PhD, Associate Professor

Executive Director, Tongji DESIS Lab（Design for Social Innovation and Sustainability）

Member of Design Research Society

Brief Introduction

She is an Associate Professor at the College of Design and Innovation, Tongji University, and serves as the Executive Director of the Tongji DESIS Lab (Design for Social Innovation and Sustainability). She recently held the role of Academic Coordinator for the International Research Program in Europe, fostering cross-cultural collaboration in design education and research. She has also been a Visiting Professor at the Parsons School of Design in New York and at the Politecnico di Milano. Her research and practice explore the social “matter” of design—how design inherently shapes social relations, practices, and structures—addressing the intersections of spatial, service, and systemic design in pursuit of social innovation. 

Research

Design for Social Innovation and Sustainability

Urban Resilience

Service Design in Digital Transformation

Teaching

Undergraduate course: Design for Social Innovation

Postgraduate course: Narrative Environment and Placemaking(English), Design Studio2/3 (English)

Education Background

PhD in Architecture, Tongji University

MA Narrative Environments at Central Saint Martins College of Arts and Design，University of the Arts London

Work Experience

2012.04-present  Teaching at College of Design and Innovation，Tongji University

2016.09-2017.06  Visiting Professor，Parsons School of Design, The New School

2023.01-2024.06  Visiting Professor，School of Design, Politecnico di Milano

2005-2009  Designer/ Project Manager，The Design Institute of Landscape & Architecture, China Academy of Art

Design

[1] 2025-2026  Research Project--Universities as Catalysts of Change: Social Innovation and Industry Transformation in the BRI Education Community. National foreign expert funding grant (PI).

[2] 2021  Award a grant under the Digital Transformation theme funded by Shanghai Decision Advisory Committee (PI).

[3] 2020-2024  Reasearch team member, Design for Vulnerables international research project, collaborated with Tecnológico de Monterrey in Mexico.

[4] 2020-2021  Fostering creative citizens in China through co-design and public makerspaces, Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC). (Chinese Co-Investigator).

[5] 2023  Research on Guidelines for Spatial and Service Design of Neighborhood Centers in Yangpu District in Shanghai(PI).

[6] 2022  Research on next-generation Cainiao station strategy in the 15-Minute Community Life Circle(PI), Alibaba Group.

[7] 2019-2020  Shanghai Yuyuan road urban renewal design strategy research project (PI).

[8] 2015-present  Founder, Open your space project.

Academic Activities

[1] 2025.11  organizing the workshop “Bridging Gaps with AI: Rethinking Internationalisation” for Global X - International Affairs Cumulus working group, Cumulus South Africa 2025

[2] 2024  World Urban Forum WUF12,“Promoting Technological Adoption in Vulnerable Communities” Forum, Keynote speaker.

[3] 2025.05  PBL research interview at Aalto University design factory.

[4] 2025.05  13th edition of the Biennale Internationale Design Saint- Etienne, Art Design Recherche (AD•REC) 2025 conference, keynote speaker.

[5] 2021  Guest editor, Special Issue “Environmental Futures: Creative Explorations Through Science, Engineering, Design, and Art", in Designs, MDPI (indexed in Scopus).

[6] Project manager, 2019 International workshop, LYON CITY DEMAIN, France.

[7] Curator, A Geographical Space of Encounter: Mapping the Landscape of the Belt and Road Initiative, 2019 Shanghai Urban Space Art Season.

[8] Reviewer of ServDes2018 conference at the Politecnico di Milano.

[9] Keynote speaker, Human Cities conference, 2018 Milan Design week.

[10] Keynote speaker at 2018 Singapore design week.

[11] 2018.09  Curator, Land art exhibtion, World Innovation &Entrepreneurship Expo 2018.

[12] Chief visual communication design of Pavilion of China at the 16th International Architecture Exhibition La Biennale di Venezia. 

[13] Architecture China Foundation VI designer.

[14] Director, SUSAS Collage, 2018 Shanghai Urban Space Art Season.

[15] Curator, Design Shanghai, 2016 Milan design week.

[16] Curator, Land Art Installation Festival in Yangchenghu 2016.

[17] Co-curator, 2014 Shanghai biennale.

[18] Co-curator, 2013 Shenzhen• Hong Kong Bi-city Biennale of Urbanism\Architecture.

Publications

[1] Ni, M.,& Zhu, M.(2017). Open your space: Design for Urban Resilience. Shanghai: Tongji University Press.

[2] Ni, M., Cattaneo, T., & Giorgi, E. (2025). Design for vulnerables: Co-designing technological hubs for socio-environmental resilience in Mexico’s semiarid communities. 2025 IASDR (International Association of Design Research Societies) Conference, Taipei, Taiwan.

