Ph.D. in Design

Post-doctoral Researcher

Brief Introduction

YANG Ye holds a Ph.D. in Design from the College of Design and Innovation, Tongji University. During her doctoral studies, she was sponsored by the China Scholarship Council for a joint-training program at Politecnico di Milano, Italy, and later visited the Kolding School of Design in Denmark.She approaches design as a kind of making, with a sustained focus on understanding and exploring the active role of the body and material agency in shaping the designer’s cognition and creative processes. Her doctoral research constructs a closed loop between foundational making philosophy and applied design practice, constructing and articulating a paradigm of "Embodied Material Thinking" grounded in the philosophy of “Art of making.” This work provides systematic theoretical guidance and practical strategies for re-centering the body and materiality in design thinking and practice, while also offering profound principles for reflecting on technological boundaries, preserving human integrity and creative agency, cultivating humanistic values, and envisioning a sustainable future of technology-nature-culture co-evolving in the age of AI.

Research

Embodied Material Thinking

Material Agency

Bodily Subjectivity

Experiential Knowledge

Social Sustainability

Education Background

2024.03-2024.07  Visiting Ph.D. Researcher，Kolding School of Design, Kolding, Denmark

2023.04-2024.07  Visiting Ph.D. Researcher (State-sponsored Joint-Training Program)，Politecnico di Milano, Milan, Italy

2020.09-2025.11  Ph.D. in Design，College of Design and Innovation, Tongji University, Shanghai, China

2016.09-2017.07  MA in Arts (with Distinction, State-sponsored Program)，Birmingham City University, Birmingham, United Kingdom

2015.09-2018.06  Master of Arts，Nanjing University of the Arts, Nanjing, China

2011.09-2015.06  Bachelor of Arts，Nanjing University of the Arts, Nanjing, China

Work Experience

2025.12-present  Post-doctoral Researcher,College of Design and Innovation, Tongji University, Shanghai, China

2018.09-2020.06  Part-time Lecturer,School of Design, Nanjing University of the Arts, Nanjing, China

Publications

[1] Yang, Y., and Rognoli, V. (2023) Arousing “Art of Making” in design: cultivating growing material societal meanings for sustainable transitions, in De Sainz Molestina, D., Galluzzo, L., Rizzo, F., Spallazzo, D. (eds.), IASDR 2023: Life-Changing Design, 9-13 October, Milan, Italy. https://doi.org/10.21606/iasdr.2023.558(the 1st author)

[2] Yang, Y., Chen, G., Li, M., & Zhang, K. (2023). Interactive Moiré Patterns Reflecting on the Traditional Nanjing Baiju. Leonardo, 56(1), 10–16, MIT Press, https://doi.org/10.1162/leon_a_02219(the 1st author)

[3] Yang, Y., Zhou, H. (2022). Material-Oriented Active Making: A Promising Approach for Sustainable Transitions. In: Rau, PL.P. (eds) Cross-Cultural Design. Interaction Design Across Cultures. HCII 2022. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 13311. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-06038-0_19(the 1st author)

[4] Yang, Y., Zhou, H., He, H. (2022). Material Turn: Material Thinking-Oriented Sustainable Artefact Design Education Mode. In: Bruyns, G., Wei, H. (eds) [ ] With Design: Reinventing Design Modes. IASDR 2021. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-4472-7_228 (the 1st author)

[5] Yang, Y., Zhou, H., He, H. (2022). Model Proposal of Designerly Ways of Material Thinking from the Viewpoints of Sustainable Transitions. In: Stephanidis, C., Antona, M., Ntoa, S., Salvendy, G. (eds) HCI International 2022 – Late Breaking Posters. HCII 2022. Communications in Computer and Information Science, vol 1654. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-19679-9_28 (the 1st author)

[6] Li, J., Yang, Y., Zhang, Z., Zhao, Y., Xanat, V., Ochiai, Y. (2022). Visualizing the Electroencephalography Signal Discrepancy When Maintaining Social Distancing: EEG-Based Interactive Moiré Patterns. In: Soares, M.M., Rosenzweig, E., Marcus, A. (eds) Design, User Experience, and Usability: Design for Emotion, Well-being and Health, Learning, and Culture. HCII 2022. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 13322. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-05900-1_12 (the 1st co-author)

[7] Li, J., Yang, Y., Zhang, Z., Yoshida, N., Xanat, V. M., & Ochiai, Y. (2022). Psychological distance and user engagement in online exhibitions: Visualization of moiré patterns based on electroencephalography signals. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 954803. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.954803 (the 2nd author)

Exhibition:

[1] Shanghai Urban Space Art Season – Yangpu District Siping Community Exhibition (上海城市空间艺术季杨浦区四平社区展). Role: Lead Visual Designer. Shanghai, China. 2021.

Patent:

[1] YANG Ye (First Inventor). "A Moiré Dynamic Material and Its Fabrication Method" (一种莫尔纹动态材料及其制作方法). China, Invention Patent, Grant No. ZL 202110544554.8. Grant Date: [2022-07-08].

Honors and Awards

[1] 2022  National Scholarship for Doctoral Candidates (Grant No.: BSY202201562), Ministry of Education, China.

[2] 2022  National Study Abroad Fund (Full Scholarship) for the High-Level University Joint Graduate Program (Grant No.: 202206260250), China Scholarship Council.

[3] 2022  Shortlist Winner, London International Creative Competition (LICC).

[4] 2021  Award of Excellence, Design Intelligence Award (DIA), China.

[5] 2020  National Scholarship for Doctoral Candidates (Grant No.: BSY202001696), Ministry of Education, China.

[6] 2019  Two works selected for the 13th National Exhibition of Fine Arts of China.

[7] 2019  Nomination Award, Shenzhen Global Design Award.

[8] 2018  Golden Pin Concept Design Award (GPCDA) – Design Mark (Product Design).

[9] 2018  Gold Award, Platinum Creative International Design Competition.

[10] 2018  Silver Award and Judge's Award (by Yoshimaru Takahashi), Kan Tai-keung Global Chinese Student Design Award.

[11] 2017  Best Innovation & Creativity Award of the Year, Birmingham Institute of Art and Design, UK.

[12] 2017  First Prize, "AGE-FRIENDLY LIVING", International Poster Competition Berlin, Germany.

[13] 2017  Award of Excellence, International Creative Graphic Design Competition.

[14] 2017  Award of Excellence, China International Design Biennale.

[15] 2016  Full Scholarship for the Special Training Program for Artistic Talents (Grant No.: 201607470001).

Contact

Email: yeyang_design@tongji.edu.cn