Yasong: Hello, I'm Yasong, a dedicated UX/UI designer with 5+ years of experience. My specialisation lies in AI and SaaS product design. I'm known for my ability to effectively align business objectives with user needs. Beyond my achievements in enterprise projects, I have also worked on consumer-end products in the marketplace, entertainment, and hospitality sectors. With a cumulative user base exceeding 100 million worldwide, my designs have made a significant impact on the industry.

Hong: Hi there, my name’s Hong Qiu. As a passionate UI/UX/product designer dedicated to multidisciplinary exploration, my design journey has spanned various projects, including user-centered design, interaction design, and graphic design. Holding a master's degree in Human-computer Interaction from Indiana University, I have honed my skills to build holistic systems around products. I firmly believe in the transformative power of design to address social issues, and these academic and professional experiences have fortified my commitment to this belief.

Wei: Hi! I'm Wei, and I hold a master's degree in Interactive Design from SCAD. Currently, I work as a UX/UI designer at Dimensional Innovations, collaborating with various clients, such as Intuit, Lego, MGM, etc. I strive to balance business vision with user needs, ensuring that our designs are user-centered and market-viable. Collaboration and empathy are key to my process. I believe in the power of collaboration and iteration to refine designs and achieve optimal results. By blending strategic alignment with empathetic design, I aim to create impactful solutions that drive success.

Yasong: I chose to become a designer because I've always been fascinated by the relationship between people and their surroundings. I found myself drawn to understanding how design influences human behavior and emotions when I was at college. This innate curiosity led me to pursue a career where I could creatively explore and enhance this connection, ultimately making a positive impact on people's lives through thoughtful and innovative design solutions.

Hong: Becoming a designer was a natural choice for me, driven by a lifelong passion for art and problem-solving. From a young age, I found joy in merging aesthetics with technology, envisioning impactful creations. Academic studies further honed my skills, and upon graduation, I eagerly embraced the role of a designer. Collaborating with others, I find immense satisfaction in bringing designs to life that positively impact individuals and society.

Wei: I became a designer because of my passion for creativity and problem-solving. From a young age, I was drawn to art and design, finding joy in creating and bringing ideas to life. As I grew older, I realised the power of design to positively impact people's lives and solve real-world problems. This realisation fueled my desire to pursue a career in design, where I could use my skills to make a meaningful difference and contribute to creating innovative and user-centered solutions.

Hong: As leading designers at Echo Reality Studio, our main focus is on crafting intuitive and user-centered experiences. Witnessing the satisfaction on users' faces brings us immense joy, as it validates that our work contributes value to society.

Wei: Echo Reality integrates the latest cutting-edge technology to empower a variety of industries. We offer services to tech companies and diverse enterprises, putting ourselves in the position of our users and clients to understand their needs and business objectives. By doing so, we strive to deliver maximum benefits and align our services with their vision.

Yasong: To me, "design" encompasses more than just solving users' problems; it also involves aligning with and meeting the business goals. Design is about crafting solutions that not only address the needs and preferences of users but also contribute to the success and growth of the business. It's about finding the delicate balance between usability, aesthetics, and functionality while ensuring that the design effectively serves its intended purpose and aligns with the broader objectives of the organisation.

Hong: Design, to me, is a captivating journey of problem-solving, blending creativity with logic. It draws inspiration from real-life needs, offering solutions that enhance people's lives. It's both a profession and a source of inherent passion and creativity, shaping my identity. Each project is like nurturing a child, contributing to my growth and evolution as a designer.

Wei: As a designer, "design" means crafting meaningful connections between people and their surroundings, whether digital or physical. My experience in UX/UI design informs my user experience approach, focusing on empathy and understanding to solve users' problems. My goal is to empower enterprises with innovative, accessible, and inclusive designs, creating significant value for society. My passion for design began early and drives me to make a meaningful impact.

Yasong: I like the design that solves users' problems and provides a consistent and holistic experience, such as the approach taken by brands like MUJI. MUJI's minimalist and functional design philosophy focuses on simplicity and utility, resulting in products that are practical, aesthetically pleasing, and accessible to a wide range of users.

Hong: I enjoy a design style that considers the entire product ecosystem, prioritising the user's needs through logical and systematic approaches. I seamlessly blend aesthetics with functionality to create meaningful experiences.

Wei: My favorite kind of design is minimalist design because it prioritises simplicity and clarity while fully considering users' needs. By conducting multiple iterations, the design evolves based on user feedback, resulting in a refined and efficient product. This approach ensures a seamless experience and enhances usability, making it both aesthetically pleasing and functional.

Yasong: A good design first solves users' problems effectively and efficiently. It anticipates and addresses the needs, preferences, and pain points of users, resulting in a seamless and intuitive experience. Additionally, a good design is aesthetically pleasing and visually appealing, capturing the attention and interest of users while conveying the brand's identity and message. It is also functional and user-friendly, with clear navigation, logical layouts, and intuitive interactions.

