Interview with Meiqi Zhao
Meiqi Zhao is a product designer and AI product manager working at the intersection of design, emerging technology, and human-centered innovation.
Designer Interview
29 June 2026
My background sits at the intersection of product design, digital experience, AI, and visual storytelling. I studied Human-Computer Interaction at the University of Michigan School of Information, where I developed a strong foundation in user research, interaction design, prototyping, and human-centered design methods. Before that, I studied at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, where I was exposed to both analytical thinking and creative problem-solving.
I did not grow up with a fixed idea that I would become a designer, but I was always drawn to visual expression, systems, and the way objects or interfaces shape human emotions. Over time, I realized that design allowed me to combine several things I care about: aesthetics, technology, psychology, and social impact.
My professional experience has also shaped my identity as a designer. I have worked on AI-powered consumer products, creative tools, voice interfaces, and data platforms. These experiences made me see design not only as making things visually appealing, but as creating meaningful relationships between people, technology, and culture.
I did not grow up with a fixed idea that I would become a designer, but I was always drawn to visual expression, systems, and the way objects or interfaces shape human emotions. Over time, I realized that design allowed me to combine several things I care about: aesthetics, technology, psychology, and social impact.
My professional experience has also shaped my identity as a designer. I have worked on AI-powered consumer products, creative tools, voice interfaces, and data platforms. These experiences made me see design not only as making things visually appealing, but as creating meaningful relationships between people, technology, and culture.
My work is currently developed through an independent, interdisciplinary design practice focused on AI-powered experiences, digital products, and emotionally resonant creative systems. Rather than limiting the studio to one medium, I see it as a space for exploring how technology, interaction, and visual design can come together to create products that feel intuitive, expressive, and human.
The practice combines product strategy, user research, UX/UI design, prototyping, and visual storytelling. Many of my projects begin with a human problem or an emotional need, then evolve into digital products, AI tools, interactive systems, or speculative design concepts.
I am especially interested in designing for moments where technology becomes more personal: how people express themselves, make decisions, create, learn, or connect with others. My design studio is built around that question.
The practice combines product strategy, user research, UX/UI design, prototyping, and visual storytelling. Many of my projects begin with a human problem or an emotional need, then evolve into digital products, AI tools, interactive systems, or speculative design concepts.
I am especially interested in designing for moments where technology becomes more personal: how people express themselves, make decisions, create, learn, or connect with others. My design studio is built around that question.
For me, design is the process of turning complexity into something people can understand, use, and emotionally connect with.
Good design is not only about form or function. It is about judgment: knowing what to simplify, what to emphasize, what to remove, and what kind of experience a person should have. A well-designed product should feel clear, intentional, and almost inevitable.
I also see design as a bridge between imagination and reality. It takes abstract ideas, cultural observations, technical possibilities, and human needs, then transforms them into something tangible. In that sense, design is both a practical discipline and a poetic one.
Good design is not only about form or function. It is about judgment: knowing what to simplify, what to emphasize, what to remove, and what kind of experience a person should have. A well-designed product should feel clear, intentional, and almost inevitable.
I also see design as a bridge between imagination and reality. It takes abstract ideas, cultural observations, technical possibilities, and human needs, then transforms them into something tangible. In that sense, design is both a practical discipline and a poetic one.
I enjoy designing works that combine technology, emotion, and everyday use. In particular, I am drawn to AI-powered products, creative tools, interactive experiences, and systems that help people express themselves more freely.
I like projects where the design challenge is not only visual, but also behavioral and strategic: understanding what users really need, how they move through an experience, what motivates them, and how the product can create a sense of ease, delight, or discovery.
I am also interested in designs that have a strong emotional layer. Whether it is an AI creativity product, a food discovery experience, or a digital interface, I like designing things that feel personal rather than purely functional.
I like projects where the design challenge is not only visual, but also behavioral and strategic: understanding what users really need, how they move through an experience, what motivates them, and how the product can create a sense of ease, delight, or discovery.
