Francine Zhou

#web_projects

In Praise of Shadows

Project 1. Stories as Networks | Core Interaction 2 | 2023
HTML, CSS, JavaScript

Fireworks

Project 2. Elastic Collection | Core Interaction 2 | 2023
HTML, CSS, JavaScript, JSON

Fire led to human civilization, however it is also capable of ruining human-it needs to be controlled carefully. This is a collection of 2D, 3D, and 4D fireworks around our physical and digital world, making the ephemeral illuminations last longer.

NYC Park Pools

Project 3. New York City in Data | Core Interaction 2 | 2023
HTML, CSS, p5.js, API data

This is a virtual pool of physical public pools in New York City for your leisure time surfing the Internet. The dataset consists of indoor and outdoor pools that fall under the jurisdiction of NYC Parks.

Flashback Shanghai

Harmonic Collection | Core Interaction 1 | 2022
HTML, CSS, JavaScript

Flashback Shanghai is an archive of my memories associated with certain places in my hometown Shanghai China. Every week, I create a web design entry based on my recollection at a location in the city that is special to me. It can be a bike ride on a road, a stroll at at a park, a contemplation at a coffee shop, etc. Apart from documenting the dates and the geographic locations, I document my emotions and miscellaneous objects I saw along the way (or any conversations and encounters with people) by using symbols, emojis and illustrations. Photographs from my camera roll are present in many of my entries, as I think they are precious momentos that weave the mood and the imagery into visual collages. In some entries, I come up with a bilingual catchline or a line of poem in English and Chinese that summarizes the piece of memory, adding a poetic sense to the page. At the end of the project, I take all of memory pieces and integrate them into a map of my urban memory. In this post-pandemic era, I wish to create sincere iterations on the concept of urban memory that restores my memoryscape COVID-free.

记忆中有一个久违的完整又悠长的夏天,热浪没有散去却推着我在四季交替中前行。
在清早明晃晃的阳光中自然醒来,再在半夜十二点疲惫地熟睡过去。晴天就刷紫色交通卡飞奔进地铁10号线紫色车厢,雨天在家用蘸水笔挥着手臂练圈圈,琢磨着下一次自行车轮子是不是也能转得一样稳一样快。
单车轮胎压着颠簸不平的街道紧贴着城市绿色的毛细血管前行,只要沿着熟悉的路线出发就能通向未知的支线剧情。忐忑地切换适应每一个新身份的时候被所有人信任鼓励,好像每一个场景里的每一个物品都能连接到一次真诚的对话或内心的领悟。
于是这次近似完美的原地度假被小心翼翼地封存进回忆的透明袋,在异乡的未来无数个日日夜夜拿出来琢磨欣赏、与人分享。回顾得越多,那些细碎的树影、天光和晚风仿佛也跃出已归档的画面,穿梭在新生活中的创作灵感中。有时候会担心下一次置身真切地站在梅雨季的城市时,脑海中收藏的贴画是否会被现实空气中的闷热浪潮冲刷褪色或泡软,但是越思考就越坚定地要顺着这反复美化过的美梦继续做下去,或许很快就拥有更美妙的续集。

#lab_assigments
#design

NYC Subway Traveler’s Notebook

Project 1. Multiplicity | Core Type 2 | 2023
Laser Printed & Stitch-binded Artist Book

This is a book that comprises all of the subway stations in NYC. It is designed as a notebook for NYC residents who often travel on subway and want to record their commuting history.

Millennium of Love 愛的初世紀

Book Design | Core Type 1 | 2022
Laser Printed Artist Book, CD, plastic case

The advent of the 21st century is fascinating. Bidding farewell to the conservative and turbulent era, people embrace the arrival of the millennium with a sense of anticipation. This album, Millennium of Love, features seven Mandarin and Cantonese songs from the 1990s to the 2010s, performed by seven female singers or groups with strong styles and personalities. They come from different parts of East Asia: Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia. This album attempts to interpret the popular music of the late 90s and early 00s to get a glimpse of people’s life and emotion of the time. The female singers on the album express their delicate emotions in unique rhythms and lines. And most importantly, they are singing with a genuine attitude about the future, freedom and love.

