Mei Zhang is a multidisciplinary researcher, designer based in London. Her work explores multiple dimensions of interactive technology including physical computing, wearables, e-textiles, crafting circuitry, education and cross-disciplinary collaborations.
She is currently a PhD candidate at Queen Mary University of London, exploring how to better support fashion and textile designers to implement embedded interactive systems in their work. Her designs explore ways of translating digital functions presented in traditional hard electronics into soft and flexible materials, with which she looks at design methodologies of crafting textiles and garments with integrated technology.
Mei has done a-year-period ethnographic research in fashion and textile programmes in different higher education institutions in London, observing how technology is currently taught to design students. Her current work explores how to integrate interactive technology concepts with material expertise in textile and fashion education.
Teaching
Royal College of Art
Visiting Lecturer
2020
London, UK
Visiting lecturer in MA Textiles teaching and tutoring physical computing with e-textiles, guiding students to explore interactive technology through a material lens
University of the Arts London
Associate Lecturer
2021 - current
London, UK
Associate lecturer in Graduate Diploma Textile Design, Chelsea College of Arts teaching and tutoring physical computing with e-textiles, guiding students to explore interactive technology through a material lens
University of the Arts London
Associate Lecturer
2021
London, UK
Associate lecturer in MA Textile Design, Chelsea College of Arts teaching and tutoring physical computing with e-textiles, guiding students to explore interactive technology through a material lens
Tsinghua University 清华大学
Tutor 指导教师
2021-2022
Beijing, China
Tutor in Collaborative Wearable Design Project SRT project, Tsinghua University, teaching and tutoring wearable construction, interaction design, smart materials and e-textiles to BA students from multiple majors including mechanical engineering and automation, architecture, software engineering, electronic engineering, textile design, fashion design and industrial design. Facilitated and tutored collaborative design groups across disciplines
Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology 北京服装学院
Tutor 外聘教师
2021-2022
Beijing, China
Tutor in Collaborative Wearable Design Project SRT project, teaching and tutoring wearable construction, interaction design, smart materials and e-textiles to BA textile students. Facilitated and tutored collaborative design groups with electronic engineering students from Beijing University of Post & Telecommunication
Training
Queen Mary University of London
Centre for Digital Music, London, UK
Ph.D. Media and Arts Technology
Funded by QMUL Excellence Full Scholarship
January 2019 - present
Supervisors: Nick Bryan-Kinns, Rebecca Stewart (Imperial College London)
Queen Mary University of London
M.Sc Media and Arts Technology, London, UK
Graduate with Distinction
2017 - 2018
Tianjin University of Technology
B.Eng Computer Science and Technology, Tianjin, China
2013 - 2017
Université du Québec à Chicoutimi
B.Sc Management Information Technology, Quebec, Canada
2013 - 2017
Exhibition
Workshops & Talks
Bela: Sensor Workshop
2018
Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
2020
Royal College of Art, London, UK
2020
Online, London, UK
Talk: Infinite - an E-textile Toolkit for Fashion and Textile Designers
2020
E-Stitches, London, UK
INFINITE E-Textile Workshop
April 2021
University of the Arts London, London, UK
INFINITE E-Textile Workshop
June 2021
University of the Arts London, London, UK
INFINITE E-Textile Workshop
November 2021
Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
INFINITE E-Textile Workshop
November 2021
Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
INFINITE E-Textile Workshop
November 2021
Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology, Beijing, China
Collaborative Wearable Design Project
November 2022
Tsinghua University, Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology, Beijing University of Post & Telecommunication, Bejing, China
Research Groups
Centre for Digital Music
Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
2019 - present
Sonic Interaction Design Lab
Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
2019 - present
Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
2020 - present
e-Body Lab
Imperial College London, London, UK
2020 - present
Copyright @ Mei Zhang 2020