qualitative research with real users to surface the mental models, expectations, and behaviors your product or service will encounter. Strategic direction that bridges what your team assumes and what users actually experience.
Western Market UX Audit
A structured review of your existing product or digital presence through a Western user lens. Identifies where UX assumptions break down for US audiences — and delivers a prioritized roadmap for adaptation.
I grew up in China and built a 20-year career designing complex enterprise systems in the US. I speak fluent Mandarin and have spent decades navigating the exact cultural gap my clients are trying to cross. I also work with US-based organizations — ERGs, leadership teams, and local businesses — bringing the same cross-cultural intelligence to the inside of your organization.
Years Fortune 100 enterprise UX across healthcare IT and financial services
Member global organization led across 29 chapters as OPAL Global Chair
Mandarin, work directly with your leadership team without a translator
Eastern and Western digital culture, lived and practiced, not studied
Empathy and storytelling are not soft skills. They are how complexity becomes clarity, and how products cross the distance between what you built and what people actually feel.
Lai Xu, UX Strategy AdvisorTell me where you are headed and where you are stuck. A 30-minute conversation is enough to know if this work makes sense for your team.
Currently accepting a limited number of new engagements.
lai@lai-xu.com