San Francisco, CA – Mar 15, 2026
In the ever-evolving landscape of digital innovation, where technology meets human imagination, few projects embody the spirit of creativity and accessibility as vividly as TangiBand. This award-winning platform has garnered global recognition for reimagining music education through a seamless blend of augmented reality, AIoT, and gamified learning. At the heart of this transformative journey stands Junyao Liu, an accomplished product designer whose career reflects a consistent dedication to shaping intuitive, human-centered experiences.
With eight years of experience as a product designer, Junyao has established herself as a creative force in the technology and design industries. Her journey began with a foundation in Economics and Psychology at Rutgers University before she honed her craft at the Parsons School of Design, earning an MFA in Design Technology. Professionally, Junyao’s impact has spanned both startup ecosystems and global corporations. At TikTok, where she currently serves as a Lead Product Designer, she pioneered the design of Creator Studio, taking it from concept to reality. Within six months of launch, the standalone app reached millions of daily active users with a 4.7-star user rating, a testament to her ability to craft experiences that resonate with creators at scale. Her portfolio at TikTok includes AI-driven features, such as comment summarization and creator journey summaries, that empower content creators to focus on creativity while technology handles complexity.
Her earlier roles also reflect versatility and adaptability. At Fidelity Investments, she contributed to the design of mobile and cross-platform financial solutions, while at AscendEX, she was a founding designer whose work helped the startup rapidly attract millions of users and secure funding. This dual exposure, designing for both established institutions and nascent ventures, has equipped Junyao with the agility to innovate while meeting the rigorous demands of usability and trust.
It was within this context of creativity and technical excellence that Junyao contributed as a team member on the TangiBand project, a groundbreaking platform that reimagines how children engage with music. TangiBand leverages augmented reality and AIoT technologies to offer an intuitive, engaging, and natural way for children to explore musical composition. Unlike traditional music education, which often requires costly instruments and structured lessons, TangiBand democratizes access by transforming learning into play. Children can use physical blocks to build different forms, assign sonic qualities to them, and then compose original music pieces by arranging these forms. This playful yet structured approach eliminates barriers, whether financial, physical, or geographic, making music education accessible to children everywhere.
As part of the design team, Junyao’s expertise was instrumental in shaping the interaction design, UI prototyping, and overall user experience. Her background in creating engaging consumer-facing solutions ensured that TangiBand’s interface was not only visually compelling but also easy for children to navigate. By applying her skills in information architecture, wireframing, and prototyping, she helped align the product’s technical innovation with the needs of its youngest users.
TangiBand’s innovative spirit has not gone unnoticed. In 2025, the project was honored with a Red Dot Award, one of the most prestigious recognitions in global design. With upcoming submissions to the European Product Design Award, International Design Awards, and iF Design Award, the project continues to build momentum on the international stage.
This recognition validates not only the brilliance of the concept but also the dedication of its contributors, including Junyao, who played a vital role in shaping the product’s human-centered design.
The TangiBand team has ambitious next steps, including refining AI-generated project video footage, polishing the UI prototype to pixel-perfect quality, and designing a dedicated product website. For Junyao, this project represents more than an award; it is a tangible expression of her professional ethos that design should empower, inspire, and be accessible to all.
Her work with TangiBand complements her broader career trajectory, where she has consistently bridged the gap between cutting-edge technology and human-centered design. Whether in the global spotlight at TikTok or in collaborative projects like TangiBand, Junyao continues to demonstrate the transformative potential of thoughtful design in shaping the future of digital experiences.
TangiBand is more than just a music education app; it is a platform that unlocks creativity and inclusivity for the next generation. Transforming learning into an immersive, playful experience has opened doors for children around the world to discover the joy of music, regardless of their circumstances.
For Junyao Liu, her role in this achievement reflects the culmination of years of dedication to the craft of design, informed by a belief in technology’s ability to empower people. As the project garners further recognition, it also shines a light on designers like Junyao, whose vision and expertise make such innovations possible.
In an era where the intersection of technology and creativity defines progress, Junyao Liu’s journey with TangiBand stands as a testament to the transformative power of design, one block, one note, and one child at a time.
