When We Talk About Design—Whose Stories Are We Telling?
Joy Wu
Founder and Designer
RYF Creative Inc
Beijing, China
Friday, September 26, 2025, at 11:00 CST, Beijing
Design is far more than mere beautification or problem-solving; it is fundamentally an act of storytelling. Every choice of typeface, color, image, and layout constructs a narrative, implicitly embedding the storyteller’s perspective, power, and intent. Through my design practice spanning New York and China, this lecture aims to explore a central question: When we, as designers, create, whose stories are we actually telling? Are we, whether intentionally or unintentionally, complicit in reinforcing a singular narrative? And how can we use design to amplify more diverse and authentic voices?
Webinar Contents
Introduction
Zhiyong Zhao, Ph.D.
UDA President
Professor of the School of Art, Shanghai Normal University
Shanghai, China
Presentation
Joy Wu
Founder and Designer
RYF Creative Inc
Beijing, China
Discussion with all attendees
Final Remark by Mediator
About Presenter
Joy Wu is a graphic designer who graduated from Harvard Graduate School of Design (MDes) and the School of Visual Arts (BFA). She has been featured in the NYC Type Directors Club, Art Directors Club, SVA.edu, SVA Spring Show, Asia Pacific APC13, CO2 Competition, The Light City, South Korea IOAF, Pentagram Design, and Graphis New Talents. Hosted the HarvardxDesign Annual Conference, collaborated on workshops with IDEO, participated in MIT’s Delta V, and the Sloan Design Club. Previously worked in the United Nations as a project manager and chief designer, Pentagram as a designer, The Egg House as a senior designer, and RYF Creative as a creative director.
In line with the UDA’s mission to promote global awareness and provide educational and professional opportunities in communication design, UDA offers webinars, one of many activities designed to enhance our understanding of design in society and culture.
