Design beyond boundaries: inside the world of Junchao Yang

Junchao Yang is an award-winning interdisciplinary designer and artist whose work spans architecture, product design, and art. He has won XCMG`s X-Creator Challenge with his «Rescue Method» (Modi) project. In this conversation, we explore how his diverse background is shaping innovation across architecture, design, and art.

In addition to his architectural projects, Junchao’s work as an artist and curator is showcased in renowned venues like the Blanc Gallery & Oculus. While leading prominent projects at both tech giants and promising start-ups, he is now collaborating with the University of Washington`s Machine Agency, advancing sustainable manufacturing practices and continuing to shape the future of design through his talent and creativity.

You`ve achieved notable success across multiple design disciplines. What is your vision that connects architectural, product, and user experience design?

My cross-disciplinary background allows me to approach challenges from multiple perspectives and create solutions that are not just technically sophisticated but deeply human-centered. From introducing virtual reality to transform architectural visualization at New Practice Studio to blending the boundary between hardware and software in Violett, I consistently bridge different domains to drive innovation and address real pain points. This approach shaped both my award-winning «Rescue Method» vehicle design and HP`s next-generation peripheral experience, where cross-disciplinary design principles enable more intuitive user interactions and scalable development framework.

Your journey from architectural design to product design is a significant transition. What
motivated this change, and how do you see these fields connecting?

After my projects in architecture gained significant industry recognition, I feel that the form of physical space is not conducive to articulating agile solutions to my client`s pain point. More importantly, I discovered my excitement comes from the process of solving problems through research and empathy instead of just the result of a physical building. This naturally drew me to product design, where solutions can be more quickly iterated and implemented to address user needs. Indeed, both fields ultimately share the same goal: crafting thoughtful solutions that enhance how people interact with their environment.

Your project «Rescue method» (or Modi) won a significant award at XCMG`s global rescuingvehicle competition. Can you tell us more about this project and how it echoes with your background?

The name «Rescue method» is borrowed from a traditional Chinese building code that established a comprehensive standardization and modular system in Chinese architecture. Drawing inspiration from this book, I created an innovative modular rescue vehicle system with interchangeable components and universal ports, which enables rescue teams to effectively respond to diverse disaster scenarios by quickly reconfiguring the vehicle`s modules. My technical background in architecture also inspired a vehicle power system that optimizes energy transmission and allows different parts of the vehicle to operate independently, enhancing reliability during critical rescue operations.

I`ve heard you`re doing some interesting research work with the Machine Agency at the University of Washington. Please tell us about that collaboration.

Of course! I`m always excited to push technological boundaries by integrating my product design
expertise, in this case, the field of creative manufacturing. Drawing from my experience in IoT platforms and hardware experiences, I led the improvement of a mycelium biocomposites 3D printing process, creating demo samples that can showcase its technical capabilities. My cross-disciplinary background also helps me in leading the design optimization of a modular open-source bioreactor, where we aim to make fermentation experiments scalable, sustainable, and customizable.

Your architectural projects like The Human Slurp received significant media attention and design awards. How did this early success influence your approach to user experience?

My architectural experience at New Practice Studio provided a strong foundation for solving complex challenges that involve multiple stakeholders. In both areas, success comes from deeply understanding how people interact with their environment — whether physical or digital. The iterative design process I used in creating restaurant spaces like The Human Slurp, where we carefully considered every aspect of the customer journey, directly parallels how I now approach digital product design at HP and Violett, where I focus on creating intuitive user experiences that enhance people`s daily interactions with technology.

I noticed that you also have a lot of experience working with start-ups as the only designer on the team. What is your biggest challenge, and how different is it compared to working with cooperation?

Working with a start-up gives you more ownership. In addition to ideation and design production, my day-to-day job also involves shaping the company strategy. For example, as the founding designer at Violett, other than fulfilling design requirements from stakeholders, I also initiated the transformation of our engineer-focused system into a user-centric experience from the physical interface to the IoT dashboard. Greater responsibility also brings greater opportunity since my work has been showcased at the 2024 CES, invited by the Washington State Department of Commerce.
 

The Trenton MOVES project seems quite different from your other work. How did you get involved in public transportation design?

Although this project is for autonomous vehicles, it requires empathy & user research to design for an underrepresented community with limited access to public transportation. Invited by the founder of CARTS, I led the ideation process, where I led workshops with local high school students to understand their transportation needs. In these sessions, we discovered how seemingly minor schedule constraints could have major impacts on students` educational opportunities. It`s about using design to ensure innovative technology truly serves the community.

What has it been like working at tech giants like HP and GE? What is your biggest challenge?

Working at tech giants has given me the opportunity to lead transformative projects that have impacted millions of users worldwide. The biggest challenge has been maintaining the balance between intuitive user experience and consistency in design systems across multiple product lines while thinking strategically about future scalability. To do this, I developed a systematic approach: co-establishing internal design delivery guidelines that dramatically improved cross-team communication and working closely with stakeholders to ensure consistency while accommodating unique product features. This approach proved successful — my redesign of the HP Programmable Key feature is now pre-installed on millions of laptops globally, and my pioneering work on peripheral device interaction patterns has helped maintain HP`s competitive edge in the global market.

Can you tell me your most recent project?

One of the recent projects is designing for the HP docking station software experience, which was
showcased at the 2025 CES with the announcement of HP Thunderbolt 4 G6 Docks. To support our position as the premier docking station manufacturer worldwide, I led the development of an entirely new software experience by creating an intuitive framework that makes our new features both discoverable and easy to use, especially for novice users. This solution will include more docking stations in the future, impacting millions of users worldwide.

Looking at your artistic experience in both creation & curation, how did it influence your approach to product design?

For me, art is a more personal format for expression. Art curation, however, taught me the critical
importance of narrative and user journey. When collaborating with the floral artist Zi for the floral exhibition. «Forma Calli», we choreographed different plants into geometric patterns to build a cohesive story that revealed unexpected dynamics between flowers and everyday objects. I apply these same principles to product design. Whether designing Violett`s IoT platform or HP`s
peripheral interfaces, every interaction, screen transition, and feedback becomes an opportunity to
increase users` engagement. And this eventually will help our products to succeed.

Based on your journey across different design disciplines, what advice would you give to aspiring designers?

«Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish». The world is moving at an extremely fast pace, and it will never be a waste of your time to learn a new tool and dabble in a new area, especially with the current development of generative AI. The media will become less important as a part of the design, which challenges designers to draw expertise from different disciplines to deliver a truly viable solution.

Words: Daphne Sinklair