Zonglin Li
I see design as a journey - a path where storytelling meets connection, and where every interaction holds the potential to spark emotion.
This project envisions a future where AI-generated biodiversity and extended reality redefine how humanity connects with nature in 2070. As ecosystems continue to decline due to climate change and human impact, Rewild offers an alternative—a digital reconstruction of lost species, allowing users to engage with “lost stories” through XR.
By blending speculative design with immersive technology, this project explores what it means to preserve, reconstruct, or even replace nature in an era of ecological uncertainty. It invites users to reflect on the fragile balance between technological advancement and environmental responsibility, positioning them at a critical turning point where every choice shapes the future of our coexistence with nature.
Design Tool: Unity, Figma
How might we see the city through a bird’s eyes?
Every year, thousands of migratory birds pass through the San Francisco Bay Area—a fleeting yet powerful reminder of nature's quiet persistence. Migration Echoes is a speculative mobile device and app system designed to reconnect urban dwellers with these aerial journeys. Part grounded nest, part bird-shaped flyer, the mobile peripheral gathers sounds and paths of migratory birds, sharing them through AR overlays, tactile feedback, and immersive soundscapes.
By shifting the perspective—from human to bird—this project invites users to reimagine their environment. In witnessing these traces, we are reminded of the invisible threads that connect us—to each other, to other species, and to the shifting world we inhabit.
Design Tool: Figma
CLATTER is a plug-in for PC communication software, aiming to let users be more immersed in realizing and conveying their emotions when typing and communicating, and help them create a more respectful, inclusive and constructive dialogue.
CLATTER analyzes users’ moods based on the number and strength of keystrokes and typed text, and then visualizes emotions with gentle gradients of color and motion. With different modes enabled, CLATTER will help users choose emojis and stickers that match the text expression, suggest words and tone, and make specific reminders to the user.
Design Tool: Figma