We, as the Designer Interviews ("DI") had the distinct pleasure and opportunity to interview award-winning, most creative and innovative Menghai Xia ("MX").
FFBA (Functional Form Block Allies) is an award-winning design collective co-founded by Menghai Xia and Qijun Nie, dedicated to creating inclusive, human-centered innovations in product, service, and system design. With a mission to connect and empower communities, FFBA blends cultural insight, technological precision, and aesthetic clarity to solve real-world problems. The FFBA's work has received international acclaim, including numerous design awards, and is known for pushing boundaries while making design accessible, sustainable, and socially impactful.
Menghai Xia Designs
We are pleased to share with you original and innovative design work by Menghai Xia.
Menghai Xia Design - Nostalx Speaker
Menghai Xia Design - Aquaclean Oral Care
Menghai Xia Design - Aquaventure Outdoor Woundcare
Menghai Xia Design - Luxblade Smart Lamp
Designer Interview of Menghai Xia:
DI: Could you please tell us more about your art and design background? What made you become an artist/designer? Have you always wanted to be a designer?
MX : I majored in Industrial Design at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) in Savannah, Georgia, USA. My education included industrial design, interaction design, user experience, and system design. After graduating, I began working professionally as both a designer and an educator. This dual path allowed me to grow as a practitioner while also shaping future designers.
DI: Can you tell us more about your company / design studio?
MX : It is not a studio in the traditional sense but a designer collective called Functional Form Block Allies. It is a gathering of friends, peers, and professionals who collaborate on diverse projects. The “Allies” highlights our approach—supportive, flexible, and cooperative.
DI: What is "design" for you?
MX : Design has become a way of living. It is about observing what already exists, questioning it, and then creating something new that fits harmoniously into life. At its core, design is about improving human life, whether through incremental adjustments or groundbreaking innovation.
DI: What kinds of works do you like designing most?
MX : I prefer projects where there is both freedom and responsibility. The more freedom a project allows, the greater the pressure to deliver something meaningful. That balance excites me most.
DI: What is your most favorite design, could you please tell more about it?
MX : Among my works, Horizpec, the horizontally opening speculum, stands out as my favorite. It addresses a century-old problem in medical tools by offering greater comfort for patients and safer usability for doctors. It represents a clear, direct improvement for both sides of medical practice.
DI: What was the first thing you designed for a company?
MX : My first professional design was a sponsored project during my time in the United States. It involved a complete design solution, from research to strategic planning, to a full implementation proposal. It showed me how design can anticipate needs and provide holistic solutions.
DI: What is your favorite material / platform / technology?
MX : For medical products, transparent plastics are my favorite, because they are safe, manufacturable, and provide clear visibility. For personal care, titanium offers biocompatibility and lightness. I also enjoy working with interactive electronics platforms that bridge devices and human interaction.
DI: When do you feel the most creative?
MX : Travel inspires me most. Encountering different cultures, observing everyday habits, and meeting people outside my field opens up new perspectives that feed my creativity.
DI: Which aspects of a design do you focus more during designing?
MX : For me, the key is to identify the real problem. Sometimes design must solve a problem, but sometimes, if we reframe the situation, the problem itself may disappear. Innovation is therefore central—how new, how harmonious, and how well the design can express good intentions. That is where I focus most
DI: What kind of emotions do you feel when you design?
MX : I feel engaged, curious, and responsible. Designing brings both excitement and pressure, because I know the result must be meaningful and reliable.
DI: What kind of emotions do you feel when your designs are realized?
MX : I feel pride but also humility. A finished design no longer belongs to me—it belongs to the users. My main emotion is responsibility toward them.
DI: What makes a design successful?
MX : Success means the design blends into life so naturally that people no longer notice it as a product. It simply supports their lives.
DI: When judging a design as good or bad, which aspects do you consider first?
MX : The very first impression is aesthetic, because humans are visual animals. But then I ask: is this design based on good intentions? Did the designer put effort, kindness, and thoughtful civilization into it? A truly good design reflects that.
DI: From your point of view, what are the responsibilities of a designer for society and environment?
MX : Designers must first do no harm. Beyond that, they must enhance life quality, reduce environmental impact, and provide access to dignity, comfort, and safety.
DI: How do you think the "design field" is evolving? What is the future of design?
MX : Design is evolving alongside technology, biology, and artificial intelligence. But I disagree that the future of design is only invisible systems. Our bodies remain physical, so visible, tangible, physical designs will always be crucial. Humanity still aims to go further, higher, and deeper into exploration, which requires physical forms and new applications of technology.
DI: When was your last exhibition and where was it? And when do you want to hold your next exhibition?
MX : My last exhibitions were award showcases in Europe and Asia. My next goal is to hold exhibitions that show not only the finished products but also the design journey—process, research, and development—especially in medical design.
DI: Where does the design inspiration for your works come from? How do you feed your creativity? What are your sources of inspirations?
MX : Inspiration comes from many places: users, patients, and target groups for sure, but also travel, science fiction, pop culture, and everyday life. I love niche communities where individuals create ingenious solutions. Discovering why no one recognized their brilliance earlier can be a dramatic spark for my own ideas.
DI: How would you describe your design style? What made you explore more this style and what are the main characteristics of your style? What's your approach to design?
