MY NAME IS QIUWEN LI

I am a graphic designer and an Assistant Professor of Graphic Design at Santa Clara University. I am also the co-founder of emotionlab, a progressive research lab to create positive emotional experiences for people through innovative design approaches to human problems. Born in China, I graduated with my BFA in Graphic Design from St. Cloud State University(SCSU) and received my MFA in Visual Studies focusing in Graphic Design from Minneapolis College of Art and Design(MCAD).

Research Statement

In my designs, graphic elements (shapes, color, pattern, type) are constructed, deconstructed and then reconstructed in order to create a richer experience and extend their meaning. As a designer, I understand the need for legibility, but I am more concerned with communicating something more visceral, expressive, and imaginative. My work engages viewers in a way that evokes playing games and figuring out puzzles; they simply can’t get enough of it, and that’s a good thing, because that’s the key to engagement. As a Chinese woman living in the US, I am in an in-between position, which also brings a distinctive perspective for my thinking, being and making.

Teaching Statement

As an educator in Graphic Design, my design course is not just for the talented students, everyone gets an equal chance to explore and share visual ideas while acquiring technical and different learning style, the different tempos they exhibit, the way they react to failure, and the like. As an educator, my goal is to apply diverse methodologies in order to connect with the various students, as well as to challenge them to learn in a variety of ways. For a diverse student body, I hold high, realistic expectations for all students to challenge and develop original solutions and promote their own visual sensibilities. Students learn from other students, I will provide the opportunity to grow while they interact with other students in class discussions.