JANE ZHANG


ABOUT ME

I’m a recent graduate with a BFA in Communication Design and a minor in Human-Computer Interaction from Washington University in St. Louis. In my work, I strive to explore a diverse range of narratives, perspectives, and approaches through a variety of media, and I’m particularly passionate about the intersection between physical and digital media.

Recently, I’ve been interested in the nuances of multilingual typography and how the characteristics of different languages’ letterforms can be leveraged to enhance a concept across multiple linguistic demographics. Outside of my work, I love stories in any form, whether that means books, movies, or music. Lately, I’ve been watching Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure and listening to Rat Boy.

Feel free to reach out with any inquiries about my work, and check out more below!

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CELEBRATING FUMIHIKO MAKI


I had the honor of designing a poster for Celebrating Fumihiko Maki (1928-2024): Collective Form's Global Legacy, a panel commemorating architect Fumihiko Maki’s work and legacy.




RESEARCH


I was asked to reference Maki’s book, Investigations in Collective Form, as well as Steinberg Hall, a College of Architecture building designed by Maki himself. After researching both, the director of the College of Architecture and I both felt that Maki’s diagrams on form and the folded roof of Steinberg Hall were the most iconic features of each.



I looked into Maki’s architectural designs and found that they were generally very angular, geometric, and minimalist. I also referenced Japanese graphic designers like Ikko Tanaka and Keiko Hirano for more context on how to organize the poster, as well as Japanese tenugui for textural inspiration.


DEVELOPMENT


I chose a display type that referenced the Steinberg Hall rooftop and kept the poster in black and white as a nod to the minimalist nature of Maki’s architecture. I set the Japanese vertically for contrast and hierarchy, then abstracted the Steinberg Hall rooftop into an accent frame in one version and a pattern that mimicked Japanese tenugui in another iteration.



REFINEMENT


I was asked to adapt both versions into a square format for social media thumbnails as well as a horizontal banner for digital display. The poster’s identity system was also used in other collateral for the panel, such as timelines and presentation material.