- Typography, Poster, Performance
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- Adelaide Fringe Festival - Poster Design
- Shan Gao Shui Chang 山高水长
This poster series originates from the experimental cross-media performance Shan Gao Shui Chang 山高水长, a work integrating choreography, sound, and visual art. Supported by the Government of South Australia and the Adelaide Fringe Fund, the project premiered at the main theatre of Adelaide College of the Arts. It explores how the body, through conductive materials and real-time interaction, can generate sound, typography, and imagery, emphasizing sensory collaboration and embodied creation.
As both performer and designer, I translate embodied movements into visual compositions. Drawing on principles from choreography, type design, and graphic composition, the work develops a set of glyphic forms rooted in “embodied writing.” These glyphs are not only bodily depictions but also traces of movement, visual manifestations of the body within the creative field. Together, they construct an experimental typographic system born from embodied experience.
This project was supported by the South Australian Government and the Adelaide Fringe Festival through official project funding.
- Typeface & Graphic Design: Haocheng Zhang
- Choreography & Dramaturgy: Weichen Cui
- Sound Design: Monica Lim
- Performancers: Weichen Cui & Haocheng Zhang Photographer: Haocheng Zhang
- Production Coordinator: Lewis Major Projects
- Venue: Main Theatre at Adelaide College of the Arts
- Typography, Poster, Interactive
- HEY Movement Typeface
- Melbourne Fringe Poster Design
Created in collaboration with dancer Weichen, the typeface captures the poetic intersection of motion and lettering in Chinese visual culture. Each letterform is generated through embodied gestures and ink, translating fluid movement into visual rhythm. The design explores impermanence and transformation, offering three dynamic weights—Regular, Light, and Thin. As part of a practice-based PhD project, this work bridges choreography, typography, and cultural storytelling. It also integrates motion capture technology, allowing users to interact with the typeface through hand gestures—expanding or contracting the letterforms by moving their fingers—making the type responsive, tactile, and alive.
- The project was awarded a Distinction by the Australian Graphic Design Association (AGDA), and the Award360° Typeface Design of the Year, exhibited in Beijing (China).
- Graphic Design: Haocheng Zhang
- Performers: Weichen Cui & Haocheng Zhang
Music: Monica Lim
Lighting: Giovanna Yate Gonzalez
Film and Typography: Haocheng Zhang
- Typography, Poster, Performance
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The HEY Movement Typography
- The HEY Movement Typography is an experimental typeface createdthrough choreography and embodied drawing,
transforming bodymovements into expressive letterforms. Inspired by themes of water,transformation, and cultural
identity, the typeface captures the rhythmand flow of a live performance.
- It was featured in the poster design for the Melbourne Fringe Festivalshow HEY, visually echoing the performance’s
emotional depth. With threedistinct weights—Regular, Light, and Thin, this project bridgeschoreography and graphic
design, offering a poetic and cross-disciplinaryapproach to storytelling through typography.
Client: Melbourne Fringe Festival
- Typography, Poster Design
- Taihu Stone Typeface
- The Taihu Stone Typeface is inspired by the porous limestone known as Taihu stone (太湖石), naturally formed through centuries of water erosion at the foot of Dongting Mountain near Lake Tai in Suzhou. Celebrated in classical Chinese gardens and Daoist philosophy, these stones embody a delicate balance between solid and void, sharpness and smoothness, presence and emptiness.
This typeface translates the Taihu stone’s visual language into typographic form. Drawing from its organic outer contours and rounded internal cavities, the letterforms feature interlaced structures and hollowed-out spaces that evoke a sense of ethereality. Five core design elements guide the construction of the typeface, emphasizing contrast, flow, and spatial tension.
- Taihu Stone Typeface
Printed on translucent paper, the typeface enhances the layered beauty of overlap, just as Taihu stones are arranged in garden landscapes to reveal shifting relationships between form and space.
This project was awarded the D&AD Next Designer Pencil.
- Body Experimental Typeface * University of Arts London
- London College of Fashion, UAL invites people to experience
work created by the students and graduates from the school
of media and communication during this unique time. The
exhibitions are shaping the future of the fashion media,
communication, and performance industries through a shared
understanding of the body as a creative site.
