Meet Nanwei Cai | Product Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Nanwei Cai and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Nanwei, why did you pursue a creative career?
I pursued a creative career because I’m drawn to solving complex problems through creativity and technology. To me, creativity means shifting perspectives, challenging conventions, and reimagining solutions. It offers a unique lens through which I understand and shape the world. Design gave me a language to explore emerging technologies like AI through a human lens, allowing me to empowers people with technology while driving both business and social good. I really enjoy creating things that are aesthetically pleasing—but more importantly, things that bridge logic with intuition and transform complexity into intuitive, accessible experiences.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I design at Palantir Technologies, where I focus on making powerful data systems more accessible through AI-driven UX innovation. My role bridges advanced technology like AI with user-centered design, ensuring powerful yet intuitive solutions that drive user value and business impact. I’m very proud that my work has contributed to scaling products, integrating patented systems, and driving user growth. Products I designed have been widely used by leading organizations across industries worldwide. Before Palantir, I designed at GE Appliances, optimizing UX for connected consumer products in GEA’s SmartHQ ecosystem. I’m passionate about leveraging emerging technologies like AI to transform complexity into pleasant experiences, creating value for users and business.
The road here wasn’t easy, especially when designing in a relatively technical domain like data and AI. As a designer, I’ve had to develop a deep understanding of the underlying technology while staying grounded in human needs. It’s about bridging that gap—translating complex systems into intuitive and accessible experience that empower both users and organizations. Every challenge along the way has shaped me: learning to ask the so-called “stupid” questions, collaborating across disciplines, advocating for my ideas, and iterating quickly to deliver value.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If a friend were visiting, I’d give a tour that captures both the city’s energy and its moments of quiet magic. We’d grab my favorite cup of coffee from Devoción and hop over to MoMA to see one of the world’s most influential collections of modern and contemporary art. From there, we’d walk up to Central Park and spend a slow afternoon on Sheep Meadow, lying in the grass, surrounded by skyscrapers and the rhythm of the city in the distance. A favorite evening ritual is indulging in live music at a jazz club or watching the city light up from Brooklyn.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
There are so many people and groups who deserve credit—from family and grad school to work. But if I had to name one group, it would be my grad school friends and teachers. Pursuing a creative career as an international person in New York wasn’t easy—it came with language barriers, cultural shifts, and a fair share of self-doubt. What made all the difference was being surrounded by a group of open-minded, generous, and deeply creative people who saw me for who I was and celebrated my ideas as much as my wins. They supported me not just professionally, but personally—through casual catch-ups, improvised critiques, and some of the most joyful creative breakthroughs. Their presence reminded me that creativity thrives in community, and that success feels much more meaningful when it’s shared.

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cai-nanwei/

Image Credits
Jiaxi Yang, Chuoer Liang, Chenxi Liu. Xinyi Ye