Fang Xu, Xuan Shen, Yongwen Dai

LEGENDARY INTERVIEW

Design Legends ("DL") had the distinct honour to interview legendary designer Fang Xu, Xuan Shen, Yongwen Dai ("FXXSYD") for their original perspective and innovative approach to design as well as their creative lifestyle, we are very pleased to share our interview with our distinguished readers.

DL: Could you please tell us a bit about your design background and education?

FXXSYD : We come from architectural and interaction design backgrounds, with training in spatial reasoning, system thinking, and user-centered design. Our education spans both Eastern and Western institutions, giving us a cross-cultural lens in approaching design. This foundation helped us transition naturally into digital product design, where we solve real-world problems through technology and human insight.

DL: What motivates you to design in general, why did you become a designer?

FXXSYD : We’re driven by a desire to create systems that improve lives and contribute to collective well-being. Design is a way for us to make abstract ideas tangible—to shape behavior, build trust, and solve overlooked problems. It’s both a responsibility and a tool for long-term impact.

DL: Did you choose to become a designer, or you were forced to become one?

FXXSYD : It was a conscious choice. Our interest in how environments and systems influence human behavior led us to architecture, and later, to interaction design. We were drawn to design because it allows us to challenge assumptions, reimagine existing systems, and contribute to a more sustainable future.

DL: What do you design, what type of designs do you wish to design more of?

FXXSYD : We design digital systems that intersect with infrastructure, sustainability, and behavioral change. Our focus is on socially impactful products—like Sharge—that not only work well, but also create positive ripple effects in society. In the future, we hope to design more platforms around decentralized energy, urban mobility, and education.

DL: What should young designers do to become a design legend like you?

FXXSYD : Don’t chase trends—chase impact. Stay curious. Design is not just visual; it’s strategic, ethical, and systemic. Focus on mastering both empathy and clarity. Learn to ask better questions, and never stop iterating.

DL: What distinguishes between a good designer and a great designer?

FXXSYD : A good designer solves problems. A great designer redefines the problem and builds solutions that scale with empathy, clarity, and long-term value. Great design is invisible—it just works, and it leaves a meaningful mark beyond aesthetics.

DL: What makes a good design a really good design, how do you evaluate good design?

FXXSYD : We evaluate design based on its clarity, usability, and ecosystem impact. A truly good design is intuitive, inclusive, and leaves users feeling empowered. It doesn't just meet requirements—it transforms the experience and advances broader societal goals.

DL: What is the value of good design? Why should everyone invest in good design?

FXXSYD : Good design reduces friction, builds trust, and drives behavioral change. In today’s world, it’s not a luxury—it’s a necessity. Investing in good design means investing in efficiency, adoption, and long-term sustainability, whether for users or businesses.

DL: What would you design and who would you design for if you had the time?

FXXSYD : We’d design for underserved urban communities—tools that promote energy access, clean mobility, and financial empowerment. We’re especially interested in solutions that bridge infrastructure gaps in rapidly growing cities.

DL: What is the dream project you haven’t yet had time to realize?

FXXSYD : Our dream is to build a modular, open-source platform that integrates clean energy, transportation, and decentralized governance—something that helps cities become self-sustaining from the bottom up. Sharge is a step toward that vision.

DL: What is your secret recipe of success in design, what is your secret ingredient?

FXXSYD : Our secret is systems thinking combined with radical empathy. We design not just for users, but for contexts—how people behave within larger infrastructures, ecosystems, and societal patterns. We also hold ourselves to high standards of clarity, scalability, and purpose.

DL: Who are some other design masters and legends you get inspired from?

FXXSYD : We’re inspired by Dieter Rams for his clarity, Buckminster Fuller for his systems approach, and the Bauhaus pioneers for their belief in design as social infrastructure. We also admire contemporary voices like Don Norman and Neri Oxman, who bridge science, design, and ethics.

DL: What are your favorite designs by other designers, why do you like them?

FXXSYD : We appreciate systems that feel invisible in use—like the NYC subway signage system or the Nest thermostat. They represent quiet, user-centered clarity. We’re also fascinated by speculative work like Oxman’s material ecology, which blends science and aesthetics meaningfully.