The exhibition visuals incorporate the Body Experimental Type font, a typographic system developed through bodily movement and performative expression. The final type design returns to a three-dimensional setting, recontextualized within both spatial and fashion environments. For the window installation, the body-inspired letterforms are rendered in metallic silver vinyl, enhancing their sculptural presence and giving the type a heightened sense of dimensionality and reflection.
The project has received international acclaim, including the Silver Cube at the 100th ADC Awards (New York), a Wood Pencil at the D&AD Awards (UK), and was selected as a Type Design of the Year at the Tokyo TDC Annual Awards.
- Typeface Designer: Haocheng Zhang
- Graphic Designer: Nina Jua Klein
- Photographer: Andrew Meredith
- Client: London College of Fashion, University of the Arts London
- Body Experimental Typeface * University of Arts London
- This work explores how typography can embody motion, materiality, and the ephemeral traces of the body.
- -ish film
-ishfilm is an independent film brand rooted in Shanghai, China, with a global outlook. It is dedicated to exploring the evolving language of contemporary cinema and pushing the boundaries of moving image expression. The prefix “-ish” suggests ambiguity, fluidity, and openness, symbolizing the ever-shifting states of film in its processes of creation, expression, and deconstruction.
It is “film-ish,” but also “art-ish” and “life-ish”, a brand that resists definition and remains in a constant state of becoming.
Client: -ish film
Handy Type
Traditional typography is typically pre-designed by professional type designers. We conceived the idea of creating 'a type that anyone can design from anywhere, at any time.' In this project, a customized system was developed to capture hand-motion data and integrate it into Handy Type. This innovation enhances both the design and user experience, making it more interactive and approachable.
The project has received several prestigious awards, including the Best Typeface Design from PRINT (USA), the Typeface of the Year from Tokyo TDC, and a Merit Award from ADC (USA).
Production date：4/Oct/23
- Lead Designer / Creative Technologist: Rozi Zhu
- Designer: Haocheng Zhang
Handy Type
It empowers users to co-create letterforms through movement, transforming the act of writing into a dynamic, embodied design process. By bridging physical gesture and digital form, Handy Type reimagines typography as a participatory and expressive medium.
- Season Type Calendar
- Season Type Calendar is inspired by the 24 Chinese solar terms. Through the exploration of “one scene, one window’, the calendar unravels unique narratives throughout. Through gradient, experimental, and playful type designs, the calendar delves deep into the potential of fonts in visual communication. Through this project, we challenge the constraints of traditional font design, using gradient colors to evoke different feelings and emotional resonance to changing seasons.
- This project has been recognized by both the New York TDC and the Tokyo TDC as a Typeface of the Year.
Designer: Ruiying Zeng, Xinyuan (Caesar) Li
Photography: Haocheng Zhang
Print: Sandwich Press
Video: Ruiying Zeng
- Season Type Calendar
- Type here serves as a medium to reflect the
interaction and coexistence between humans and nature. Our intention is to shape a
distinctive visual language that enables our audience to experience and understand the
rich culture associated with Chinese solar terms through a brand-new perspective, while
immersed with the beauty of seasonal transitions. Through this experimental exploration,
we encourage the audience to reconsider the traditional presentation of solar terms and
discover new possibilities in the fusion of Chinese traditional culture and modern visual
expressions.
I spent my childhood in a peaceful area in the embrace of mountains and rivers. So it makes me rethink what an ideal living environment for a human being is like. I think the mountain and body are a perfect metaphor with which we can explore many topics in artistic and profound ways.
The project was awarded Best Graduation Work by the Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp and selected for the “The Next Generation” exhibition in Belgium. It also received support from the WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature) as part of their featured artist program, recognizing its contribution to ecological awareness through contemporary art.
- Body Experimental Typeface - Lower Case
- The Body Experimental Typeface explores how bodily movement can shape typographic form. It transcends the physical body to construct a "visual body" where motion becomes structure, and movement becomes type. In 2021, this typeface was officially adopted by the Helsinki-based art collective Focus Group as their brand’s visual identity, recognizing its power to merge choreography and visual design into a living typographic system.
