Chengcheng Hou

LEGENDARY INTERVIEW

Design Legends ("DL") had the distinct honour to interview legendary designer Chengcheng Hou ("CH") for their original perspective and innovative approach to design as well as their creative lifestyle, we are very pleased to share our interview with our distinguished readers.

DL: Could you please tell us a bit about your design background and education?

CH : I studied design at the School of Visual Arts in New York, where I focused on interaction and product design. Since graduating, I've worked across health tech and wellness, most recently as the senior product designer at Tia. There, I’ve led the design of our electronic medical record system and member portal used by over 40,000 patients across the U.S., building tools that improve outcomes for both patients and providers.

DL: What motivates you to design in general, why did you become a designer?

CH : I became a designer because I was drawn to the intersection of empathy, systems, and problem-solving. What motivates me is the ability to make people’s lives measurably better—whether that’s helping a provider spend less time on documentation or enabling a patient to understand their care plan more clearly. Design, to me, is a way to bring care and clarity into the chaos.

DL: Did you choose to become a designer, or you were forced to become one?

CH : I chose it. It felt like a natural convergence of my interests—visual thinking, psychology, and technology. I never felt forced into it, but rather called toward it, especially as I started to see how design could shape real-world experiences, particularly in healthcare.

DL: What do you design, what type of designs do you wish to design more of?

CH : I design digital products that improve health outcomes—EMRs, patient portals, provider tools, and more. I’d love to design more tools that use AI thoughtfully in healthcare—like conversational diagnostics or mental health support systems that feel human, not robotic. I also hope to design more public-facing tools that educate and empower, such as open-source or community-driven health platforms.

DL: What should young designers do to become a design legend like you?

CH : Don’t chase trends—chase impact. Spend time understanding the problem, not just the interface. Stay curious, document your process, and invest in your storytelling skills. The best designers I know are relentless learners and generous collaborators.

DL: What distinguishes between a good designer and a great designer?

CH : A good designer solves the brief. A great designer reframes the brief, uncovers root problems, and aligns stakeholders around a vision. Great designers elevate the entire team—they design systems and relationships, not just screens.

DL: What makes a good design a really good design, how do you evaluate good design?

CH : Good design is invisible—it feels intuitive, inevitable. But really good design is also inclusive, scalable, and measurable. I evaluate design based on whether it improves outcomes over time, whether people can use it with ease, and whether it respects their context and constraints.

DL: What is the value of good design? Why should everyone invest in good design?

CH : Good design saves time, reduces errors, builds trust, and can literally save lives—especially in healthcare. It turns confusion into clarity, and friction into flow. It’s not decoration—it’s infrastructure for how we live, work, and heal.

DL: What would you design and who would you design for if you had the time?

CH : I would design a beautifully simple, open-source mental health assessment tool that anyone could use—whether they have access to a provider or not. Something conversational, human, and stigma-free. I’d also love to work on type design again—reviving forgotten letterforms for today’s tools.

DL: What is the dream project you haven’t yet had time to realize?

CH : I want to create a global, open-source design system and AI toolset for community health—something any clinic, especially in under-resourced areas, could use to build better care interfaces. It would blend local language, accessibility, and clinical intelligence into a modular, extensible platform.

DL: What is your secret recipe of success in design, what is your secret ingredient?

CH : Empathy paired with systems thinking. I always zoom in to understand the user's emotions and needs, then zoom out to see how everything connects—from backend logic to business outcomes. That dance between micro and macro is where I thrive.

DL: Who are some other design masters and legends you get inspired from?

CH : Kenya Hara for human-centered philosophy, and Giorgia Lupi for visualizing complexity beautifully. I’m also inspired by modern healthcare designers like Lane Goldstone and institutions like IDEO.org who push the boundaries of socially responsible design.

DL: What are your favorite designs by other designers, why do you like them?

CH : I would say Actual Source Studio. They are one of the best studios out there that still advocate the importance of printed media.

DL: What is your greatest design, which aspects of that design makes you think it is great?

CH : Tia Life Chart (TLC), the EMR system I led the design for. It integrates mental, physical, and reproductive health into one holistic view. What makes it great isn’t just the interface, but the measurable impact: cutting documentation by 44%, reducing care plan turnaround time by 30%, and improving booking conversion significantly. It’s design that truly changed care delivery.

DL: How could people improve themselves to be better designers, what did you do?

