Photograph of Lucy Xie in a circle.

Lucy Xie

Design Researcher, Australia post

“Law school was the most intellectually stimulating time of my life and I got the opportunity to meet so many high-achieving people who pushed me to be better.”

About Lucy

What did you study and where?

University of Auckland, BA / LLB.

What is your ethnicity?

Han (Chinese-heritage).

Why did you decide to study law?

I really enjoyed English in High School so my father suggested I try out for law school. I was excited when I made the grades to be accepted.

Where do you currently work and what kinds of work do you do?

I am currently contracting with Australia Post as a design researcher. I specialise in qualitative and user experience research to uncover customer pain points, and I help organisations design better services and digital products.

What do you like about your work?

I love the process of capturing people’s experiences and making sense of them to influence the design of solutions. I also love navigating the complexity of large organisations to understand how systems and processes need to be improved to deliver a better customer experience. A big part of my job is to effectively communicate the customer needs to a variety of stakeholders. I love being able to translate insights into compelling stories to motivate action and influence change.

What do you like to do outside of work?

I share learnings from my life and career on Medium.com!

What advice would you give to those considering studies in law?

Law school was the most intellectually stimulating time of my life and I got the opportunity to meet so many high-achieving people who pushed me to be better! In my opinion, there was no better place to learn about how society works and to question the everyday “rules” around us that we take for granted. If you choose to study law, be prepare for a gruelling yet extremely rewarding experience.

There are so many areas of law that you can study and you’ll have enough time to sink your teeth into the ones that you’re most interested in. Pay attention to the course topics and see which ones spark your curiosity. If you’re not sure about becoming a lawyer then see your time at law school as a way to set down some solid foundations in critical thinking, analysis, and communication. These are the skills that have given me an advantage in my non-legal career.

Oh, and one more thing. Enjoy the process! I remember being so stressed out over grades and internships. Now I look back and wish I was more present and took every opportunity to speak to my professors, tutors and fellow students. They were some of the smartest people I have ever met. Enjoy them and make the most of it while you can!!