Email: Zhouyue1112@sina.com
Title
Tenured Associate Professor
Position
Deputy Director of the Department of Visual Communication
Research Interests
Graphic Design and Visual Communication
Inheritance and Innovation of Traditional Graphics
Educational Background
1998: Graduated from the Department of Decorative Art Design at Central Academy of Arts & Design (now Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua University) with a bachelor’s degree
2001: Graduated from the Department of Visual Communication at the Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua University with a master’s degree
2019: Graduated from the Department of Visual Communication at the Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua University with a doctoral degree
Work Experience
2001-2003: Teaching Assistant, Department of Visual Communication at Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua University
2003-2010: Lecturer, Department of Visual Communication at Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua University
2004-2005: Seconded to the Image and Landscape Department of the Beijing 2008 Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad (BOCOG) as a Design Expert
2010-2019: Associate Professor, Department of Visual Communication at Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua University
2019-Present: Tenured Associate Professor, Department of Visual Communication at Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua University
Academic (Professional) Services
National Committee Member of the China Packaging Federation Design Committee
Design Expert at the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games
Academic Claims
Focusing on the study of traditional patterns to explore the contemporary value of Chinese traditional decorative arts:
In his view, the study of Chinese traditional arts forms the academic foundation and distinctive characteristics of the Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua University. It is also the key to developing visual arts with a Chinese style and an effective means for contemporary Chinese art and design to gain recognition on the international stage. Chinese traditional patterns, as the essence of traditional decorative arts, embody China's social culture, aesthetic consciousness, and conceptualization of form. Studying these patterns carries deep cultural and social significance.
Exploring the fundamental principles of graphic language to create new images with contemporary characteristics:
Graphic language is central to visual communication, and the evolution of graphic forms is one of the key driving forces behind the development of visual arts. For visual communication, foundational research on graphic language is crucial for both fundamental teaching and the exploration of cutting-edge design concepts. Graphics, as an important expression of human cultural development, fully reflect the characteristics of different eras. Grasping the connection between contemporary culture and visual forms is key to creating a new, dynamic visual identity.
Academic Achievements (As of the end of 2020)
He has led or contributed to numerous significant national design projects, actively exploring visual language with ethnic characteristics in his design practice.
From 2004 to 2005, he was seconded to the Image and Landscape Department of the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games, where he was responsible for basic image design. As the responsible person from the organizing committee, he led and completed key projects, including the core graphic design for the Beijing Olympics and the design of icons for individual sports. In addition, as a designer, he has participated in key projects such as the visual identity for the National Museum, the China Millennium Monument, and the Chairman Mao Memorial Hall, the sign of Zero Point of Highways, China, the parade floats for the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, the bid poster for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, the 2018 Shanghai SCO Summit visual identity, the parade floats for the celebration of the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 2019, the 2018 Medal of the Republic, the 2018 National Medal of Honor, the 2018 Friendship Medal, and the 2019 Party, State, and Military Merit Books, among dozens of other national major design projects. He also completed the design work for the new brand visual identity of GAC Group in 2020, the promotional design for the documentary Century Masters in 2020, the visual identity for Sanya Yazhou Bay Science and Technology City in 2020, and numerous design projects for commercial and cultural institutions. Additionally, from 2019 to 2020, he designed the emblems and related visual identities for the Department of Astronomy, the School of Mathematical Sciences, and the School of Vehicle and Mobility at Tsinghua University. In these practical projects, he explored and experimented with integrating traditional Chinese culture and artistic characteristics into a contemporary context, creating a visual language with distinct ethnic features.
Main Publications and Works
He has published several books, including Graphic Design, Thought Forms, and Xing Yi Quan: Logo Design Practice and Experience. He has also published more than ten papers in journals such as ZHUANGSHI and Art, including “Auspicious Clouds: The Reuse of the Beijing Olympic Core Graphics,” “Dynamic Design in Books,” and “The Application and Innovation of Cloud Patterns in The Monkey King: Havoc in Heaven.”
Main Awards
His design works have won more than ten awards, including the Best Stamp Award at the 34th National Best Stamp Popularity Poll, the Excellent Stamp Award at the 35th National Best Stamp Popularity Poll, the China’s Most Beautiful Journal Award in 2014 and 2015, the Shanghai Designer Award at the Design Shanghai 2016, and the Dean’s Nomination Award at the 2012 Tianhe Cup China International Young Designers Competition, among others. The course Graphic Design, which he teaches, was recognized as the school-level quality course in 2019.
Exhibitions
His works have been exhibited more than 20 times in professional exhibitions, including the 12th National Exhibition of Fine Arts, the Design Shanghai 2016, the China Style Art Design European Tour, the Art and Science International Exhibition, and the China Freehand Brushwork - Art Annual Exhibition of China National Academy of Painting, among others.
Main Scientific Research Projects
He has led or participated in several vertical research projects, including The Development and Innovation of Traditional Patterns in the Design of Domestic Large-Scale Events, Research on the Connotations and Development of Green Packaging Design in the Context of the Times, “Belt and Road” International Art Creation Project of the China National Academy of Painting, and Innovative Design Methods for New Energy Vehicle Shapes Based on Abstract Conceptual Forms. He has led or participated in over twenty horizontal research projects, including the Design of the Sign of Zero Point of Highways, China, the 60th Anniversary National Day Parade Float Project, and the Visual Identity System Design for the Chairman Mao Memorial Hall.
Teaching
The main courses he teaches include Graphic Design, Chinese Traditional Decorative Arts, Visual Language, Three-Dimensional Form Fundamentals, Introduction to Visual Communication, Typeface Design, Cultural Investigation, as well as Thesis and Graduation Projects.
The graduate and undergraduate students he mentored have received numerous honors, including Beijing-level Outstanding Graduate, University-level Outstanding Graduate, College-level Outstanding Graduate, and College-level Outstanding Graduation Project awards.
He believes that the foundation is the core of professional studies, and for undergraduate education, it is everything. His courses such as Graphic Design, Chinese Traditional Decorative Arts, and Visual Language, are all core foundational courses. After years of practice, he has established a complete system for teaching foundational courses and has boldly explored innovative approaches. For example, in the course of Basics of Spatial Modeling, he introduced the study of interaction between planes and space. In the course of Chinese Traditional Decorative Arts, he explored the fusion of traditional and contemporary cultures through the method of transformation. In the course of Graphic Design, he taught how to innovate by blending the genetic traits of different forms.
In terms of teaching methods, he believes that interest is the best teacher. Therefore, in his teaching, he opposes rote learning and emphasizes the research process and independent thinking. He focuses on cultivating students’ professional interests, encouraging them to discover and develop their strengths, and strives to provide targeted, personalized education. In project-based training, he focuses on cultivating students’ observation and experience of life, emphasizing the development of design awareness, and encouraging the enhancement of cultural literacy beyond the design profession.
