Beautiful designer! Interview Baidu Great UE design Manager li

Baidu User Experience Department (great UE) Design manager li

Would you please make a self-introduction?

　　li: hello everyone, I am from Baidu User Experience department li. Now responsible for Baidu Library, reading product line of the visual team, covering the product's PC interface, operating design, wireless direction visual design. Work in Baidu for nearly 4 years, has been responsible for knowledge, encyclopedia, experience, the operation of the library product design.

How do you embark on the UE designer's path, why should this choose?

　　Li: actually very simple, from an early age in painting to get others affirmation, so like on the fine Arts. When I was in primary school, I dreamed that I would become an artist when I grew up. From junior high School began to learn painting, until admitted to the Academy of Fine Arts, choose to be a designer although and childhood dream is different, but is along with the art related road. The final decision to choose is the Internet because this field was very interesting at the time and was an emerging industry, full of freshness and change. I still feel that the Internet is one of the most breakthrough and flexible people in the world today. Although sometimes the pace of a little tired, need to keep learning to recharge, but still full of charm.

How do you understand the "easy to rely" design concept?

　　li: i used to chat with some non-internet people, such as talking with the driver when I was in a taxi. They usually have a question: "What is Baidu doing, is not a website?" I heard it's very lucrative, so many people are sitting in your building, what are you doing? "I think this is also the impact of most people on Baidu. Baidu only has a search box page, in which to ask questions, and then to find the answer. But everyone knows in this search box is a comprehensive and powerful product support, we all colleagues in the search box behind a variety of products to meet the various needs of people, as long as the Baidu search to find the answer you want, is so simple. So the product shape determines the design concept.

In the early days of Baidu, the simplicity of design tended to be the fastest way to achieve functionality, today's Baidu and the overall trend of the Internet is progressing, so the design of the "simple to rely on" the requirements will be higher, the first to grasp the product needs and direction to be able to present enough simple, but is not simple, Especially when we are in a culture like Asia, the more acceptable beauty of the masses is the exquisite beauty. So it is important to grasp the focus of the targeted design. And "can rely on" more in the elaboration of the latitude of experience, product is not fast enough, our advanced technology to provide users with more convenient and efficient, trustworthy products, product operation is simple and smooth, in line with the use of the public, and so on ... This is my understanding of "simple to rely on."

How does your team achieve clarity in the design and refinement of high quality?

　　Li: first, in our team of excellent colleagues, each of them have their own unique and good skills, after years of project discipline, has a wealth of experience. So we make a good team together. In the project process, there are professional senior people to help other colleagues more accurately capture the project objectives and needs, and timely comb the cooperation process and problems, the role of continuous running-in, which is the foundation of the smooth progress of the project.

Professional and excellent designers can always proactively identify problems, timely proposed to improve the program to help products/projects to do better, this ability is our ability to exercise in Baidu for many years, whether to do product visual design or operational visual design, we all emphasize the establishment of products and needs enough to understand the premise of rethinking the design, So we have to do not only good-looking design, but also to use.

And last but not least, I think it is important that the designers ' demands on themselves, we will have our own standards, and make sure that the things we do are designed to be acceptable to our emotions. Of course this is a very personal aspect, and people with high self requirements tend to make better designs. In the future, we need to increase our demands for ourselves and make us stronger.

Which project are you most satisfied with at present?

　　Li: the most satisfying thing is that Baidu reads the iOS 1.0 design. The whole process from the project to the last installed to the user's mobile phone, all the links I am very fortunate to participate in, and the team has a very respected teacher, to my help very much. From the formulation of style, to the elaboration of functions, and think about how to let users leave a deep imprint on our products, which details can be more interesting, here can not let users inadvertently "wow", can make this product is not only a function of the stack can be more humane a bit; When reading fonts, font size, typesetting, Style theme, brightness, page turn, gesture ... We have hashed every detail. The final project online App Store evaluation of the whole five-star, our entire project members are very big affirmation.

