What makes an experience truly worthwhile for kids, and how can that inspire a lifelong love of creativity?
These are the kinds of questions Lexi Gao explores as a senior product manager working on engagement, gaming, and mobile experiences for Aqua by Adobe. But Lexi has another way of describing the role: detective.
Discovering what matters to kids and families
Lexi’s work begins with curiosity. By talking with parents, educators, and children, studying data, and observing how people interact with Aqua, Lexi looks for clues about what they find important and worth their time. Those discoveries help her to determine where the team can make the greatest difference.
Her work goes beyond finding ways to capture attention. As Lexi explains, creating an engaging experience can be relatively easy, but creating one that is both engaging and meaningful is an art form.
Lots of games rely on rewards, progression systems, and repeating engagement loops to motivate players. Lexi sees an opportunity to take the knowledge developed in the gaming industry and thoughtfully adapt it for education and creativity.
“I want kids to grow to love creativity and bring creativity with them throughout their life’s journey,” Lexi says. We love to hear it!
A lifelong love of games
Lexi grew up playing games across a wide range of genres. Casual favorites included Neopets, Miniclip games, Dance Dance Revolution, and the Nancy Drew games by HerInteractive (this author also loved the Nancy Drew games!). Lexi also spent time with early massively multiplayer online games such as RuneScape, Fiesta Online, Flyff, and MapleStory, along with Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and Yu-Gi-Oh!
Those experiences offered many different examples of what can make play compelling: from exploration and problem-solving to self-expression, mastery, and community.
Today, that gaming background helps Lexi consider how familiar design principles can support a different goal: encouraging kids to wonder, experiment, and build an enduring relationship with creativity.
Following curiosity into a career
When asked how her career began, Lexi’s answer was simple: “Chasing after curiosities.”
That philosophy continues to shape the work. Understanding an audience requires asking questions, following unexpected signals, and remaining open to what people reveal through both their words and their actions.
During one user interview, Lexi watched a child make a 3D octopus and then pose for a photo with it alongside their dad. “The amount of laughter and joy in that room truly inspired me,” Lexi recalls.
The moment captured the magic of Aqua: a child creating something original, sharing it with a parent, and finding true delight in the experience.
Protecting the creative child within
Lexi’s advice for kids (and grown-ups!) who might want to pursue similar work is to protect their innate sense of curiosity.
“Chase after things that make you wonder, explore, and be creative,” Lexi urges.
That's advice that reflects both Lexi’s career and the larger purpose behind Aqua: giving kids the freedom to follow their ideas, experience the joy of making something, and carry their creativity wherever life takes them.