A new approach to digital product design that blends user-centered design, strong visual design, and storytelling is emerging in order to simplify how people interact with technology. At the intersection of global health, AI tools, and enterprise software, recent projects demonstrate how thoughtful decisions can create simplified and more intuitive human experiences.
In 2024, an ambitious project was centered on building an AI-powered video tool for a Y Combinator-backed startup. By rethinking the user experience, this initiative was able to cut the video creation time for a 20-second video from 30 minutes to 10 minutes, increasing consumer satisfaction by 70%. At a time when image and video language models were still in early stages, this project had to navigate around technical constraints to deliver efficient and faster solutions for users. These results not only reflect strong design execution but also a deeper commitment to usability and system thinking that puts the user at its core.
Today, these same principles are driving digital transformation at Mercer, a global consulting leader in HR and finance. The ongoing development of Mercer Beacon and OneView includes tools designed to support insurance‘s consultants benefit optimization and retirement plan access in the U.S. and Ireland, respectively. Other concurrent efforts include the creation of B2B tools that use AI to help design agencies improve their delivery workflows and alignment across stakeholders. These projects prioritize usability and accessibility by ensuring that even complex financial systems are built around the real needs and behaviors of their end users.
This work stands out for its ability to utilize UX, system designs, and storytelling to create digital solutions that people trust and enjoy using. Maomao Ding’s work is backed by a BFA in Communications Design and a Master’s in Human-Centered Design and Engineering, along with a toolkit that includes platforms such as Figma, Adobe Creative Suite, Sketch, P5js, and more.
Ding’s recent efforts in sectors such as global nonprofits, consumer products, and B2B systems exemplify this shift. At UNAIDS, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, she used design strategies to advocate and helped elevate critical campaigns, including content that reached nearly 90,000 viewers in a single initiative. In a separate project at Meta’s Instagram, a global tooltip redesign optimized onboarding and boosted engagement by 23%, while eliminating repetitive features and streamlining user flows. The ability to integrate both visual clarity and functional depth in both initiatives helped ensure adoption across diverse user bases and audiences.
Her design excellence has been recognized with multiple international awards, including the 2025 Muse Design Awards, the 2025 Better Future Milan Design Awards, the 2024 IDA Design Awards, and the 2024 London Awards. These honors not only reflect the strength of Ding’s visual interaction but also the consistent ability to align creativity with strategic problem-solving.
These contributions demonstrate how thoughtful design can drive progress across various industry sectors. By focusing on clarity, empathy, and technical precision, this approach proves that impactful design doesn’t just serve users, it empowers them.