The Harmony of Space, Light, and Emotion in Shimei Qiu’s Work

I’ve always been fascinated by how technology shapes human behavior—and how good design can bridge the gap between complexity and clarity. What truly inspired me to enter the UX field was a desire to create tools that empower people, not overwhelm them.

Early in my career, I worked on a nonprofit food delivery project that highlighted how even small interface choices could dramatically improve access and efficiency. That experience showed me the impact design can have beyond aesthetics—it can change how systems function and how people feel.

Since then, I’ve been especially drawn to designing internal tools and AI-powered workflows—spaces where design is often overlooked but incredibly valuable. I love the challenge of turning friction-heavy processes into intuitive experiences, and I’m inspired by the idea that thoughtful design can drive both business outcomes and human empowerment.

As a Design Lead, I oversee the end-to-end creative strategy and execution for digital platforms. My role involves translating complex workflows into intuitive user experiences, guiding cross-functional collaboration, and ensuring that every design decision aligns with both user needs and business objectives.

To succeed in this industry, I believe three traits are essential:

1. Empathy – You need a deep understanding of user behavior, especially in fast-paced, content-driven environments where attention is limited and expectations are high.

2. Clarity – Whether you’re communicating a brand message or building internal tools, success depends on your ability to simplify and structure information effectively.

3. Adaptability – Marketing and media evolve rapidly, so it’s critical to stay agile, embrace feedback, and continuously experiment—especially with emerging technologies like AI and automation.

The agency is made up of a group of passionate designers who are committed to using design as a tool for positive social change. We come from diverse backgrounds but share the same belief—that thoughtful, human-centered design can help solve real-world problems.

To me, a successful marketing, media, or communications project strikes a perfect balance between clarity, resonance, and impact.

It starts with clarity of message—the core idea or value must be communicated in a way that’s intuitive and easy to grasp. Whether it’s a campaign, a tool, or a pitch, the audience should immediately understand what it’s about and why it matters.

Second, it needs emotional resonance. Great communication doesn’t just inform—it moves people. It reflects empathy for the audience’s mindset, motivations, and pain points. Especially in socially driven projects like Hive Harvest, that emotional connection is key to inspiring action.

And finally, measurable impact. A successful project drives change—whether that’s engagement, behavior shift, awareness, or operational efficiency. It’s not just about how well it looks or sounds, but what it enables.

My preferred style of work is collaborative, research-driven, and systems-oriented. I thrive in environments where designers, PMs, engineers, and stakeholders come together early to align on goals and co-create solutions.

I approach problems with curiosity and structure—starting from user research, mapping out workflows, and then building scalable systems that balance usability with long-term flexibility. I also value storytelling—framing ideas clearly through decks, prototypes, or product narratives so everyone stays aligned.

This working style has helped me lead complex cross-functional projects, from internal AI platforms to socially driven apps like Hive Harvest. It allows me to zoom in on interaction details, while keeping the big picture in mind—something that’s been essential to growing as both a designer and a strategic partner.

My ideation process is grounded in research, empathy, and structured creativity.

I usually start by deeply understanding the problem space—this means talking to users, mapping workflows, and identifying both pain points and opportunities. From there, I move into defining a clear design question or hypothesis to focus ideation around.

During brainstorming, I love mixing divergent and convergent thinking. I encourage wild ideas, quick sketches, and collaborative workshops—but I also guide the team toward concepts that are feasible, aligned with user needs, and scalable within the system.

Once we’ve narrowed down directions, I prototype early and often—testing rough ideas quickly, getting feedback, and evolving the design through real-world context. For Hive Harvest, for example, ideation involved not just screens, but imagining new incentive models, delivery flows, and even visual metaphors inspired by bee colonies.

Ultimately, my goal is to keep the process open, inclusive, and grounded in purpose—so that we don’t just ship features, but create experiences that truly resonate.

It is a huge honor for our team. It’s more than just a recognition of good design—it’s a validation of the values and purpose that drive our work.

For a team of passionate creatives like ours, this distinction reinforces that design can—and should—be used to address real-world challenges. Our project, Hive Harvest, was built from the ground up to serve communities, reduce food waste, and create positive social impact. To see that vision recognized on an international stage is incredibly meaningful.

It’s also a celebration of teamwork. This award reflects the care, empathy, and dedication every member brought to the table—from research and UX to strategy and storytelling. It motivates us to keep pushing forward and designing with intention.

Winning an international award has brought incredible visibility to our project, Hive Harvest, and helped amplify the social mission behind it. As a platform designed to reduce food waste and improve food access through community-driven logistics, Hive Harvest is more than just an app—it’s a call to action.

The recognition from global juries has validated the impact of our design and opened new doors for collaboration, media coverage, and cross-sector interest. It has helped us share the story behind the project—how a small team of passionate designers turned a local problem into a scalable solution—with a much broader audience.

For our agency, the award not only strengthens our credibility but also reinforces our belief that design can drive meaningful change. It’s encouraged partners, stakeholders, and even new talent to engage with our mission. Most importantly, it has given Hive Harvest the platform it needs to grow beyond just a concept—toward real-world implementation and impact.

One of the biggest challenges we faced with "Hive Harvest" was designing for a complex, multi-sided system—balancing the needs of restaurants, food banks, volunteers, and end recipients. Each user group had very different motivations, tech literacy levels, and constraints, so building a unified experience that felt intuitive for all was a major design challenge.

Logistics was another hurdle. Coordinating food pickups and deliveries required careful thinking around timing, routing, and real-time status updates—especially considering that many of the participants are volunteers with limited availability.

We also had to strike a balance between "social mission and engagement". How do we make the experience meaningful and motivating without gamifying something as sensitive as food insecurity? That’s where our incentive system—rewarding volunteers through local partnerships—was carefully designed to encourage consistent participation without overshadowing the purpose.

These challenges pushed us to think deeply about ethics, accessibility, and system design. And overcoming them is what made Hive Harvest not just a product—but a platform for collective impact.

Being based in the United States has deeply influenced my ideation process—especially when it comes to identifying real-world problems and designing for diverse communities.

The U.S. presents a unique mix of innovation and inequality. On one hand, there’s access to cutting-edge technology, a culture that encourages experimentation, and a strong ecosystem of design and tech communities. On the other hand, challenges like food insecurity, volunteer coordination gaps, and resource inefficiencies are very real—especially at the local level.

Projects like Hive Harvest were born out of this environment. Living in a country where food waste and hunger coexist side by side made us ask: "How can design bridge that gap?" It pushed our team to explore solutions that are not only digitally robust but also socially aware and community-centered.

The diversity of users, the pace of innovation, and the visibility of systemic issues in the U.S. constantly challenge me to think bigger, design more inclusively, and create solutions with long-term impact.

One trend I’m especially excited about is the integration of AI into creative workflows—not to replace human creativity, but to amplify it. From AI-assisted content generation to predictive audience insights, we’re seeing marketing and media teams gain new tools to work smarter, move faster, and personalize experiences at scale. This has huge implications for both internal tools and public-facing platforms.

1. The power of storytelling – I love how marketing and media can translate complex ideas into emotionally resonant narratives. Whether it’s a brand campaign or a mission-driven product like Hive Harvest, the ability to connect with people through story is incredibly powerful.

2. The pace of innovation – This industry is constantly evolving, from AI-driven content to new formats and platforms. It keeps me on my toes as a designer and opens up endless opportunities to experiment and improve how we communicate.

3. Cross-functional collaboration – Marketing and communications require designers, strategists, engineers, and analysts to work in sync. I enjoy being part of that ecosystem—where creative vision meets business strategy and user insight.

1. Tools like Miro, Notion, and FigJam: They’re great for visualizing messy thoughts, mapping systems, and co-ideating with others. Especially for early-stage concepts, being able to collaborate visually is a game-changer.

2. Design awards and case study platforms: I regularly browse winning entries on sites like NYX, Red Dot, Awwwards, or Behance. It’s not about copying, but understanding how great ideas are structured, positioned, and made real.

3. Feedback from cross-disciplinary peers: Some of the best breakthroughs come from sharing half-baked ideas with people outside your field. Engineers, researchers, volunteers—even users themselves—can give surprising perspectives that refine or reframe your direction.

In the next 5 to 10 years, I see marketing, media, and communications becoming more automated, hyper-personalized, and ethically accountable.

AI will continue to reshape how we ideate, produce, and distribute content—from auto-generated campaigns to intelligent audience targeting. But the real shift will come from how human creativity and machine intelligence collaborate—not compete. The best ideas will come from teams who know how to design with AI, not just for it.

At the same time, audiences will demand greater transparency and authenticity. Brands will be expected to communicate not just their message, but also their values and impact. Purpose-driven storytelling, like we explored in Hive Harvest, will evolve from a “nice-to-have” to a baseline expectation.

Internally, I think the tools we use to manage media and campaigns will become more modular, self-serve, and cross-functional—empowering more people to contribute creatively without silos.

Overall, I see these industries becoming more adaptive, inclusive, and integrated—and design will play a key role in shaping that transformation.

I’ve been inspired by many people throughout my life, but one of the most consistent sources of inspiration has been the people I design for—especially those working quietly behind the scenes in community service, nonprofits, and small organizations.

Their ability to do so much with limited resources, their creativity under constraints, and their commitment to making a difference without needing recognition—that has always stayed with me. It’s what inspired me to build socially focused projects like Hive Harvest, and what continues to shape how I approach design: with empathy, clarity, and purpose.

I also draw inspiration from collaborators who challenge me—engineers, researchers, and fellow designers who ask hard questions and push ideas further than I could on my own. They remind me that good work doesn’t come from individual genius—it comes from collective curiosity.

For me, the key to success is staying curious, intentional, and grounded in purpose. I’ve learned that great ideas don’t always come from working harder—they come from asking better questions, listening deeply, and being open to unexpected insights.

Another principle I live by is: impact over perfection. Especially in design, it’s easy to get caught up in polishing the details. But the real success comes from launching, learning, and improving—while keeping the users and the mission at the center.

If I had to leave one parting thought, it would be this:

Don’t just chase recognition—chase resonance. Build things that matter, that move people, that solve real problems. That’s where fulfillment—and meaningful success—really comes from.

Just a heartfelt thank you for the opportunity to share my work and values. It’s been meaningful to reflect on how design can play a role not just in shaping products, but in addressing real social challenges and creating systems that empower people.