Sige Zheng
Products of design
School of Visual Arts SVA
Specialisms: Design for Social Good / UX Design / Product Design
Location: New York, United States
Sige Zheng
First Name: Sige
Last Name: Zheng
Specialisms: Design for Social Good / UX Design / Product Design
Sectors:
My Location: New York, United States
University / College: School of Visual Arts SVA
Course / Program Title: Products of design
About
I’m a product designer & researcher based in New York City. I'm experienced in end-to-end design execution, product strategy, design research, cross-functional collaboration across early-stage startups, enterprise healthcare, and consumer education products.
My design keywords are “simple, powerful, timeless, positive.” I believe that design is essential. Design is not just creating new- it’s imagining a tangible future based on human experiences from the past. Design and technology should be accessible – instead of segregation, they should draw people closer and lead to co-creation. One day, design will be equally earth-centric as human-centric.
Growing up with a global background, I get excited about changes, constant learning, listening, observing, and communication. My passion for making changes through the shared design language in both digital and physical space has led me to pursue an MFA in multi-disciplinary design at the School of Visual Arts.
Outside of design, I’m a surfer, freediver, darkroom photographer, and filmmaker. You can often find me surfing at Rockaway, NY all year or exploring various local cultures through my surf trips in Hawaii, Sri Lanka, Puerto Rico, Mexico and more (to come).
Aquí también: Bridging Social Bubbles Through the Collective Action of Tequio
Aquí También is a mobile app that introduces digital nomads to the Oaxacan tradition of tequio (collective work for the common good) through local grassroots initiatives in Puerto Escondido. It makes community-led efforts visible and accessible through a centralized hub for discovery, connection, and participation. In response to the growing gap between tourism growth and infrastructure development, grassroots initiatives emerge, but their impact and capacity is often constrained by geographic segregation, social bubbles, and language barriers between permanent and transient residents. Aquí También surfaces community initiatives, translate local needs into actionable opportunities, and fosters meaningful interactions between locals and visitors. By reimagining tequio for the digital age, the platform transforms digital nomads from passive beneficiaries into active contributors, and strengthens community resilience through collective action and long-term engagement.
Competitions
Global Creative Graduate Showcase 2026
cook share: From Arrival to Departure, Consumption - Contribution - Community
Cook Share is an orientation experience designed for co-living spaces in Puerto Escondido to transforms the arrival of digital nomads into an embodied ritual of participation and responsibility. Through co-living manager-led communal cooking sessions, residents engage in shared manual labor (chopping, cooking, eating, and cleaning), while working within visible resource constraints. This makes local challenges such as water scarcity, rising cost of living, and waste management tangible, shifting the arrival experience from passive consumption to active contribution. This experience is a launching testimonial of a broader service design, Comunidad de Cocinar y Compartir (Cook Share Community) that facilitates structured cooking sessions between digital nomads and local initiative organizers. The topic-based cook share sessions aim to foster communities that bridge the gap between nomads and locals, and outlast a single nomad’s stay through mutual learning, exchange, and collaboration. Together, the experience and service establish a participation infrastructure that fosters stewardship, reciprocity, and shared responsibility.
Competitions