Interview with Jiahui Yu & Yixuan Song | Creating Meaningful Interactions

Jiahui: My name is Jiahui, and I’m a UX Designer with four years of experience. I love exploring different industries, and I’ve worked on projects ranging from healthcare and education to back-end management, live streaming, and e-commerce. Tackling diverse fields allows me to understand varied user needs and motivations.

I’m passionate about observing the details around me and delving into the ‘why’ behind them—like why ketchup bottles are designed with caps on the bottom or why ticket stubs are necessary on public transport. This curiosity drives me to approach design from a critical, inquisitive perspective, always looking for deeper insights that enhance the user experience.

Yixuan: Fueled by an early love for creativity and curiosity, I combine my background in psychology with my passion for design to craft user experiences that resonate deeply. From exploring why objects are designed the way they are to pursue a Master’s in Information Science at Cornell, I’ve dedicated my journey to blending art and psychology in impactful ways.

Now a UX Designer at Google, I aim to create designs that are visually appealing, functional, and emotionally engaging, with aspirations to mentor future designers and push the boundaries of design innovation.

Jiahui: I chose to become a UX designer because I’m passionate about connecting with people through thoughtful design and addressing real-world issues. With a natural curiosity about the world, I’m drawn to the challenge of understanding users on a deeper level and finding creative solutions that truly resonate with their needs.

I’ve always believed that design is a powerful tool to simplify complex problems and improve lives in meaningful ways. The opportunity to work across various fields and explore diverse perspectives keeps me motivated, as each project lets me question assumptions, learn, and create tangible impact that contributes to a better world.

Yixuan: Ever since I was a child, I've been utterly captivated by the magical world of cartoons and comic books. They weren't just stories or drawings to me—they were windows into a universe where anything was possible, where colors spoke louder than words, and where the underdog could always save the day.

My journey into design began with countless childhood hours spent sketching my favorite characters and creating new ones, capturing their adventures on paper. One memory stands out: at eight years old, I drew my dog as a superhero, complete with a cape and goggles. My mom’s joy and her decision to hang it on the fridge ignited something in me—a desire to connect with others through my creations.

Over time, this passion evolved into a deeper appreciation for design as a powerful tool to inspire, communicate, and bring a bit of magic into everyday life.

Jiahui: As a UX Designer at Advantage Solutions, I work on solving a range of practical, real-world challenges. My role involves addressing specific user needs and refining experiences to make our solutions as effective and accessible as possible. Beyond my daily work, I’m deeply passionate about social issues and often look for ways that design can positively impact society.

I believe that good design can help address complex social topics, from mental health to inclusivity, and my goal is to create solutions that not only solve problems but also contribute to a broader understanding and empathy for diverse user needs.

Yixuan: In my career as a user experience designer, I am responsible for leading design projects that ensure our solutions are both aesthetically pleasing and practical while optimizing the user experience. Beyond my day-to-day work, I also serve as the design lead for my personal project, MindMender, a platform focused on mental health that combines advanced AI technology with deep user experience insights to provide innovative mental health support and solutions.

As the design lead, my role involves guiding our design team through every step from conceptualization to product realization. Our goal is to create an intuitive and engaging platform that allows users easy access to a variety of mental health tools. This includes AI-driven psychological analyses, AI-assisted journaling tools, and a smart recommendation system that suggests the most suitable therapists and mental health programs based on specific user needs.

Additionally, I collaborate closely with the technical team to ensure our design solutions integrate seamlessly into the existing technological architecture. By integrating with devices like the Apple Watch, we utilize biometric data to further personalize the user experience, providing more accurate mental health support.

Through the MindMender project, I am able to apply my design expertise to a truly meaningful area, driving innovation and accessibility in mental health services and helping more people maintain and enhance their mental well-being in an effective and affordable way. This project reflects my professional ethos and commitment to societal contribution, aiming to improve people's quality of life through the power of design.

We believe that an innovation design is human-centered, prioritizing usability while uncovering and fulfilling needs that users might not even realize they have. It maintains simplicity and intuitiveness, meeting users’ basic requirements while delivering deeper value that enhances their experience. A truly successful design anticipates these unspoken needs, creating a sense of connection and satisfaction for the user.

Our design style is primarily minimalist and elegant. It creates a visual experience that feels comfortable and trustworthy while remaining functionally straightforward and easy to understand. Even for those without interaction training, our design is intuitive enough to be used effortlessly. We aim to provide an experience that is both relaxed and engaging, helping to bridge the gap between the product and its users.

Our design process begins with a deep understanding of our users and their needs. We start with research, gathering insights, and analyzing user behavior. At the beginning, we often explore multiple topics, but we recognize the importance of creating socially valuable solutions. This led us to focus on mental health. In the ideation phase, we brainstorm and sketch various solutions, emphasizing how to deliver genuine value to users.

We also examine existing products on the market, identifying why they fail to meet users' needs, as we enjoy uncovering problems and questioning everything. Once the concept is solidified, we develop prototypes, testing and refining them through user feedback. In the final implementation, we pay close attention to detail, ensuring that our design aligns with our core principles of functionality, simplicity, and aesthetics.

