Originally from China, a designer and visual communicator based in London. I has recently completed an MA in Visual Communication at the Royal College of Art. My previously attained a BA in Design at Goldsmiths, University of London. Years of learning has exerted my experiences on construction of the basis in the field of design and visual communication. I has recognised the broadness of the concept of them and their limitlessness, and realised that themselves are creative processes of in-depth pondering and thinking.
Qiyao Li
I am interested in the topic of biotechs and their impacts on the social, cultural, and ethical areas. To summarise my journey throughout the years in RCA, it is not only years of study, but a journey of who I am as a designer and communicator.
I have been given the chance to reflect on my role as a communicator to the public, from my methods of design to the goal of better collaborate and communicate with others. I enjoy shifting my position with them and sharing ideas through various methodologies and processes.
Student? Beginner? I'm still adjusting to some kind of identity change, but I am prepared to present myself and my works in the future.
Honesty Doll:
The “Designer baby agency” is emerging; a real type of fertility agency which claims they can design babies by making contact with oversea clinics and offering certain biotech. Unlike regular clinics, people join these agencies to select their baby’s gender, appearance, intelligence and specialisms rather than medical needs. This is a research project that wants to generate public debate on this topic and its potential social, cultural, ethical impact on society.
I created a fictional DIY doll brand and pop-up shop in London for two days, as an approach of exploring the ethical impacts of the agencies that facilitate the “design” of babies, and how the general public feel about it.
Visitors to the shop discover a unique range of dolls designed to look like a new brand, but these dolls in fact represent different people and their perspectives of designer baby agencies. These perspectives have been recorded as audio, and each doll had a voice recording device inside, so people could hear these voice when playing with the doll.
Visitors also can DIY their own dolls and record their own voice to share their thoughts on this topic. The intention is not to be scientific, but more an approach of unlocking minds, triggering further thought and discussion with others — an ongoing conversation.
A number of people joined and were asked to imagine how they would "design" these dolls and why. This led to more general discussions about the impact of the rapid development of biotech itself, the relationship with their loved ones, and what attitude we might take into a future full of unknowns.
Find out more about this project:
Websites:
https://honestydoll.cargo.site/
Included articles:
Chapter one: Background
- What is "designer baby agency?"
Chapter two: Where does this urge come from?
- A podcast with people who chose this agency to conceive
Chapter three: Technology's capabilities and consequences
- What people want from technology and what technology can offer people
Chapter four: What role does the public play in this matter?
- Exploring the boundary of human morality and ethics