Kelly Zhou

About

Kelly is a design researcher, graphic designer, and illustrator interested in how design shapes our lives and societies in both tangible and intangible ways. Her dissertation explores the role of digital icon design, specifically the Sparkle Icon, in shaping perceptions and attitudes toward artificial intelligence. Kelly takes a multidisciplinary approach to her dissertation, examining how digital icons influence perceptions and anxieties about artificial intelligence through literary and anthropological definitions of metaphor and magic while touching upon cultural ideas of efficiency, cleanliness, and shininess. In addition to her interest in digital design, Kelly has conducted research on the histories of architecture, fashion, furniture, and illustration, and will continue to explore how design shapes culture and society on multiple levels.

Alongside her coursework, Kelly has worked with the V&A Rapid Response Collecting curation team and the National Art Library team at the V&A East Storehouse for eight months, contributing to cataloguing, auditing, research, conservation, and other curatorial tasks. She has also volunteered at the National Archives, assisting with the digitisation and organisation of Stationers’ Hall copyright records for designs and illustrations.