Menghai Xia

LEGENDARY INTERVIEW

Design Legends ("DL") had the distinct honour to interview legendary designer Menghai Xia ("MX") 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?

MX : I studied Industrial Design at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) in Savannah, Georgia, USA. My training included not only industrial design but also interaction, UX, and system design. After graduation, I developed a dual career as a designer and educator, leading award-winning programs while continuing my own practice across different products.

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

MX : I became a designer because I saw design as a way to make life better. I am motivated by the ability to take a complex or unnoticed problem, reshape it, and create a solution that is humane, simple, effective and more fun.

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

MX : I chose it naturally. Since my early years, I was curious about how objects were made and how systems worked. Design was not an obligation but an inevitable path.

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

MX : I design across fields: medical tools, personal care products, lighting systems, and interactive electronics. I wish the design product that more fun driven later.

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

MX : Be humble, patient, and bold. Learn from other disciplines, broaden your view beyond aesthetics, and fight for your ideas with courage. Legends are not made overnight; they are built by persistence.

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

MX : A good designer solves the brief. A great designer reframes the problem, finds the hidden “elephant in the room,” and creates something meaningful that lasts beyond trends.

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

MX : A really good design reflects not only functionality and beauty but also intention—kindness, thought, and effort put into it. It must serve humanity, not just efficiency.

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

MX : Good design improves lives, saves resources, prevents harm, and builds culture. Investing in design is investing in dignity and long-term sustainability.

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

MX : I would design for underserved populations—tools that give access to healthcare, clean energy, or education. My goal would be to design for those who are often overlooked.

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

MX : I dream of developing a fully integrated healthcare toolkit that can be used in rural areas with minimal infrastructure—something that combines diagnostics, treatment, and education in one platform.

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

MX : Honesty. I insist on addressing the real issue, not decorating around it. Being honest about problems creates space for true innovation.

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

MX : Dieter Rams for clarity, Naoto Fukasawa for simplicity rooted in human behavior.And Sir.Jony Ive for natural thinking.

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

MX : The Montblanc M fountain pen by Marc Newson—because it marries tradition and modernity in one stroke. The Philippe Starck juicer—because it shows that design can be playful and poetic even without strict utility.

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

MX : Horizpec is my greatest design so far. It rethinks a century-old tool with a simple horizontal opening mechanism. It is great because it solves a problem directly, helps both patients and doctors, and can be mass produced affordably.

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

MX : Seek knowledge outside design. Learn science, culture, and systems. I pushed myself to understand not only form but also the hidden structures behind problems.

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

MX : I would have become a photographer or a writer. Both also require observation, storytelling, and framing the world.

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

MX : Design is the disciplined translation of reality into possibility. It is not art for self-expression but a structured act of improving life.

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

MX : My family supported me through my education. Later, my students and collaborators became a source of strength—they pushed me to stay sharp and open.

DL: What helped you to become a great designer?

MX : Persistence, curiosity, and courage to face criticism.

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

MX : Resource constraints, cultural misunderstandings, and the tension between vision and practicality. Overcoming them required patience and adaptability.

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

MX : With clarity and honesty. Show the problem, the reasoning, and the human impact—not just the final form.

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

MX : I am developing new medical devices, including the ongoing Horizpec and Twispex projects, and exploring interactive lighting systems that redefine how we experience light.

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

MX : My goal is to help more people and create designs that make a real dent for good. I also want more people to realize the importance of design and join the practice. The more minds and good intentions contribute, the more powerful design becomes.

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

MX : They expect honesty, innovation, and responsibility—designs that are not only elegant but also trustworthy.

DL: How does design help create a better society?

MX : Design structures behavior. If done well, it makes people safer, healthier, and more considerate of each other and the planet.

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

MX : Right now, I am especially excited about Horizpec. It is still in the pushing phase, but I believe it has the potential to help many people.

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

MX : Projects that directly help people—like Horizpec—give me the most satisfaction. It is meaningful to see design address human comfort and safety.

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

MX : I would like to see less emphasis on quick trends and more on solving real, long-term issues.

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

MX : It is moving toward integration with biotechnology, AI, and sustainability. But physical, tangible design will remain essential because our bodies are physical.

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

MX : From weeks for small objects to years for medical devices. The timeline depends on testing and regulations.

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

MX : I start by finding the hidden problem—the “elephant in the room.” Once that is defined, the process flows.

DL: What is your life motto as a designer?

MX : Design with good intentions first.

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

MX : Design can set trends, but great design outlives them.

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

MX : Technology is an enabler, but never the goal. It should empower human experience.

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

MX : Rhino, Keyshot, Adobe Creative Suite, 3D printing, and traditional prototyping tools. Photography and writing also play important roles in my process.

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

MX : They are emotional and sensory bridges. Color, material, and ambience carry as much meaning as form.

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

MX : I wish they would ask: “What intention lies behind it?” rather than only “What does it look like?”

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

MX : I wonder: “What hidden effort, kindness, or intelligence is inside this?”

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

MX : My ideal partners are doctors, engineers, and everyday users. Yes, I strongly believe in co-design.

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

MX : Doctors and patients influenced me most. Their experiences shaped my healthcare-focused projects.

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

MX : I am not a heavy book reader. Films shaped me more. Star Wars and Tron influenced my imagination and design inspirations.

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

MX : By combining teaching with practice. Explaining ideas to students sharpened my own.

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

MX : I would love to talk with Raymond Loewy. He worked across industries—from trains to pen sharpeners—and showed that industrial designers can shape nearly anything.

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

MX : Awards bring visibility, but fame is not my focus. I care more about whether the design actually works for people.

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

MX : Color: Navy blue. Place: Osaka or Kyoto, Japan. Food: A good steak, or a beautifully prepared shichimi dish. Season: Golden autumn—cool air, warm light. Thing: Gundam plastic models, which I enjoy building and reconstructing. Brand: Lamborghini—though I remain critical of all big brands.

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

MX : When I first told some female friends about Horizpec, they were skeptical—a big guy like me working on such a delicate tool? They laughed. But when they saw the prototype, small and precise, the reaction flipped to admiration. That dramatic contrast was both funny and rewarding.

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

MX : A great day comes from learning something new—whether from people, from a mistake, or from discovery. I motivate myself by curiosity.

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

MX : Not obvious. Many people around me didn’t even know what an industrial designer was. But as a child I was a “rebel creator”—when parents said cartoons or comics were a waste of time, I thought: “Then I will create something of my own.” That inner push shaped me.

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

MX : In a thousand years, design will still be the driving force of progress. Digital worlds are useful, but overrated. The true challenge will be expanding the physical world—space exploration, deeper oceans, new frontiers. Design will merge digital support with physical breakthroughs.

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

MX : I am open to collaborations of all kinds. I believe design is a language of empathy, and I hope my work reflects that. My philosophy is simple: start with good intentions, and design will follow.