Design for Change is propelled by a question central to the work of designer Li Zhang: How can visual communication design contribute to meaningful cultural and social change? Focused on the past three decades of her design practice, it showcases Zhang's award-winning posters, provides insight into their conceptual development, and reveals how she uses design to communicate, challenge assumptions, and inspire new ways of seeing.
At the heart of this book is an examination of two of Zhang's guiding principles. The first is her desire to create designs that are simultaneously complex and universal. The second is her impulse to create meaningful design that honors culture while looking toward the future. The designs presented here embody both ideals, as Zhang's work dissolves boundaries between East and West, art and design, and society and humanity. A native of China, she views her posters as expressive and thoughtful bridges between worlds. Moreover, she feels a deep responsibility to share her experiences as an Asian American woman living and working in the United States.
Through layered metaphors, experimental media, and evolving techniques, Design for Change explores how creativity can assist humans in navigating the challenges of a rapidly shifting world.