I am also interested in designs that have a strong emotional layer. Whether it is an AI creativity product, a food discovery experience, or a digital interface, I like designing things that feel personal rather than purely functional.
One of my favorite designs is NomNow, an AI-powered food discovery product I co-founded and designed. The product was created to help people discover restaurants and food experiences through a more natural, multimodal interface using voice, image, and text.
What I liked most about this project was that it addressed a very ordinary but emotionally rich problem: deciding what to eat. Food discovery is not just about efficiency. It is connected to mood, culture, memory, social context, and personal preference. I wanted the product to feel less like a search engine and more like a thoughtful companion.
For NomNow, I worked across user research, product strategy, interaction flows, prototyping, and visual design. We interviewed more than 60 users, launched the product, and reached over 5,000 users in the first 30 days. The project also received international recognition, including the MUSE Gold Award and iF Design Award. For me, it represents the kind of design I care about most: useful, technically forward-looking, and emotionally human.
What I liked most about this project was that it addressed a very ordinary but emotionally rich problem: deciding what to eat. Food discovery is not just about efficiency. It is connected to mood, culture, memory, social context, and personal preference. I wanted the product to feel less like a search engine and more like a thoughtful companion.
For NomNow, I worked across user research, product strategy, interaction flows, prototyping, and visual design. We interviewed more than 60 users, launched the product, and reached over 5,000 users in the first 30 days. The project also received international recognition, including the MUSE Gold Award and iF Design Award. For me, it represents the kind of design I care about most: useful, technically forward-looking, and emotionally human.
One of the first major things I designed for a company was a digital product experience that required translating business goals and user needs into a clear interface. Early in my career, I worked on product design and product management projects where I created user flows, wireframes, high-fidelity prototypes, and product requirement documents.
That experience taught me that design in a company is very different from design in isolation. It is not only about having a strong concept, but also about communicating clearly with engineers, aligning with business priorities, understanding constraints, and making decisions that can actually be shipped.
It was an important turning point because I began to understand design as a collaborative discipline. A good designer does not only create visuals; they help teams make better decisions.
That experience taught me that design in a company is very different from design in isolation. It is not only about having a strong concept, but also about communicating clearly with engineers, aligning with business priorities, understanding constraints, and making decisions that can actually be shipped.
It was an important turning point because I began to understand design as a collaborative discipline. A good designer does not only create visuals; they help teams make better decisions.
My favorite technology right now is artificial intelligence, especially multimodal AI. I am interested in how AI can work with text, voice, image, and context to create more natural forms of interaction.
As a designer, I see AI not only as a tool for automation, but as a new design material. Like light, space, or typography, AI has its own behavior, limitations, and expressive possibilities. It can make products more adaptive, personal, and creative, but it also requires careful design judgment to make the experience trustworthy and understandable.
I am especially interested in using AI to support creativity, self-expression, discovery, and decision-making. The most exciting part is not replacing human creativity, but expanding what people can make and how they interact with technology.
As a designer, I see AI not only as a tool for automation, but as a new design material. Like light, space, or typography, AI has its own behavior, limitations, and expressive possibilities. It can make products more adaptive, personal, and creative, but it also requires careful design judgment to make the experience trustworthy and understandable.
I am especially interested in using AI to support creativity, self-expression, discovery, and decision-making. The most exciting part is not replacing human creativity, but expanding what people can make and how they interact with technology.
I feel most creative when I am moving between different fields and noticing unexpected connections. This often happens when I am reading, visiting exhibitions, observing everyday behavior, using new technologies, or having conversations with people from different backgrounds.
Creativity usually comes to me when I am not forcing an immediate answer. I like to collect fragments first: a visual reference, a user pain point, a technical possibility, a cultural pattern, or a personal emotion. Later, these fragments start to connect and form a clearer direction.
I also feel very creative during the early stage of a project, when the problem is still open and the possibilities are not yet fixed. That uncertainty gives me space to explore, question assumptions, and imagine new forms of experience.
Creativity usually comes to me when I am not forcing an immediate answer. I like to collect fragments first: a visual reference, a user pain point, a technical possibility, a cultural pattern, or a personal emotion. Later, these fragments start to connect and form a clearer direction.
