Interview with Shiuan-De Chen from the United States

I'm Shiuan-De (Sander) Chen, a seasoned UX/product designer based in Seattle with a proven track record of leading three successful software startups from concept to market. My design journey began at a Fortune 500 tech company in my company.

I continually enhance my interdisciplinary expertise, having earned an EMBA from Aalto University and developed the Xtraspots App as a UI engineer using SwiftUI and JavaScript. I'm particularly excited about the convergence of AI and design, and I am dedicated to expanding my horizons and contributing my skills to the world.

With a strong sense of empathy cultivated since childhood, I love seeing people with happy smiles. As a designer, I can deliver those smiles through my work. I strive to bring happiness to users with intuitive, user-friendly, and aesthetically pleasing design products.

Currently I am a designer at Xtraspots, I am dedicated to providing an improved end-to-end parking experience. I believe Xtraspots' unique Airbnb-like business model can solve the hassle of parking, especially in big cities. By connecting drivers with available parking spaces seamlessly, we not only reduce the stress of finding parking but also optimize the use of existing space.

My focus is on creating an intuitive and efficient user interface that ensures a smooth and pleasant experience for all users, making city living more convenient and enjoyable.

I value design that seamlessly blends business, minimalist, and functionality to solve problems effectively. Design is not art; design needs to solve people's problems to achieve goals. Design must eliminate the superfluous and retain only what users truly need while providing robust functionality to meet their operational and usage requirements. Ultimately, design must be profitable to create a flywheel effect for product iteration.

In my design philosophy, design is fundamentally about solving problems. However, good design goes beyond mere problem-solving; it must also tell a compelling story and generate revenue.

Good design visually connects people to scenarios that help them achieve their goals, thereby encouraging user engagement and willingness to pay. Furthermore, good design should listen to user feedback to continuously improve the product. Happy design leads to happy customers, right?

I prioritize 'Don’t make users think' as a key design principle. I am committed to crafting minimalist and intuitive designs that embody empathy and strategic thinking. I believe these characteristics transform products into bridges between people, emphasizing usability, functionality, and emotional resonance through aesthetics.

My design inspiration draws from everyday life, focusing on pixel-level details and contemporary design trends. I aim to create minimalist and impactful designs that enhance the user experience and have a positive influence.

My design process starts with asking "why" and gaining a comprehensive understanding of various perspectives including objectives, target users, needs, challenges, domain knowledge, and user insights. Following this, I gather extensive competitive analysis data and conduct user interviews to ensure I address genuine user needs. Establishing clear design principles guides the process and helps prevent deviations caused by external variables in future development stages.

When designing concepts, I meticulously select the most appropriate tools to present my designs. Drawing on my background in business and engineering, I integrate product strategies to anticipate potential limitations. I pay meticulous attention to colors, formats, and every detail to ensure my designs are pixel-perfect and effectively aligned with achieving the core objectives.

Generally speaking, I draw inspiration from various sources, including:

Reading: Reading is my primary source of inspiration. Books distill the essence of the author's wisdom, and through reading, I can access that wisdom. I connect it with the challenges I encounter in my current projects, sparking new ideas and insights.

User Feedback: Listening to users and understanding their experiences and challenges provides direct inspiration for creating user-centered designs.

Experience Technology Product: Experiencing different technology products is also a frequent source of inspiration for me. Market-released products have been refined by other talented teams, and by using logical reasoning and analysis, I can understand the rationale behind their designs. This understanding serves as a valuable reference and inspiration for my own projects.

There are 3 trends that I believe have significant potential and captivate my interest are:

Minimalist and Functional Design - The trend towards minimalist and functional design continues to emphasize clean aesthetics, intuitive user interfaces, and seamless user experiences.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) - AI is enhancing personalization, automation, and predictive analytics across various digital platforms, optimizing user interactions and decision-making processes.

Voice User Interfaces (VUI) - The rise of VUIs, powered by advancements in natural language processing and voice recognition technology, is revolutionizing how users interact with devices and services, offering hands-free and intuitive interactions.

I am deeply honored to receive the 2024 Vega Digital Awards, which acknowledges my dedication and contributions. This award is a significant milestone, helping me understand myself better as a person and recognize my strengths in design. It also motivates me to push boundaries and embrace challenges, giving me the confidence to transform the world of learning with innovative design opportunities in the future.

In 2017, Xtraspots CEO Antony Chang went to a budget restaurant in San Francisco in order to save money. However, after the meal, he found that his vehicle had been towed, costing him $500 to get it back. This turned what was supposed to be an economical meal into an expensive experience. Frustrated, he noticed vacant private driveways nearby, sparking the idea for Xtraspots—a platform connecting home and property owners with drivers to leverage unused parking spaces, providing convenience and passive income for property owners.

