Duoduo Zhang is a Professor and Doctoral Supervisor at the School of Design, Hunan University. Her principal research areas include design anthropology, futures studies and speculative design, craft and everyday creativity, rural and community-based co-design, and local knowledge and cultural innovation in the context of artificial intelligence.
Her research examines how design participates in cultural, social, and technological change, with particular attention to the local knowledge, embodied skills, and creative practices that communities develop in situated everyday contexts. In recent years, she has conducted research in rural China, traditional craft communities, and cross-cultural design collaborations, investigating the relationships among designers, community members, materials, digital platforms, and emerging technologies, as well as the ways traditional knowledge is sustained, reconfigured, and renewed in contemporary society.
At the theoretical and methodological levels, she promotes dialogue among design anthropology, participatory design, and speculative design by combining ethnographic understanding of situated life, practice-based design intervention, and collaborative future-making. Her current research focuses on embodied knowledge and everyday creativity in craft, cultural sustainability, rural community co-creation, participatory future-making, and the reconfiguration of knowledge production, power relations, and creativity as artificial intelligence enters traditional craft practices.
She conducted postdoctoral research at the Academy of Arts & Design and the School of Social Sciences, Tsinghua University, and was a Visiting Scholar in Social Anthropology at the University of Edinburgh. She has published six authored or co-authored books and six translated volumes, and more than 60 papers in Chinese and international journals and conference proceedings. She has served as principal investigator for projects funded by the National Social Science Fund of China, the Ministry of Education of China, the national foreign-experts programme, and other research initiatives in design education, craft, and cultural innovation.
Research Interests
Design Anthropology and Cross-cultural Design Research
Design Futures, Speculative Design, and Participatory Future-Making
Craft, Embodied Knowledge, and Everyday Creativity
Rural Co-design, Community Innovation, and Cultural Sustainability
STS, Artificial Intelligence, and Local Knowledge
Education and Academic Appointments
1997–2001 BEng in Industrial Design, School of Design, Hunan University.
2001–2004 MA in Design Art, School of Design, Hunan University.
2004–2007 PhD in Design Art, Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua University.
2008–2010 Postdoctoral Researcher, Academy of Arts & Design and School of Social Sciences, Tsinghua University.
2015–2016 Visiting Scholar, Social Anthropology, University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom.
2017 Delegation leader for a short-term academic exchange in Japan under the China–Japan Sakura Science Exchange Program
Professional Experience
2005–2013 Academic editor and researcher for Art and Science, an academic publication of the Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua University.
2009–2013 Instructor of required courses for undergraduate and international students at the Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua University.
June 2013–present Faculty member, School of Design, Hunan University; currently Professor and Doctoral Supervisor.
Selected Research Projects
Principal Investigator, "The Thinking Hand: Everyday Creativity in Craft from an Anthropological Perspective." General Project in Art Studies, National Social Science Fund of China, Grant No. 23FYSB050, 2023–2026. The project examines bodily knowledge, material experience, and everyday creativity in craft through design anthropology and material culture studies.
Principal Investigator, "Strategies for Holistic Aesthetic Education through Intangible Cultural Heritage from the Perspective of Embodied Cognition." General Project, Humanities and Social Sciences Research Planning Fund, Ministry of Education of China, Grant No. 22YJA760103, 2022–2025. The project explores relationships among traditional craft, embodied learning, and cultural education, with particular attention to the role of intangible cultural heritage in contemporary aesthetic education and C-STEAM.
Principal Investigator, "Reform and Practice of a Design Criticism Theory Course Based on Practice-Reflective Learning." Teaching Reform Project for Higher Education Institutions in Hunan Province, Grant No. HNJG-2022-0497, 2022.
Principal Investigator, "Reforming Theoretical Courses for Design Postgraduates through Practice-Reflective Learning and the Development of Independent Innovation." Hunan Provincial Graduate Education Reform Project, Grant No. 2022JGYB053, 2022.
Principal Investigator, "Design of Digital Educational Products for Huxiang Craft Intangible Cultural Heritage." General Project, Hunan Provincial Social Science Fund, Grant No. 19YBA086.
Course Leader, Design Criticism. First-Class Undergraduate Course of Hunan Province.
Principal Investigator, "Inheritance and Pattern Innovation of Huayao Cross-Stitch." Qipai Intangible Cultural Heritage Research and Conservation Fund, Art and Science Research Center, Tsinghua University, 2017–2020; rated an Outstanding Completed Project.
