Yan (Jennifer) Zeng
Jennifer Zeng is a multidisciplinary designer with an educational background in architecture and product design. She earned her master’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania and currently works at the intersection of XR, AI, and spatial experience. Her design practice integrates spatial storytelling, multimedia, and emerging technologies to respond to complex social and humanistic issues.
Rooted in spatial, visual, and product thinking, Jennifer’s work explores the evolving relationship between technology and human identity. Having lived, studied, and worked across Shenzhen, New Zealand, and the United States, she developed a deep sensitivity to cross-cultural identity, emotional experience, and systemic inequality. This global perspective informs her approach to design not just as a method for solving problems, but as a means of questioning systems of power, visual culture, and emotional connection in an increasingly technologized world.
Her creative practice spans speculative interfaces, immersive environments, conceptual art, and digital storytelling. Jennifer’s work has been exhibited at the Penn Museum and recognized internationally, including first-place awards in global hackathons organized by institutions and companies such as MIT and Google. She combines analog techniques like hand sketching with digital tools such as 3D modeling and cinematic spatial composition, creating experiences that are emotionally engaging and intellectually reflective.
Now based in the New York City Metropolitan Area, Jennifer continues to push the boundaries between product design, spatial experience, and human-machine interaction. Through her unique fusion of disciplines, she brings narrative depth, cross-cultural awareness, and a human-centered lens to contemporary design.
https://jennifer-design.framer.website/about-me
What themes or emotions are you exploring in your current work?
I’m exploring how emerging technologies reshape identity, memory, and the boundaries between the human and machine. My recent work reflects on emotional tension, ambiguity, and the search for agency in a rapidly evolving digital world.
What does your creative process look like?
I start by writing speculative narratives or philosophical prompts, then translate those into spatial systems, interactive behaviors, or visual metaphors. My process combines analog sketching, 3D modeling, and prototyping with emerging tools like AI or XR.
What inspires you outside of the visual arts?
I draw inspiration from literature, especially speculative fiction and posthuman philosophy. Music also plays a vital role. It helps me understand pacing, emotion, and resonance beyond visuals.
How do you balance personal expression with the business side of your career?
I treat constraints as part of the design language. Whether it’s working within a client brief or a platform limitation, I integrate personal voice through concept, mood, and form while respecting strategic needs.
What do you hope viewers feel or take away from your work?
I hope my work invites reflection on how we relate to technology, how we remember, and what it means to feel in digital spaces. If it makes someone pause and ask a deeper question, that’s enough.
