Jill Zhang
Design & Curation
jillzhan9@gmail.com
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Zhiyao (Jill) Zhang is a multidisciplinary designer and creative working across healthcare, technology, education, and infrastructure.
She designs solutions that are not only functional but feel warm, accessible, and genuinely helpful. Her work sits at the intersection of strategy, storytelling, and visual design.
Experience
Endless Health, Inc
Tidalwave
Coen Projekts
Van Alen Institute
CV
WORKMelrose Beat
WORK
Melrose Beat WHEDco
Brand Identity
Urban Planning
Wayfinding
User Research
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PROJECT INFO
The project focused on improving accessibility, visibility, and engagement within a rapidly evolving neighborhood, Melrose, Bronx, where fragmented pedestrian flows and underutilized spaces limited community interaction. Through on-site research and community-informed insights, we identified key gaps in navigation, safety perception, and cultural activation.
Supported by Van Alen Institute, I collaborated with the Women’s Housing and Economic Development Corporation (WHEDco) to develop site-specific interventions that strengthen pedestrian connectivity and activate public space around the Bronx Music Hall. Working alongside BD Feliz and Perkins Eastman, my role spanned graphic design, urban planning, wayfinding, and user research—bridging brand expression with spatial experience.
By developing a cohesive brand identity and place-based visual language, we proposed interventions that guide movement, highlight local identity, and invite participation. The result is a scalable framework and buy-local toolkit that enhances the public realm while supporting WHEDco’s mission of fostering connected, vibrant, and inclusive communities.
Role: Graphic Designer
Brand Identity: BD Feliz & Jill Zhang
Urban Designer: Silvia Vercher Pons, Cristian Mare - Perkins Eastman
Fellow: Jamila Diaz - WHEDco
Support: Van Alen Institute