Driving Digital Transformation
for Smarter Cities
Overview
Interaction Design
Visual Design
Rapid Prototyping
6 Months
180-day Chinese Visa limit
20+ Post-Launch Optimizations
Dozens of Presentations + Graphical Content Collections
Mission
As a product designer, I worked on projects of varying and scales, from MVPs to post-launch iterations, from designing comprehensive monitoring interfaces for critical emergency coordination systems to crafting innovative interfaces for tourist attraction control centers. In this capacity, I worked closely with another designer, the sole two in the team, collaborating with stakeholders, PMs, researchers, front and back-end developers, 3D designers, and UX testers.
These projects sharpened my UX/UI design expertise and enhanced my adaptability in addressing diverse design challenges driven by business needs. This has made me a versatile and resourceful designer across different domains.
Due to NDA, some projects’ contents have been protected
Due to our projects' focus on digital transformation for government institutions and civic service, I can only display prototypes. Any launched content involving national data feeds falls under local server supervision, restricted for use by government departments or client-side users.
Definition: Digital Transformation & Smart City
DX, or digital transformation, in the context of cities, refers to the comprehensive process of leveraging digital technologies to address multifaceted urban challenges. It involves utilizing innovative approaches, diverse data sources, and technological advancements such as cloud computing, mobility, and data analytics to enhance urban experiences, foster sustainability and resilience, and elevate the financial and operational performance of municipalities.
Smart Cities, aiming for outcomes-based digital transformation, seek to integrate disparate operations and processes, starting from smaller departmental projects and gradually expanding toward a cohesive citywide ecosystem. The complexity arises from the need to align interconnected physical and human systems within cities, requiring ICT systems to mirror and function as interconnected systems themselves. This interconnectedness forms the foundation for tackling intricate urban issues through digital means.
A Day in life of 996 Product designer
I was working at the Chengdu Tianfu Software Park, one of the most Hi-tech Industrial Development Zones in China. Here, the majority of people follow the minimum 996 work schedule, which means working from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., six days a week. During my time here, I experienced high pressure and learned how to collaborate with the team to deliver multiple projects within tight timelines.
My day typically started at 7:30 a.m. I would wake up, quickly freshen up, have breakfast, and then ride a shared bike for 25 minutes to reach the office. Before the product manager arrived, I would usually use this time to communicate with another designer and discuss our design tasks for the day. Sometimes, we would also communicate with UX testers to address any areas that needed improvement based on recent test results. We would also touch base with the front-end team to check on the progress of pages that were either still in discussion or undergoing improvements from the previous day.
Once the product manager arrived, we would have a brief stand-up meeting. We would gather around a whiteboard displaying everyone's tasks for the week. During this meeting, we would discuss each person's current progress. The other designer and I would simultaneously coordinate with the product manager and front-end team. I typically worked with around five front-end developers on different pages and occasionally coordinated with the back-end team to ensure the completeness of product functionality. Lunchtime typically ran from 11:45 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. We would have lunch together and sometimes take a half-hour nap at our desks when we returned.
In the afternoon, we continued working until 5:30 p.m., ensuring that all remaining tasks were well-prepared for handover before leaving at 6 p.m. However, due to pressure from stakeholders, upper management, and multiple product demands, we often chose to work overtime. In some cases, we worked until 8-10 p.m. or even later. After leaving work, I would ride the shared bike back home. Sometimes, I had additional tasks or meetings to attend after work, and occasionally, work on Sundays as well.
About Chengdu
Chengdu, the capital city of Sichuan Province in China, is renowned for its delicious cuisine, and rich cultural heritage.
Chengdu is famous for being the home of giant pandas!
Spicy food Is an essential part of the Chengdu lifestyle!
Chengdu is famous for its teahouses!
Learn more
1
WHY
How
Target: Over 100 million users, 4 million registered users, and outreach to at least 3000 enterprises.
My Role:
● Presenting initial drafts to internal teams and key stakeholders, secure approvals.
● Collaborate with cross-functional teams for version updates.
● Created UI mockups and prototypes while collaborating closely with front-end developers to ensure seamless implementation and alignment with design specifications.
What
Participated in designing interfaces includes: reservation booking, scenic spots, venues, accommodations, dining, cultural exhibitions, artistic performances, online streaming, specialty products, routes, comment sharing, complaints reporting, volunteer services, and educational travel, etc. See below:
2
WHY
The platform is designed to address common challenges faced by cultural and tourism enterprises, organizations, and individuals, such as:
● Difficulty finding relevant policies
● Confusion over understanding complex policies
● Challenges with the policy application process
This tool is the first of its kind in China, serving as a dedicated search engine and policy interpretation platform for the cultural and tourism sectors.
How
Easy Access: Access over 300 regularly updated policies via a website and app.
Easy Search: Quickly find policies through categorized browsing or a search bar.
Practical Use: Each policy includes explanations and related resources for easy application.
Project Management: Track project progress, manage funding, and access all relevant documents in one place.
Attendance Tracking: Clock in/out for work or regulatory check-ins directly through the platform with location tracking.
Application Management: Apply for policy or project approvals, upload required documents, and track the review process.
● User-Centered Research: Partnered with UX researchers to identify key pain points for cultural and tourism enterprises, organizations, and individuals, focusing on simplifying access to complex policies.
