Xi Zhou
1. Please give us a brief bio of yourself and your background.
My design journey began with a childhood love for the innovative and imaginative world of Doraemon. As a young artist, I explored various mediums including traditional Chinese painting and watercolor. This artistic foundation led me to study Industrial Design at Jiangnan University during my freshman year of college.
As I delved deeper into industrial design, I discovered my main interest lay in the Internet of Things (IoT). This realization prompted me to seek transfer opportunities to U.S. universities.
After two years of dedicated effort, I moved to California College of the Arts in 2017 to focus on UX design and research. Following graduation, I worked as a UX researcher at Netgear, where I gained valuable insights into product development. My passion for design and technology drove me to pursue further studies at the University of Michigan, exploring the intersection of software development and design.
A pivotal moment in my career came during graduate school when I secured both an internship and a full-time offer with PlayStation. This experience not only solidified my commitment to design but also provided excellent opportunities for growth and development as a UX Designer.
2. What made you become/why did you choose to become a product designer?
My design journey began in childhood with a fascination for Doraemon's innovative and imaginative world. Growing up, I explored traditional Chinese painting and watercolor, which nurtured my creativity and shaped my artistic foundation. This passion led me to pursue Industrial Design at Jiangnan University in my freshman year.
While studying industrial design, I discovered a passion for the Internet of Things (IoT). Seeking academic growth, I dedicated two years to transferring to California College of the Arts in 2017, where I focused on UX design and research.
After graduation, I joined Netgear as a UX Researcher, gaining valuable experience in product development and user research. My drive to combine design and technology led me to pursue further studies at the University of Michigan, where I explored the intersection of software development and design.
During graduate school, I landed an internship at PlayStation that evolved into a full-time role—a pivotal moment in my career. This experience deepened my commitment to UX design and offered remarkable opportunities for both personal and professional growth.
3. Tell us more about your business/company, job profile, and what you do.
I am currently a UX Designer at PlayStation (Sony Interactive Entertainment), working on the Monetization and Commerce team, focusing on both console and off-console experiences. I have led and delivered multiple projects for the PlayStation e-commerce website and subscriptions worldwide, reaching 70 countries and serving 118 million users.
4. What does “design” mean to you?
Design is about creating new things and improving existing ones. It's when we turn creative ideas into real solutions that help people. Good design combines three key elements: functionality, aesthetics, and usability. At its core, design is about using creativity to solve problems and make a difference.
5. What’s your favorite kind of design and why?
My favorite part of the design process is brainstorming, which typically involves input from the entire team. People with different backgrounds bring ideas you might never have considered.
For instance, those with animation experience might offer more unconventional ideas, while those with graphic design backgrounds might suggest more visually appealing approaches. When we come together for ideation, we have inspiring conversations and generate bold, creative ideas.
6. To you, what makes a “good” design?
Great design can go unnoticed—it excels when users don’t consciously perceive its presence. This is especially true in interaction design, where navigating a user interface should feel intuitive and seamless.
The design’s rules and elements should be immediately understandable, allowing users to engage effortlessly. Behind the scenes, an invisible hand of color, shape, contrast, and repetition subtly guides their experience, making the interface feel natural and approachable.
7. Congratulations! As the winner of the 2024 NY Product Design Awards, what does it mean to you and your company and team to receive this award distinction?
Winning the 2024 NY Product Design Awards is an incredible honor that recognizes both my work as a digital designer and our team's collective achievement. While this award acknowledges our company's success, it also highlights my personal journey and dedication to design excellence.
Beyond my corporate contributions, this recognition validates my individual creative vision and commitment to crafting innovative digital experiences. It's a milestone that celebrates both collaborative success and individual artistic growth, inspiring me to continue pushing creative boundaries in all aspects of my design work.
8. Can you explain a bit about the winning work you entered into the 2024 NY Product Design Awards, and why you chose to enter this project?
I have two projects submitted to the 2024 NY Product Design Awards.
The first is Virtu AI, a concept for revolutionizing the press-on nail e-commerce experience with AI-generated content. Our platform allows customers to design highly personalized press-on nails using AI and connects them with skilled crafters globally to transform these digital designs into physical products.
Users can generate AI prompts with visual hints through a single structured sentence, either by selecting suggested options or inputting text. By leveraging generative AI, Virtu AI bridges the gap between virtual creativity and tangible reality, enabling users to bring their designs to life.
The second project is Seedlings, an app designed to empower young teens to take charge of their diabetes management from an early age, while also helping parents track their children's Type 1 diabetes health data. Managing Type 1 diabetes requires frequent glucose monitoring, and Seedlings transforms this into an engaging experience with its gamified rewards system.
The app features AI-powered tools, such as the AI Doctor for personalized recommendations and AI-generated plants that grow based on progress, fostering motivation and community engagement. Integration with glucose meter apps allows real-time data tracking, and parents can set challenges and reward consistent check-ins. Unlike traditional apps, Seedlings uses gamification and empathy to build lasting habits, offering a supportive and sustainable approach to diabetes management.
Type 1 diabetes is a common chronic disease in children, but adults can also be diagnosed. Managing it requires daily synthetic insulin and blood sugar level monitoring, a complex and highly individualized process influenced by various factors. With 1.25 million Americans affected, a number expected to rise to 5 million by 2050, over two-thirds struggle to achieve target glucose control. Seedlings revolutionizes management by leveraging AI and real-time glucose data, reducing paperwork and in-person visits.
Telemedicine enhances accessibility, reduces travel-related carbon footprints, and AI-powered tools optimize insulin dosage, reduce waste, and deliver personalized, sustainable care.
9. Where do you see the evolution of design industry going over the next 5-10 years?
Artificial Intelligence is fundamentally transforming our creative processes, ushering in an unprecedented era of artistic and technological innovation. With its sophisticated capabilities, AI streamlines and automates traditionally time-consuming tasks, such as complex image editing and manipulation, significantly accelerating workflow efficiency while unlocking entirely new avenues for creative expression.
The transformative potential of AI-powered tools clearly demonstrates this ongoing revolution in creative workflows. As Artificial Intelligence continues to evolve, its influence will grow increasingly profound, fundamentally reimagining how we approach the creation, manipulation, and consumption of visual and digital media across all platforms and contexts.
