Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Mingzhi Cai. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Mingzhi, thanks for joining us today. Can you walk us through some of the key steps that allowed you move beyond an idea and actually launch?
I’m a product experience designer working in the fintech industry. Beyond my regular duties, I’m also passionate about knowledge sharing. The journey began with some notable achievements in my daily work. Last year, after spearheading a revamp of our team’s design system, which led to a remarkable 200% increase in usage, I recognized that its potential extended beyond just our team. As design tools and skills continually evolve, best practices remain in flux. This realization inspired me to share my insights with the broader design community. Not only would this help others approach best practices, but it would also allow me to consolidate and reflect on my own knowledge. I took my first step by creating an advanced responsive table component for the best UX design platform Figma Community, used by millions of designers. Immediately after publishing, it was prominently featured on Figma Community’s homepage, garnering substantial recognition and feedback. This spurred me to share my more detailed thought process and findings via a Medium article titled “How I built Figma components that help the team design much faster”, which I released on the prominent UX publication, UX Collective Bootcamp. Seeing the community’s positive reaction, I felt aligned with my purpose. This encouraged me to continually contribute, expanding available design resources. Beyond this, I ventured into mentoring on ADPList, regularly engaging with fellow designers, critiquing portfolios, and sharing insights. Being a practical and empathetic designer, my design philosophy extends beyond users—it’s about the design community that once guided me. The joy I derive from impactful conversations and the satisfaction from my mentoring journey propel me to make even greater contributions.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
My background encompasses various design domains. Over the past 8 years, I’ve explored a range of design fields including industrial design, 3D art, graphic design, experience design, AR/VR, and design systems. Although I possess a broad skill set, my primary focus currently lies in fintech product experience design. In this role, I craft intuitive and engaging experiences that bolster my company and its business partners’ success. I’ve designed various products that assist financial institutions in transaction performance monitoring, invoice tracking, and cash-back program management. Through my designs, I ensure our customers enjoy a seamless experience, achieving efficiency, satisfaction, and reducing operational costs. This, in turn, boosts customer acquisition, user retention, and revenue streams for my company.
When I reflect on the ultimate question of what shaped me into who I am, I believe the answer is simple: countless trials and errors. The truth is, while my early interests leaned towards tactile crafts like ceramics, my academic exposure was different. It was more around commercial products such as home appliances and vehicles, which, to be candid, didn’t captivate me as much. Shifting to experience design was refreshing. The tech industry, with its brisk pace, offers the unique reward of almost immediate user feedback. Unlike fields like architecture or home appliances that require long research and testing phases, digital product design is swift and cost-effective. Most importantly, it delves deep into understanding people’s lives, behaviors, and differences. This human-centric aspect is what truly fascinates me. So, it’s been a winding journey of following my intuitions and curiosity, constantly learning and evolving, and that’s how I’ve landed where I am today in experience design.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
Originally, I was a science student immersed in traditional Chinese arts. But the principle “form follows function” drew me to design. This career path balances my logical and expressive ways of thinking. More crucially, it’s practical and always comes with specific goals and user needs to address. I’m passionate about serving users through my user-centric approach, ensuring that designs not only appear attractive but also function smoothly, providing an intuitive experience from which users can benefit. “Design to help people” is always my motto. This philosophy extends beyond just users; it aligns with my journey of knowledge-sharing, where I aim to create educational content and support budding designers by breaking down information barriers. By consistently pursuing excellence in design craft and transparency in design knowledge, I aspire to enhance these user experiences, making technology more useful and enjoyable for everyone.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
To me, the most exhilarating part of being a designer is the ability to realize visions. Each product launch and every piece of user feedback underscore the profound impact of design. It’s not merely about producing aesthetically pleasing interfaces; it’s about comprehending people—their challenges, desires—and devising solutions that resonate with them and improve their lives. Being a designer empowers me to stand at the forefront of innovation. It allows me to dream and provides the tools to turn those dreams into tangible realities, shaping the future one design at a time. Furthermore, it’s profoundly fulfilling to witness my designs aiding users, to observe people benefiting from the knowledge I share, and to see businesses flourish by adopting the solutions I offer. To me, design is a continuous social experiment with immense value. I remain committed to creating a lasting impact for those in need—be it for users and businesses, the economy, the design community, or society at large.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://dribbble.com/MinzC
- Other: https://www.figma.com/@mingzhic https://medium.com/@minzc