Song Qian
Product designer & builder
Welcome to my corner of the web. I design software for a living and build things for the joy of it — interfaces, type systems, small tools, and this site.
Currently a product designer working on AI-native tools. Previously design systems, fintech, and a few startups that taught me more than any classroom. Read more
Writing
The quiet craft of interfacesThe best interface work is invisible. Some notes on designing the moments nobody documents — timing, weight, and the small courtesies of software.Designing with AI, not for itAI is a material, not a feature. How to shape the seam where the model meets the person — suggestions, reversibility and honest uncertainty.A design system is a social contractThe component library is not the product. What actually gets built is an agreement about which decisions are policy, which are local, and how to disagree well.Notes on building my own siteA personal site is the only project where the client is you. On the 544-pixel column, two typefaces, a performance budget, and why six languages.
Occasional notes on design, code and craft. No spam.