Yoon’s fascination with computer graphics began with painting software such as Dr. Halo and Deluxe Paint during the XT computer era. His curiosity led him to study electrical engineering at Korea University. He entered the web industry in 1999 amid the dot-com boom, working with early startups.
After completing his military service in the R.O.K. Army and earning a Bachelor of Engineering from Korea University, Yoon joined Samsung Electronics as a software research engineer in the Telecommunication R&D Center, focusing on user interfaces for GSM/WCDMA and experimental mobile phones. Collaborating closely with designers on various GUI projects—and drawing on his earlier web design experience—he discovered his true calling in design.
He returned to school to study graphic design at SADI (Samsung Art & Design Institute) and later continued at Parsons School of Design in the MFA Design & Technology program. His MFA thesis project, Typography Insight (typeinsight.org), was featured by Fast Company, The Atlantic, and Gizmodo, and ranked second in the Education category on the U.S. App Store. With his growing interest in mobile design and development, he authored the book 도전! 아이폰 프로그래밍 (Challenge! iPhone Programming), which became a best-selling iPhone programming book in Korea from 2011–2012.
In 2011, Yoon joined Microsoft as a UX Designer, contributing to MSN/Bing apps—including News, Sports, Finance, Weather, Travel, Health & Fitness, and Food & Drink—across Windows, iOS, Android, and web platforms. As lead designer for the Sports and Finance apps, he helped shape Microsoft’s modern “Metro” design language. Since 2015, he has focused on Developer Experience design, integrating his multidisciplinary background in UX and software engineering.
In 2016, Yoon joined the Mixed Reality design team for HoloLens and Windows Mixed Reality, leading the design of ecosystem experiences such as the open-source Mixed Reality Toolkit (MRTK), Mixed Reality Design Labs (MRDL), Mixed Reality Academy, and Mixed Reality Dev Center.
That same year, he launched his first HoloLens app, Type In Space, marking the beginning of his ongoing exploration of Mixed Reality. He continues to share his work and insights on his blog, Mixed Reality Now.
As of 2025, Yoon is a Principal Designer at Meta, leading the exploration and productization of spatial input modalities—including hands, eyes, voice, controllers, stylus, gamepad, mouse, virtual/physical keyboards, and micro-gestures.
Most recently, he launched Cosmic XR, a Mixed Reality app inspired by his passion for space, data visualization, and spatial interaction. Cosmic XR was featured by UploadVR and received the Top Rated badge on the Meta Quest Store, recognized for its educational value, immersive design, and emotional impact on users around the world.
Curious how I went from engineer to designer? [Read my journey →]