I also feel very creative during the early stage of a project, when the problem is still open and the possibilities are not yet fixed. That uncertainty gives me space to explore, question assumptions, and imagine new forms of experience.
During the design process, I focus most on clarity, emotional resonance, and the relationship between user behavior and product structure.
Clarity is always the foundation. A design should help people understand what they can do, where they are, and why the experience matters. I pay close attention to information architecture, interaction flow, hierarchy, and the removal of unnecessary friction.
At the same time, I care about the emotional layer of design. A product may be functional, but if it feels cold, confusing, or forgettable, it will not create a lasting connection with people. I try to design experiences that feel intuitive, personal, and meaningful.
I also focus on whether the design can be realized and improved over time. Good design should not only look strong as a concept; it should work in real situations, support business goals, and continue to evolve through user feedback.
Clarity is always the foundation. A design should help people understand what they can do, where they are, and why the experience matters. I pay close attention to information architecture, interaction flow, hierarchy, and the removal of unnecessary friction.
At the same time, I care about the emotional layer of design. A product may be functional, but if it feels cold, confusing, or forgettable, it will not create a lasting connection with people. I try to design experiences that feel intuitive, personal, and meaningful.
I also focus on whether the design can be realized and improved over time. Good design should not only look strong as a concept; it should work in real situations, support business goals, and continue to evolve through user feedback.
When I design, I often feel a mix of curiosity, focus, tension, and excitement.
The early stage usually begins with curiosity. I want to understand the problem, the users, the context, and the hidden patterns behind people’s behavior. As the project develops, the process becomes more focused and sometimes intense, because design requires many decisions and trade-offs.
There is also a productive kind of uncertainty. Before an idea becomes clear, I often need to stay with ambiguity for a while. I see that as an important part of the creative process.
When the design direction finally starts to make sense, I feel a quiet sense of momentum. It is the feeling that separate fragments are beginning to form a coherent experience.
The early stage usually begins with curiosity. I want to understand the problem, the users, the context, and the hidden patterns behind people’s behavior. As the project develops, the process becomes more focused and sometimes intense, because design requires many decisions and trade-offs.
There is also a productive kind of uncertainty. Before an idea becomes clear, I often need to stay with ambiguity for a while. I see that as an important part of the creative process.
When the design direction finally starts to make sense, I feel a quiet sense of momentum. It is the feeling that separate fragments are beginning to form a coherent experience.
When my designs are realized, I usually feel a combination of relief, responsibility, and motivation.
There is relief because an idea has moved from an abstract concept into something real. At the same time, realization also makes the design more accountable. Once people start using it, the work is no longer only about my intention; it is about whether the design truly serves users in real situations.
I also feel motivated because launch is not the end of design. It is the beginning of learning. Seeing how people interact with the work often reveals things that could not be fully predicted during the design process.
For me, the most meaningful moment is when a design quietly becomes useful in someone’s life. That is when I feel the value of the work most clearly.
There is relief because an idea has moved from an abstract concept into something real. At the same time, realization also makes the design more accountable. Once people start using it, the work is no longer only about my intention; it is about whether the design truly serves users in real situations.
I also feel motivated because launch is not the end of design. It is the beginning of learning. Seeing how people interact with the work often reveals things that could not be fully predicted during the design process.
For me, the most meaningful moment is when a design quietly becomes useful in someone’s life. That is when I feel the value of the work most clearly.
A successful design solves a real problem in a way that feels simple, meaningful, and appropriate to its context.
It should meet user needs, but it should also have a clear point of view. I do not think successful design is only measured by aesthetics or usability alone. It is the combination of usefulness, clarity, emotional quality, technical feasibility, and cultural relevance.
A successful design should also create trust. People should feel that the product understands them, respects their time, and behaves in a predictable way. This is especially important in AI-powered products, where users need transparency and confidence in the system.
Ultimately, I think a design is successful when it becomes almost invisible in use, but still leaves a clear impression emotionally or intellectually.
