Wendy / Ziwen Meng

About

As an artist, my work is deeply influenced by nature and animals, drawing inspiration from the natural world to create immersive and thought-provoking experiences. One of my notable installation art pieces, “The Field Recording,” was exhibited at Peckham Digital. This piece transforms human voices into whale sounds, accompanied by deep-sea visuals and sounds, aiming to foster empathy with animals.

In my roles as a designer and engineer, I focus on Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) and supporting marginalized groups. I am dedicated to making a positive impact on the lives of those who are often overlooked. My projects, both individual and collaborative, are centered on assisting the blind and the elderly. Engaging with these communities provides me with invaluable insights and inspires my work.

For instance, my group project explores mutual care among the elderly, using Wi-Fi sensing technology to monitor daily activities and display live health statuses on screen savers. This approach emphasizes the desire for independence and the willingness to care for others, which I find fascinating.

My personal project involves inclusive design inspired by a blind person’s remark that “virtual reality is not visual reality.” This led me to develop a screen-less VR tennis game that uses sound and motion, allowing blind individuals to enjoy the game with their families using smartphones as rackets. I am passionate about creating such designs that genuinely help people and plan to develop more games in the future, both for the blind and as engaging party games for everyone.