Client: Focus Group (Finland)
- Body Experimental Typeface
Body Experimental Typeface is an interactive type system that integrates augmented reality (AR), bodily movement, and typographic form.
- Mountain Typeface
- The experimental performance typography work MOUNTAIN has been officially licensed for use by Yan Qing Xu, a designer from the Design Academy Eindhoven.
Mountain integrates embodied calligraphy, kinetic movement, and experimental typographic systems. This collaboration marks a significant moment in the cross-cultural and interdisciplinary journey of the project.
Notably, the licensed work will be presented as part of a design installation at the upcoming Dutch Design Week, highlighting its continued relevance in the global conversation around performative and process-based design. - Design Academy Eindhoven Graduation 2024
- 2nd Graduation Catalogue
Graduation Project: Yan Qing Xu
Graphic Design: Jannie Guo
Tutor Guidance: Mieke Meijer
Typefaces: MAD Sans Fill by Colophon Foundry,- Mountain Typeface by Haocheng Zhang
Paper: Biotop 90gsm / Biotop 250gsm
Printing & Binding: Jannie Guo
Image Generation: Midjourney
Text Content: Generated by ChatGPT & OpenAI API
Published by: Design Academy Eindhoven, June 2024
- Mountain 山
I spent my childhood in a peaceful area in the embrace of mountains and rivers. So it makes me rethink what an ideal living environment for a human being is like. I think the mountain and body are a perfect metaphor with which we can explore many topics in artistic and profound ways.
The project was awarded Best Graduation Work by the Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp and selected for the “The Next Generation” exhibition in Belgium. It also received support from the WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature) as part of their featured artist program, recognizing its contribution to ecological awareness through contemporary art.
- you jian ri cun 又见日寸
- you jian ri cun 又见日寸 is an emerging jewelry brand based in Shanghai, China, specializing in high-end pieces that blend Eastern aesthetics with contemporary design.
- 又 (You), 见 (Jian), 日 (Ri), and 寸 (Cun), Rooted in Chinese philosophy, the brand system explores the philosophy of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism. The brand has been featured and showcased in China Vogue.
- you jian ri cun 又见日寸
- Brand Story:
You (又): The right hand of humanity and the left hand of time.
Jian (见): The window of the eye and the reflection of the heart.
Ri (日): The unit of humanity and the sun of the world.
Cun (寸): The space within limits, the container of time.
The characters 又 (You), 见 (Jian), 日 (Ri), and 寸 (Cun) form the foundation of Chinese script, representing the earliest building blocks of Chinese civilization. From these elemental forms comes an enduring brilliance—simple yet profound, like beads and stones strung into the most exquisite cultural narrative.
Client: you jian ri cun 又见日寸 (Li Bai & Liu Qixun)
Credits:
Brand Identity Design: Haocheng Zhang
Packaging Design: Haocheng Zhang
Brand Visual Direction: Haocheng Zhang
Chinese Typeface: 汲古汉隶 zuotype
Copywriting: Xingyun
Packaging Process: Plate-making - Black & White Hot Stamping.
- Billie at Home - Brand Identity
This project focuses on designing the main visual identity (VI) and logo for a flower shop located in Brussels. It was developed during my internship at Lobster Design Studio, Belgium.
Typeface: Lobster Design Studio, Antwerp
Illustration: Haocheng Zhang
- Client: Billie at Home
- 山行 Shánxíng (“Mountain Flow”)
- Typography is not only a tool for communication, but also a carrier of cultural identity and aesthetic philosophy. In Chinese calligraphy, each character embodies emotion and atmosphere, conveyed through the rhythm of brushstrokes and the nuanced interaction of ink and structure.
This typeface design is inspired by the calligraphic work of Liu Zongyuan, a renowned figure in Chinese calligraphy. By deconstructing the traditional writing methods of Chinese characters, I explored the structural logic, spatial rhythm, and inherent visual balance of the script. The result is a typographic system that resonates with the expressive essence of Chinese culture.