It should meet user needs, but it should also have a clear point of view. I do not think successful design is only measured by aesthetics or usability alone. It is the combination of usefulness, clarity, emotional quality, technical feasibility, and cultural relevance.
A successful design should also create trust. People should feel that the product understands them, respects their time, and behaves in a predictable way. This is especially important in AI-powered products, where users need transparency and confidence in the system.
Ultimately, I think a design is successful when it becomes almost invisible in use, but still leaves a clear impression emotionally or intellectually.
When I judge a design, I first consider whether it understands the real problem. A visually polished design can still be weak if it is solving the wrong problem or ignoring the user’s actual context.
After that, I look at clarity and structure. I ask whether the design makes the experience easier to understand, whether the hierarchy is logical, and whether each design decision has a clear purpose.
I also consider emotional tone. Good design has a certain sensitivity to how people feel while using it. It should not only be efficient; it should feel appropriate, respectful, and memorable.
Finally, I consider execution. Details such as typography, layout, interaction, motion, and consistency matter because they reveal the quality of the thinking behind the work.
After that, I look at clarity and structure. I ask whether the design makes the experience easier to understand, whether the hierarchy is logical, and whether each design decision has a clear purpose.
I also consider emotional tone. Good design has a certain sensitivity to how people feel while using it. It should not only be efficient; it should feel appropriate, respectful, and memorable.
Finally, I consider execution. Details such as typography, layout, interaction, motion, and consistency matter because they reveal the quality of the thinking behind the work.
Designers have the responsibility to consider the consequences of what they create. Design shapes behavior, attention, consumption, and the way people relate to technology, culture, and each other.
For society, designers should create work that is accessible, ethical, and respectful of different users. This means avoiding unnecessary manipulation, reducing confusion, and making systems easier for people to understand and control. In AI-related design, this responsibility becomes even more important because designers influence how people trust, use, and depend on intelligent systems.
For the environment, designers should be aware of material choices, production methods, product lifespan, and digital sustainability. Even digital products have environmental costs through infrastructure, energy use, and consumption patterns.
I believe designers should not treat beauty and responsibility as separate goals. The best design should improve experience while also reducing harm.
For society, designers should create work that is accessible, ethical, and respectful of different users. This means avoiding unnecessary manipulation, reducing confusion, and making systems easier for people to understand and control. In AI-related design, this responsibility becomes even more important because designers influence how people trust, use, and depend on intelligent systems.
For the environment, designers should be aware of material choices, production methods, product lifespan, and digital sustainability. Even digital products have environmental costs through infrastructure, energy use, and consumption patterns.
I believe designers should not treat beauty and responsibility as separate goals. The best design should improve experience while also reducing harm.
The design field is moving from designing static objects and interfaces toward designing intelligent, adaptive, and system-level experiences.
In the past, many design problems were focused on screens, products, or visual communication. These are still important, but the field is expanding. Designers now need to understand data, AI, behavior, ethics, business models, and complex ecosystems. The role of a designer is becoming more strategic and interdisciplinary.
I believe the future of design will be deeply shaped by artificial intelligence. AI will change how designers research, prototype, generate ideas, and build products. However, this does not make human design judgment less important. It makes it more important. As tools become more powerful, designers will need stronger taste, clearer ethics, and a deeper understanding of human needs.
The future of design is not only about making things look better or work faster. It is about designing more humane relationships between people, technology, and the world around them.
In the past, many design problems were focused on screens, products, or visual communication. These are still important, but the field is expanding. Designers now need to understand data, AI, behavior, ethics, business models, and complex ecosystems. The role of a designer is becoming more strategic and interdisciplinary.
I believe the future of design will be deeply shaped by artificial intelligence. AI will change how designers research, prototype, generate ideas, and build products. However, this does not make human design judgment less important. It makes it more important. As tools become more powerful, designers will need stronger taste, clearer ethics, and a deeper understanding of human needs.
The future of design is not only about making things look better or work faster. It is about designing more humane relationships between people, technology, and the world around them.
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