Design Chit-Chat vol.14 – Downey Tang

What is Design Chit-Chat?

PayPay has grown into a mobile payment service with 58 million users, which translates to one in every two smartphone users in Japan. Integral to the development of this service is our team of unique product members from more than 50 countries and regions around the world. Through the process of understanding both the differences and similarities in each other’s thinking, we have transformed into a team capable of creating ideas, approaches, and products that have never existed before.

In this Design Chit-Chat series, we would like to present a series of member’s voices to give you a direct picture of the PayPay Design Team and its atmosphere of craftmanship.
This time, we would like to introduce Downey Tang from the Design Department of the Product Division.

What is your team and what does it do?

As a Product Designer for PayPay for Business, I am part of the O2O & PP4B team. I am responsible for improving the creation flow and growth of O2O services, such as PayPay app coupons and stamp card.
In addition to these tasks, as the Design Chit-Chat team, we collaborate with other departments to organize events and engage in activities aimed at promoting awareness of PayPay’s design team within the industry.

What made you decide to become a designer?

Since I was young and at a time when I didn’t even know what “design” was, I loved creating new things. I used to disassemble various toys and electronic devices and create new things to play with. Those experiences have become the foundation for what I do now.

By the time I became a university student, China’s IT industry was rapidly developing and the emergence of apps like Uber and Alipay had transformed people’s lives. Seeing this change, I thought, “I want to do a job that contributes to shaping new lifestyles.” From there, I started self-studying skills related to UI/UX design and joined this industry as a UI/UX designer after graduating from graduate school.

What are some recent projects you are working on?

I am involved in improving and growing the O2O services for PayPay for business. Recently, I have been working on projects such as the coupon copy project and the improvement of the coupon creation flow. I also participated in PayPay’s Hackathon and presented a demo developed with my team. We even received a reward for the Most Popular prize!

How do you come up with ideas?

When there is a problem that requires an idea to solve, I try to find the pain point from the user’s point of view. If it’s difficult, I observe people similar to the target users or conduct research using data.
Based on the pain points, I develop several hypotheses and propose specific solutions based on these hypotheses. At the same time, I investigate how competing services solve similar problems.
Finally, the design team reviews my solution and based on their feedback, I suggest further ideas and improvements.

What do you value when creating a product at PayPay?

At PayPay, speed is always important. Assuming that a certain level of quality can be guaranteed, we take action to release products as quickly as possible. It is important to release the product, gather feedback from the market, and iterate for improvement to make the product even better. Starting from zero may not be easy, but going from one to one hundred is even more challenging.

What sort of challenges do you want to take on at PayPay?

I want to challenge myself to release features that will increase the amount of time PayPay users feel “enjoyment” and encourage them to stay on the PayPay app for longer. I want to transform PayPay into more than just a payment tool and make it indispensable to people’s lives.
For example, by utilizing data, I believe we can recommend more useful information and features to users, making their lives even more convenient.

Do you have a message for our readers?

PayPay is a team of people who share the same vision, even if they come from different nationalities. It is an environment where you can encounter various interesting individuals and ideas while working on meaningful features that enrich user’s lives, expanding your own worldview. Even when working remotely, the design team often gathers at the office to plan events and have fun while communicating. We also value mutual respect in both work and personal life.

There are still many areas where PayPay can grow, and your contribution is needed. Join us and let’s create the future of PayPay together!

*The recruitment status is current at the time of the interview.