What is your harvest in the work?

　　Li: I think each stage harvest is different, the first is to harvest the design of the understanding of the product. Then how to communicate better with people, how to persuade others, better marketing their own design. Now I will communicate with more characters and more on the other person's point of view.

Why designers and PM will always have some contradictions and conflicts, we are in how to think, through communication to understand the core nature of the problem, as a designer how to start from their own problems, let themselves grow more mature. So in summary, I've been learning from others, learning about all the good things about them, and some of the places I've seen that need to be improved to remind myself.

Who do you admire most in the design world and why do you admire him?

　　Li: The original research, he influenced a generation of designers, the beginning is because of no printing good products, at that time very much like the simple and comfortable design things. Later he read a lot of books he wrote. To understand his deeper thoughts. I have seen his exhibition in Beijing.

His redesign series impressed me very much, a designer to do so, I think is very great. Both have a very macro thinking, but also focus on the small details, and put forward their own independent thinking of the problem and solutions. The field covers every aspect of life, not a designer who confines himself to a small environment, but thinking more about design and life, and when we face a very small thing, we ask ourselves, "Do you think it's better?" I am afraid most people will not do this, the most fear is the obedience and numbness of the face of life, this will lose creativity. This is a particularly attractive place for me to see him.

What kind of books do you like?

　　Li: I usually like to read some design-type books, I have just mentioned some of the original research I like to read, and recently read some other Japanese ideas, such as "super finishing" and will want to read the "Broken Shed" series, the book around a lot of people have seen. Novels, such as Wang Xiaobo and Murakami's novels are basically seen, the first time to see the village of the novel is "Norwegian Forest", the impression is very profound, the mood was brought into the story, at that time also saw tears, like his side of the environment that exquisite description of the way. Wang Xiaobo is very appreciative of his book description of the true temperament of the character experience. There has been a period of time to read some books on religion, people need a strong spirit of energy to become calm, I think I am still too weak in this area, so sometimes I will read some religion-related books. I think this interview is also a comb for me, and I have not formally expressed my thoughts in this way before. Found that I like Japanese culture and aesthetic, I have seen a "yin-yi" inside the many Japanese small phenomenon in the deep analysis of the Japanese cultural and philosophical views, recommend interested people can see.

What hobbies do you have?

　　Li: usually some small fresh hobby, like to raise plants, do handmade, and sometimes do little cakes and other cookies.

What kind of design do you think is the best design?

　　Li: in a simple words, I think an excellent design should be able to reflect the designer's pursuit of self and attitude. This is not good understanding, perhaps many people will have a lot of specific standards, I think those are also very important, such as a bright front, or brand value ... But those are the industry standards, is the external to the designers, of course, when they are still very confused when these can learn, let the ego grow. But the design of the trend will have bottlenecks, that is, we do more and more like, more and more no ego. So I think the design of self awakening is very precious.

How do you view the development status of UE industry?

　　Li: I personally feel that the development of the UE industry will become more important and dependent on the development of the Internet, which can be seen from the more mature business models abroad. Now the domestic UE will also play a greater role in the future. There may be more design-driven companies in the future.

What are your suggestions for the graduating students and the designers of the profession?

　　Li: for the graduating students, my suggestion is more discipline it, but do not lose the ideal, insist that there will be a return, at least I think in our environment is so, the result of encouraging young people to stand out, with mixed mentality is not far. Practitioners of the designer, when encountered bottlenecks can find their best and love the point, focus and profound thinking understanding. At the same time it is best to get out of the design circle, try to stand on the other person's point of view, may see a broader world.

What is your outlook for the future development of the team?

　　Li: to put it simply, I want the team to make very good designs and products. This very good standard will be more our ability to gradually upgrade, the ideal is eventually to make a standard design, of course, this needs to be done step by step. Then hope that the team members will be able to grow and progress through effort.

Thank Li for the interview!

Li Personal Works appreciation: