Yuxiang Qi, Yicheng Zhao, & Xiaoheng Li
1. Please give us a brief bio of yourself and your design background.
Our team is a multidisciplinary group with diverse expertise in architecture and user experience design. United by our shared passion, we strive to create award-winning products that solve real-world problems and deliver meaningful and delightful user experiences.
2. What made you become/why did you choose to become a designer/artist?
We chose to become designers because of our deep passion for solving meaningful problems through creativity and innovation. The ability to transform ideas into tangible, impactful solutions that enhance people's lives is incredibly fulfilling. We are constantly inspired by the dynamic, ever-evolving nature of design, and the challenge of balancing user needs, business goals, and technological advancements keeps us motivated. This career allows us to merge our curiosity, dedication, and love for design into a profession where we can make a significant, positive impact.
3. Tell us more about your agency/company, job profile, and what you do.
We are an innovative design team specialising in human-centred solutions for both humanitarian and business needs. By blending empathy with advanced technology, we develop digital products that improve workflows and enhance user experiences. Our team collaborates closely with NGOs to address critical human needs and with commercial enterprises to optimise operations.
Our award-winning project, MediConnect, exemplifies our dedication to designing products that make a meaningful impact, particularly in underserved rural areas. Through a collaborative and multidisciplinary approach, we ensure our designs are both practical and impactful.
4. What does “design” mean to you?
For us, design is about discovering the most effective ways to integrate creative ideas with advanced technologies to solve meaningful problems. It’s not just about the final product, but also the journey we take to achieve it. This involves continuously experimenting with cutting-edge tools and refining our methods to enhance collaboration and streamline our development processes. By doing so, we ensure continuous improvement, both in the products we create and in how we work together as a team.
5. To you, what makes a “good” design?
To us, a "good" design combines effective problem-solving with ideas that highlight empathy for users. Specifically, we prioritise user happiness in our design process, aiming to create products that are not only effective but also enjoyable to use.
6. How did you come up with the idea for your award-winning design?
We employed user interviews, user journey mapping, affinity mapping, and user flows as our primary methods. The process was tailored to accommodate volunteers' limited availability, adjusting based on feedback and evolving circumstances. Key partners included legal consultants, NGO leaders, and delivery companies.
Our research results directly informed our solution. Initially, volunteers required quick-start guidelines due to their limited time and urgent tasks. We addressed this need with an onboarding manual providing immediate instructions. As volunteers advanced, we developed the MediConnect app to enhance efficiency and effectiveness, targeting pain points identified in our research.
MediConnect bridges a critical healthcare gap for vulnerable rural populations by offering efficient medicine delivery and improved volunteer coordination. Key benefits include reduced task completion time and clear guidance for volunteers.
7. What was your main source of inspiration for this design?
The passion of our volunteers fuels our determination. Each time we develop a design and witness their keen interest, active participation in interviews, and eagerness to use our products while offering valuable feedback, we are reminded of the significant impact of design. This passion is what drives us to continually push forward.
8. Do you think your country and its cultural heritage has an impact on your design process?
Yes, even though we are based in the USA, my design process is heavily influenced by our hometown in China. Traditional values of caring for those in need, particularly the elderly, are deeply ingrained in our culture. This heritage drives our commitment to focusing on vulnerable groups in rural areas, ensuring that our designs prioritise their needs and well-being.
9. Congratulations! As the winner of the London Design Awards, what does it mean to you and your company and team to receive this award distinction?
Winning the 2024 London Design Awards is incredibly meaningful to us. It enhances our visibility and validates our efforts, instilling a sense of accomplishment. This award enables us to promote the values of new-generation designers and draw more attention to social issues, allowing us to continue making a positive impact through our designs.
10. Can you explain a bit about the winning work you entered into the London Design Awards, and why you chose to enter this project?
MediConnect addresses a significant healthcare gap for vulnerable rural populations by providing efficient medicine delivery and enhanced volunteer coordination. Key benefits include faster task completion and clear guidance for volunteers. Innovative features such as auto-match recommendations, which align patients' needs with donors' supplies based on proximity, and optimised delivery routes, enhance efficiency and effectiveness over existing solutions.
We collaborate closely with our spatial data scientist and other technical consultants. Technologies like GIS for location-based matching and real-time data analytics streamline delivery routes, ensuring timely and accurate medicine deliveries while reducing volunteer workload.
This project exemplifies our dedication to NGO work, human-centred design, and technical innovation. MediConnect reflects our core values of creating products that bring happiness and improve lives.
11. What were the main challenges you faced during the design process, and how did you overcome them?
The greatest challenge was managing the ever-changing situation and the urgency of saving lives. Coordinating efforts across different time zones, navigating the disorganised initial stages, and presenting our design were significant hurdles.
Additionally, collaborating with technical experts, such as our spatial data scientist, to align both design and technical requirements demanded considerable effort. Despite these obstacles, our teamwork paid off, and our team remained dedicated and adaptable.
12. What are your top three (3) favorite things about the design industry?
The dynamic and ever-changing market that keeps us learning constantly.
User-centred design, which allows us to connect deeply with the users.
The opportunity to interact with the latest technology, which is always exciting and fun.
13. What sets your design apart from others in the same category?
Our product is designed for emergency response, aiming to make a significant social impact. MediConnect supports vulnerable groups often marginalised by society. By leveraging technology, we bridge critical healthcare gaps in rural areas, ensuring timely medicine delivery and improved health outcomes, ultimately saving lives. It combines aesthetic appeal with technical innovation and feasibility.
14. Where do you see the evolution of design industry going over the next 5-10 years?
In the next 5-10 years, I envision the design industry evolving with greater AI integration, a stronger focus on accessibility, and increased attention to the needs of the elderly. These trends will shape a more inclusive and advanced design landscape.
15. Tell us something you have never told anyone else.
The first version of MediConnect is not an app, it's an onboarding manual. It is the fastest means to make the most effective solution under limited time and resources to help volunteers complete medical match tasks. After that, we ultimately decided to design an app to incorporate technology such as geo-location auto-matching to help volunteers solve problems more effectively. In addition, due to the volunteers' love for our product, even six months after the medication assistance campaign ended, we still receive feedback from volunteers about their user experience and inquiries about future updates. This makes us feel that our design is genuinely helping users.
16. What is your key to success? Any parting words of wisdom?
To be honest, the key is simple: happiness. Over the past year and a half, our joyful collaboration has resulted in numerous products and continually provides us with fresh design inspiration. We aim to infuse this happiness into our design process, balancing efficiency and clarity. Our goal is to create products that are easy and enjoyable for users to use, which we see as our responsibility as designers.
