Today we’d like to introduce you to Baoqi Ding
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Passion, creativity, and a desire to have a significant impact have fueled my road as a UX designer. Working for QuillBot, an AI writing assistant startup that helps young professionals, ESL students, and students boost their writing confidence, makes me proud now. Working with the App & Extension team, I help to serve 35 million people worldwide. One of our biggest successes was having our product named Google’s most popular Chrome extension in 2023.
Outside of my professional job, I co-host a personal podcast with a close friend where we explore design, business, movies, and life philosophy. With around 26k subscribers across all platforms, our podcast emphasizes women’s empowerment and aims to advance self-improvement and a more global perspective. Our interesting talks with varied guests should motivate our listeners to see things differently and explore their own unique pathways.
I recently won the DNA Paris design prize in the UI and design category for a project close to my heart. The Coplus project is a learning platform that aims to empower women engineers through pair programming and self-development. Women frequently fail to identify role models and acknowledge their own computing strengths. To solve this, Coplus links users with inspiring community leaders and offers essential resources. Coplus supports women to pursue jobs in computer science by creating a supportive network and visualizing data tracking for performance analysis, resulting in increased gender diversity in the AI field.
Since my beginnings as a designer, I have been inspired by a desire to create things that not only look good but also have a purpose and inspire positive change. Each step of my journey has reaffirmed my belief in design’s ability to alter people’s lives and communities. Looking ahead, I am enthusiastic to explore new ways to inspire others and have a lasting effect through my work.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The road to where I am today has certainly not been smooth, but the challenges I’ve faced have shaped me into the designer and person I am now.
During my undergraduate years, my path started with a love of accessory design. Although I appreciated the inventiveness and workmanship in this profession, I soon realized that I wanted to have a more direct impact on people’s lives through my work. Driven by a need to concentrate on user-centric design and to keep current with tech advancements that might successfully serve more people, this awareness drove me to change to human-computer interaction design in my graduate school.
My constant battle has been balancing my personal projects with my professional responsibilities. I managed a full-time job at QuillBot, where the pace and demands were quick, and simultaneously developed a podcast, which needed many late evenings and early mornings. Sometimes, I felt overwhelmed and wondered whether I could keep this dual commitment. Still, my love of design and empowering others kept me going.
Constant adaptation to fast-changing technologies was even a further challenge. It has been fascinating and challenging to keep current with the newest UX trends and include new technologies in my work. It required constant learning and sometimes pushing myself outside my comfort zone to test fresh tools and techniques.
While it was a great achievement, winning the DNA Paris design award presented difficulties. Development by Coplus took time and consisted of iterations, user testing, and extensive research. The good it accomplishes for empowering women in technology makes it all worthwhile, even during periods of uncertainty and setbacks.
I have come to recognize the importance of resilience, lifelong learning, and adherence to my beliefs over all these challenges. These encounters have sharpened my skills and increased my will to use design for positive change.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
My diverse background and commitment to using design as a means of good change set me apart. My role as a UX designer is to create simple, user-centric, intuitive designs that improve the digital experience for millions of people. Having studied accessory design throughout college gives my digital design work a unique layer of a mix of technical expertise and creativity. This combination lets me approach problems and user painpoints differently, mixing utility with beauty. During graduate school, my decision to shift to UX design came from a passion for user-centric design. This path requires a diverse skill set encompassing technical and creative domains, and creating designs that look appealing and have a social impact usually thrills me. Whether through my work at QuillBot, my contributions to Coplus, or the podcast’s conversations, I hope to inspire others to follow suit.
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
Here are a few things that I learned along my journey:
Stay curious: The tech and design industries are constantly evolving. Stay curious and always be open to learning new tools, techniques, and trends. This will keep our skills relevant and open up new opportunities for growth and innovation.
Focus on the user. Always keep the end user in mind when designing a product or creating content, and understanding their needs, behaviors, and pain points will help you create more effective and impactful solutions. User-centric design is key to making products that people love.
Lastly, find your passion and stay true to it. Identify what you are passionate about, and let that guide your career choices. When I started, I wish I had known the importance of finding a mentor and building a solid network. These connections have provided me with support and opportunities that have shaped my career. Everyone’s journey is unique, so trust your path and stay committed to your growth and passion.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.baoqiding.net/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/designplayground_/?hl=en
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCX0ZBOCQ2wt8ts5ERf4ylw
