Yingzi Chen

About

Yingzi (颖姿) is a graphic designer and design historian. She developed her design interests and skills through practical experiences during her undergraduate studies at the London College of Communication (BA in Graphic and Media Design) and through professional practice in the industry. With a strong passion for printmaking and letterpress, Yingzi believes that the material itself holds meaning and carries engaging communication between the designer and the audience. Her works explores the intricate relationship between art and design, with the aim of provoking thoughts and questions rather than providing definitive answers.

As a design historian, Yingzi focuses on object-led research that reflects the intersection between art and design, science, technology, and industry in nineteenth-century Britain. In the object essay, she investigated John Gorham’s Kaleidoscopic Colour-Top, a fascinating optical instrument designed to explore the principles of colour and vision. This instrument reflected the era’s enthusiasm for optical inventions and the growing interest in understanding the science behind colour perception. As both an educational and entertaining object, it combined learning with play. Yingzi’s dissertation looked closely into how design reformers integrated geometry specifically into art and design education to mobilise for the industry from the mid nineteenth century in Britain, and the similar rational approach in both design education and geometrical toys. This research explored the complex dynamics between freewill practice and standardised taste, contributing to a more holistic understanding of learning tools or design tools around us.