Pengyue Zhang

Service Design (MA)

Knotwork is a service design project that supports grassroots migrant centres in running sustainable community events. By activating existing strengths—managers, volunteers, and repeatable structures—it helps build a lightweight, modular system for planning, collaboration, and knowledge-sharing. The goal is to empower local actors, strengthen peer networks, and enable long-term resilience from the ground up.

Tate Trail is a service design project co-created by the Royal College of Art and Tate Gallery, aiming to reframe how diverse audiences engage with art institutions. By introducing customisable, narrative-driven zines, the project transforms passive visits into personalised journeys that align with visitors’ unique interests, behaviours, and cultural backgrounds. It addresses key issues in traditional museum guidance—such as generic content, weak engagement, and low relevance—advocating a shift from standardised display to meaningful, user-centred experiences.

LifeDale is a speculative 3D VR experience that explores a future where personal identity is commodified. Through an immersive first-person narrative, users undergo three transformative chapters—from a powerful controller to an adored yet anxious figure, and finally to an exploited, dehumanized body. This journey critically reflects on the erosion of individuality and the psychological cost of transactional identity systems. LifeDale challenges players to reconsider autonomy, power, and the self in an era dominated by technological control and social stratification.

About

I’m a service designer with a background in brand and visual design.

Before RCA, I spent four years at TikTok and ANTA, leading global brand identity projects and building culturally grounded visual systems. These roles sharpened my skills in stakeholder collaboration, communication strategy, and cross-functional teamwork.

My current practice combines design research, systems thinking, and creative storytelling. I enjoy translating complex problems into actionable strategies—supported by participatory research and iterative prototyping. I also bring a strong visual language across illustration, motion, 3D, and AI-assisted tools.

I’m particularly interested in community-building, interdisciplinary collaboration, and designing for long-term systems change. I’m now open to opportunities that connect people, services, and social innovation.

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