I grew up listening to LOVE RADIO FM103.7., a radio station that plays the most classic Mandarin pop songs. Yet as I entered my teenage years, I had little chance to listen to the radio, letting those songs slip away from my mind for a long period of time. Only in recent years did I start to pick up these familiar melodies through music softwares and delve deep into the entire discography of the pop artists. Now with today’s smart devices, I had the exciting opportunity to explore songs on my own whenever and wherever I am, an experience I never had as a child listening to the top hits randomly being played on the radio. This book, in the form of a physical lyrics booklet, intends to freeze and record my current music playlist, constructing visual mise-enscenes and passing on the exciting and intimate musical experience to those who open the CD.

21世紀的到來讓人著迷。告別了保守與動蕩的年代,人們懷著期待的心情擁抱千禧年的來臨。本張精選專輯《愛的初世紀》共收錄了7首1990到2010年代之間發行的華語及粵語歌曲,由7位風格迥異的女歌手或組合演唱,她们来自東亞的不同地區:台灣、香港、新加坡、馬來西亞。通過 回顧當年百花齊放的流行音樂作品,試圖探詢那個時代的生活與情感。專輯中的女歌手們用不同的节拍诉说着细腻的情緒,這其中有如夏日般滚烫的热烈、對完美居所的遐想,也有如咖啡苦澀濃厚的滋味、隔著網線的小心試探、隨性恣意地遊蕩。更重要的是,她們用著真实的態度吟唱著對於未來,自由與愛的理解。

聽著103.7最爱调频電台長大的我,当華語音樂在我耳邊淡出許多年後,近幾年又開始通過音樂 軟件拾回記憶深處的旋律,補全所有當時感興趣和不感興趣的歌手的作品全集。不同於接收電台固定頻率放送的隨機歌曲,現在的智能設備給予了我們自主點歌和選擇的機會,是小時候未曾有過的體驗。以前那些叫不出名字的動聽樂句,如今也能熟知它們的演唱者與創作背景。雖然少了份偶然聽到自己喜歡的歌時的欣喜,但是幸福地收穫了主打歌以外大批經典卻對我来说新鮮的旋律,更能將它們反覆細細回味,組合搭配,為自己的日常建構不同情緒的氛圍。這本以實體CD 歌詞冊形式設計的書,也正是想將當下我的電子音樂播放列表定格並紀錄,把亲切或未知的体验传递给打開這盒光盤的人。

Shanghai Flashback 上海回忆

Sticker Pack Design | Self Project | 2021
Vinyl, transparent, holographic stickers and PVC postcard

Work Statement coming soon

回到上海后的九个月,好像一场超长旅行。

从某个黄昏骑着单车冲下弄堂口的斜坡起,在这里的每个日子如同那夜目不暇接的街道霓虹灯,闪着光从我身边掠过。
摇曳在温暖光晕中的初春梧桐树叶,永远也探索不完的甜品店,五月盛开在城市各个角落的无尽夏,栏杆上的银色海鸥和绚丽风车,月圆夜爬上滨江的天台吹着晚风,每周一次小心翼翼擦拭葡萄酒杯,云朵小狗绕着我打转…投入自己感知了天气渐暖的上海,与家乡的重逢也要趁着立秋之际落幕了。

快速交替的日与夜模糊了天色的确切概念。在胶片颗粒感的天空下,不同时间留下的深浅印记层层地堆叠起来,构成一袋属于2021年的限定回忆。将无法复刻的感动瞬间,分享给正在经历着各样生活体验的大家。希望在各自忙碌的未来,依然有绿荫相伴。

#lettering coming soon...