An Interview with Danting Li - Merging Brand Identity with Technical Excellence

Being recognized as the 2025 Gold Winner in the “User Interface (UI) - Interfaces for Digital Media” category of the NY Product Design Awards is a tremendous honor. This recognition encourages me to continue advancing in the fields of user interface, user experience, and graphic design. It gives me great motivation to keep refining my craft and to live up to the standard that this award represents.

Being recognized as the 2025 Gold Winner in the “User Interface (UI) - Interfaces for Digital Media” category of the NY Product Design Awards validates my design expertise and has significantly increased my visibility among potential clients. This achievement has already opened new opportunities for my career and will continue to strengthen my professional growth. It also brings greater recognition to my agency, SparksGlo LLC, attracting more clients who are seeking to elevate their brand identity or redesign their websites to enhance their brand image.

Experimentation plays a crucial role in my creative process. For example, during usability testing, I conduct extensive A/B testing to observe how users interact with different interface and experience designs. By analyzing the variations in user behavior and feedback, I can derive valuable insights that guide the design direction and lead to more effective, user-centered solutions.

I often draw inspiration directly from the brand's products, translating their form and spirit into the design. For example, in the "Venus Jewelry E-commerce Website Design" project, I studied the jewelry collections, including Déjà Vu, On the Earth, Frenchie Frenchie, and Sous Le Ciel. I focused on their shapes, details, and interplay of light and materials, then reflected this elegance and refinement in the website’s layout and user interface, creating a digital experience that resonates with the brand’s identity.

One aspect I wish more people understood is the complexity of designing responsive layouts that work seamlessly across all screen sizes and devices. It requires extensive time and testing to ensure every element functions and appears correctly in different contexts. While challenging, this step is essential to creating a high-quality project, and it reflects the effort and attention behind a successful website design.

For the Venus Jewelry E-commerce Website Design, meeting the client’s expectations was a top priority since it was a commercial project. To achieve this, I maintained open communication with the client, sharing my recommendations on both technical constraints and design aesthetics. By presenting solutions that balance functionality and visual appeal, we were able to collaborate effectively and create a design that met the client’s goals while staying true to my creative vision.

One of the main challenges was identifying edge cases. Initially, I focused on common scenarios, or the “happy path,” but usability testing revealed situations that required additional attention. To address this, I analyzed these edge cases, updated the design guidelines accordingly, and collaborated with developers to implement the solutions. This process ensured a smoother and more seamless user experience across the website.

When I encounter a creative block, I recharge by immersing myself in nature and exploring the work of other designers. Nature itself is a masterful designer, from the gradients of the sea and sky to the harmonious colors of autumn leaves and the intricate patterns of shells, starfish, flowers, and tree rings. Observing these natural forms and creative works provides fresh inspiration and helps me regain focus and creativity.

I infuse my designs with a sense of female strength and elegance. In the Venus Jewelry E-commerce Website Design project, this is reflected in multiple aspects, including interactive elements, consistently refined layouts, and a cohesive design system. These choices embody the brand’s spirit and convey both elegance and empowerment through the user experience.

My advice to aspiring designers is to remain humble and persistent. Continuously refine your skills, trust your creative instincts, and understand that success comes from consistent effort and growth over time.

I would like to collaborate with Anatol Knotek, a contemporary Austrian artist whose work has been exhibited and published internationally. I admire his approach to text-based art, particularly how he transforms letters into unique shapes, applies visual effects to enhance meaning, and uses layout to convey deeper messages. His innovative use of typography to express complex ideas is both inspiring and aligns with my interest in exploring the expressive potential of design.

The question I wish people would ask about my work is, “How did you define the design solutions from so many ideas in the early stage?” My answer is that I rely on a combination of competitive research, client discussions to understand business needs, and collaboration with developers to account for technical constraints. By integrating these insights, I can identify and refine the most effective design solutions.