One of the key challenges I faced during the innovation process was balancing creativity with practicality. While it’s exciting to think outside the box, implementing innovative ideas often requires aligning them with user needs and real-world constraints.

To address this, I focused on iterative testing and feedback, which allowed me to refine concepts based on actual user responses. Another challenge was navigating the complex ethical considerations that come with designing for social impact, such as privacy and accessibility. By collaborating closely with my team and consulting experts, I was able to create solutions that were both effective and ethically responsible.

Thank you! Winning the 2024 TITAN Awards is an incredible honor for our team, as it not only acknowledges our hard work but also validates our ideas and abilities. This award reinforces our commitment to creating meaningful, user-centered designs, and it shows that our approach resonates within the industry.

This recognition motivates us to keep pushing boundaries, exploring innovative solutions, and making a positive impact on users' lives. For us, this award celebrates our shared dedication and reminds us of the value our work brings to the digital design field.

If we had to recommend two essential reads for anyone looking to improve their design skills, they would be:

1. "The Design of Everyday Things" by Don Norman – This book was one of my early inspirations and remains a must-read for anyone interested in human-centered design. It offers invaluable insights into understanding user behavior, and how to create intuitive, functional designs that truly serve the people interacting with them. It’s an excellent foundation for anyone looking to grasp the psychology behind effective design.

2. "Don't Make Me Think" by Steve Krug – This is another foundational book that shaped my approach to web usability and intuitive design. Krug’s simple, yet profound, advice on making things as easy as possible for users has become a guiding principle in my work. This book is perfect for understanding the critical role usability plays in web and product design, ensuring that users can navigate without friction.

These two books laid the groundwork for my understanding of design and are a fantastic starting point for anyone aiming to improve their skills in the design industry.

Our advice to aspiring innovators is to start with curiosity and a willingness to question everything. Making a real impact requires not only solving problems but also identifying the right ones to tackle. As a team, we believe in understanding the deeper needs of the people we’re designing for and encourage taking creative risks. Innovation often involves trial and error, so embrace feedback and view setbacks as learning opportunities.

Lastly, stay informed about ethical considerations—especially if you’re working on social impact projects. Balancing creativity with responsibility will not only strengthen your solutions but also build trust with the people you aim to serve.

Our motivation during the innovation process came from our shared commitment to making a meaningful impact. Knowing that our work could address real-world issues and improve people’s lives kept us focused, even when challenges arose.

We also made it a priority to celebrate small milestones and support each other as a team, which helped us stay energized and engaged. Additionally, we stayed connected to our purpose by continuously seeking feedback from users—seeing our designs resonate with them reinforced our dedication and reminded us of the importance of our work.

We hope our innovation will not only improve individual lives but also promote greater awareness and understanding around important social issues. Our goal is to create solutions that empower people, making resources and support more accessible, especially in areas like mental health.

By designing with empathy and a deep understanding of users’ needs, we aim to bridge gaps, reduce stigma, and foster a sense of connection and support. Ultimately, we want our work to contribute to a more compassionate, inclusive world where technology can enhance well-being and offer meaningful support in everyday life.

We believe that successful innovation requires a combination of curiosity, resilience, and empathy. Curiosity drives innovators to question assumptions and explore new possibilities, while resilience helps them navigate the inevitable challenges and setbacks that come with developing something new. Empathy is essential for understanding the true needs and motivations of users, ensuring that the solutions created are meaningful and relevant.

Additionally, collaboration and openness to diverse perspectives are crucial, as they enrich the creative process and lead to more comprehensive, impactful results.

We envision the digital industry continuing to evolve with a strong focus on personalization, mental health, and ethical technology use. In the next 5-10 years, advanced technologies like enhanced interactive forms, supercomputing, and brain-computer interfaces will likely become more prevalent, allowing for new and immersive user experiences.

We believe that as the industry advances, design will need to address important considerations around ethics, privacy, and transparency. This evolution toward more personalized, ethically aware, and technologically sophisticated designs will help shape a future that is both innovative and responsible.

AI and Automation Integration: AI and automation will continue to play a larger role in the design process. From tools that assist in rapid prototyping to AI-driven user research and data analysis, designers will have more powerful resources at their fingertips. However, the human touch—creativity and empathy—will remain irreplaceable, meaning designers will need to balance AI's efficiency with emotional intelligence and storytelling.

Our advice would be to stay curious and constantly seek to understand the real needs of users while pursuing advancements in technology and innovation. The digital industry is always changing, so it’s important to be open to learning and adapting as new tools and trends emerge, especially in fields like AI, interactive design, and immersive technologies. Focus on building a strong foundation in technical skills and design thinking, while being mindful of the social and ethical impact of your work.

Finally, don’t hesitate to take on projects that are personally meaningful—passion, purpose, and a drive for innovation can set your work apart and lead to impactful, award-worthy designs.