We, as the Designer Interviews ("DI") had the distinct pleasure and opportunity to interview award-winning, most creative and innovative Piyaphon Inthavong ("PI").
Piyaphon Inthavong is a product designer with a decade of multidisciplinary design experience across healthcare, technology, and SaaS industries, including four years focused on digital product design.He partners with enterprises to streamline product development by aligning design and engineering teams through unified systems and reusable components. With a background in UI/UX, no-code development, and design operations, Piyaphon helps organizations reduce inefficiencies, improve accessibility, and ensure consistency across platforms. His work supports long-term digital sustainability and contributes to the development of inclusive, outcome-driven user experiences.
Piyaphon Inthavong Designs
We are pleased to share with you original and innovative design work by Piyaphon Inthavong.
Piyaphon Inthavong Design - Kinmuni Nutrition Management Interface
Designer Interview of Piyaphon Inthavong:
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?
PI : I grew up in a small village where design was never considered important. Local shops and businesses simply used words to describe themselves, rather than beautiful, cohesive, emotionally-connected visuals. Because of this, I never really thought about design. Yet I grew up with a passion for drawing, spending my free time sketching whenever I could. One day I was exposed to the MacBook that Apple had designed in late 2012. The way Apple made both the software and hardware so sleek, beautiful, and satisfying to use inspired me greatly. I fell deeply in love with technology, exploring every menu and setting, amazed by all the thoughtful features Apple had designed. Years later, after I graduated from high school, I didn’t know what to do for my career. All I knew was that I had been doing volunteer work in advertising, branding, and general design for small businesses in my hometown. Those were the only times I felt appreciated and like I was actually doing something purposeful for my community. This realization motivated me to pursue a design degree, during which I was further inspired by Chris Do from TheFutur. Motivated to do more, not only for my community on a small scale, but on a much larger scale, I learned the true value and power of design that my village had been missing. That became my burning passion to be the change that my community needed.
DI: Can you tell us more about your company / design studio?
PI : The company I'm currently working with is a software development house based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. They specialize in full-stack digital product development, but what sets them apart from most companies is that Snappymob truly understands the value of good design and is willing to invest in it to ensure the highest client satisfaction. I love building digital products and experiences with teams that share this philosophy.
DI: What is "design" for you?
PI : At a high level, design is a philosophy, a way of thinking that focuses on understanding people with compassion. This approach allows us to identify problems at their root rather than just addressing surface-level symptoms.
DI: What kinds of works do you like designing most?
PI : I'm drawn to any kind of product that creates real impact within a community. My passion for design lies in the meaningful change it can create, rather than being limited to any specific category or industry.
DI: What is your most favorite design, could you please tell more about it?
PI : Apple's consistent branding stands out to me because they deliver on what they promise and maintain customer trust. They convinced me of the power of "Less is More" and showed the entire world how elegant simplicity can be when applied intentionally and appropriately.
DI: What was the first thing you designed for a company?
PI : My first real design project for a company was a mini branding campaign for my school during Halloween season. The project included key artwork, event posters, stage backdrop vinyl, staff tags, and social media collaterals. That event became Vientiane Pattana School's first public event to gain significant attention. I was even contacted personally by an advertising company after they discovered I was the designer behind the campaign.
DI: What is your favorite material / platform / technology?
PI : The Apple MacBook sparked my inspiration and motivation to pursue world-changing design. Specifically, I'm fascinated by how customizable the OS makes the hardware and how portable it is for designers on the go.
DI: Which aspects of a design do you focus more during designing?
PI : I try to focus on everything throughout the product development lifecycle, but when time is limited, I prioritize what matters most for each project. Usually, that means concentrating on strategy, understanding users' pain points, and determining how to best serve those users.
DI: What kind of emotions do you feel when you design?
PI : I feel focused and curious about the different ways I can solve the problem at hand.
DI: What kind of emotions do you feel when your designs are realized?
PI : I feel delighted and curious about whether the solutions actually work and how I can improve them if needed.
DI: What makes a design successful?
PI : Success happens when designers genuinely listen to both users and key stakeholders, then continuously iterate based on their insights.
DI: When judging a design as good or bad, which aspects do you consider first?
PI : The first thing I consider is context, understanding the goals, problems, and potential impact. Then I examine which design principles were applied and how effectively they worked.
DI: How do you think the "design field" is evolving? What is the future of design?
