Xiangzhi Zhao is a London-based designer and design scholar. He graduated with First-Class Honours from Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London, and subsequently received his master’s degree from the Royal College of Art. During his undergraduate studies, he was mentored by Matt Malpass, a leading figure in Critical Design, and later studied under Mah Rana, Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (RSA), at the Royal College of Art.

 

In academic research, Xiangzhi has published research in The Design Journal. he has collaborated with the Healthy Materials Lab at Parsons School of Design and was awarded the Role Models Contest Winner in 2020 by the lab. He also collaborated with Jagiellonian University, and his research article was selected by Prof. Leszek Sosnowski for publication in The Polish Journal of Aesthetics.

 

Beyond academic research, he is also actively involved in various commercial collaboration projects and founded the independent design consultancy brand Zié Object(s) in 2025. He led the winning architectural façade design in a bid by the Italian biomaterial company Mogu. In the field of cultural heritage preservation, he served as the lead designer in full-scale collaborations with the Cristóbal Balenciaga Museum and the two-century-old brand Zhenyuan. As a product design apprentice, he also spent three months working at Interface Europe, where he co-led a forward-looking research project addressing social and market-oriented topics with the design team.

 

Xiangzhi’s work has garnered over fifty design awards, including the Encouragement Prize at the 33rd Japan Jewelry Design Awards (第33回日本ジュエリー展奨励賞), 2024 Dezeen Awards Shortlist, The Goldsmiths’ Craft & Design Council Awards, the Red Dot Design Award, the iF Design Award, and the German Design Award. His postgraduate graduation project received the 2026 Armourers and Brasiers Award from The Worshipful Company of Armourers and Brasiers. He has also collaborated on in-depth projects with numerous international brands, including Balenciaga, Canada Goose, and Jaune de Chrome. His work has been exhibited in venues such as the Selfridges during London Fashion Week, and the Red Dot Design Museum.