Haocheng Zhang 张昊成
Graphic Designer · Design PhD Researcher

(e): zhanghawson0302@gmail.com
IG: @hawson_zhang
Linkedin

Haocheng Zhang is a Melbourne-based visual designer and design researcher working internationally. His practice moves across graphic design, experimental typography, and embodied image-making, with a strong interest in cultural narratives and movement-based visual forms. His research employs embodied approaches and innovative technologies (AI, XR, interactive media) to advance experimental innovations in design education, while exploring emerging technology-driven paradigms in interdisciplinary design, sustainable development, and human–machine collaboration.

Originally from China and previously based in Antwerp, Belgium, Haocheng now works between design practice and academic research, currently pursuing a PhD in Design at the Victorian College of the Arts (VCA). He has collaborated with artists, curators, and institutions on projects that span exhibition graphics, branding, type experiments, and cross-cultural storytelling.

Haocheng’s work has been recognised by AGDA Distinction, the New York ADC Cube, D&AD Pencil, Tokyo TDC, and New York TDC, and has been shown at festivals and venues including the Melbourne Fringe, Martyn Myer Arena, and Adelaide Fringe. Each project is approached as a context-specific inquiry, blending form, movement, and meaning into a tailored visual response.

Between 2019 and 2021, during his time in Belgium, his portfolio earned him interview invitations for design roles at internationally acclaimed studios, including Studio Dumbar (Netherlands), Wieden+Kennedy (Shanghai), and Nike (Belgium). These opportunities, concentrated within this formative period, reflected early recognition of his cross-disciplinary design approach and reinforced his commitment to creative practices that integrate experimental visual narratives with contemporary design.

Currently available for design commissions.

Curriculum Vitae

Education

The University of Melbourne
Ph.D. Candidate in Design Research (Full Scholarship)
Jun 2023 – Present

Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp
Master of Graphic Design (Honorary Degree)
Sep 2019 – Jul 2021

Taipei Fu Jen University
Master's Exchange Program in Visual Communication
Jul 2016 – Jan 2017

Sichuan Normal University – Academy of Fine Arts & Calligraphy
Master of Visual Communication Design (Distinguished Alumni)
Sep 2015 – Jun 2018

Sichuan Normal University – Academy of Fine Arts & Calligraphy
Bachelor of Animation
Sep 2011 – Jun 2015

Employment

Victorian College of the Arts, Melbourne, Australia
Casual Lecturer, Design and Production Department
Apr 2024 – Sep 2024
• Led workshop-based teaching in experimental typography and visual storytelling
• Engaged with interdisciplinary collaboration in design education

SIA International Art Education, China
Senior Lecturer in Graphic Design
Apr 2022 – Apr 2023
• Delivered courses in graphic design, fine arts, digital media, and portfolio development
• Guided students through cross-disciplinary visual expression

LOBSTER Design Studio, Antwerp, Belgium
Graphic Design Intern
Jun 2020 – Jul 2020
• Assisted in branding research
• Contributed to proposal design for MoMu – Fashion Museum Antwerp
• Participated in brand design for billie at home, a Belgian floral brand

Jinjiang College, Sichuan University, China
Lecturer, Department of Graphic Design
Jul 2018 – Jul 2019
• Taught modules in visual storytelling, typography, brand design, editorial design, book design, and illustration
• Supervised student portfolios, graduation theses, and final design projects

Independent Practice
Freelance Graphic Designer & Private Lecturer
Jun 2011 – Present
• Developed projects in brand identity, print, typography, and spatial graphics

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• Clients include (in alphabetical order): ACCA (Australian Centre for Contemporary Art), Adelaide College of the Arts, Adelaide Fringe Festival, Dance House, Focus Group, 4A Centre for Contemporary Asian Art, -ish Film, KABO, MCM New Music Studio, Melbourne Fringe Festival, Nina Jua Klein Studio, Practice Lab, the University of the Arts London, the University of Melbourne (MSD), and You Jian Ri Cun...

• Mentored students admitted to top art and design university worldwide, including: Slade School of Fine Art, University College London · Royal College of Art, London · University of the Arts London · Goldsmiths, University of London · The Glasgow School of Art · Kingston University London · Loughborough University · University of Southampton · RMIT University · The University of Sydney · University of New South Wales · School of Visual Arts (New York) · California College of the Arts · Maryland Institute College of Art · Savannah College of Art and Design (US$5,000/year scholarship) · Pratt Institute (US$15,000/year scholarship) · Accademia di Belle Arti di Venezia · National University of Singapore · The Education University of Hong Kong · University of Melbourne · Royal College of Art Ghent ...

Skills

Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign, Figma, Lightroom, Glyphs, After Effects, Premiere Pro, TouchDesigner, Blender, Creative Coding (HTML, CSS)

Conferences · Workshops · Lectures · Jury

17th International Conference on The Image
Nanyang Technological University
Singapore
01 - 02/Oct/2026

Design Principles & Practices Conference
LASALLE College of the Arts
Singapore
25 - 27/Feb/2025

The Material Image Conference (Art+Australia Journal)
National Art School
Sydney
01 - 03/Nov/2024

InSEA Asia Regional Congress
Sichuan Fine Arts Institute
China
23 - 25/Sep/2024

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Design and Production Department,
University of Melbourne
Orientation Week Talk
Australia
26/Feb/2026

Academic Lecture Hall - Academy of Fine Art and Calligraphy,
Sichuan Normal University, China
16/Oct/2025

Master of Graphic Design
University of Melbourne - Design Research
11/Jun/2025

Dance House - On The Table
Story in Things, Melbourne
25/Nov/2024

Bachelor 3 of Graphic Design
University of Melbourne
19/Aug/2024

Master of Graphic Design
University of Melbourne
02/May/2024

MA Experimental Typography Workshop
RMIT University
11/Apr/2024

Master of Communication Design
RMIT University
14/Sep/2023

Bachelor of Arts Design
Sichuan Normal University, China
12/Mar/2022

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A' Design Award Jury Member
2024

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Asian Cultural Research Hub (ACRH) Member, Australia.
Stars Collective, Elite Talent, Hollywood.

