Cynthia Zhu/ Sallie Xu, Graphic Design MFA 2018
Cynthia Zhu and Sallie Xu are multidisciplinary designers who prioritize creativity and fascinated by digital fabrication. They love exploring and failing in the process. They enjoy media-crossing approaches and intersectional teamwork. Their works live in different forms, including digital and print design, advertising, photography, design fiction, etc. They never think design will live alone; it’s always with communicating, idea-creating, critical-thinking, and problem-solving.
Project Overview
Speaking of either physical tools or UIUX, the paradox between users and functions
is always there: do users’ behavior decide functions or functions decide users’
behaviors? It’s almost everyone’s experience of learning how to use a tool correctly.
In the project, Cynthia and Sallie want to break the inclusive way of tools usage and
let users decide functions. So they create an ambiguous tool that everyone can decide how to use with their imagination. They call it Elke and it’s a tool for everyone. Elke can recreate the process of learning and adapting, and let users experience the
exploration.