Design is not just about aesthetics—it’s about impact. Xi Zhou is a user experience designer driven by a passion for social change. She has dedicated her work to solving real problems that matter, especially in areas like healthcare and education. Her approach is grounded in empathy, guided by research, and fueled by a desire to make technology more human. With a problem-driven mindset and a heart for advocacy, Xi designs with one goal in mind: to make technology not just usable but truly human. 

Her recent collaboration with Yamei Liao and Zhuoying Wang, Seedlings—a gamified mobile app that helps teens with Type 1 diabetes build better self-care habits—has received international acclaim. Through projects like Seedlings, Xi brings design to the frontlines of healthcare, where creativity meets compassion. The app has been globally recognized, earning multiple prestigious design awards, including:

• Gold at the International Design Awards (IDA)—a prestigious honor for visionary work across product, graphic, and UX design;
• Silver at the London Design Awards and the New York Product Design Awards;
• And a nomination from the UX Design Awards, known for spotlighting exceptional experience design worldwide.

Designing for a Difficult Truth

Type 1 diabetes affects over 1.25 million Americans today, with numbers expected to quadruple by 2050. Managing it requires daily insulin and frequent blood glucose checks—often up to four times a day. For teens, that reality can feel like a burden: repetitive, overwhelming, and emotionally exhausting. It’s no surprise that many teens skip check-ins, leaving parents anxious and stretched thin.

Faced with this challenge, Xi and her team asked a simple but transformative question:

What if managing diabetes didn’t feel like a chore?

Introducing Seedlings: Growing Better Habits, One Check-In at a Time

Seedlings is a mobile app designed to turn daily diabetes tasks into a journey of growth—literally. When teens complete glucose check-ins, they nurture a virtual plant that blooms with every success. Points earned can be exchanged for rewards tailored to their interests, while new seeds and pots unlock fresh cycles of motivation.

Behind this charming mechanic lies an elegant system: AI-powered interactions, a plant-growth algorithm, and brand partnerships with companies like Nike, Spotify, and Ticketmaster. Seedlings doesn’t just track data—it cultivates behavior, helping teens build healthier habits through positive reinforcement and personal agency.

While many health apps focus on monitoring numbers, Seedlings centers on the person—their mindset, their goals, and their growth.

A Designer Who Listens

What sets Xi apart is her ability to truly listen—not only to data or feedback but to the lived experiences of the people she designs for. Her process is as much about understanding as it is about solving. With Seedlings, she doesn’t just offer a product—she offers a moment of relief, a sense of control, and a spark of joy to families navigating a lifelong condition.

To Xi, design isn’t just about problem-solving. It’s about advocacy, translation, and building a bridge between human needs and the systems meant to support them. Through Seedlings—and the work still to come—she continues to redefine what design can do when it’s grounded in compassion and driven by purpose.

Disclaimer: The content of this article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. The mobile app, Seedlings, and the associated design concepts presented are not intended to replace professional healthcare guidance. Readers should consult with healthcare professionals for advice regarding the management of Type 1 diabetes or any other medical conditions.

Published by Mark V.