Zicheng Gu

Zicheng Gu

Product designer in London

About

I am a product designer with curiosity in the vast spectrum of design — from the elegant forms of furniture to the visual allure of graphics and print, the storytelling power of photography, the artistry of gastronomy, and objects infused with personality.
This multifaceted approach to design fuels my work in the digital realm. I aspire to create software experiences that resonate on a human level.
Through a blend of aesthetics, functionality, and empathy, I create digital products that not only solve problems but enrich lives, leaving people inspired and eager to explore further.

Work Experience

2024 — Now
Founding Product designer at Proponent
Seattle, U.S.

Revolutionizing sales enablement through AI-powered software. I drive the entire design process from 0 to 1 in a rapid delivering environment, shaping our product's visual identity and user experience. I translate complex AI capabilities and product strategy into user-friendly tools that empower sales teams and product marketing managers.

2021 — 2023
Seattle, U.S.

I led the cloud service journey redesign, creating a consistent framework that empowers users to augment the cloud platform through more effective service integration. This redesign simplified the user experience, reducing the learning curve by 40%.

  • I drove strategic improvements through cross-functional collaboration and iterative feedback integration.

  • My storytelling approach enhanced alignment across teams.

  • I facilitated design workshops with over 100 clients and shaped the product roadmap, achieving a 95% satisfaction rate.

2020 — 2021
Addison, U.S.

Identified and resolved inefficiencies in cyber threat detection flow through comprehensive user research, reducing task completion time by 33%.

2019 — 2020
Product designer at 2133 STUDIO
Clearwater, U.S.

I transformed complex client requirements into intuitive solutions for the surfing community. Through comprehensive research methods, I developed empathetic designs that resonated with users. I crafted the entire visual language, from typography to iconography, iterating based on user feedback. My expertise shone in translating intricate surfing forecast data into accessible visualizations across mobile and hardware interfaces.

Side Projects

2024
The News Font at Univeristy of Art London

I designed an experimental typeface using discarded newspapers. Each character occupies equal space with 20% intentionally blanked out, symbolizing information gaps in modern news. Letters are dampened and adhered to windows, visible from both sides, encouraging multi-perspective interpretation of media.

2024

I founded a passion-driven nut butter brand in China and single-handedly built this side hustle from the ground up, managing every aspect of the business. From sourcing ingredients to crafting the product, I oversee it all. My role spans creative marketing, including photography and social media content creation, to hands-on product design of packaging and market booths.

Education

2019 — 2021
MSc in Engineering Design Innovation at Northwestern University
Evanston, United States
2015 — 2019
BSc in Chemistry at Nankai University
Tianjin, China
2015 — 2019
BEng in Chemistry Engineering at Tianjin University
Tianjin, China