Product design is a field of great importance that often goes under-recognized . Designers spend their time making our everyday interactions more user friendly. Their goal is to connect the consumers to the product in an easy and interactive platform. As we continue to evolve into the digital world, the focus has moved off of physical products, and into the realm of cyberspace. A designer can influence how you interact with your rideshare app or help guide you through your first interaction with a new website.
Shanshan Yuan is one such talented UX/UI designer who is currently residing in Boston. For the past two and a half years she has worked at REEKON tools, helping them shape the future of the construction experience, but her journey started far away from Boston. Growing up in China, Yuan’s father owned a traditional chinese medicine store, watching his interactions with clientele was her first experience of comprehending the user experience. Crafting individual remedies for his customers, only after carefully listening to their symptoms, showed Yuan the importance of understanding the needs of the user.
Her educational path took her to the University of Miami Ohio where she graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Interactive Media Design. Looking to push her education further, Yuan attended the prestigious Carnegie Mellon University where she achieved her Masters in Entertainment Technology Design. Today, she looks to continue pushing the field of product design forward through a constant understanding of user’s needs.
Infusing Design with Creativity and Modern Technology
“Creativity means exploring the boundaries of technology and interaction while making them accessible to everyone,” says the Boston resident. As technology continues to improve, its infusion into design makes products easier to use. Pushing the boundaries by incorporating technology such as XR platforms helps to make the user experience more immersive.
To this point, Yuan says, “My goal as a designer is to explore new ways to innovate by challenging conventions and enhancing user experiences.” By fusing her designs with the latest cutting edge technology it allows the UX designer to make products that are intuitive and easy to use.
The creation and implementation of new technology continues to improve our lives. To this point, Yuan says, “we have evolved as a technological industry from mechanics such as physical buttons to touch screens and other various high tech innovations.”
In order to achieve her goals, she focuses on making her designs modern with a clean aesthetic that caters towards simplicity and usability. This has led Yuan to explore new trends that have emerged such as the inclusion of conversational AI or integrating extended reality (XR) into her design concepts. “I think the next big step will be towards more natural, less physical forms of interaction,” she states.
By creating products that help to fully immerse the user, Yuan is actively using modern technology to simplify things. Incorporating AI bots to help guide your way through a specific app, or transporting you to a quiet room to meditate through VR are but examples of the thought and detail the University of Miami Ohio graduate has interlaced her designs with.
Yuan herself is already ahead of the crowd. “My primary objective is to push the limits of technology, transforming traditional experiences into modern solutions that enhance user experience and ensure accessibility for all,” says the former Carnegie Mellon student.
Breaking the Mold and Being Awarded
Each project she takes on board is a new learning experience for Yuan. Her first step is always to put herself in the user’s shoes. This involves looking at user feedback and trying to find points where they feel let down. But more importantly she must remove herself from the product itself.
One of the biggest problems when it comes to product design is creating something that works for you but not for the intended audience. “My responsibility is to quickly disambiguate the product vision by analyzing users’ needs,” states the Boston resident. While this may seem like an obvious phase, most companies struggle when disconnecting their vision from the users’ needs.
This is where Yuan’s discerning mind comes in. She has helped REEKON develop the ROCK app which as she puts it, “created an ecosystem that seeks to reshape the existing construction experience from pen and paper, to fully digitized tools and data.” The ROCK app can help cut down on waste and to help make construction projects more productive and cost sufficient.
She has also created her own apps which have won numerous awards. Addressing the complex issue of digital legacy, Yuan has designed LifeLink, an app that helps put your entire digital footprint in one place. Her focus and attention to details such as “designing the colors and AI integrations to be soothing and guide users through an anxiety free experience.”
LifeLink has garnered much attention in the design world and won the prestigious Muse Design Award, French Design Award,and American Good Design Award. Moving a step further, Yuan’s biggest success to date has to be MindEase, a beautiful symphony of modern technology and traditional practices.
MindEase is a meditation app that is fully immersive as well as intuitive thanks to the use of Apple Vision Pro. Yuan is very proud of creation saying “I believe that meditation should be easy for everyone and I am happy to help share my experience with the world.” MindEase has achieved much acclaim winning not only the Muse Gold Medal, but also the French Design Gold Award.
Product design goes far beyond the level of basic appearance. It incorporates all aspects of a product, from usability of the interface to the outlay of the data. It takes a unique individual to not only understand what users need but to also create actionable solutions. One of these individuals is Shanshan Yuan, a product designer who is ready to help us progress further into the digital era. With creations that look to push the structure further and make interactions even more seamless, she is making our day to day lives simpler and more productive.
