Interviews with Yijia Xie

It's definitely worth mentioning that I never imagined myself as a designer or an artist as a kid until I got to college. I was fascinated by the universe, science fiction, history, and archaeology when I was young. I would spend my nights thinking about what is beyond the stars. Also, I love reading books, like ancient Egyptian history, feeling as if I could connect to ancient wisdom through the words and pictures in the book. As a result, I always had the idea that I wanted to be an astronomer or an archaeologist.

Then, I went to the University of Washington to study psychology major and took some classes in archaeology. I love psychology, but I couldn't help but think about what I would like to do in the future. I'm too emotional and empathic, and others' misfortunes often sadden me. I doubted myself. Could I be a good counselor with these qualities? I happened to take an art class in the college with an instructor who didn't like me at first, perhaps due to cultural differences, and I felt discriminated against. However, as I did more and more artworks in class, I could feel her attitude slowly changing and her appreciation for me growing. At the end of that semester, I received on my transcript a sentence she wrote to me: "You're the most talented student I've ever met." I knew I had won her respect. It also gave me a lot of confidence to pursue my art studies. I realized that good arts could transcend nationalities and cultures. Also, as an artist or designer, I found that my sensibility and empathy may limitlessly fuel my creativity. So I decided to move to New York City, the world's art and cultural capital, to begin my design studies and career. And my childhood love of history, archaeology, and the universe have always deeply influenced me as a designer.

I'm currently a lead content designer at IBM Research. I attended IBM Research's blog website design and development from zero. It's a modern, innovative, and engaging website and is now one of IBM's most visited pages. And one of my main works is to lead and manage the blog's daily posts to strengthen our brand identity. We delivered unique and beautiful images and motion graphics to keep pushing the design boundary under the IBM design system. I work closely with the scientists, project managers, and engineers to promote the latest technologies with meaningful and narrative art through the editorial or generative style.

My design work uniquely blends creative, humanistic, and technical skills. I love experimenting with the intersections of art and technology. I always feel amazed by my strong learning ability, allowing me to pick up some new tools quickly. So I am very good at combining various technologies to compose the new design forms. To be honest, I’m not particularly eager to define myself with a specific style. And I’m obsessed with utilizing all of the possibilities to discover the certain topics I always care about, such as futurism, spiritual journey, history, and technology.

The future is here. I'm glad that designers are getting more opportunities as the creator economy grows. I believe that in 5 years, design tools will change dramatically. With more rational work done by AI, designers will get to dive deep into developing conceptual and creative ideas. And regardless of how technology advances, the ability of story-telling will always be in demand.

I would say, "Creating your own road." And I want to share my real stories: I decided to pursue a design career because I initially thought I was good at it. The confusion and self-doubt I felt at the beginning of my design career came from knowing I enjoyed design, but I also thought I lacked a strong passion. So whenever I saw other passionate designers, I always felt like an outsider in the design world, and I struggled with myself for years. Luckily, I didn't give up. I persisted and found peace with my inner self. Eventually, I realized that design is not only a tool that I use to make a living but also could be a tool to explore the world. I had a million wild ideas running through my head every day, and as a designer, I could show them to everyone visually. How cool it is! As soon as I was enlightened, I developed a deep enthusiasm for design and constantly invented new things. In the process, I became a self-described "design nerd." So my suggestion for the young designers is "discover and strive to be yourself".

Email: Hi@aquaxie.com