A key focus of this project is the material metaphor between letterforms and physical objects. For example, the letter "A" is envisioned with the strength and stability of a mountain, "X" embodies the elegance and fluidity of Tang Dynasty ceramics, while "K" conveys the upright force of industrial machinery like a Hummer.
In terms of stylistic development, the typeface integrates the basic strokes of Chinese characters and takes visual cues from the segmented structure of bamboo. This not only reinforces the typeface’s oriental sensibility but also introduces a poetic tension between rigidity and flexibility—one that mirrors the duality of tradition and modernity.
- Loop Variable Fonts
- This variable font explores flexibility in form and expression through adjustable axes such as weight, width, and contrast. Spanning five weights from Thin to Heavy.
- Body Experimental Typeface
- The banner on the University of the Arts London (UAL) website proudly features the Body experimental typeface, a distinctive visual identity that challenges typographic conventions through dynamic forms and embodied gestures.
This innovative project was honored with the prestigious Silver Cube at the ADC Annual Awards in New York, recognizing its groundbreaking integration of typography, performance, and digital interaction.
Drawing inspiration from the human body in motion, Body redefines type design as a performative act. where each letterform is not just read, but felt. The project explores the boundaries between text and texture, movement and meaning, offering a bold new vision for the future of kinetic and experimental design.
- Client: The University of the Arts London
- Body Experimental Typeface
- This video, showcased at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp graduation exhibition, provides an in-depth presentation of the design and conceptual development behind the Body Experimental Typeface.
- Body Experimental Typeface Film Poster
- This poster design for the Body Experimental Typeface film visually embodies the fluidity and expressiveness of the typeface itself. Inspired by the movement and rhythm of the human body, the layout uses dynamic forms and bold typography to capture the experimental nature of the project.
- Graphic & Typeface Design: Haocheng Zhang
Costume Designer: Binyan Wu
Model: Anna Potsiluyko
Film: Haocheng Zhang
- Body Experimental Typeface Film Selection
Inspired by the idea of Utopia—a perfect, harmonious world—the Body Experimental Typeface film envisions typography as a living, dynamic form that transcends traditional boundaries. The film explores how letterforms can embody human movement and emotion, creating a visual language that imagines a utopian fusion of art, design, and performance. Through this experimental approach, the project invites viewers to experience a new realm where type becomes a kinetic expression of creativity and possibility.
This work was showcased at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp, highlighting its significance within contemporary experimental design.
- Graphic & Typeface Design: Haocheng Zhang
Costume Designer: Binyan Wu
Model: Anna Potsiluyko
Film: Haocheng Zhang
- OPEN HOUSE Poster
- Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp
- The open house poster invites viewers to experience the creativity and energy of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp. Inspired by the Academy’s historic main gate, symbolizing a door open 24 hours, the design uses bold typography and a clear layout to highlight key information while reflecting its rich heritage. The colors and visuals connect tradition with modernity, welcoming everyone to explore the Academy’s vibrant community.
- Client: Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp
- KABO GROUP
- Based in Melbourne, the KABO Group logo is conceived as a unifying visual identity that brings together diverse business ventures under one cohesive brand. Drawing inspiration from the existing Kabo Lawyers logo, the new design maintains a strong, professional foundation while evolving into a more contemporary and versatile mark that reflects the group’s dynamic presence across multiple industries.
The logo balances tradition with modernity through clean, geometric forms that suggest stability and growth. The color palette of black, blue, and green symbolizes trust, innovation, and sustainability, core values that resonate with Kabo’s legal services, fuel technology, and retail development sectors. This approach ensures that individual business units maintain their distinctiveness yet benefit from the strength and recognition of the parent group.
Client: KABO GROUP
- 28 Constellations Blessing & Fortune Charms
- This design project, inspired by Taoism’s ancient “28 Constellations” constellation system, creates a set of cultural and creative products for blessing and divination. By translating each star’s unique symbolism into visual elements, the design forms an orderly system of shape, color, and space that deeply connects tradition with modern aesthetics. This project was honored with the China Golden Panda Design Award, recognizing its cultural significance and innovative approach.