Hong: In my view, effective design is human-centered and problem-solving. It must create tangible value for society and contribute to sustainable development. Design that lacks thoughtful consideration and fails to address real problems falls short of its true purpose.

Wei: A "good" design creates an intuitive and emotional connection between the user and the product, making interactions feel natural and seamless. It empathises with users' needs, achieving elegance in simplicity with every element serving a clear purpose. Adaptability ensures it evolves with changing needs, while harmonious integration of aesthetics and functionality makes it both beautiful and practical. Good design tells a story, conveying the brand's values and creating a memorable narrative. It prioritises sustainability with eco-friendly choices and inclusivity to ensure accessibility for all users. Ultimately, it enriches lives through a thoughtful, user-centered approach.

Yasong: As a UX designer from China, I believe that cultural heritage plays a profound role in shaping my design process. China's rich history, diverse traditions, and cultural values deeply influence how I approach UX design. From the aesthetic preferences rooted in traditional Chinese art and architecture to the emphasis on harmony and balance in user interfaces, I integrate these cultural elements into my designs.

Hong: Definitely! Having been born in China and having 2 years of higher education in the United States, my design ethos is a synthesis of Eastern and Western cultures. This fusion enables me to draw inspiration from diverse perspectives, integrating elements from both traditions into my design approach. It enriches my creativity, broadens my understanding, and allows me to create designs that resonate with a global audience while honouring cultural diversity.

Wei: Yes, being in China for more than 20 years and studying in the U.S. for 2 years made me realise how the Chinese cultural heritage significantly impacts my design process. Chinese concepts like harmony, balance, and simplicity influence my approach. The country's history of craftsmanship and artistry inspires functional, aesthetically pleasing designs. Understanding local customs and user behaviors helps create designs that resonate with Chinese users while embracing modern innovation.

Yasong: Winning the London Design Awards is a tremendous honour for me and our entire team. It represents recognition of our dedication to innovation, creativity, and excellence in design. This accolade not only validates our hard work but also inspires us to continue pushing boundaries and delivering exceptional experiences for our users and clients.

Hong: ​​Winning the 2024 London Design Awards is a huge honour for us, our team, and Echo Reality. It validates our dedication, creativity, and commitment to excellence in design. This recognition motivates us to keep pushing boundaries and striving for greatness in our work. It's a testament to our collective effort and collaboration. We're grateful for this recognition and excited to continue making meaningful contributions to the design industry.

Wei: We are proud to have won the 2024 London Design Awards. This milestone for Echo Reality motivates us to continue delivering exceptional work for our clients and strengthens our collaborative efforts. This prestigious recognition is a testament to our design team's hard work, demonstrating that our dedication has paid off.

Yasong: The winning entry for the London Design Awards is AI Ad Manager, a groundbreaking platform that transforms advertising through its comprehensive capabilities. It utilises AI-powered smart bidding to optimise budgets, ensuring ads are always cost-effective. Precision Audience Targeting directs ads to the most relevant users, while an AI chatbot craft personalised ad copy, significantly boosting conversion rates. We chose to enter this project because it represents a significant innovation in digital advertising technology, showcasing our ability to integrate advanced AI solutions for impactful and efficient advertising campaigns.

Hong: The winning entry we submitted to the 2024 London Design Awards is called AI Ad Manager. It revolutionises workflows with its all-in-one platform, enabling advertisers to complete a campaign in significantly less time, resulting in a substantial increase in efficiency. We chose to enter this project because advertisers often encounter frustration due to time-consuming campaign processes and uncertain bidding practices.

However, AI Ad Manager marks a significant innovation in advertising, addressing these longstanding challenges by providing a unique solution to streamline and enhance the advertising experience. As designers, we believe that AI represents the future trend. With its transformative power, we can harness the capabilities of AI to revolutionise our work processes and enhance creativity. AI enables us to streamline tasks, generate innovative solutions, and unlock new possibilities in design. By leveraging the power of AI, we can push the boundaries of what's possible and create impactful designs that shape the future.

Wei: Our project, AI Ad Manager, leverages AI to streamline the input process, reduce enterprise costs, and boost annual revenue. We embarked on this project due to our strong relationship with the client, who approached us for help in solving their challenges. One of our lead designers has extensive expertise in this field, and both I and another designer share a keen interest in it. This combination inspired us to take on the project!

Yasong: During the design process, our main challenge was navigating the discovery phase, particularly managing uncertainty. To address this, we prioritised thorough user research to define and understand our users' pain points and needs. This involved conducting extensive interviews, surveys, and usability tests to gather actionable insights. By focusing on understanding our users deeply, we were able to clarify requirements, validate assumptions, and iteratively refine our design solutions. This approach helped us mitigate uncertainty and ensure that our final product effectively addressed user needs and expectations.

