Meet Rozi Zhu | Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Rozi Zhu and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Rozi, what’s the most difficult decision you’ve ever had to make?
As a designer, one of the biggest challenges I face is venturing beyond the comfort zone of established design solutions. In many commercial projects, clients tend to prefer familiar approaches that have proven success in the market. However, the progress of the design industry relies on individuals who dare to explore uncharted territory and pioneer innovative methodologies. Constantly exploring original techniques and pushing the boundaries of current design standards is essential.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I’m Rozi Zhu, currently a Designer on the Instagram team at Meta. Prior to joining Meta, I’ve collaborated with notable studios such as Studio TheGreenEyle, Dazzle Studio, and BUCK. Over the years, I’ve had thehonor to be invited to join a series of distinguished projects such as the Dream in Dior Campaign, Art and Ideals Exhibition, MTV VMA’s Art Exhibitions, and more. My clients include Adobe, Amazon, Apple, Asahi Group Holdings, Bank of Mexico Museum, Carl’s Jr, Chowbus, Dior, Google, IBM, Meta, MTV, OnePlus, Pzaz, the Kennedy Center, and the School of Visual Arts.

I consider myself highly multidisciplinary. I’m constantly experimenting with different mediums and cutting-edge technology in my personal projects. I delve into creating groundbreaking designs and developing innovative techniques that revolutionize the current design industry. Some of these experimental projects luckily found their ways into commercial ventures. For example, my exploration of ferrofluid not only earned me accolades with my award-winning project, Ferrofluid Type but also sparked a collaboration with animation studio Qie Media. Together, we created a logo animation utilizing ferrofluid, controlled by coding and physical computation, which was previously unheard of in logo animation. Its novel technique received very positive praise from both clients and viewers, resulting in ongoing partnerships with clients eager to incorporate this distinctive style into their branding and promotional materials.

Additionally, “Ferrofluid Type” gained widespread recognition within the design community, earning prestigious recognitions from renowned competitions. Notably, it received the Editor’s Choice Award and clinched First Place in Handlettering and Type Design at the 2023 Print Awards, captured attention at the 2023 TDC69 Annual Competition for Typographic Excellence, and secured an award nomination at the Tokyo TDC 2023. These esteemed acknowledgments, evaluated by industry luminaries such as Akira Kobayashi, Yui Takada, Giorgia Lupi, and John Warwicker, firmly established “Ferrofluid Type” as a groundbreaking achievement in design.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I would recommend taking a drive to Storm King Art Center Sculpture Park. Located in upstate New York, it’s an open-air museum surrounded by stunning landscapes and beautiful plants. It’s especially beautiful in the autumn months, and is perfect for a weekend getaway.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My design journey began at Dazzle Studio in New York City, where I worked closely with Zipeng Zhu, the founder and director of the studio. During my time there, I had the opportunity to expand my skill set across various disciplines such as graphic design, motion graphics, 3D, AR filter design, and typography. The projects I undertook at Dazzle Studio served as a solid foundation for my subsequent work. For example, the AR filter design skill that I developed in the MCKL AR Type project and School of Visual Art ‘Art Is Back’ projects, later on led me to the Dior Campaign ‘Dream In Dior’ AR experience project. It was one of the most important experiences in my career. Looking back, I was very fortunate to have the chance to work at Dazzle Studio. That experience played a crucial role in my growth and career development.

Website: www.rozi.design

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rozi.525/

Image Credits
Rozi Zhu