Originally from Taiwan, Jang has now lived in London for 5 years, first studying BA (Hons) Graphic Media Design at London College of Communication before starting on the MA Data Visualisation course. During her time at UAL, she’s stepped confidently outside of her comfort zone and been encouraged by the people around her.
“The reason I chose to study a postgraduate course was because I wanted to challenge myself. I’ve done a lot of interesting projects, such as visualising the GDP and happiness data of different countries as jewellery. I love to turn numbers into abstract but meaningful graphics that draw people’s attention."
Don’t be afraid to try anything – you are here to explore and experiment with different approaches.
My final major project is all about encouraging people to reduce their consumption of single-use plastics, which involved designing an app for recording daily plastic usage. I’d never designed a user interface for an app before, so I really needed to jump outside my comfort zone for that!
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Jang Lee in the studio, 2019, London College of Communication, UAL | Photograph: Alys Tomlinson
I think that design isn’t just about having crazy ideas; it’s about developing a strong rationale that can stand on its own. I’ve learned how valuable the research and development process is for everything I work on. This enhances your own understanding of the project and can really shape your outcome. My course has taught me the importance of the design process, something that will continue to guide me in the future.
UAL is a place where people encourage and inspire one another.
I often visit the digital printing and reprographics rooms before tutorials to print out my work to share with my classmates. Tutorials are great for discussing each other’s work, as well as reflecting on your own work. My advice for getting the most out of postgraduate study is to never hesitate to ask tutors or technicians for help! They can always provide ideas or help you try out new techniques.
For more inspiration, we can go the other UAL Colleges to see their exhibitions or use workspaces. London itself always has activities, festivals and exhibitions to offer – it’s a city that embraces creativity. I’ve been here 5 years and it’s like my second home.”
Jang Lee
MA Data Visualisation, London College of Communication