Today we’d like to introduce you to Xudong Xing.
Hi Xudong, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I started my design journey long before I had the language to describe it. When I was young, I was always curious about how things worked—why people behaved a certain way, why some products felt intuitive while others felt frustrating. That curiosity eventually led me into UX design.
I’ve now spent almost a decade designing across industries—from news platforms and education to B2B systems, live-streaming tools, and large-scale enterprise products. Every new field taught me something different about human behavior, and that became the foundation of my work.
In the past few years, my career naturally evolved toward AI-driven design. Working inside fast-moving tech environments, I saw how AI wasn’t just changing products—it was changing how designers work. Instead of resisting it, I became fascinated by how design systems, human intuition, and machine intelligence could work together.
Today, I focus on building AI-assisted design guidelines and interaction models, helping large internal teams work more efficiently, and exploring how AI can support—not replace—human creativity. Alongside my full-time work, I co-created Soulnest, a small side project that blends emotional well-being with AI-powered interaction. It reminded me why I entered design in the first place: to make technology feel more human.
My journey isn’t linear, but it’s driven by the same belief I had from the beginning—
great design happens at the intersection of empathy, clarity, and curiosity.
And in this new AI era, I’m excited to keep exploring what’s possible.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road.
One of the biggest challenges in my career has been navigating the rapid shift from traditional UX workflows to AI-driven design. When the industry started changing, there were moments when I felt like I had to rebuild my skill set from scratch. The uncertainty was stressful—no one had a clear roadmap, and everyone was learning as we went.
Another challenge has been working across cultures and fast-paced teams. I moved between different industries and collaborated with people from very diverse backgrounds. At times, communication styles and expectations didn’t match, and I had to learn how to adapt quickly, ask better questions, and advocate for design clarity even when timelines were tight.
There were also periods when the pressure to deliver at high speed made it difficult to maintain creativity. AI can accelerate execution, but it also raises expectations. I learned the hard way that being “fast” isn’t enough—designers still need space to think, reflect, and make decisions that truly help users.
Looking back, each challenge pushed me to grow in unexpected ways.
They taught me resilience, humility, and the importance of staying curious—especially when the industry is evolving faster than anyone can predict.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I’m a UX designer specializing in AI-driven product design and large-scale design systems.
My work centers on how human intuition and machine intelligence can complement each other—how designers can use AI not only as a tool, but as a thinking partner in solving complex problems.
Throughout my career, I’ve designed for news platforms, education tools, enterprise systems, and fast-moving consumer products. These experiences shaped how I understand user behavior in different contexts and cultures. Today, I work at TikTok, where I lead the Platform Operation & Semi Design Team, focusing on design systems, internal tools, and AI-related initiatives across multiple product lines. My role involves aligning cross-functional teams, defining clear design principles, and guiding projects where complexity is high and clarity is essential.
A large part of my work is building AI-assisted design guidelines, interaction models, and decision frameworks that help teams work more efficiently while maintaining a human-centered approach. I enjoy translating ambiguous, messy problems into scalable systems that designers and engineers can rely on.
Outside of work, I co-created Soulnest, a small passion project exploring emotional well-being and AI interaction. It reminds me that design isn’t only about efficiency—it’s about empathy and understanding what people truly feel underneath the surface.
What sets me apart is the combination of system thinking, leadership within fast-paced environments, and a deep curiosity about how technology is reshaping human experience. I’m proud of the work I’ve contributed, but even more proud of staying adaptable and open-minded as the industry continues to evolve.
How do you define success?
I don’t define success by titles or milestones anymore. For me, success is the ability to create meaningful impact—on the people I work with, the teams I lead, and the products I help shape.
In design, it’s easy to measure success by metrics or outputs. But the longer I work in this field, the more I value something quieter: clarity, empathy, and consistency. If a system I build makes someone’s day easier, if a junior designer feels more confident because of a conversation we had, or if a team makes better decisions because the design principles are clear—that feels like real success to me.
I also see success as the freedom to stay curious. The design and AI world changes quickly, and being able to keep learning, adapting, and exploring new ideas is something I never take for granted.
At this stage of my life, success isn’t about being perfect—it’s about being useful, being thoughtful, and being willing to grow alongside the world around me.
Contact Info:
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/xingxd/
