Xianxi Liao is a designer and artist who graduated from Pratt Institute with a major in packaging design. She sees art as more than just visual expression—it is a powerful tool for communication, fostering dialogue between people and the world. Now specializing in UI/UX design, she is dedicated to creating inclusive and accessible experiences while actively advocating for sustainable design to minimize material waste. She believes that even small design choices can have a profound societal impact, ensuring that design truly serves humanity.
People-centered design is at the core of Xianxi’s philosophy. For her, UI/UX design goes beyond aesthetics—it requires a deep understanding of user needs to ensure seamless digital interactions. She believes truly effective design must balance usability and emotional connection, allowing users to feel engaged rather than merely functioning within a system. Her work seamlessly integrates technology and art—enhancing user experiences, breaking down barriers, and making digital technology accessible to all.
Her approach is guided by empathy and logic, as demonstrated in Motrip, a mobile app she designed for solo travelers. Motrip addresses key challenges such as social interaction, itinerary planning, and reminder management, providing a smooth and stress-free travel experience. By carefully breaking down complex user needs into intuitive modules, Xianxi ensures information is clearly structured and easy to navigate. Similarly, in MOOD, she explored personalized interface styles to foster emotional resonance, creating a more relatable and humanized digital interaction.
“Motrip”- UIUX Design
“MOOD”- UIUX Design
She incorporates principles from Chinese culture and philosophy, such as “artistic conception” and “simplifying the complex,” into her designs—not just as an aesthetic choice but as a functional strategy. She skillfully uses moderate white space and subtle interactions to prevent information overload, allowing users to navigate interfaces effortlessly. By embracing simplicity, she creates fluid, intuitive experiences while adding depth to the visual presentation.
Xianxi also integrates both functional and emotional roles in color schemes, believing that color enhances visual appeal, conveys information, guides interaction, and evokes emotions. She carefully selects colors based on each project’s unique needs, ensuring individuality while reinforcing emotional resonance. In her design process, she often employs low-saturation tones with bright accents to improve information hierarchy and readability.
Her attention to detail extends beyond color and layout—she draws inspiration from everyday life, finding ideas in both digital and physical spaces. Observing multilingual subway signage, for example, sparks insights into inclusive design, while analyzing how people interact with mobile apps reinforces the importance of intuitive guidance. Beyond digital experiences, architecture, music, and seasonal changes also shape her perspective, influencing her approach to interaction design and information organization.
In her recent project, HIPOND, Xianxi designed a social platform for international students, ensuring a culturally adaptive and intuitive interface that fosters meaningful connections. She led the UI/UX process from user research to prototype testing and interface optimization, prioritizing seamless and efficient interactions. Given the diverse backgrounds of international students, cultural adaptability was a critical challenge. Xianxi carefully refined the interface to accommodate different user behaviors, ensuring the platform felt natural and welcoming to students from various cultures. Through HIPOND, she realized that design success comes not only from aesthetics but from the smoothness and intuitiveness of user interactions.
HIPOND – UIUX Design
As the UI/UX industry evolves rapidly, designers must continuously update their skills and master new technologies to create human-centered products. Xianxi Liao recognizes that in an era of digital transformation, designers have a responsibility to make technology more inclusive, intuitive, and meaningful. Committed to lifelong learning, she pushes creative boundaries to ensure her designs not only meet user needs but also advance the industry.
Article By Harriet Whitmore