Wei Zhang (she/her) is an artist, visual designer and service designer from Beijing, China. Wei Zhang has a degree in Visual Communication and worked as a senior user interface designer at the headquarters of JingDong, an e-commerce giant, for 5 years. During this period, she gained a strong foundation in visual design and even published 6 GUI design patents as the first inventor. She believes that a designer should shoulder more social responsibility and use design as a tool to make our world a better place. So, she chose to study for a master’s degree in service design at the Royal College of Art in order to provide more innovative design solutions to social problems from a broader perspective.

While on that journey, her team proudly emerged as a top-13 winner in the RCA Grand Challenge 2024 among 140 teams. She participated in a six-month RCA Challenge Lab programme with Arup Group Limited and was also selected to study the Project Management programme at London Business School. Here are the details of the projects she was participating in during her Masters journey:

1. Grand Challenge: The Forgotten Pier is a co-created art installation to be used as a starting point for collective engagement in Bexley to preserve the Thames River. Residents were invited to fill a canvas representing Erith Pier's topography with memories and waste collected from the locality. Her team elevated the installation by incorporating sensors and sounds, suggesting human intervention can alter river ecology. This visual and tactile piece will be expanded into a toolkit for wider use, fostering behaviour change and a renewed sense of shared ownership toward the river.
2. Across RCA: The Greenhouse Collective is a collective art space dedicated to providing a holistic healing environment through the innovative fusion of art, nature, and wellness, where participants can find comfort, healing, and connection through participatory art and engagement with nature. By offering guided workshops, immersive experiences, and supportive communities, participants are able to explore their emotions, express themselves creatively, and develop resilience in the face of loss.
3. Independent Research Project: Touching is a sex-positive start-up that provides comprehensive online and offline services delivering sex-positive content and sexual well-being products. A service that enables LGBTQ+ women to learn about sex, explore pleasure without fear or shame, and find a sense of belonging in a safe and proud community.
4. Challenge Lab: EN-TRY is a partnership with Arup Group Limited. EN-TRY aims to blend gamification, education, and financial incentives to drive positive changes in behaviours related to energy consumption. It aligns with government initiatives, fosters collaboration between various stakeholders, and empowers individuals to make informed choices for a more sustainable future.

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