MX : My style is root-driven innovation combined with fun-driven emotion. I want to see what is happening behind the surface—why problems exist—and at the same time bring joy, passion, and brightness into solutions. It is about solving problems with a touch of delight.
DI: Where do you live? Do you feel the cultural heritage of your country affects your designs? What are the pros and cons during designing as a result of living in your country?
MX : Having lived in both China and the USA, my work is influenced by both contexts. From China I learned scale, efficiency, and speed. From the USA, individuality and user-centered creativity. Together, these perspectives shape my hybrid design approach.
DI: How do you work with companies?
MX : I collaborate as a partner, not just a supplier. I bring research, creativity, and strategy while respecting the company’s practical needs.
DI: What are your suggestions to companies for working with a designer? How can companies select a good designer?
MX : Select designers who question assumptions, not just beautify surfaces. Treat them as collaborators, because good design grows from shared responsibility.
DI: Can you talk a little about your design process?
MX : My process begins with finding the elephant in the room—the hidden or ignored issue behind the problem. I ask: can we remove it, or must we address it directly? From there, I push research to its limits to uncover deep insights. Only then do I move to ideation, prototyping, and iteration. This “under-the-table” exploration often generates the most innovative directions.
DI: What are 5 of your favorite design items at home?
MX : Montblanc M Fountain Pen by Mark Newson: a modern touch on a traditional tool. Philippe Starck Juicer: displayed on my bookshelf as a piece of playful design, not as a kitchen tool. Japanese Chef’s Knives: both for their precision and personal emotional connection to a past friend. My Silver Tape Measure Prototype: a hexagon-form, leather-pouched object I designed years ago; small but filled with craft. My Camera: a constant companion to capture moments that inspire design.
DI: Can you describe a day in your life?
MX : On a non-working day, I still wake up early. I enjoy cooking breakfast and experimenting with new recipes—cooking is very much like design: understanding ingredients, creating new outcomes. I exercise, sometimes cardio, sometimes weight training. I watch films or science fiction series, cook again for lunch and dinner, and always enjoy making a good cup of coffee. A highlight of any day is a meaningful conversation with friends, where ideas and knowledge are exchanged. I also dedicate time to learning, such as continuing my study of Japanese. The day ends with another short workout and rest.
DI: Could you please share some pearls of wisdom for young designers? What are your suggestions to young, up and coming designers?
MX : Be patient and humble, but also bold. Learn from other fields, think systematically, and always be ready to fight for your ideas with good reasoning. Youth is the time to try, fail, and try again. Take risks when you can, and be courageous enough to defend your work.
DI: From your perspective, what would you say are some positives and negatives of being a designer?
MX : The positive is the passion to innovate, to create, and to explore. But design is not for everyone. If someone prefers a peaceful, routine life without conflict or debate, then design may feel negative. For me personally, it is not negative, but I recognize it can be demanding.
DI: What is your "golden rule" in design?
MX : Always ask: is this design based on good intentions? If yes, everything else follows. Good intentions should guide design.
DI: What skills are most important for a designer?
MX : Beyond empathy and technical skills, the most important is courage and clarity in communication. Designers must push their ideas into reality, defend them with reason, and bring others along.
DI: Which tools do you use during design? What is inside your toolbox? Such as software, application, hardware, books, sources of inspiration etc.?
MX : I use CAD software, prototyping equipment, and 3D printing. But beyond that, my greatest tool is engaging with real people, experiencing real contexts, and observing how designs actually work in the world.
DI: Designing can sometimes be a really time consuming task, how do you manage your time?
MX : I divide creative blocks from administrative tasks. Protecting long hours for deep design work helps maintain focus, while structured project management keeps deadlines on track.
DI: How long does it take to design an object from beginning to end?
MX : Simple designs may take weeks. Complex medical devices can take years due to research, testing, and refinement.
DI: What is the most frequently asked question to you, as a designer?
MX : “How do you balance aesthetics with function?” My response: they are never separate—function without aesthetics fails, and aesthetics without function is empty.
DI: What was your most important job experience?
MX : Leading award-winning design education programs. Teaching sharpened my own practice and gave me a broader sense of responsibility toward society.
DI: Who are some of your clients?
MX : Healthcare organizations, consumer electronics companies, and universities.
DI: What type of design work do you enjoy the most and why?
MX : I enjoy work that combines functionality with fun. Even the most serious designs should empower people emotionally. A design should not only be safe and effective but also make life brighter.
DI: What are your future plans? What is next for you?
MX : To continue advancing product innovation, expand Functional Form Block Allies, and engage in international teaching to foster cross-cultural design thinking.
DI: Do you work as a team, or do you develop your designs yourself?
MX : It depends on the project. Functional Form Block Allies is a collective, so sometimes I work with diverse designers, and sometimes I work alone. The project’s needs decide the approach.
DI: Do you have any works-in-progress being designed that you would like to talk about?
MX : Most of my projects are under NDA, so I cannot reveal details. But works like Horizpec and Twispex are in progress, and I hope they will help many people.
DI: How can people contact you?
MX : Simply Google my name—you will find my LinkedIn. Send me a message there.
DI: Any other things you would like to cover that have not been covered in these questions?
MX : My LinkedIn profile summarizes me well. I am open to collaborations of all kinds, and I am easy to work with as long as we share energy and goals. I enjoy helping others, and I see collaboration as the essence of progress.