Heyuan Ma

Profile

I am a PhD student in the School of Design at the University of Leeds. I graduated from Changchun Normal University in 2023 with a Bachelor of Arts in Visual Communication Design. During my undergraduate studies, I was recognised as an Outstanding Student and received the Jilin Provincial Government Scholarship for three consecutive years. I subsequently obtained a Master of Arts (MA) Design from the University of Leeds in 2024.

Alongside my studies, I have taken part in graphic design competitions and projects. In 2022, I designed the poster for Dwelling on the Cloud, an exhibition curated by the UK arts collective LTNP, as well as a logo for the collective. In the same year, I was awarded a bronze award at the British Ecology Design Awards and a bronze award at the ITCD International Trend Culture Design Competition.

My academic studies and design practice have shaped my interest in clear and inclusive visual communication. I hope to continue bringing research and creative practice together to develop design work that responds to people’s needs.

Research interests

My research interests focus on visual communication, inclusive design, information design, and wayfinding in complex environments. These areas are connected by a shared goal: making information easier to understand and use for people with different needs. I am particularly interested in how colour, signs, symbols, and spatial cues work together to support navigation in hospitals, especially for people with colour vision deficiency. By bringing together an understanding of users’ experiences and design practice, I hope to explore ways to make wayfinding clearer and help people navigate unfamiliar environments with greater confidence.

Qualifications

• MA Design, School of Design, University of Leeds, UK
• BA Visual Communication Design, Academy of Fine Arts, Changchun Normal University, China