Jialin Ke, Chief Executive Officer
WHY ARE YOU A DESIGNER?
In high school, I joined a program called ACE (architecture construction & engineering) where local architecture firms partner with high school students in NYC to work together on an architecture project. Our brief was to design a center for architecture for American Institute of Architecture (AIA) Westchester Hudson Valley. We conducted research to uncover the history of the site, created adjacency diagrams and defined the circulation throughout the space.
I realized as we iterated on the design through this process, we kept on coming back to people– what do people need in this space? How does this space serve the community? What is the experience like inside? Ultimately I am a designer because I believe in design’s power to shape behavior, in its utility as a service for people, and in its humanity as objects and mediums for culture and art.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PART OF YOUR JOB AT SOULO?
I get to interview and meet incredible people from all corners of the USA. I’ve always loved interacting with customers and learning about their story and why they need our product. I still remember a lot of their stories today– people truly come from all walks of life. It never fails to amaze me that they’re willing to speak to me (some stranger from the Internet who lives in NYC!) and the level of enthusiasm so many customers bring to the table is astonishing. This keeps me going everyday.
My next favorite part of my job is receiving and fulfilling orders. I love feeling the momentum of getting orders for our product and the satisfaction that comes with packaging and sealing our box, and placing our logo and shipping label on top. I hope my company can continue to provide value that is worth our customers’ time and money.
WHAT DOES YOUR DESK LOOK LIKE?
I use a Fully sit stand desk and Steelcase Series 1 ergonomic chair. I keep my MacBook Pro on the desk and a secondary monitor, which I sometimes connect to my PC tower if I need work on 3D modeling, CAD or renders. I keep my Hydro Flask nearby and also these Bose speakers (music is critical for focus). I love sitting close by the window and bathing in the morning light.
WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE GADGET/PERSONAL CARE PRODUCT THAT YOU CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT?
This past Christmas, my boyfriend’s parents gifted me a Sonicare electric toothbrush– and WOW it’s such an upgrade from the traditional toothbrush. The 2 minute timer is super helpful (and sadly, helped me realize that I’ve probably been brushing closer to 45 seconds for most of my life..). The exchangeable brush heads means I don’t have to throw out and replace my toothbrush every couple of months. The vibrating bristles are genuinely more effective getting the gunk and plaque off of my teeth.
WHO IS AN OLDER ADULT IN YOUR LIFE WHO HAS BEEN AN INSPIRATION TO YOU?
My grandma was born in the late 1920s in China. She was an assistant professor of medicine at a major hospital in Fujian and was also a nurse during the war. It was not easy to be a woman in a science field at that time and she preserved despite her mostly male peers to achieve her position.
My grandma played a huge role raising me between the ages 5-10. She moved to the US in her 70s, not knowing any English. My parents were researchers at the local hospital and were both very busy. My grandma picked me up and dropped me off at school, taught me my times table and cooked meals for us. When I was in college, she helped me host a focus group with seniors in her living community to discuss some of the pain points and difficulties they encounter day to day, which is how I discovered this problem of toenail trimming.
My grandma just turned 94 this year. Even at age 94, she’s mostly independent and takes advantage of all that life has to offer- she loves to sing, and grows a variety of plants at the community garden. She is a devout Christian. Her faith, tenacity, and love of life, will forever be an inspiration to me.
TELL US ABOUT A TIME THAT YOU OVERCAME A DIFFICULT DESIGN CHALLENGE.
The Soulo Nail Trimmer itself is probably the most difficult design challenge that I’ve grappled with in my career. What made designing this product difficult:
We need to be inclusive of a diverse range of people, but everyone has different toenail thicknesses, lengths etc.
We also need the product to be safe to use but still effective in shortening the nail.
It is difficult to comfortably hold and use anything that is attached at the end of a long stick. We need to provide the length, but still make it easy, intuitive, and comfortable to point, aim and file the nail.
It’s taken me and my team many years of iteration to address and refine. Looking back at this process, I would say my key takeaways are:
Always try a proof of concept idea before diving deeper into more refined design.
Don’t ponder on hypotheticals. Just 3D print and test the idea instead.
Always try the product as a whole– don’t just test one piece of it.