PI : Design is becoming more human-centric than ever, especially with AI technology advancing. Personalization and data-driven insights are becoming increasingly important.
DI: Where does the design inspiration for your works come from? How do you feed your creativity? What are your sources of inspirations?
PI : My design inspiration comes from daily observations and real-life experiences, including regular reading and staying current with industry trends.
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?
PI : My design style is heavily influenced by practical knowledge from "The Design of Everyday Things" and "Don't Make Me Think." I believe in "Less is More," but that doesn't mean stripping away features, it means being strategic about what to prioritize in my designs.
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?
PI : I live in Laos. Rather than being influenced by cultural heritage, I'm actually shaped by experiencing the lack of design presence in Laos. The advantage is that it drives me to prioritize impact, while the downside is potentially less exposure to creativity compared to living in more developed countries.
DI: What are your suggestions to companies for working with a designer? How can companies select a good designer?
PI : Companies should first understand what design is, identify what they need from a designer, and communicate those needs clearly. Too often, whether it's freelance, part-time, or full-time work, companies fail to understand what they're paying for and don't plan adequately in advance.
DI: Can you talk a little about your design process?
PI : Regardless of the design project I'm tackling, I closely follow the design thinking process. This flexible framework allows me to adapt to any situation and context in real life. The key to design thinking is understanding its philosophy, knowing when to start each phase and when to skip phases based on project context.
DI: Can you describe a day in your life?
PI : My day flows from morning routine to prioritizing daily goals, coordinating design resources within my company, joining various design project meetings, speaking with clients and key stakeholders, and diving into necessary design work as needed.
DI: Could you please share some pearls of wisdom for young designers? What are your suggestions to young, up and coming designers?
PI : Be humble and open-minded. Learn from those who have succeeded in the areas you're interested in pursuing.
DI: From your perspective, what would you say are some positives and negatives of being a designer?
PI : The negatives include becoming more critical in everyday life, which can increase stress levels. Spending long hours in front of screens is also a health concern.
DI: What is your "golden rule" in design?
PI : I don't have one specific golden rule. Design is a holistic field where you need to understand how to balance design principles with user needs, technology limitations, and business requirements, while communicating effectively with key stakeholders. You are the bridge to product success!
DI: What skills are most important for a designer?
PI : Problem-solving skills remain most crucial for designers. People expect designers to solve complex problems creatively.
DI: Which tools do you use during design? What is inside your toolbox? Such as software, application, hardware, books, sources of inspiration etc.?
PI : A whiteboard for ideation, Notion for documentation and planning, Pinterest as a creative search engine, Perplexity for research, ChatGPT for boosting efficiency and reasoning, and Google for learning from successful case studies.
DI: Designing can sometimes be a really time consuming task, how do you manage your time?
PI : I schedule dedicated time for deep work and rest. I learn to never overpromise, and taking care of my health is crucial for maintaining consistency and creativity.
DI: What is the most frequently asked question to you, as a designer?
PI : "How much time do you need for this work?" It's crucial to estimate project timelines accurately while considering buffer time to avoid burnout.
DI: What was your most important job experience?
PI : Working with Gatis, the CEO of Printify, greatly helped me understand international benchmarks in product design. Collaborating closely with such an important stakeholder matured my thinking significantly. I deeply appreciate his mentorship and will always remember his lessons.
DI: Who are some of your clients?
PI : AEON, JBI, Lao Mountain Coffee, Printify, Cubed, Sharee.ag, Damlou Noodles, JMC, Kryss Network, Urbanite, Vientiane Pattana School International.
DI: What type of design work do you enjoy the most and why?
PI : I enjoy making impact with a passionate team most, usually in a full-stack product design project where I coordinate and orchestrate multidisplinary designs as the outcome of the project.
DI: What are your future plans? What is next for you?
PI : My dream is to build a passionate team and continuously create solutions for the community together in every way possible.
DI: Do you work as a team, or do you develop your designs yourself?
PI : As a full-stack design lead, I coordinate design work with other designers and key stakeholders to ensure we deliver the highest quality work.
DI: Do you have any works-in-progress being designed that you would like to talk about?
PI : I'm partnering with Sharee.ag and am excited about impacting the agriculture ecosystem in Laos. We're working to provide more opportunities for farmers and build healthier, more connected generations.
DI: How can people contact you?
PI : My personal email: joeeintha@gmail.com