Art Director · Designer
There isn’t a single right solution to any problem.
I think through making.
During this depressing time, musicians there began writing more songs to comfort the citizens and document the city’s challenges.
When making this cover, I wanted to visualise the feeling of fear in my heart. To me, fear is fluid.
I hope that when we revisit this project in the future, it can remind us of what we used to think and how we used to feel.
The Brand Identity interviews art director Xiyu Deng about her approach to design, storytelling, and bridging art with communication. She discusses her work at Media Arts Lab, her personal platform DXY®, and projects like the Sixteen Labs rebrand that translate complex technology into human-centered design. Deng emphasizes openness, collaboration, and learning through making as key to her creative process.
The Brand Identity features Los Angeles-based designer Xiyu Deng and her ongoing project 'Cantopop,' a series of 50 album covers inspired by Hong Kong’s sociopolitical upheaval since 2019. Each cover visually interprets the emotional tone of Cantonese pop songs, serving as a personal and cultural diary of resilience and identity. Deng’s experimental approach blends typography, imagery, and gradients to capture the spirit of a city in transition.