Hi I'm
Zhu Giulia Jiangxian
I am a designer with Italian–Chinese roots, moving between visual communication, interaction design, and early-stage research. My work sits within Human–Computer Interaction, approached from a design-driven and practice-based perspective. I’m especially interested in how people emotionally relate to technology in their everyday lives.
I work through a Research through Design approach: observing, listening, prototyping, and iterating to explore questions around care, trust, and the role of technology in supporting wellbeing and inclusion. Much of my recent work involves qualitative research and co-design, staying close to people’s lived experiences and transforming insights into tangible interactions or small experiential prototypes.
At the same time, I remain strongly connected to my background in visual communication. I enjoy translating complex ideas into clear visual stories, building small objects or interfaces, and shaping moments that feel thoughtful, gentle, or quietly playful. Working across academic environments, international programs, and multicultural communities has taught me how to adapt, communicate with clarity, and collaborate with openness.
BA Graphic Design
Accademia di Belle Arti di Bologna
Exchange
Hochschule Augsburg
MS Digital & Interaction Design
Politecnico di Milano
Academic & Research Activities
Teaching Assistant
Sustainable Interaction Design, Politecnico di Milano
2025–2026
Research Assistant
Design Intelligences Institute, Politecnico di Milano
Jun–Nov 2025
Research Apprenticeship
Design Intelligences Institute, Politecnico di Milano
Mar–Jul 2025
Publications
Zhu, G. J., Pei, X., & Gaggioli, A. (2026). ALONG the Line of Emotional Support: Reimagining AI Companions for Young Adults’ Wellbeing. DRS2026 Conference Proceedings. https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2026.1060
Giaccardi, E., Lindley, J., Lupetti, M. L., Zhu, G. J., & Murray-Rust, D. (2026). Co-Speculating with AI: From Prompts to Practices. DRS2026 Conference Proceedings. https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2026.1899
Costa, F., Poli, A., & Zhu, G. J. (2026). Learning and disseminating sustainable interaction design through video making. INTED 2026 Proceedings. https://doi.org/10.21125/inted.2026.2181
Zhu, G. J., Mou, Z., Cosentino, S., Song, Z., Borsato, A., & Giaccardi, E. (2025). Ripples: Voices of the Lagoon — Attuning to Multispecies Justice through Tangible and Embodied Interaction. DIS ’25 Companion, 251–254. ACM. https://doi.org/10.1145/3715668.3735596
Awards & Exhibitions
Life, Like Bagels
One of my hobbies is making bagels. It might sound random, but I enjoy the process — mixing, shaping, waiting, and baking. It’s not always perfect, but it’s satisfying to see small improvements each time.
For me, it’s similar to design: it takes time, experimentation, and patience. Sometimes things don’t work as planned, but you learn from it. And when it comes out right, it’s a quiet reminder that even small steps and retries matter.