Interview with Qijun Nie, the Founder of Functional Form Block Allies

Design has never been about making beautiful things to me, and I've been fascinated by the innovations behind the first iPhone since I was a kid. Being curious about everything and questioning everything is probably the right ability for a designer, which is why I choose to be a designer.

I am the founder and lead designer of Functional Form Block Allies (FFBA), a design consultancy firm co-founded with my amazing design partner, Mr. Menghai Xia, also known as Luke. FFBA provides a wide range of design solutions, including industrial design, interactive design, service design, and fashion design, with a focus on accessories. Our expertise spans industries such as medical devices, consumer products, and business solutions, allowing us to address diverse client needs.

At FFBA, my role involves leading projects, ensuring that our designs align with our core philosophy of blending functionality with form to create thoughtful and impactful solutions. As a team, we aim to produce designs that respect and enhance human experiences, staying true to our user-centred and systematic approach. Our work has been recognised globally, and this year we were honoured with multiple prestigious design awards, reflecting the value and innovation we bring to the industry.

Beyond delivering design solutions, FFBA also strives to nurture the next generation of designers. Through educational initiatives, we connect students and young professionals with real-world industry insights, helping them to understand processes and challenges while encouraging fresh perspectives that can inspire new ways of thinking. This dual focus on professional work and education makes FFBA not just a design consultancy but also a collaborative platform for creativity, innovation, and growth.

To me, design is the bridge between creativity and functionality, where ideas are transformed into meaningful solutions that enhance people’s lives. It’s not just about aesthetics or form; it’s about understanding human needs, challenging constraints, and creating experiences that resonate deeply. In essence, design is about empathy, innovation, and the pursuit of harmony between people, products, and the environments we inhabit.

I’m particularly drawn to experience-driven design that focuses on seamless, end-to-end solutions for users. I love how service design maps out complex systems, breaks down pain points, and reimagines interactions to create a more intuitive and satisfying journey.

It’s fascinating to design not just for individual moments but for holistic experiences that connect people with services in meaningful and sustainable ways. The collaborative and multidisciplinary nature of service design excites me because it allows us to innovate while considering diverse perspectives and needs.

A design that really thinks about practical problems and brings a good experience and aesthetic value. And importantly, it's not about consumerism after all, I'm still a consumer even as a designer, so a good design should make users feel that their life is better today and worth looking forward to in the future.

Well, I've won 32 awards, including Platinum, Gold, and Silver in a variety of different fields. If I have to sum up, it is curiosity and doubt. Since childhood, I have maintained a curious mind to observe, question and investigate the people and things around me. This curiosity has kept me trying and exploring, which has continued until now.

I think in addition to the technical research support provided by some partners, so many of the winning projects are inspired by life.

Yes, I believe that cultural heritage plays an important role in shaping the design process. As someone from China, I am deeply influenced by the region's rich tradition of craft, storytelling, and meticulous attention to detail. Chinese family values and moral standards drive me to create honest, thoughtful and truly service-oriented designs.

Winning the 2024 & 2025 London Design Awards is a profound honour for both me and Functional Form Block Allies (FFBA). It’s a testament to the dedication and creativity of our team, whose work spans industries such as medical devices, consumer products, and fashion accessories.

For us, this recognition is not just a celebration of success but a validation of our core mission: to create designs that blend functionality and form while truly improving people’s lives.

This year, some of our award-winning projects were presented under their project team names instead of FFBA. This was a deliberate decision to highlight the contributions of our younger designers and allow them to shine individually.

At FFBA, we strongly believe in nurturing new talent and giving them the platform to grow and be recognised. By doing so, we aim to create a collaborative environment that empowers the next generation of designers while showcasing the breadth of our work.

This award inspires us to keep innovating, refining our processes, and pushing the boundaries of design. It also reinforces our confidence when presenting to clients, showing that our values and designs resonate globally.

Ultimately, this achievement motivates us to continue contributing to the industry, not only by delivering impactful designs but also by fostering talent and ensuring that design remains a force for positive change.

We’re honoured to have a bunch of projects recognised in the 2024 & 2025 London Design Awards. Each of these designs was entered because we believe they strongly reflect our commitment to creating more humane, thoughtful, and convenient products. These projects aim to bridge connections between people in ways that may not have been possible before, balancing the needs of service providers and receivers.

While our winning works span different categories, they all share a core mission: to create designs that genuinely care about and enhance people’s lives, embodying the values that drive us at Functional Form Block Allies.

Let’s not relive the trauma. Keep the passion.

Winning so many London Design Awards has been incredibly validating for our practice. It’s given us broader recognition and strengthened our confidence when presenting to clients, showing that our ideas and values resonate on a global scale. This achievement demonstrates that design success goes beyond profitability—it’s about making a positive impact in people’s lives.

We’re grateful for this recognition and inspired to continue creating meaningful, people-centred designs. On a personal level, the award has inspired me to keep learning and evolving as a designer. It’s a reminder to stay curious, take risks, and continuously refine my craft.

Love, care and humanity.

Innovation and a smart solution.

In the next 5 to 10 years, I see the design industry becoming more diverse, automated, and intelligent. Streamline the process and make eventual improvements easier and faster. As our tools continue to evolve, designers will spend less time on labor-intensive production and more time connecting with real people to gain insight into their needs.

This shift will allow designers to focus on creating more human and thoughtful designs that resonate on a personal level. And I think the designer of the future will not be defined as a certain kind of designer but as a diverse creative worker.

Don't let fear hold you back and just go for it.

The London Design Awards website itself is an excellent resource, offering a vast database of inspiring work. For developing specific skills, online platforms can teach you everything from drawing to software to understanding manufacturing processes.

However, as I often tell my students, the best resources are all around you in real life. Engage with people, observe, and learn from real interactions. Understanding human needs and experiences firsthand is invaluable, as design ultimately serves people. So, immerse yourself in real life—it’s the richest resource a designer can have.

My professor Ben Ge, He taught me more than just design skills and an attitude towards life. Several years after his death, I am still inspired by his serious, persistent and passionate attitude towards things.

My success? I'm not sure. But I know to embrace the real world, to feel, to experience, to connect with other people and the world. To wonder, to question, to criticise things that seem so common, maybe they shouldn't be.

Yes, I’d like to highlight the collaborative spirit of our organisation, Functional Form Block Allies (FFBA). While we are a relatively new entity, our work as a team spans several years, built through professional practice and friendship. Alongside my co-founder and lead design partner, Mr. Menghai Xia (Luke), and our exceptional design partner and consultant, Mr. Weijing Zhao (Jony), we have had the privilege of mentoring and working with some incredible younger designers.

This time, I’d especially like to recognise Luxi Yu (Lucy), who has been instrumental in our research and design processes. Jiayu Hu has made a great contribution to the Wattup project. Despite her young age, Alice brings a fresh, vivid perspective that connects deeply with the next generation of consumers and markets.

I’d also like to thank Siyu Zang, a designer and researcher currently getting her master's degree at the Royal College of Art in the UK. Siyu has made vital contributions to our research projects and medical product innovations, adding depth and insight to our work.

Looking ahead, we are excited to take our award-winning projects further, collaborating with clients and partners to bring these designs to life in global markets. We also remain dedicated to supporting and mentoring the next generation of designers, helping them shine on the world stage. For us, design is a vital behaviour of innovation, and by working together with both experienced and emerging talents, we hope to make a positive impact and contribute to a better future.