Meet Xudong Xing | Product Design Lead

We had the good fortune of connecting with Xudong Xing and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi xudong, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
By 2025, I will have been working in the design field for 12 years, currently serving as a design team leader. Over this period, my perspective on balancing work and life has evolved through three distinct phases.
In the first phase, work and life were separate. Work was primarily about earning income and improving skills to support my lifestyle.
In the second phase, work and life began to merge. As a user experience designer, I drew inspiration from daily life, observing user behavior to create products that closely aligned with their needs.
In the third phase, as a team leader, I’ve achieved a new balance between work and life. While my responsibilities have increased, I’ve found equilibrium by focusing on my team’s growth, helping them stay focused on their work, and building strong professional and personal relationships. This approach not only enhances team performance but also allows me to maintain a positive and fulfilling personal life.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My career began with a strong focus on learning through practice. In the final year of my studies, I dedicated most of my energy to internships, exploring various roles such as video post-production for national media, 3D modeling for automotive companies, brand design for magazines, and exhibition planning for film studios. These experiences ultimately led me to choose a career as a user experience designer. This journey of trial and error not only helped me accumulate a wealth of experience but also enabled me to quickly switch perspectives, think from the user’s standpoint, and simulate the challenges they might face when using a product, allowing me to provide effective solutions.

As a team leader, these foundational experiences have helped me better empathize with my team members, understand their needs, challenges, and aspirations. Looking back, my career path hasn’t been without detours or setbacks. However, I firmly believe that the meaning of life lies not only in reaching the destination quickly but also in embracing the richness of the journey. I’ve distilled two key lessons: first, “Don’t be afraid to make mistakes when you’re young—only through trying can you discover what’s right”; and second, “Mistakes are nothing to be ashamed of; they are valuable experiences that shape who you are today.”

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I would take my friends to San Jose and San Francisco to experience the blend of technology and culture. San Jose, the heart of Silicon Valley, is filled with the innovative atmosphere of tech giants like Apple and Google, making it a perfect destination for tech enthusiasts. On the other hand, San Francisco is a vibrant city known for its iconic Golden Gate Bridge, diverse art exhibitions, and rich culinary culture. There, we can stroll across the Golden Gate Bridge to clear our minds, or explore Fisherman’s Wharf and Union Square to immerse ourselves in the city’s unique charm. Together, these two places offer both inspiration and relaxation, making it an unforgettable journey.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I’d like to give a special shoutout to my wife, Jiahui Yu. She is not only a former colleague but also a pivotal influence in both my personal life and career. She helped me shift my focus from work alone to embracing a broader perspective, paying attention to the details of everyday life. This transformation made me realize that the users I serve are deeply rooted in these daily experiences. Only by living earnestly and feeling life deeply can I translate these joyful emotions into my designs and convey them to users.

Before this, I never saw myself as an artist but merely as one of many assembly-line designers. Her inspiration changed my mindset, teaching me to infuse the joys of life into my designs and use them to express emotions, creating designs that contribute to the greater good. During this period, I led the Chinese New Year campaign, reaching over 1 billion users and allowing people across China to celebrate the festival together online. She is an incredibly creative designer, and her perspective has taught me to see the world in a different way.

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.cn/incareer/in/xingxd/