Principal Investigator, "Writing through Embroidery: The Art and Culture of Chinese Embroidery." Project of the Hunan Provincial Federation of Social Sciences, 2017.
Principal Investigator, "The Transmission and Organisation of Production in Contemporary Folk Craft Culture: A Study of Hunan Province." Hunan Provincial Social Science Fund, 2015–2017.
Principal Investigator, "The Impact of Regional Ecological Planning on Rural Craft Industries." China Postdoctoral Science Foundation, Grant No. 20090450430, 2009–2010.
She has also led a national foreign-experts project and continues to undertake international collaborative research on artificial intelligence, traditional craft, cultural sustainability, and cross-cultural design
Selected Journal and Conference Papers
Chinese-Language Journal Articles
[1] Li, H., Zhang, D., & Huang, T. (2026). From gamification to playful design: Reframing the generative mechanisms and humanistic futures of play. Zhuangshi [Decoration], (4), 11–20. https://doi.org/10.16272/j.cnki.cn11-1392/j.2026.04.004
[2] Zhang, D., Chen, S., & Gui, Z. (2025). Digital educational product design for craft intangible cultural heritage from the perspective of embodied cognition. Packaging Engineering, 46(18), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.19554/j.cnki.1001-3563.2025.18.001
[3] Zhang, D. (2025). "In-between-objects" in the creative practices of women folk artisans. China Intangible Cultural Heritage, (4), 108–115.
[4] Zhang, D., Song, X., & He, R. (2025). Reshaping the ecology of design education: Trends in international design education in the age of AI. Creation and Design, (3), 6–13.
[5] Zhang, D., & Ye, Y. (2024). Future probes for plural worlds: A study of participatory speculative design. Industrial & Engineering Design, 6(2), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.19798/j.cnki.2096-6946.2024.02.001
[6] Zhang, D. (2023). From description to co-creation: Emerging future-oriented cultural practices from a design-anthropological perspective. Zhuangshi [Decoration], (10), 32–35. https://doi.org/10.16272/j.cnki.cn11-1392/j.2023.10.010
[7] Zhang, D., & Shangguan, W. (2023). Making as process: Rural creativity from the perspective of design anthropology. Public Art, (2), 56–61.
[8] Zhang, D., & Li, H. (2022). Towards transdisciplinary integration: A genealogy of knowledge in design anthropology. Art & Design Research, (6), 56–63, 70.
[9] Zhang, D., & Bryan-Kinns, N. (2021). Digital platforms for the transmission of craft intangible cultural heritage: Cases from China and the United Kingdom. China Intangible Cultural Heritage, (2), 113–120.
[10] Zhang, D. (2020). Designing for development: Rural craft revitalisation through the capability approach. Public Art, (5), 20–25.
[11] Zhang, D., & Luo, P. (2020). Gamified tourism experience design for cultural sustainability. Packaging Engineering, 41(14), 36–42. https://doi.org/10.19554/j.cnki.1001-3563.2020.14.006
[12] Zhang, D., & Ji, T. (2016). Co-design as a catalyst for traditional community revitalisation: Intangible cultural heritage research and innovation in the "New Channel–Huayao Flower" project. Zhuangshi [Decoration], (12), 26–29. https://doi.org/10.16272/j.cnki.cn11-1392/j.2016.12.007
[13] Zhang, D. (2016). Embodied knowledge at risk: An anthropological reflection on designers' interventions in local traditional crafts. Journal of Nanjing Arts Institute (Fine Arts & Design), (2), 36–40, 187.
[14] Zhang, D. (2015). Tacit knowledge: A micro-perspective on design innovation in traditional crafts. Zhuangshi [Decoration], (6), 117–119. https://doi.org/10.16272/j.cnki.cn11-1392/j.2015.06.033
International Conference Papers
Li, H., Zhang, D., Chen, S., & Bryan-Kinns, N. (2026). The In-situ AI Pattern Merchant: A Speculative Intervention in Huayao Embroidery Futures. In Proceedings of DRS 2026. Design Research Society. https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2026.1403
Ye, Y., & Zhang, D. (2024). Co-creating pluralistic futures: A systematic literature review on participatory speculative design. In Proceedings of DRS 2024, Boston. https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2024.1316
Zhao, X., & Zhang, D. (2023). Design activating agency: A study on rural community co-creation in China under non-anthropocentrism. In D. de Sainz Molestina, L. Galluzzo, F. Rizzo, & D. Spallazzo (Eds.), IASDR 2023: Life-Changing Design, Milan, Italy. https://doi.org/10.21606/iasdr.2023.447
Selected Books and Translations
Authored and Co-authored Books
Zhang, D. (2016). Writing through Embroidery: The Art and Culture of Chinese Embroidery [in Chinese]. Shanghai: Donghua University Press. The work was assessed by the Hunan Provincial Social Sciences Achievement Appraisal and rated as leading at the provincial level.