DL: What is your greatest design, which aspects of that design makes you think it is great?

FXXSYD : Sharge is our greatest work so far. It represents the convergence of infrastructure, sustainability, community, and user experience. What makes it great is that it translates complexity into clarity—it empowers people while reducing emissions and encouraging new behaviors.

DL: How could people improve themselves to be better designers, what did you do?

FXXSYD : Study systems. Listen deeply. Build prototypes early and often. Embrace feedback. We constantly expose ourselves to unfamiliar domains—energy, urbanism, policy—so we can see problems from multiple angles and design more holistically.

DL: If you hadn’t become a designer, what would you have done?

FXXSYD : Probably a strategist or urban policy researcher. We love uncovering patterns, identifying leverage points, and crafting tools that enable change. Design just happens to be the language we use to do that.

DL: How do you define design, what is design for you?

FXXSYD : Design is the bridge between intention and impact. It’s not just how something looks or works—it’s how a system behaves over time in response to real-world use. Good design is responsible, adaptive, and aligned with human values.

DL: Who helped you to reach these heights, who was your biggest supporter?

FXXSYD : We owe much to mentors who challenged our thinking, collaborators who shared our values, and users who trusted us with their feedback. We also credit each other—our team is built on mutual respect, critique, and vision alignment.

DL: What helped you to become a great designer?

FXXSYD : Being curious beyond design. We read widely—science, history, philosophy—and translate those insights into our work. It’s this interdisciplinary curiosity that fuels our creativity and strategic clarity.

DL: What were the obstacles you faced before becoming a design master?

FXXSYD : One challenge was transitioning from architecture to digital product design. We had to rewire our thinking—from physical space to interface space, from permanence to iteration. Another was self-doubt in taking on problems larger than ourselves. But the impact kept us going.

DL: How do you think designers should present their work?

FXXSYD : With clarity and context. A good presentation tells the story of the problem, the process, and the people involved—not just the solution. Visuals matter, but narrative and purpose matter more.

DL: What’s your next design project, what should we expect from you in future?

FXXSYD : We’re currently exploring an interactive learning platform focused on sustainability and systems literacy, combining games, visual storytelling, and real-world data. It builds on our mission to empower individuals through design.

DL: What’s your ultimate goal as a designer?

FXXSYD : To design tools, systems, and platforms that enable collective resilience. Our long-term goal is to contribute to a regenerative design economy that redefines growth, ownership, and participation.

DL: What people expect from an esteemed designer such as yourself?

FXXSYD : People expect clarity, integrity, and impact. Not just beautiful work, but meaningful, considered work that shows up in the world and solves something real.

DL: How does design help create a better society?

FXXSYD : Design shapes systems of access, behavior, and identity. From public services to digital tools, it has the power to reduce friction, increase inclusion, and create feedback loops for continuous improvement. At its best, design builds dignity into everyday life.

DL: What are you currently working on that you are especially excited about?

FXXSYD : We’re excited about our early-stage project combining climate literacy and user interaction. It explores how abstract environmental concepts can become intuitive through playful design.

DL: Which design projects gave you the most satisfaction, why?

FXXSYD : Sharge gave us immense satisfaction because it addressed a real and urgent gap. It was also deeply interdisciplinary—from behavior design to infrastructure strategy—and required us to integrate ethics, economics, and empathy.

DL: What would you like to see changed in design industry in the coming years?

FXXSYD : We want to see more emphasis on systems design, ethical accountability, and climate-conscious practices. The industry needs to move beyond shiny surfaces and embrace its role in shaping society.

DL: Where do you think the design field is headed next?

FXXSYD : Design is moving toward systems thinking, speculative design, and cross-disciplinary collaboration. We expect more focus on policy, ecology, and machine learning—as design becomes both a mediator and amplifier of emerging change.

DL: How long does it take you to finalize a design project?

FXXSYD : It varies. Sharge took four months to MVP, but design is never "final." We believe in continuous iteration based on user feedback and changing contexts.