CH : Ask better questions. Study what frustrates people. Build side projects. For me, constantly mentoring others helped me sharpen my thinking, and building things like AI tools for mental health outside of work kept me creatively energized. Stay curious, stay kind.

DL: If you hadn’t become a designer, what would you have done?

CH : I would’ve probably worked in clinical psychology or anthropology—something that still dives deep into how people think and live. Or maybe type design—I love shaping language and rhythm through form.

DL: How do you define design, what is design for you?

CH : Design is applied empathy. It’s the translation of understanding into form and function. For me, design is about making complex systems feel human and helping people achieve their goals with clarity, dignity, and care.

DL: Who helped you to reach these heights, who was your biggest supporter?

CH : My biggest supporter has been my community—mentors who challenged me, coworkers who collaborated deeply, and mentees who reminded me why it matters. Personally, my family gave me space to explore, and professionally, my teams at Tia helped elevate my best work.

DL: What helped you to become a great designer?

CH : Mentorship—both giving and receiving it. I grew by working with thoughtful, curious people who challenged assumptions. Being in healthcare also helped me focus on outcomes over aesthetics. It forced me to ask, “Is this solving the right problem?” not just “Is this beautiful?”

DL: What were the obstacles you faced before becoming a design master?

CH : Imposter syndrome and learning to speak the language of engineering and operations. Early on, I focused too much on UI polish and not enough on impact. It took time to realize that design is as much about influence and alignment as it is about pixels.

DL: How do you think designers should present their work?

CH : With context, clarity, and care. Start with the “why,” not just the “what.” Show your thinking, what trade-offs you made, what feedback changed your direction. And never underestimate the power of a good narrative and a well-labeled Figma file.

DL: What’s your next design project, what should we expect from you in future?

CH : I’m working on an AI-powered mental health scoring tool that uses natural conversation instead of rigid forms. It will be open-source and built for EMR integration—aiming to make mental health screening more human and more accessible to clinics everywhere.

DL: What’s your ultimate goal as a designer?

CH : To design tools that give people agency—especially in health and education. And to leave behind frameworks and systems that outlive me: design systems, platforms, and processes that others can build on.

DL: What people expect from an esteemed designer such as yourself?

CH : Clarity, empathy, and responsibility. People expect me to translate complex needs into elegant solutions—and to do so with integrity. That includes advocating for users who may not have a seat at the table.

DL: How does design help create a better society?

CH : Design clarifies. It can expose injustice, remove barriers, and restore dignity. Whether it’s reducing burnout for providers or making healthcare accessible for marginalized communities, design shapes how we move through the world—and it can either include or exclude. It’s our job to choose the former.

DL: What are you currently working on that you are especially excited about?

CH : I’m leading the next phase of Tia Life Chart, evolving it into a longitudinal health timeline that integrates labs, care plans, and notes—all in one view. It’s like designing a patient’s life story in a way that empowers both them and their care team.

DL: Which design projects gave you the most satisfaction, why?

CH : Tia’s EMR system—because it wasn’t just a product, it was a culture shift. It unified fragmented care across multiple disciplines, reduced administrative burden, and directly improved provider satisfaction. Seeing that kind of real-world change—that’s the kind of satisfaction few projects can match.

DL: What would you like to see changed in design industry in the coming years?

CH : I’d love to see more long-term thinking and accountability. Too often, we reward novelty over impact. I want the industry to shift from shipping fast to measuring deeply—especially in critical fields like healthcare and education.

DL: Where do you think the design field is headed next?

CH : Toward adaptive systems and ethical AI. Designers will need to shape not just interfaces, but the behavior of intelligent systems—how they respond, explain themselves, and support decision-making. Human-centered AI will become the new frontier of design.

DL: How long does it take you to finalize a design project?

CH : It varies, but I believe a design is never truly “final”—it just reaches a point of stability. Some flows take days; others evolve over quarters. I measure “final” more by alignment and measurable impact than by visual polish.

DL: When you have a new design project, where do you start?

CH : I start by listening. I interview users, shadow stakeholders, and look at existing workflows. Then I map the system, define success, and explore edge cases. Only after that do I begin sketching or wireframing.

DL: What is your life motto as a designer?

CH : Make it make sense—for everyone.

DL: Do you think design sets the trends or trends set the designs?

CH : It’s a dialogue. Trends emerge from collective behavior and cultural signals, but great design can redirect that flow. The best designers don’t chase trends—they interpret them with intention.

DL: What is the role of technology when you design?

CH : Technology is both the canvas and the constraint. It enables what’s possible but also shapes how we think. I use it as a tool, not a goal—what matters is how it serves people.