Zhang, D. (2012). Nordic Design: An Illustrated Introduction [in Chinese]. Wuhan: Huazhong University of Science and Technology Press.
Zhang, D. (2018). Complete Works of Chinese Masters of Arts and Crafts: Li Yan [in Chinese]. Wang Wenzhang (General Ed.). Hefei: Anhui Fine Arts Publishing House.
Zhang, D. (2016). Complete Works of Chinese Masters of Arts and Crafts: Ren Huixian [in Chinese]. Wang Wenzhang (General Ed.). Hefei: Anhui Fine Arts Publishing House.
Cheng, N. (Ed.), with Zhang, D. as contributing author. (2011; 2018). Introduction to Industrial Design (3rd and 4th eds.) [in Chinese]. Beijing: China Machine Press. Selected as a national textbook under China's Eleventh and Twelfth Five-Year Plans.
Ou, X. (Ed.), with Zhang, D. as contributing author. (2007). The Protection and Development of Traditional Chinese Arts and Crafts [in Chinese]. Beijing: Tsinghua University Press.
Selected Translations
Pink, S., et al. (2023). Digital Materiality: Design and Anthropology. Translated into Chinese by Duoduo Zhang. Nanjing: Jiangsu Phoenix Fine Arts Publishing House.
Margolin, V. (2020). World History of Design, Vol. 2. Chinese translation, with approximately 160,000 Chinese characters translated by Duoduo Zhang. Nanjing: Jiangsu Phoenix Fine Arts Publishing House.
Sparke, P. (2012). The Genius of Design: A BBC History of Design for a General Audience. Translated into Chinese by Duoduo Zhang. Guilin: Guangxi Normal University Press.
Hara, K. (2011). Designing Design / An Engaging Medium [Chinese edition title]. Translated into Chinese by Duoduo Zhang. Guilin: Guangxi Normal University Press.
Heller, S. (2010). Design Culture: Understanding Graphic Design. Translated into Chinese by Duoduo Zhang, Shuliang Wang, Yuhua Zhang, et al. Beijing: China Architecture & Building Press.
She has also translated additional works in craft studies, design culture, digital materiality, and design anthropology.
Academic and Professional Service
Current and former appointments include:
• Executive Council Member and Secretary-General of the Design Anthropology Committee, China Society for Anthropology of Arts;
• Deputy Secretary-General, Committee on Design Aesthetics, Chinese Society for Aesthetics;
• Deputy Secretary-General, Committee on Gender and Technology, Chinese Society for the History of Science and Technology;
• Vice Chair, Committee on Science and Art, Chinese Society for Dialectics of Nature;
• Member, Traditional Fine Arts Terminology Working Group, National Committee for the Standardisation of Intangible Cultural Heritage Terminology;
• Member of the Young Editorial Board, Journal of Silk.
She has long contributed to interdisciplinary academic exchange and professional organisation in design anthropology, design aesthetics, science and art, material culture, intangible cultural heritage, and gender and technology.
Selected Teaching Awards and Honours
2025 Special Prize, Hunan Provincial Higher Education Teaching Achievement Award (third contributor).
2023 Second Prize, National Teaching Achievement Award (third contributor).
2023 Eighth Exemplary Targeted Assistance Project of Universities Directly under the Ministry of Education (principal contributor).
2022 First Prize, Hunan Provincial Higher Education Teaching Achievement Award (second contributor).
2022 and 2019 Outstanding Innovation and Entrepreneurship Mentor of Hunan Province.
2021 First Prize, Hunan Provincial Outstanding Achievement Award in Social Sciences (fifth contributor).
2020 Second Prize, Hunan Provincial Ethnic Education Teaching Achievement Award (principal contributor).
2019 First Prize, Hunan Provincial Higher Education Teaching Achievement Award (third contributor).
2022 Second Prize, First Young Scholars' Outstanding Paper Award in Material Culture and Design Research (sole author).
2020 Outstanding Project Achievement, Tsinghua University Qipai Intangible Cultural Heritage Conservation Fund (principal contributor).
2019 Outstanding Graduate Design Supervisor, Global Grad Show, Dubai.