● Design Strategy: Translated research insights into actionable design solutions, creating intuitive user flows that streamlined policy discovery, application, and management processes.
● Interaction Design: Designed simple and effective interactions for complex tasks, catering to the platform’s primary user base, which included middle-aged individuals unfamiliar with digital tools.
● Usability Testing & Iteration: Conducted usability testing sessions with stakeholders alongside UX researchers, gathering valuable user feedback to refine design elements. Iterated on prototypes to ensure the platform was accessible, user-friendly, and met stakeholder expectations.
● Feature Flow Development: Designed core platform features, such as the project management dashboard, attendance tracking, and application submission workflows, ensuring seamless interaction flow for different task.
3
WHY
As the development of smart scenic areas progresses, visual data screens have become crucial tools for managing and operating these areas. These screens, known for their comprehensive and intuitive display of information, allow management personnel to grasp the overall situation at a glance, gaining real-time insights into the operational status and various indicators of the scenic area, thereby providing robust support for decision-making.
How
● Developed a standardized cultural tourism data system, unifying information from scenic spots and venues to set data standards for streamlined development.
● Integrated cultural and tourism data into a comprehensive platform, consolidating various resources for more efficient management and insights.
● Monitored core aspects of cultural tourism using advanced tech, enabling informed decision-making and fostering safe, organized industry growth
Challenge:
● Striking a balance between impressing upper management and ensuring usability for operators:
Ironically, this dashboard was originally designed for frontline operators to quickly evaluate the area and system's operational status. However, it was the stakeholders and leadership who ultimately influenced the design preferences, shaping the final product to align with their needs.
Designs in Chinese Business Culture
Me: "Do they all love 'Iron Man '-style interfaces?"
My PM: "Yes."
"they" as stakeholders / upper management
In China, high-tech style design and specific color combinations often captivate upper management. Here's why:
Embodying Innovation: They symbolize progress and innovation, appealing to leaders driving business evolution.
Signaling Sophistication: Elevating a company's status, they project modernity, offering a competitive edge and a contemporary image.
Global Relevance: Using high-tech demonstrates adaptability to global standards, showcasing commitment to tech advancements.
Color:
Red and Gold: Signifying fortune and tradition, this pairing holds influence in business realms, embodying luck, happiness, and prosperity.
Red's Political Association: Its link to China's Communist Party.
Tech Blue: Depicting trust and innovation, various shades of blue invoke reliability and cutting-edge progress, appealing to desires for modernity and reliability.
Avoid using Black on White: Cultural connotations influence avoidance; white signifies mourning, while black on white might appear overly formal or somber for business settings.
Examples:
WHAT
More dashboards
4
WHY
WHAT
Click to Enlarge Image
5
WHY
Easy station: Relies on restroom stations as the foundation, it is a dual service station integrating toilets, public health services, emergency assistance, commercial facilities, etc., creating a convenient service system.
MediPlus: Connects patients and doctors online and offline, offering free check-ups, cloud-based diagnosis, and treatment. It provides 24/7 online doctor consultations, free medical services, AI consultations, and easy access to specialized hospital care. The MediPlus Robot offers AI diagnosis and 24/7 video consultations with doctors, making it easier for people to get medical advice and prescriptions anytime.● AI Smart Doctor: Voice interaction, intelligent diagnosis, covering 4000+ diseases.
● General Practitioner: Provides 24-hour online video consultation services.
● Internet Hospital Doctor: Online payment via medical insurance, instant, secure, efficient delivery of professional prescriptions, and medication to your doorstep (currently supporting Shanghai medical insurance only).
● Top-Tier Hospital Specialists: Appointments for offline specialist consultations, streamlined hospital admissions, and online consultations, alleviating the challenges of accessing medical care.
MediPlus - Policy Background: The "Healthy China Initiative (2019-2030)" proposes: "Focusing on disease prevention and health promotion as the core, undertaking 15 major specialized actions to facilitate the shift from a disease-centric approach to one centered around the health of the people.
MediPlus - Population Demands: Currently, uneven economic development leads to more healthcare resources in cities, leaving grassroots areas like communities underserved. Many people tend to seek treatment only for serious illnesses, neglecting minor health concerns. Additionally, challenges include a lack of shared medical data, insufficient medical staff, and extended wait times for healthcare services.
How
My Role:
● Design and create visually stunning and compelling presentations and mock-ups for the collaboration of Easy Station + MediPlus and the government.
● Collaborate with stakeholders and subject matter experts to transform concepts and data into persuasive visuals.
● Ensure presentations are cohesive, consistent, and aligned with corporate identity and messaging.
● UI Collaboration: Assisted in brainstorming innovative UI interactions and conceptualizing dashboard layouts alongside the senior designer, contributing to user-centered design solutions that enhanced the project's functionality and usability.
● Presentation & Infographic Design: Designed visually engaging and persuasive presentations and mock-ups for the collaboration between Easy Station + MediPlus and government entities, ensuring the visuals effectively conveyed key concepts and initiatives.
● Stakeholder Collaboration: Worked closely with stakeholders and subject matter experts to translate complex ideas and data into clear, impactful visuals that aligned with the collaboration's objectives.
What
