Portfolio by Qin Liang

Portfolio

by Qin Liang

Hi! I’m Leon, 11 years of experience digital product designer.
I'm well versed in design strategy, project management, information architecture, emotional design & UI/UX design. I use human-centered design to create products and services that are intuitive and accessible.

I think the core of interaction design is to be able to analyze and understand the real demanding requirements of users/customers. The so-called "demanding requirement" is not only to satisfy every need of them, which requires us to stand on another position, then seek, the most suitable solution within the scope of both parties.

In the process, how to balance the opinions of both parties and how to coordinate reasonably requires clear guidance. This guidance is essential that can be a bible for the two sides to reach consensus. We can divide a project into different stages, review our plans, make some flexible adjustment basic project progresses. Also, it is essential to develop high-quality programs based on experience.

Here are some of my opinions, from the year's experience in the project work, about the schedule and everything relevant.

1. Understand the most exact thoughts of your users or customers

In many cases, customers usually express their requirements without profoundly thinking. Sometimes they have no idea of how to consider the relationship and impact between different functions in a product. After following the needs of customers, we need to guide them step by step. Analyze the pros and cons by enumerating relevant references and cases. This process can help them to understand their requirements, expectations better, and help us create new ideas.

Therefore, I attach great importance to make sure the requirements by users/customers are well thought out, and how to translate the stipulations become more specific. In this process of thinking, I also look forward to encouraging my new idea of interaction.

The following cases show some of my experience with the solutions after discussion with the users and customers. These processes help users and customers to understand their requirements. Meanwhile, allowing us to better assess the team's execution cycle for new requirements. After all, the time cost is also an essential consideration in a project.

2. Choosing the most appropriate solutions

Based on the previous item, we can control the infinite divergence thoughts to an operational range. At this point, we need to focus more on how to turn requirements into execution. We not only need to think about the interactive behavior, but also the actual situation, efficient use of workforce resources.

In this implementation, we try one or two proposals that are suitable for the scene and use the wireframe or prototype to improve the interaction process.

Project - Zaihang (在行)

How to concise and easy to fill in personal information in a long process. In the traditional way of interaction, the vertical form is too long and can't see all the steps. This interactive can cause anxiety for the user and take more time to complete the process. For experts, each step of information is a way to understand the situation of the users who will book their class. Therefore, it is not easy to delete or merge some info to save space.

Based on these considerations, we provide a horizontal display structure, which displays all the steps and completion status in one screen. At each stage, we give a reference to the answer so that the user can understand the answer criteria. We show a small portion of the edge of the input box can allow the user to know the next question is on the right side of the screen.

These interactions are individually designed based on the characteristics of the product, and also, we hope some new interactive styles can be flexible to use in the project.

3. Management of project cycle and thoughtful prototypes

In the process of designing a prototype, we need to consider what level of functionality is appropriate. A seemingly standardized function block does not mean that it can be used directly in the product. We need to design the optimal function scheme based on the characteristics of the product, usage scenario, development cycle, etc., meanwhile taking into account subsequent iterations of the functionality.

Therefore, a reasonable management project cycle and make thoughtful product prototypes are complemented to each other .

4. interface design style control

After a clear understanding of product features, we always do one work for customers before UI design - collection a large number of related product's design references. This process can help us to refine the design ideas and quickly lead the client to understand which design style we can try for the project.

5. Building design language system

It is essential to ensure that after multiple design iterations, the product also can still keep in a design language system. But maintain brand or design language system continuity is difficult to achieve in the early design stages. Based on previous project experience, make continuous and flexible structure design guidelines is the key.

Sort them according to different functions, then find the same characteristics in the classification. You may find that some elements can integrate, and some can set as new core elements. This way can make UI/UX more flexible to be execution and can make team members more efficient.

Meanwhile, when making different design guidelines, we need to keep logical thinking which will make the guidance easy to understand. It is also an indispensable part of the design thinking. These processes cover all of our projects and work.

6. Use emotional design in the design

In most lifestyle-related projects, we incorporate emotional design into the project and integrate them with the attributes of the product and the characteristics of the user to make the product closer and resonate with the user.

In the "Yinterest" project, we used a vibrant gradient color to add a warm, lively atmosphere to this location community sharing app. Also, using card style design can present content in a more relaxing form.

Project - Yinterest

All these above are my thinking process when implementing design and project. These six steps work together to form a loop system. In these past products, when new function iterations occur, we will still go back to the first step to re-think about new solutions.

These six steps rely on the active participation of the team, the users, customers, injecting the personality of the product into all aspects, and designing the product with emotions.

I am willing to continue practicing, as usual, keep thinking deeply, trying more ways and possibilities, and making products communicate better with users.

Thank you for watching

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