DL: When you have a new design project, where do you start?

FXXSYD : We start with listening. We talk to users, map systems, and immerse ourselves in the context. Only then do we sketch ideas and begin low-fidelity prototyping.

DL: What is your life motto as a designer?

FXXSYD : Debug the world through design.

DL: Do you think design sets the trends or trends set the designs?

FXXSYD : The best design sets trajectories, not trends. It responds to deep shifts and proposes new possibilities, rather than just reacting to aesthetics.

DL: What is the role of technology when you design?

FXXSYD : Technology is a medium—not the message. We use it to scale impact, personalize experiences, and bring systems to life. But we always anchor our decisions in human needs first.

DL: What kind of design software and equipment do you use in your work?

FXXSYD : We use Figma, Notion, Miro, Adobe CC, and React Native. For creative exploration, we also use Midjourney and ChatGPT for ideation, and platforms like Kelin for generative video.

DL: What is the role of the color, materials and ambient in design?

FXXSYD : They set tone, emotion, and cognitive load. In digital design, color and ambient cues act as behavioral signals. We use them intentionally to create clarity and comfort.

DL: What do you wish people to ask about your design?

FXXSYD : We wish more people would ask: What system does this design improve? What behavior does it shift? Not just how it looks, but what it enables.

DL: When you see a new great design or product what comes into your mind?

FXXSYD : We ask: What invisible problem did this solve? What tradeoffs did the designer navigate? We’re always interested in the quiet constraints behind the final result.

DL: Who is your ideal design partner? Do you believe in co-design?

FXXSYD : Absolutely. Our ideal partner shares values, thinks critically, and embraces discomfort. Co-design brings humility and insight, which leads to more resilient solutions.

DL: Which people you interacted had the most influence on your design?

FXXSYD : Urban planners, energy engineers, and everyday users. We learn most from people outside the design field—they show us what actually matters.

DL: Which books you read had the most effect on your design?

FXXSYD : "The Fifth Discipline" by Peter Senge, "Designing for the Digital Age" by Kim Goodwin, and "Speculative Everything" by Dunne & Raby. These shaped our thinking in systems, methods, and futures.

DL: How did you develop your skills as a master designer?

FXXSYD : By shipping real products, getting feedback, and working across unfamiliar domains. We treat each project as a learning system.

DL: Irrelative of time and space, who you would want to meet, talk and discuss with?

FXXSYD : Buckminster Fuller. His fusion of design, systems, and global ethics continues to inspire how we think about impact.

DL: How do you feel about all the awards and recognition you had, is it hard to be famous?

FXXSYD : Recognition is affirming but not the goal. Our focus remains on creating work that matters. Awards help amplify ideas, but impact is what drives us.

DL: What is your favorite color, place, food, season, thing and brand?

FXXSYD : Color: Ultramarine blue. Place: A quiet urban park. Food: Steamed fish with ginger. Season: Spring. Thing: A well-worn sketchbook. Brand: Patagonia—for its purpose-driven ethos.

DL: Please tell us a little memoir, a funny thing you had experienced as a designer?

FXXSYD : Once during user testing, a participant misunderstood our prototype and tried to use voice commands on a static mockup. It reminded us how real people often bring their own logic—and how important it is to design with that in mind.

DL: What makes your day great as a designer, how do you motivate yourself?

FXXSYD : Seeing someone interact smoothly with something we created. Or hearing, "This solved my problem." Small wins like these keep us grounded and energized.

DL: When you were a little child, was it obvious that you would become a great designer?

FXXSYD : Not directly. But we were always building, questioning, observing patterns. The instinct to understand and reshape systems was always there.

DL: What do you think about future; what do you see will happen in thousand years from now?

FXXSYD : We hope design will evolve into an interspecies, planetary practice—where decisions are made not just for humans, but for ecological balance. A thousand years from now, design may be indistinguishable from collective consciousness.

DL: Please tell us anything you wish your fans to know about you, your design and anything else?

FXXSYD : We believe design is an invitation—to think differently, live more intentionally, and build futures that serve more than the self. Thank you for walking this path with us.