Jill Zhang
Design & Curation
jillzhan9@gmail.com
LinkedIn
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.
Besides her design work, she’s also an event planner based in NYC.
Events
Experience
Endless Health, Inc
Tidalwave
Coen Projekts
Katie Merz
Van Alen Institute
CV
WORKWe Melrose
Through our collaboration with WHEDco, we developed a neighborhood brand identity and visual system for the Melrose community. Inspired by the abundance of gardens in the neighborhood, its connection to music culture through the Bronx Music Hall, and the activism of groups like We Stay/ Nos Quedamos, our brand design celebrates Melrose and brings neighborhood pride to life through a single phrase. We ♥ Melrose.
We ♥ Melrose is about harnessing that spirit of events like the Melrose Parranda that bring the community together each year through music. While the phrase captures how residents feel about their neighborhood, the logo and visual identity focus on the elements that make Melrose a special place. Music has the power to connect everyone regardless of culture or language, and it’s something we all felt represented Melrose well. The work of activists like Yolanda Garcia and many green spaces also inspired us to be bold and colorful. For example, the primary logo has a playful look that features a tulip in its design, a flower that is often associated with resiliency, longevity, and womanhood.
We designed a buy-local poster campaign and community map to help visitors discover what the neighborhood has to offer. The foldable guide features a poster on one side, encouraging all to shop local in Melrose, and on the other side, a map of notable places to visit.
Building on the branding that we developed, we recommended the use of stencils in the shape of music notes as a low-cost wayfinding solution. The idea is to use chalk or a non-permanent paint to create paths connecting the neighborhood during community events.
WORK
We Melrose
Brand Identity
Urban Planning
Wayfinding
User Research
See full report
More about the project
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 enhance the public realm while supporting WHEDco’s mission to foster 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