Interview with Xianghan Wang, Jing Yao, Rui Xi

Xianghan Wang, Jing Yao, Rui Xi ("XWJYRX") interviewed on Thursday, 29 May.

Could you please tell us about your experience as a designer, artist, architect or creator?

XWJYRX : We are a multidisciplinary team with backgrounds in motion design, product design, and AI-driven product development. Collectively, we have over 15 years of experience designing across immersive media, digital health, and emotionally intelligent technology. Xianghan Wang is currently an XR/Motion Designer at Apple with a focus on spatial UX. Jing Yao is a product designer at Klarity Health, using AI to improve healthcare accessibility. Rui Xi is a product creator and entrepreneur with a technical foundation from UC Berkeley EECS, and a passion for building emotionally resonant digital products. Together, we bring a cross-functional perspective to every project.

How did you become a designer?

XWJYRX : We each arrived at design from unique but converging paths. Xianghan began with a passion for art and storytelling, eventually specializing in immersive interaction and spatial motion design. Jing transitioned from fintech into healthcare, driven by a desire to create more humane digital systems. Rui came from a technical engineering background but was drawn to design for its power to humanize technology. What connects us is a shared belief that design is a tool for empathy, clarity, and cultural resonance.

What are your priorities, technique and style when designing?

XWJYRX : Our top priorities are emotional resonance, accessibility, and cultural relevance. We start every project by deeply understanding user needs and emotional contexts. Our process is iterative and combines both digital tools (Figma, After Effects, Unity, Blender) and physical sketching or mapping when needed. Across all our work, we try to integrate human-centered values with future-forward technology.

Which emotions do you feel when designing?

XWJYRX : Designing for us is a deeply empathetic process. We approach each project with curiosity and care, but always center our work around the user’s emotional journey. Rather than focusing on our own emotions, we strive to understand how others will feel when they engage with what we create. That human-centered focus gives us purpose and fuels our motivation to design responsibly and meaningfully.

What particular aspects of your background shaped you as a designer?

XWJYRX : Our diverse cultural and professional backgrounds allow us to see challenges from multiple dimensions—technical, emotional, and societal. Non-design skills like psychology, systems thinking, writing, and entrepreneurship have helped us push our design work further. We’ve been shaped by mentors and collaborators who value purpose over aesthetics.

What is your growth path? What are your future plans? What is your dream design project?

XWJYRX : We plan to grow as a team that continues building emotionally intelligent, culturally aware, and socially impactful design products. We’re currently expanding Livia and exploring projects around memory, grief, and emotional wellness. Our dream project would be a large-scale public experience—an immersive emotional archive that helps people connect across time and culture.

What are your advices to designers who are at the beginning of their career?

XWJYRX : Design is not a straight line—allow yourself to explore different directions. Stay grounded in empathy and curiosity, not aesthetics alone. Don’t be afraid to build your own tools or define new design categories. Collaborate, listen, and let your values guide your process.

You are truly successful as a designer, what do you suggest to fellow designers, artists and architects?

XWJYRX : Success is built on iteration, reflection, and staying close to purpose. Our suggestion: treat each project as a conversation, not a statement. Share your process openly. Value rest and reflection. Design for impact, not just for portfolios.

What is your day to day look like?

XWJYRX : Our days often begin with personal check-ins—sometimes even using Livia to reflect or set intentions. We then align as a team on project goals, dive into design or technical tasks, and leave space for critique and iteration. We keep creativity flowing with rituals like walks, collaborative sketching, or shared inspiration boards.

How do you keep up with latest design trends? To what extent do design trends matter?

XWJYRX : We observe trends but are not driven by them. Trends can be helpful signals, but we prioritize timeless values: clarity, care, and cultural sensitivity. Our inspiration comes from anthropology, psychology, speculative fiction, and human rituals more than from seasonal aesthetics.

How do you know if a product or project is well designed? How do you define good design?

XWJYRX : A good design feels intuitive and emotionally aligned. For us, it’s when users don’t just understand how it works, but feel seen, supported, or inspired through the experience. We ask: does it serve a deeper purpose? Does it respect the user’s time and emotions? Can it adapt and endure?

How do you decide if your design is ready?

XWJYRX : A design is ready when the intent is clear and the experience feels emotionally balanced. We iterate until refinements no longer lead to meaningful improvement. That said, we believe most design is living—ready to evolve with new insights or changing needs.

What is your biggest design work?

XWJYRX : As a team, Livia is our most significant project. It brings together all our values—emotional intelligence, cultural awareness, and human-AI interaction. We created it to offer companionship, self-reflection, and memory preservation in a time of emotional disconnection. Its success has affirmed our belief in emotionally centered design.

Who is your favourite designer?

XWJYRX : As a team, we deeply admire Lin Huiyin—a pioneering Chinese architect, designer, and poet. Her ability to blend artistic sensitivity with structural innovation, along with her commitment to preserving cultural heritage, continues to inspire us. Lin’s work transcended boundaries, embodying both elegance and resilience, and she remains a timeless symbol of creativity grounded in cultural identity.

Would you tell us a bit about your lifestyle and culture?

XWJYRX : We live and work across the U.S., influenced by both Eastern and Western cultures. Rituals like journaling, tea, or walking are part of our creative rhythm. Our work is often inspired by traditional philosophies, emotional memory, and the tension between stillness and modern speed.

Would you tell us more about your work culture and business philosophy?

XWJYRX : We believe in respectful, flexible, and purpose-driven collaboration. Our philosophy is to design with empathy, build with intention, and lead with care. We choose collaborators who value openness and shared ownership. Our core values: clarity, compassion, curiosity.

What are your philanthropic contributions to society as a designer, artist and architect?

XWJYRX : We actively mentor young designers, judge competitions, and speak at educational and cultural events. Our design work also focuses on emotional and social themes—grief, memory, mental health—creating tools that support underserved needs in human experience. We believe design is a form of service.

What positive experiences you had when you attend the A’ Design Award?

XWJYRX : Participating in the A' Design Award was incredibly rewarding. It gave us a platform to share Livia globally, receive valuable validation, and connect with a like-minded design community.

Xianghan Wang, Jing Yao, Rui Xi Profile