Interview With Lucille Huang From United States

I became a product designer because I love exploring the possibilities of design, discovering new solutions driven by technology, and thinking about why it happens, how to do it, when, where to use it, what is and who will use it.

I am currently independent. I successfully changed my career path from marketing to design, built up an Enterprise platform for LearningPal last year, completed a master’s program in Interaction and UI/UX Design, and won professional design awards. I love to explore the arts, new innovations, minimalist and modern product design, and technology in my free time.

Design can define problems and offer all-encompassing solutions that can be easily integrated into our everyday lives, whether in software, hardware, or a combination of forms. Most importantly, the design encourages creative and critical thinking and communication.

My favorite kind of design is modern and minimalism. I am deeply inspired by an Italian contemporary furniture brand - Minotti, the French luxury brand - Hermes, and the Renaissance man Leonardo da Vinci. Their designs and innovations have pushed the envelope. All three have experimented with impressive long-standing silhouettes, which is arguably the aspect of technique design that I enjoy the most. I use those styles in my design and bring a minimalist, modern, innovative, and simple but powerful solution to the table.

Good design is a design that has intention behind it. Whether it offers visuals, like a decoration; functionality, like an application; or material, like 100% cashmere, it should have a valuable impact that satisfies people.

I am known for my innovative use of mobile apps, for creating interactive UX and navigation combined with visual interactions, for conducting thorough research and analysis of user behavior, and for delivering emotional storytelling. I often hear my work identified as “data-driven,” and even “cool!”

When working alone, I do tons of research and analysis and use metrics to prove my design is successful. When I’m working with clients, I listen to their wants and needs and look for applicable solutions. When working on a team, I’m all about active listening and communication, and that’s what helps us to reach our goals. I always start with the big picture and narrow down the scope.

Absolutely. I grew up in Taiwan and traveled throughout Asia before relocating to the United States. As a designer, I seek solutions that fit both Eastern and Western cultures.

Winning the 2022 NY Product Design Award for Medical & Scientific Equipment collection was remarkable and humbling. To receive such a prestigious award alongside well-known and established companies was incredibly validating. It means a lot to me, and I still cannot believe it! It gives me more confidence in my designs, thoughts, problems, research, strategies, findings, visuals, solutions, measurement, practices, etc. It boosts my design passion and energy for different types of designs. I am proud but am also so thankful for the award and the experience.

NEUROME (/nyuor·row - mee/) is a conceptual, combined dashboard-style software and a device-based EEG that detects users' emotions, behavior, and stress levels. It is intended to integrate seamlessly with technology and re-explore tasks as a trigger for reducing people's stress levels and discovering their happiness. Practice makes perfect, but it also takes time. Let NEUROME find the best practice for you!

I entered this collection into the NY Product Design Awards because I wanted to inspire people to use technology to find solutions faster. If NEUROME's technology can be built and launched in the market, it will help its users learn new skills and face their tasks. NEUROME has meant a lot to me, and I wanted to share it with others.

The biggest challenge with this project was creating the charts users reference to see their stress levels, emotions, and anxiety levels. It required a lot of research on a very subjective topic.

Winning a New York Product Design Award has definitely given me a boost of confidence. It is such a huge honor, and I know it will help propel my practice and career forward.

First, I love being inspired by the creativity of other artists and designers. Second, I love that this industry tackles problems head-on. We are not afraid of a challenge, and we are why society continues to advance. Lastly, this industry is filled with awesome people. I have been fortunate to have been surrounded by talented, kind, and really inspiring people in the technology and design industry.

I think the “melting pot” level of diversity designers from the United States brings to the table makes us specifically unique because it encourages such a wide combination of cultures, education, business, and thinking, which in turn creates design solutions that can be applicable worldwide.

The metaverse is here to stay. We will continue to see more virtual reality design in different sectors. Products will become smaller and lighter to support VR, either in glasses or lens form. Privacy issues will continue to grow.

Do not be afraid to try new things. Even if you do not immediately succeed, you will learn so much from the process.

Prior to the pandemic, I attended events, conferences, and exhibitions in-person to learn and ask questions of other companies and designers. In the last two years, however, I’ve discovered that there are also excellent design sources online, including but not limited to YouTube, Coursera, Medium, Pinterest, and Dribble. Websites that are accessible and user-friendly can be a great inexpensive way to practice your design skills.

I like to reach out online to industry experts and designers I’ve never met to ask them questions about their designs and for feedback on my designs. You would be surprised how many people will answer if you ask for help!

My family, friends, and colleagues constantly inspire me. I also appreciate how they let me use them as guinea pigs for my most recent products.

My key to success is to just try. Do not be afraid of not knowing how to do something, and you only learn by trying and practicing your craft. I believe that passion and curiosity can bring some great ideas for everyone, not just about design itself.

Winning this award gives me such confidence. It took me years to find my path as a Designer, and so I constantly second-guessed my skills. All the practice and effort are incredibly worth it when I’m recognized by my design community for my efforts. Thank you!