Ann Chen @ Harvard, Apple, Yale
is currently a Harvard master’s student studying technology, innovation, and learning design. She previously graduated from Yale-NUS with a degree in computer science and a minor in arts (after studying fine arts for 7 years), with both academia HCI experience and industry experience at Apple, HP, and several global start-ups.
Robotics
Blind and visually impaired people face significant challenges navigating unfamiliar environments. Through participatory design and field experiments, I showed that a quadruped robot guide can reduce cognitive workload and improve navigation by 40% compared to traditional canes, even in complex and unstructured spaces.
Skill: Prototype Testing, Participatory Design, Focus Groups
Will users help ChatGPT if it asks for help? How can the way ChatGPT asks for help influence users’ likelihood of saying yes or leave them with a better impression of it?
Through experimental studies with 120 participants, I showed that perceptions of effort, need, and potential success—what we call deservingness cues—shape how likely people are to help AI and how intelligent or trustworthy they perceive it to be.
I identified conversational AI tactics that increased human helping behavior by 6.9% and trust by 27.5% through concept testing and survey research.
Skill: Data Analysis, Surveys, Experiment Design, User Personas
2023-2024
Study how humans interpret robots when they make mistakes and apologize @ Yale Social Robotics Lab
2023-2024
Health & Wellness Apps
2024 - 2025
2024 - 2025
2024 - 2025
Safe AI Incorporation into Applications
2022 - 2023
Conducting research on website content strategy for Abillion — a mobile app that helps users discover and review vegan products
2023
Award-winning AI Researcher, Experienced in both Hardware and Software, Been in academia and industry!
2025
Delivered a data product for the Apple Watch that automated metric reporting, reducing reporting time by 40% @Apple Watch
2023
Implemented machine learning models to segment customers, forecast demand, and uncover high-potential product opportunities @ Artefact
2023
Expertise in Data Science/ML with experience delivering data products
Diagnosed challenges in HP printer quality compared to competitors @ HP
2023
Delivered a data product on metric-reporting for Apple Watch
In evaluating Apple Watch performance reporting, I uncovered inefficiencies caused by manual processes that delayed insights and produced inconsistent metrics. By designing and delivering a data product for reporting, I improved turnaround time by 40% and created greater consistency for data and manufacturing teams.
Skill: Python, ML, SQL, Interviews
Check out More of Ann’s Work by Category Below:
Working with an Early-Revenue Food Tech Startup ($1M–$5M) at MIT
The protein food industry represents a massive and rapidly expanding market, yet entry decisions are often complex and high-stakes. Through a combination of user research and market analysis, I uncovered consumer needs and market dynamics that shaped our strategy to enter a new market.
I helped the organization make a confident, research-backed decision on how to approach this opportunity.
Skill: Product Vision, Market/Customer Research, Competitive Analysis
Ann Chen @ Harvard, Apple, Yale
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Feel free to email me at annchen1@g.harvard.edu