Xtraspots is a platform dedicated to enhancing parking experiences in urban areas, similar to Airbnb's model for accommodations. It connects drivers and home owner's available parking spaces, addressing the challenges of parking in large cities. Xtraspots's innovative approach aims to optimize parking utilization and improve convenience for users through a user-friendly interface and efficient service model.

Xtraspots aims to address fundamental challenges people face and enable them to embrace a better digital lifestyle. By prioritizing both aesthetics and functionality, I am honored to see Xtraspots recognized for shaping a creative and impactful legacy in map and navigation part of the 2024 Vega Digital Awards.

The biggest challenge we faced in developing Xtraspots was making significant redesign decisions with limited user numbers and uncertainty about whether our current design would function properly under high traffic. Therefore, for certain designs requiring extensive user research, we initially adopted processes from mature products to ensure they were acceptable to general users.

We also reduced development costs and improved stability by utilizing third-party vendors' APIs and SDKs. Additionally, we implemented regression testing and stress testing methods to ensure our product could operate smoothly under various conditions.

Winning this award strengthens my confidence and commitment to creating more designs. It represents a milestone that acknowledges my hard work and underscores the meaningful impact of my designs. Moving forward, I look forward to working with new inspirations and expanding my design networks with other talented individuals.

Empathy, curiosity, and infinite possibilities. I believe that as a product designer, empathy is the primary requirement because we design for people. Curiosity helps designers explore the world more deeply, uncovering overlooked perspectives and applying them to their designs. Since people have limitless potential and diverse needs, we can foresee a future filled with even more unique products. This is why I love these three qualities so much.

I was born in a country where technology, especially in the semiconductor industry, holds significant importance. My country is home to renowned tech giants like TSMC, ASUS, and Acer. Growing up surrounded by these companies, we are exposed to digital advancements from an early age. This exposure gives us firsthand access to the latest technology products and news, fostering a belief that through technology, we have the power to change the world.

Over the next 5-10 years, I believe AI will become as integral to our daily lives as electricity is today, with every device incorporating AI. This will lead to a world vastly different from the one we know now.

Based on this prediction, I foresee voice user interfaces (VUI) emerging as the primary means of interaction with machines. With advancements in large language models (LLMs), voice recognition is becoming remarkably precise, making VUIs more effective and user-friendly. This shift will revolutionize how we interact with technology, making it more intuitive and accessible.

For the students, there are a view advices:

Practice, practice and practice - Design is a skill that improves with practice. Work on projects regularly, even if they are small or personal, to hone your skills and creativity.

Seek feedback - Don't hesitate to seek feedback from peers, mentors, or professionals in the industry. Constructive criticism helps you grow and refine your work. ADPList is a great platform for seeking design mentors.

Keep learning and stay updated - The design industry evolves rapidly with new tools, trends, and technologies. Maintaining curiosity and continuous learning are essential to staying competitive in the market.

Build a Portfolio - Showcase your best work in a portfolio that highlights your skills and versatility. Tailor your portfolio to reflect the type of work you want to do or the awards you aspire to win, like the Vega Digital Awards.

Network - Connect with professionals in the industry through networking events, online communities, and social media. Building relationships can lead to opportunities and collaborations.

Be Passionate and Persistent - Design is competitive, so be passionate about your work and persist through challenges. Embrace failures as learning opportunities and keep pushing forward.

ADPlist for Mentorship and Feedback - ADPlist is invaluable for seeking mentors and receiving feedback.

Experience Products - Engaging with popular apps and services allows for brainstorming on how to enhance their features and overall product.

Industry Product Events - At major company product events like Apple's WWDC, we can glean intricate details about current aesthetic design trends, human-machine interaction design trends, platform changes, technological constraints, and more. It's intriguing to imagine that these companies dedicate an entire year to prepare for these brief hours of presentation, ensuring that the content presented is the epitome of excellence and innovation.

In fact, Xtraspots is currently developing a new conversational reservation system for parking spaces, allowing users to obtain information and book parking spots in a more intuitive manner.

Additionally, we plan to utilize machine learning to assist us in identifying and verifying the authenticity of parking spaces for homeowners. This approach aims to enhance the efficiency of user registrations for parking spaces and reduce operational costs.

My mom, although she didn't have a strong background, she still taught me how to manage my life and prioritize the most important tasks. She gave me a fishing rod instead of just giving me a fish which has enabled me to make the right decisions at critical moments. I am grateful for her wisdom and support in navigating life's challenges.

Stay persistent and be prepared to seize opportunities when they arise.

Thank you, Vega Digital Awards, for providing a great platform for designers to showcase themselves.