Today we’d like to introduce you to Chloe Zhang.
Hi Chloe, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I was born and raised in China, later moving to Los Angeles during high school. This combination of cultures has deeply rooted itself in my veins, significantly influencing my studies and overall outlook on life. Much like my vibrant and diverse personality, I approach each project equipped with a variety of tools and concepts.
Having completed my studies in Design + Media Arts from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and later securing a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Graphic Design from the ArtCenter College of Design, I have found my unique niche. This niche allows me to amalgamate the realms of technology and interactivity with the foundations of traditional design theories, thus breathing a fresh and innovative life into every project I undertake.
Passionate about exploring the mundane to unearth the extraordinary, I continually strive to reconstruct the ordinary with a novel perspective. My work aims to strengthen the connection between users, creators, and humans as a collective. It’s about engaging in an intimate dialogue with everyday life, enabling us to see, think, and feel in ways we hadn’t considered before, thereby bridging gaps and fostering a sense of unity.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
While my time at UCLA offered an invaluable educational experience rich in creativity and design principles, it fell short in providing practical insights into the business and commercial aspects of design. Consequently, I felt compelled to continue my studies at the ArtCenter College of Design, known for its balanced approach toward creativity and commerce.
At the start of this new educational journey, I grappled with several challenging questions. How could I effectively link conceptual ideas with branding? How could I delve deep into business research while retaining my design-centered perspective? And most importantly, how could I harmonize these highly conceptual ideas with the pragmatic demands of the real world? These questions were crucial in my growth and transformation as a designer. They pushed me to explore unfamiliar territories, gain an understanding of the industry’s commercial dimensions, and master the art of blending imaginative concepts with realistic applications. As a result, I was not only able to refine my design techniques but also develop a well-rounded approach that seamlessly integrated art and commerce.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Throughout my creative journey, I’ve been deeply immersed in branding, generative, and experiential design. I’ve challenged myself to extend the boundaries of brand identity beyond mere visual representation. I’ve strived to craft immersive experiences and devised flexible visual systems that can adapt to different environments.
An illustrative example of this approach can be seen in my thesis work at the ArtCenter College of Design. Here, I delved into how traditional modes of visual communication could be expanded by rethinking the ways we interact with data. I proposed that by crafting multi-sensory experiences, designers can pioneer new methods of translating, interpreting, and experiencing information. By involving multiple senses through tangible interfaces, physical prototyping, and multidimensional experiences, we can facilitate a holistic processing of information, engaging touch, smell, and sound in addition to sight.
A practical application of these ideas can also be found in a hypothetical rebranding project I undertook for New Art City, a virtual platform that showcases new media art with an emphasis on co-presence and shared experiences. In this project, I designed a cube-based visual system using innovative technology to bridge the gap between physical and digital spaces. I leveraged Augmented Reality (AR) to enable users to access information in the virtual space simply by scanning a promotional poster.
This project not only solidified my experience with emerging technology but also enhanced my understanding of its potential to enrich user experiences and strengthen brand identity. It taught me how to merge the digital and the physical, enhancing the human interaction with the brand while also redefining the way we perceive and interact with information in the modern age.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://chloezrn.work/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chloe.zrn/