[3] Ni, M., Cattaneo, T., Ji, L. (2025). Digital Twin as a Tool for Participatory Cultural Heritage Regeneration: The Case of Pavia Historical Urban Center in Italy. In: Gervasi, O., et al. Computational Science and Its Applications – ICCSA 2025 Workshops. ICCSA 2025. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 15886. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-97576-9_29

[4] Ni, M., Cattaneo, T. (2022). Social Impact in Design Education. In: Rau, PL.P. (eds) Cross-Cultural Design. Applications in Learning, Arts, Cultural Heritage, Creative Industries, and Virtual Reality. HCII 2022. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 13312. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-06047-2_7

[5] Ni, M. (2022). Digital Participation for Inclusive Growth: A Case Study of Singapore’s Collaborative Digital Governance Model. In: Giorgi, E., Cattaneo, T., Flores Herrera, A.M., Aceves Tarango, V.d.S. (eds) Design for Vulnerable Communities. The Urban Book Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-96866-3_17

[6] Ni, M., & Cattaneo,T.(2019). Design for Urban Resilience: A Case of Community-led Placemaking Approach in Shanghai China. In Rau.P(Eds.), Cross-Cultural Design (11th International Conference Proceedings, HCI International 2019)(pp.207-222). Orlando,USA: Springer International Publishing.

[7] Ni, M. (2017). Open Your Space: A Design Activism Initiative in Chinese Urban Community. In Rau.P(Eds.), Proceeding of HCI International 2017(pp. 42–64). Vancouver, Canada: Springer International Publishing.

[8] Giorgi, E., Cattaneo,T., Ni, M., & Enríquez, R.(2020). Sustainability and Effectiveness of Chinese Outline for National Tourism and Leisure. Sustainability, 12(3), 1161.

[9] Cattaneo,T., Giorgi,E.,& Ni, M.(2019).Landscape, Architecture and Environmental Regeneration: A Research by Design Approach for Inclusive Tourism in a Rural Village in China. Sustainability, 11(1), 128.

[10] Cattaneo, T., Giorgi, E., Ni, M., & Manzoni, G.D.(2016).Sustainable Development of Rural Areas in the EU and China: A Common Strategy for Architectural Design, Research Practice and Decision-Making. Buildings, 6(4):42.

Exhibitions

[1] 2025.05  research project -The landscape of the sea as geographic space of encounter between East and West, Italian National Pavilion at Venice Architecture Biennale 2025.

[2] 2025.09  research project- NICE2035, Bienal Internacional de Arquitetura de São Paulo 2025.

[3] 2025.06  research project-Design for Vulnerables, Biennale Saint-Étienne 2025.

[4] 2025.04  research project-Design for Vulnerables, Milan Design Week 2025.

[5] 2024.10  Shanghai playscape project, Dutch design week 2024.

[6] Desis@collaborative city, lille 2020 world design capital.

[7] Open your space project exhibited at 2019 The Saint-Étienne International design biennale.

[8] Open your space project exhibited China National Pavilion, XXII Triennale di Milano 2019.

Honors and Awards

[1] 2025.07  received  UBC Faculty Development Program certificate at the University of British Columbia in Canada.

[2] 2025  Second Prize of Tongji University Teaching Achievement Award.

[3] 2023  Second Prize of Teaching Achievement Award in China.

[4] 2022  First Prize of Teaching Achievement Award in Shanghai.

[5] 2021  Third Prize of Tongji University Teaching Achievement Award.

[6] 2025.06  supervised the students to win second prize in the 2025 Global Design Factory Challenge.

[7] 2020  Hongda Teaching Award of Tongji University.

[8] 2020   "Better Life" Yangtze River Delta Public Cultural Space Innovative Design Competition, Top Ten Designers.

[9] Leading the Tongji DESIS Lab won the 2019 Shanghai May Fourth Youth Medal (collective).

[10] Designer of Shanghai Playscape, won the finalist of 2019 SEGD Global Design Awards, finalist of THE PLAN Awards, exhibited at Biennale Spazio Pubblico 2019.

[11] Supervisor of The Red Stairs, won the 2018 SEGD Global Design Awards and Sylvia Harris Award.

[12] 2019  Shanghai Youth Creative Space competition, Jury member.

[13] 2018  Tongji University Yucai Education Second Prize.

[14] 2020  Shanghai the most beautiful family Award.

[15] 2019  Shanghai the most beautiful family Award in Yangpu District.

[16] 2016  "Sustainable Design" Shanghai Excellent Course.

[17] 2015.10  Member of the research group Winner at the Rural Resilience Contest, awarded by the Climate Co Lab of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to outstanding international scientists.

Contact

Email: niminqing@tongji.edu.cn