DL: What kind of design software and equipment do you use in your work?

CH : I primarily use Figma for UI, FigJam and Whimsical for early thinking, and Notion for documentation. I also use Rasa and custom-built tools for conversational design projects. My core gear is my MacBook, iPad, and sometimes my Fujifilm X100VI for visual storytelling.

DL: What is the role of the color, materials and ambient in design?

CH : They carry emotional weight. In digital design, “materials” translate to elevation, rhythm, and affordances. Color sets tone and guides attention. Ambient design—the mood, microinteractions, feedback—can make users feel calm, confident, or cared for. In healthcare, especially, these details matter deeply.

DL: What do you wish people to ask about your design?

CH : I wish people would ask, “What problem does this solve, and how did you know it was the right one?” That opens up a deeper conversation about intent, iteration, and ethics—not just aesthetics.

DL: When you see a new great design or product what comes into your mind?

CH : “How did they make this feel so obvious and effortless?” Great design often hides its complexity. I’m curious about the decisions, constraints, and insights behind that clarity.

DL: Who is your ideal design partner? Do you believe in co-design?

CH : Absolutely—I believe in co-design deeply. My ideal partner is someone with complementary strengths: maybe a brilliant researcher or a sharp engineer who challenges assumptions. The best work comes from shared curiosity and friction that leads to alignment.

DL: Which people you interacted had the most influence on your design?

CH : The care coordinators and providers I work with at Tia. Listening to their day-to-day frustrations and witnessing their empathy helped me design with more purpose. They reminded me that design doesn’t end with the screen—it lives in real decisions, time, and stress.

DL: Which books you read had the most effect on your design?

CH : The Design of Everyday Things by Don Norman—foundational. Designing for Care by Peter Jones—reframed how I see healthcare design. Thinking in Systems by Donella Meadows—changed how I approach complexity. Speculative Everything by Dunne & Raby—made me question the future we’re designing toward.

DL: How did you develop your skills as a master designer?

CH : Through relentless reflection. I reviewed my own work critically, asked for feedback constantly, and tried to understand how every decision connected to outcomes. I also mentored others—it taught me to articulate my process and sharpened my own thinking.

DL: Irrelative of time and space, who you would want to meet, talk and discuss with?

CH : I'd love to talk to Buckminster Fuller about systems thinking and resilience. Or Frida Kahlo—how she turned personal pain into universal resonance. That’s design, too.

DL: How do you feel about all the awards and recognition you had, is it hard to be famous?

CH : Awards are affirming, but they’re not the goal. The work is. If recognition leads to more impact and more ambitious collaboration, I welcome it. I don’t think of myself as famous—I think of myself as in service.

DL: What is your favorite color, place, food, season, thing and brand?

CH : Color: Deep blue-gray—calming and intelligent. Place: Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn—where history and change collide. Food: Hot pot—communal, adaptable, and nostalgic. Season: Fall—transitional, reflective, full of texture. Thing: My camera—it helps me slow down and see. Brand: Muji—for its humility, utility, and timelessness.

DL: Please tell us a little memoir, a funny thing you had experienced as a designer?

CH : Once, during a usability test, a participant zoomed in so much on the screen that the “Submit” button disappeared completely. They said, “I love the design, but it doesn’t let me finish.” That moment reminded me—test on everything, even how people pinch.

DL: What makes your day great as a designer, how do you motivate yourself?

CH : When I solve something that makes someone else’s life easier—especially a provider or patient—that makes my day. I stay motivated by reminding myself who I’m designing for and by building things on the side that stretch my creativity.

DL: When you were a little child, was it obvious that you would become a great designer?

CH : Not at all. But I was always drawing diagrams, reorganizing things, and asking “Why does it work that way?” I didn’t know that was design—but looking back, the seeds were there.

DL: What do you think about future; what do you see will happen in thousand years from now?

CH : In a thousand years, I hope we’ve designed systems that prioritize wellbeing over profit, that we’ve healed the planet, and that design has become less about interfaces and more about relationships—between humans, nature, and technology. Ideally, we’ll be solving fewer problems because we created fewer to begin with.

DL: Please tell us anything you wish your fans to know about you, your design and anything else?

CH : I don’t believe in lone geniuses. Every design I’ve been proud of was the result of collaboration, trust, and iteration. I’m still learning. And if you’re just starting out—know that good design isn’t about being perfect. It’s about being useful, kind, and open to change.