Exhibitions

2025
The 2025 International Poster Competition, UK
Design Works Exhibition at the Red Dot Design Museum, China
New York TDC70 Winner Exhibition in Kyushu, Nagoya & Tokyo
Poster showcased at Antwerp Poster Festival, Belgium
Nanjing Graphic Design Alliance: Echoes - Poster Creation Exhibition

2024
Antwerp Poster Festival * Us By Night, Belgium
FiftyFifty Traveling Exhibition with ATypI Brisbane
Award360° Best 100 – Typeface Design of the Year, Beijing

2023
Guangzhou Art Book Fair Exhibition
WWF – Mysterious Laputan, Shenzhen
Award360° Best 100 Exhibition, Hangzhou

2022
Biennale of Graphic Design Golden Bee, Moscow

2021
EXPO at Royal Academy of Arts, Antwerp, Belgium
WE ARE THE NEXT GENERATION Exhibition, Belgium

2019
Billboard
Antwerp Poster Exhibition, Belgium

2017
Triennial
KCED Design Association Poster Exhibition, Korea
The 10th Asian Design Triennial, Japan
Bolivia International Poster Design Biennale

Awards

2026
· Tokyo TDC Awards – Excellent Works for Shan Gao Shui Chang

2025
· GDC Award Shortlist * 3
· AGDA Design Awards - Distinction Award
· Award360° Best 100 – Typeface Design of the Year
· Award360° Best 100 – Poster Design of the Year
· South Side Festival 2026 Artistic Funds Granted
· APF Antwerp Poster Festival, Finalist Selected
· ICA International Creative Awards, Finalist Selected
· INTL International Poster Competition, Finalist Selected
· InAward Design Competition, Graphic Design Winner

2024
· Chinese Government Award for Outstanding PhD Abroad
· University of Melbourne G-RIOTS Scholarship
· AGDA Design Awards - Distinction Award
· Adelaide Fringe Fund Grant
· Award360° Best 100 Awards
· PRINT Awards
· ADC 103rd Annual Awards – Merit Honor
· New York TDC 70th – Typographic Excellence * 1
· New York TDC 70th – Typographic Excellence * 2
· MUSE Creative Awards – Silver Winner
· Communication Arts Interactive Award

2023
· The 16th China Star Design Award – Bronze (Packaging)
· Tokyo TDC Awards – Excellent Work for Handytype
· Tokyo TDC Awards – Excellent Work for Season Type
· Award360° Best 100 Awards

2022
· Award360° Graduate 100 Awards
· University of Melbourne – Full Research Scholarship
· Moscow Biennale of Graphic Design, Golden Bee
· WWF Art Fund Grant Recipient
· Communication Arts Design Award
· Tokyo TDC Awards – Excellent Work
· Sichuan Normal University – Distinguished Alumni

2021
· D&AD Next Designer Pencil Award
· New York ADC 103rd Annual Awards – Silver Cube
· Honorary Scholarship – Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp
· Young Blood Awards (NewOne Awards) – Gold Award

2018
· Sichuan Normal University – President Scholarship
· Sichuan Normal University – Excellent Thesis and Design
· Selected in the 14th Asia-Pacific Design Annual Book

2017
· Sichuan Normal University – Academic Scholarship

Features

• (You can click the content to open the link)

2026
· South Side Festival 2026 Artistic Funds Granted
· Tokyo TDC Awards – Excellent Works for Shan Gao Shui Chang

2025
· GDC Award Shortlist - Adelaide Fringe
· GDC Award Shortlist - Hey Movement Typeface
· INTL International Poster Competition, Finalist Selected
· InAward Design Competition, Graphic Design Winner
· AGDA Design Awards - Distinction Award
· Award360° Best 100
· Adelaide Fringe Festival - Stage Whispers Magazine
· Main Theatre, Adelaide College of the Arts
· Slanted Independent Type II

2024
· Adelaide Fringe Fund Grant
· Slanted Experimental Type 3.0
· AGDA Design Distinction Award
· AGDA Special Feature
· Font in Use
· New Music Studio
· PRINT Awards
· ADC 103rd Annual Awards (New York)
· TDC 70th – The World’s Best Typography * 1
· TDC 70th – The World’s Best Typography * 2
· Communication Arts Magazine
· VCA Research Newsletter
· Chinese Short-Film Festival
· MUSE Creative Awards

2023
· China Star Design Award
· Melbourne Fringe Festival
· Font in Use

2022
· Design 360° Best 100 (Graduation Edition)
· Slanted Magazine #42
· Slanted Magazine #40
· It’s Nice That! x Slanted – New Voices
· New York ADC Awards

2021
· It’s Nice That!
· D&AD Pencil Awards
· D&AD The Next Awards
· EXPO: We Are the Next Generation
· Communication Arts
· Onboards Biennale

2020
· COMMARTS

© 2026 Haocheng Zhang. Unless otherwise indicated, all projects presented on this website are the original creations and intellectual property of Haocheng Zhang. Website design and creative coding by Haocheng Zhang.

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