From Taiwan to Nike: How Lilian Wang Built a Global Creative Career in Digital Design

In today’s world of digital innovation and cultural diversity, Lilian Wang's (legal name Yu Hsuan Wang) journey shows how creativity can connect people and ideas across borders. Born and educated in Taiwan, Lilian followed an unconventional path that took her from fashion design classrooms in Taichung to leading digital process management for Nike’s North American go‑to‑market teams. Her story is one of perseverance, creative leadership, and cross‑cultural adaptability, demonstrating how digital content design can connect people and ideas across borders.

Lilian’s love of design began in her hometown of Tainan, Taiwan. From an early age, she was fascinated by how fashion could express emotion and identity, a language of color, texture, and form that connected people beyond words. Her curiosity led her to a high-school fashion program, where she first stepped into the world of design. “My creative journey began in Tainan,” she said. “In those fashion design classrooms, I discovered how emotion and craftsmanship intertwine, and how visual thinking could become a way to communicate what words cannot.”

Recognizing that creativity thrives on connection, Lilian later majored in Applied Foreign Languages (English & Japanese) and business in college, expanding her ability to collaborate across cultures. She describes this phase as discovering “the qualities that became essential when working across international teams,” foreshadowing the global collaborations ahead.

In pursuit of deeper creative knowledge, Lilian relocated to the United States to earn her master’s degree at the University of Oregon. There, she led an 18-month team project to design a skateboarding hoodie that blended streetwear aesthetics with built-in protective padding. Collaborating closely with her teammates, she guided concept development, pattern making, and production, learning how ideas evolve through shared creativity and communication. “That project taught me not just about design,” she said, “but about teamwork, communication, and the power of creative problem-solving.”

It was during graduate school that Lilian realized design could be both artistic and strategic, a lesson that would guide her future career.

After earning her master’s degree, Lilian’s career evolved toward digital platforms and process design in the sportswear and fashion industry. She joined Nike, where she supported the Global and North America Go-to-Market (GTM) teams, helping build internal digital platforms and product guides that balanced design vision with operational efficiency.

At Nike, Lilian learned that design isn’t just about visuals, it’s about building systems that help people work better. Working closely with cross-functional teams, she created digital tools that simplified collaboration and made complex information easier to share. As the digital content designer for Nike’s North America GTM webpages, she developed an internal platform used by sales and marketplace teams across the region, improving access to key seasonal product information.

Her impact extended globally. As part of Nike’s global GTM team, she collaborated on digital websites that allowed regional partners to access future product data, while also designing product guides for iconic lines, like Tech Fleece and women’s leggings, blending creative visuals with product storytelling.

Lilian also became a connector between creative, technical, and operational teams. She visualized workflows in Miro boards, built Campaign Monitor templates for global communications, and introduced process improvements that made collaboration smoother. When Nike transitioned from gender-based to sport-based categories, a shift that restructured internal content organization, she led the redesign of GTM webpages with a focus on clarity, usability, and storytelling. To manage the changes, she built an Airtable tracking system and redesigned layouts that made navigation more intuitive across the region.

Such adaptability has earned Lilian recognition as a thought leader in digital content design. “Yes, I’ve become a key voice in shaping how digital content is designed, structured, and delivered,” she said. “As the only person on my team responsible for digital content design and creation, I have to combine technical and creative skills with strategic insight into how information flows across Nike’s complex ecosystem”.

Before Nike, Lilian developed her digital storytelling skills in diverse environments. At Avery Dennison, she worked as a marketing and design intern, creating presentation decks and branding concepts for the Newness Portfolio. She blended logo design, typography, and cohesive color palettes to communicate upcoming seasonal trends, a foundation that sharpened her eye for brand consistency.

Her freelance work also refined her skills. Partnering with Vic Riches, an independent fashion brand, she managed Instagram campaigns, conducted trend research, and designed visual content that strengthened the brand’s digital identity. These experiences highlight Lilian’s ability to adapt her digital content strategies to different brand voices, a key trait for any creative strategist.

Leading large‑scale digital projects for a global company came with challenges. One of the biggest was navigating Nike’s major organizational shift from gender‑based to sport‑based categories. When she joined the GTM team, content systems were still organized by gender. Within eight months, she guided the transition to a sport‑based structure, redesigning webpages and reorganizing content to align with Nike’s new strategy.

Through this process, Lilian learned the importance of communication, flexibility, and empathy. “For me, growth happens in quiet moments, when you’re figuring out how to make things work better for others,” she said. She discovered that creativity and organization are deeply connected. “Strong design is built on structure, clarity, and empathy for the people using it.” These lessons continue to shape her commitment to user-centered digital design and her belief that growth comes from both challenge and reflection.

Lilian’s advice to young designers mirrors her own journey. “Don’t limit yourself to one definition of creativity,” she said. “It can exist in teamwork, strategy, or in the way you make processes simpler for others.” She encourages aspiring creatives to stay curious, keep learning, and trust that their unique mix of skills and perspectives can create meaningful impact.

Looking ahead, Lilian hopes to deepen her influence in digital transformation and creative strategy for global brands. She aspires to lead projects that redefine how companies communicate through interactive, human-centered design. Long-term, she envisions working as a consultant, collaborating with fashion, sports, and lifestyle brands to build digital ecosystems that are visually compelling, inclusive, and sustainable.

She also dreams of mentoring young digital content designers, especially international creators. “I want to empower others like myself to believe that creativity has no borders,” she said. By sharing her story, she hopes to inspire a new generation of designers who see diversity as a strength and technology as a canvas for storytelling.

Throughout her career, Lilian has stayed grounded in her core values. She believes design is a language that connects people, ideas, and cultures. Her projects focus on simplifying complex information and fostering collaboration across teams and boundaries. She champions innovation through digital transformation, believing that technology and creativity together can make information more accessible, engaging, and human.

Reflecting on her journey, Lilian shared, “I’ve learned that creativity isn’t limited by location or title, it’s about curiosity, empathy, and the courage to keep improving.” This belief captures her spirit: hopeful, collaborative, and ever-evolving.

As the digital landscape continues to evolve, Lilian stands as an example of how global content design can empower teams, inspire audiences, and bridge cultures. Her journey from Taiwan to Nike shows that when creativity meets determination, borders fade, and new possibilities take shape.