JANE ZHANG


ABOUT ME

I’m a Communication Design major at Washington University in St. Louis who is also pursuing minors in Human-Computer Interaction and Computer Science. In my work, I strive to explore a diverse range of narratives, perspectives, and approaches. My favorite part of the design process is the iteration stage, especially the moment where I finally arrive at the version that addresses everything I’ve been trying to communicate.

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 Summertime Rendering and listening to Jack Stauber. 

Feel free to reach out for work or friendship, and check out more of my work below!

HOME / CLIENT WORK / ARCHIVE


   

THE MAID IN THE MIST


The goal of this project was to create a video inspired by a written narrative of our choosing. I chose to make my piece on the Native American folk tale The Maid in the Mist.




RESEARCH


Due to the orally documented nature of folklore, there wasn’t a single standard transcript that was universally accepted as the main version of the story. Thus, I referenced three different adaptations (S.E. Schlosser, The Niagara Falls Reporter, and a Six Nations retelling) to identify common themes and arcs across all versions. To create a video that would feel universally relevant regardless of which adaptation the viewer is familiar with, I decided to focus on the themes of destruction and rebuilding. I also wanted to showcase Native art, and sourced all photography from the National Museum of the American Indian while deriving my audio cut from “Rhythm of the Heart” by AH*NEE*MAH.


DEVELOPMENT


I wanted to leverage the idea of cycles and circular motion to reference the cyclical nature of life and water; thus, I spliced all the plates and rugs so that they were constantly rotating and flowing. I also illustrated and animated the river serpent, who serves as a catalyst for major events in all versions of the story, to pass through at the beginning and settle into the same position at the end to bring the video full circle. 

To reference the flood and destruction of the village, as well as the broader notion of destructive events as a catalyst for a greater future, I chose to break apart the plates, which are separate entities in the beginning, then weave them together again as irrevocably changed, but having become interconnected components of a picture larger than themselves.


REFINEMENT


My refinement process consisted of editing audio and movement details to further reflect the concepts I wanted to articulate. I synced the audio with the water effects so that the drum beats were catalyzing the ripples, as cause-and-effect is a core aspect of creation myths, with The Maid in the Mist being no exception. I also mimicked expansion and contraction as a response to the flow of water to give the video a more natural feel.