Brian: Hi everyone! I'm Brian, the Team Lead heading up the Product Design Team. Our team takes care of the Tappytoon user experience from start to finish! We don't just stop at designing screens. We're always the first to think about and design how users actually feel and understand our service, making sure the whole flow connects super naturally.
Q1. Could you introduce the Product Design Team? Our team is made up of four designers—Brian, Mino, Emily, and Mia—each with our own unique strengths! We really respect each other's perspectives. For us, the process of "making better choices together" is way more important than just "doing great on our own."
Q2. What are your goals and standards when you design? We always put ourselves in the users' shoes and ask questions. We try not to miss even the tiniest discomforts or context, making sure the experience flows naturally. So, instead of asking, "Is this pretty?" we ask, "Is this actually helpful to the user?" We want to create experiences that just naturally fit into their lives. We take complex features and make them simple and intuitive, and we pay a lot of attention to the small details!
"Consistency" is also huge for us. We're building a solid design system so that users always get that stable, "Tappytoon" vibe. To sum it up: we put users first, create comfort through simplicity, and build trust with details and consistency!
Q3. I heard the product and engineering organization works in "squad"! Yep, that's right! We run each squad like a 'mini product team'. A PO, a designer, and developers team up to solve problems together. The designer in the squad isn't just making screens; they lead the whole process from defining the problem to designing the user experience.
At the same time, we don't miss out on collaborating within the design team! We share our work through design reviews to keep the quality high. We also work on projects for the whole team's growth, like organizing the design system or improving how we work together.
Squads usually rotate every 6 months. The best part about this setup is that you can dive really deep into one big problem! Decision-making is fast, and you naturally feel more responsible. It makes us feel like we're crafting "experiences we own," rather than just "screens we drew."
Q4. How is collaborating in a squad different from collaborating within the design team? Simply put: Squad collaboration is about "action and execution," while design team collaboration is about "standards and direction."
In a squad, we're laser-focused on solving problems and getting results fast. Decisions are quick, and our design directly connects to the real product.
In the design team, we check if our work matches our philosophy and think about long-term processes to level up our expertise. Balancing both helps our designers become fast executors with great objective judgment!
Q5. Tell us about a memorable project you worked on recently!
Mia: Definitely the Home Renovation Project! It was my most memorable and biggest project of 2025. The goal was to upgrade the overall visual design and browsing experience so users can easily and joyfully find series they'll love. It took almost a year, but thanks to every single squad member's hard work, we wrapped it up beautifully. (Thanks again, guys! 🫶🏻)
Even though it was a huge project right after I joined, I was more excited and hyped than pressured. The squad members were perfect, and we clicked so well! There were tiring moments, of course, but looking back, I just remember us laughing and having a great time. It really made me fall more in love with the Tappytoon service!
Q6. What do you think is the most important skill for a product designer?
Mia: "An objective eye and uncompromising aesthetics." It's about looking at my work objectively, yet still making it beautiful. I want to make designs that aren't just satisfying to me, but chosen by many!
Emily: "Balancing flexibility with your own principles." Being flexible enough to admit you might be wrong, but having the core principles to stand by good design. You have to humbly listen to users while professionally explaining the logic behind your work.
Mino: "Empathy that connects users and coworkers." A product isn't completed by just one side's needs; it's a balance. I really try to empathize with the user's pain points before I even start drawing wireframes!
Q7. Mino and Emily, what drives and motivates you?
Mino: It's been 8 years with Tappytoon! Overcoming trials and feeling myself grow stronger is my biggest driving force. Plus, as a comic lover, seeing Korean webtoons get loved globally is so exciting. Knowing I'm contributing to this huge wave keeps me going!
Emily: My coworkers! It might sound cliché, but work is done by people, and nothing beats the power of great colleagues. When the designer, PO, devs, and scrum master all sync up perfectly, the thrill is amazing. The desire to create the best results with them pushes me to grow!
Q8. What are the team's short-term and long-term goals? Short-term, we're bringing back our "team studies" to build up our foundational skills. Long-term, we want to "level up how we work." We're planning to systematize our internal structures with solid guides and protocols. We want to use various design tools, internal image models, and UX writing tools so we can be super efficient and focus more on core problem-solving!
Q9. As the "Design Team Dad" (Brian), what are you most proud of about your team? First off, the vibe is just amazing. If you don't know something, you can ask comfortably, and everyone's always ready to help out. We value the team's success over individual wins, so we're growing together, not competing! Work-wise, our clear standards for design are our biggest strength. We've got great people, clear standards, and we just love growing together!