William Yang

William Yang is a multidisciplinary designer with a passion for creating work that balances artistic expression with functional purpose. He is driven by core values of creativity, clarity, and purpose, approaching each project with an open mind and a keen aesthetic sensibility. Having lived and studied in New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and China, William brings a rich global perspective to his designs.

He believes in the power of cross-disciplinary creation—blending graphic art, spatial design, and interactive media to craft experiences that are not only visually engaging but also meaningful and human-centred. In all his work, William remains committed to design as a form of storytelling and problem-solving, striving to make each piece both beautiful and purposeful.

moc.liamg@gnay20210002

@williamyang7529

Emotional Connections in High-Dimensional Space

I am a graduating Graphic and Media Design student exploring the emotional symbolism of high-dimensional space, projection, and memory. For my self-directed project, I combine mathematical geometry with personal narrative to create an immersive installation.

The work was inspired by the death of my grandfather; I often felt that his memory lived in another realm I could not touch. To bridge that gap, I suspended a bare, inverted tree inside a mirrored box and wove light-filled threads through it. This interplay of reflection and form gives physical presence to memory and grief, inviting viewers to feel the connection between our world and the beyond. Ultimately, I hope my work offers empathy and release, turning intangible emotion into something visible.

In this installation, an inverted leafless tree form hangs inside a mirror-lined cube, surrounded by criss-crossing threads and illuminated by a single overhead light. The arrangement of reflections and shadows creates an ethereal, multi-layered scene suggesting themes of memory.

Passage

Passage is an animated journey inspired by a line from the ancient Taoist text The Classic of Purity and Stillness. As a practicing Taoist, I selected and translated a key passage from this scripture as the foundation for the project, ensuring its wisdom remained clear and accessible. I created this piece to explore how desire can disturb inner peace and how one can find the way back to clarity.

The concept stems from a centuries-old Taoist teaching about the mind’s natural calm and the disruptive power of worldly desires. The animation uses abstract visual metaphors—flowing circles, gentle tentacle-like forms, dissolving shapes, and brushstroke-style ink transitions—to visualise the soul’s movement through five stages. These stages trace a spiritual journey: the soul begins in a state of original calm, encounters external disruption, struggles with inner conflict, lets go of desire, and finally returns to stillness. Each visual element symbolically echoes this path from turmoil back to tranquility.

Traditional Taoist aesthetics were embraced in the design, using hand-drawn animation that feels organic and meditative. The careful sound design further reinforces this mood, weaving in the soothing strings of guzheng and pipa (traditional Chinese instruments) alongside subtle ambient sounds. Together, the sights and sounds create an immersive, contemplative atmosphere that invites viewers to slow down and reflect.

Emotionally and philosophically, Passage conveys that true clarity comes from letting go of worldly desires. Drawing from my own spiritual practice infuses the project with genuine Taoist wisdom and calm intent. Creating Passage taught me the value of patience and balance, and I hope viewers come away from the animation feeling a gentle sense of peace and clarity.

Space Redesign

Reimagining the busy entrance corridor at London College of Communication to serve a dual purpose. On normal days this corridor is just a passage linking classrooms to the cafeteria and library, but during graduate exhibitions it becomes a makeshift gallery—often leading to congestion and a lack of clear identity. My goal was to smooth out the pedestrian flow and give the space a stronger sense of character. I drew inspiration from architectural redesigns like the Tate Modern’s turbine hall conversion and Tadao Ando’s Church of Light, learning how light and space can work together to shape experiences.

Rendering video.