Wang Yongmin: Saving the Chinese Language
Exhibition Design
Overview: This project aims to transform The Wubi Effect, a RadioLab podcast, into a speculative exhibition for the Stamps Gallery.
Our design investigates expansive possibilities for translating audio storytelling into a spatial experience. The final deliverable is a 1/4” scale white model, supported by a range of visual assets that articulate the envisioned concept and design.
Course: Exhibition Design
Instructor: Hannah Smotrich
Project Team: Yue Cai, Hayden Gray Erich, Leah Rose Hoogterp
Source Credit: Simon Adler, Yang Yang. The Wubi Effect,
RadioLab, August 14, 2020.
Project Duration: OCT 2023 - DEC 2023
Keywords: Exhibition Design, Graphic Design, Model Making
The Original Story
The Wubi Effect tells the story of Professor Wang Yongmin and his invention of the Wubi method,
a Chinese keyboard input system developed in 1983. By breaking Chinese characters into smaller
components and mapping them onto the standard QWERTY keyboard, the Wubi method enabled
efficient digital text input without altering the Chinese language system and allowed China to
rapidly integrate into the global technological landscape.
Design Approach
To visualize the story, we adopted a theme inspired by early digital aesthetics, drawing on pixelated forms and monospaced type. After multiple typographic explorations, we settled on a dot-matrix system and extended this logic across the exhibition’s visual assets. The overall color palette was inspired by a specific image emerged in our research, with adjustments to tone and value.
Color scheme inspiration
Trials on typefaces
Design Concept
For this exhibition, our team frames Professor Wang Yongmin as a heroic figure—a savior of the Chinese language—following the narrative arc of the podcast. Through a combination of visual displays and interactive experiences, the project aims not only to highlight Professor Wang’s groundbreaking contribution, but also to prompt visitors to reflect on how language shapes culture and how contemporary modes of communication may continue to evolve.
Visual Assets
Visitor Journey
Final Deliverables
Set Overview
Large-Scale Printout Mockup
Dimension: 60 x 35 in