Hong: The biggest challenge we faced with the AI ad manager project was ensuring the accuracy and reliability of the AI algorithms. Since the success of the platform relied heavily on the AI's ability to optimise campaign processes and bidding strategies, it was crucial to fine-tune and validate the algorithms to ensure they consistently delivered effective results. Additionally, integrating complex AI technologies into the platform while maintaining user-friendliness posed another significant challenge. We had to strike a balance between advanced functionality and ease of use to ensure that advertisers could seamlessly navigate the platform and leverage its AI capabilities effectively. Overall, overcoming these challenges required extensive testing, iteration, and collaboration between our design and development teams.

Wei: The biggest challenge with this project is conducting user research effectively when the target users are advertisers. Reaching this niche group can be difficult due to their dispersion across industries and busy schedules. Gathering actionable insights requires in-depth discussions, but advertisers may hesitate to share proprietary strategies. Building trust and relationships is essential but can be a slow process.

Yasong: My top three favorite aspects of our industry revolve around its focus on user experience as paramount, ensuring inclusivity and accessibility for all. Secondly, the opportunity to design for the future, leveraging emerging technologies and trends, fuels my passion for innovation and forward-thinking. Lastly, the ever-evolving nature of our industry, with new technologies constantly emerging, keeps the work dynamic and exciting, presenting endless possibilities for creative exploration and problem-solving.

Hong: What I love most about the design industry is its endless potential for innovation and creativity, the profound impact it can have on improving different facets of life through thoughtful design solutions, and the collaborative spirit that brings together diverse talents to create meaningful outcomes.

Wei: What I appreciate most about my work is the opportunity to explore various fields, offering me a chance to stay refreshed by diving into a wide range of interesting domain knowledge. Secondly, the collaborative nature of the industry fosters innovation, empathy, and teamwork, allowing me to work closely with others. Lastly, I love encountering beautiful designs and discovering the wonders of the world through my work!

Yasong: My design style can be described as minimalist and user-centric. I prioritise simplicity and clarity in user interfaces to ensure a seamless and intuitive user experience. By employing clean layouts, clear typography, and strategic use of white space, I aim to minimise cognitive load and guide users effortlessly through digital interactions.

Hong: My design approach is inclusive, considering the diverse perspectives and needs of all clients. I stay up-to-date with the latest design trends and tools, integrating them flexibly into my projects. Through a deep understanding of user experience, I aim to create designs that exceed expectations and deliver tangible value. This comprehensive methodology enables me to adapt seamlessly to industry changes, ensuring my designs are both contemporary and user-centric.

Wei: My design style is characterised by minimalism, functionality, and emotional resonance. Deeply empathetic, my user-centered approach involves thorough research to create intuitive, user-friendly solutions. My designs evoke positive emotions and meaningful experiences, utilising colour, typography, and interaction to resonate deeply with users. Adaptable and scalable, my work evolves with changing needs and technology, while incorporating sustainable practices and ensuring inclusivity for diverse users. Each design tells a story, reflecting the brand’s values and mission, making it memorable and engaging.

Yasong: The world is constantly changing, and as a designer and tech professional, it's essential not only to keep up with current trends but also to design for the future. For instance, many are currently integrating AI into their products to enhance industry efficiency. Looking ahead, with the maturation of technology and the widespread adoption of VR/AR and wearable devices, we can expect to see even more companies venturing into these fields.

Hong: In the coming 5-10 years, I foresee the design industry progressing towards increasingly immersive and interactive experiences, propelled by advancements in technologies like augmented reality, virtual reality, and artificial intelligence. Designers will undoubtedly have a pivotal role in defining the interfaces and interactions within our ever-more digital and interconnected world.

Wei: In the next 5-10 years, the design industry will evolve with AI, automating tasks and streamlining workflows. Designers will focus more on creative and strategic work, producing unique and innovative designs. Collaboration with technology and data science experts will lead to impactful solutions. Embracing AI and emerging technologies will drive the industry's success and future growth.

Yasong: "Lean UX" by Jeff Gothelf and Josh Seiden offers invaluable insights into lean methodology principles in UX design. Moreover, numerous online platforms serve as rich sources of inspiration and education. Websites such as Pinterest, Dribbble, Behance, and Medium showcase diverse design styles, trends, and case studies from designers worldwide.

Hong: For enhancing skills in the design industry, I recommend exploring online learning platforms such as Coursera and Udacity, attending design conferences and workshops to network and stay abreast of industry trends, and joining design communities to engage with peers, exchange insights, and foster professional growth.

Wei: To improve design skills, explore online courses on platforms like Coursera and Udemy. Follow design blogs like Smashing Magazine and read classic books such as "The Design of Everyday Things" by Don Norman. Join design communities like Behance, attend workshops, and practice consistently to build a strong portfolio.