{"id":40596,"date":"2025-07-03T08:05:00","date_gmt":"2025-07-03T08:05:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/muse.international\/?p=40596"},"modified":"2025-07-04T04:18:31","modified_gmt":"2025-07-04T04:18:31","slug":"building-pioklepiokle-with-zitong-zhao-a-new-approach-to-brand-identity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/muse.international\/index\/building-pioklepiokle-with-zitong-zhao-a-new-approach-to-brand-identity\/","title":{"rendered":"Building pioklepiokle with Zitong Zhao | A New Approach to Brand Identity"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Zitong Zhao is a Brooklyn-based graphic designer and art director who finds inspiration in everyday moments, often behind her camera. She discovered her passion for design while working with the editorial team at VOGUE China and quickly mastered various design tools through side projects and creative gigs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q1. Congratulations on winning the MUSE Design Awards! Can you introduce yourself and share about what inspired you to pursue design as a career?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n


Hi, I’m a graphic designer and art director based in Brooklyn, New York. I like to find inspiration in my surroundings, so you can often find me taking photos somewhere around Brooklyn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s actually a funny\u2014and long\u2014story. I was studying International Business and Trade for my undergrad, and honestly, I couldn\u2019t stand that major. I was stuck with it, so I ended up taking every internship I could find in different fields just to see what clicked. During my time at VOGUE China, working with the editorial team, I stumbled into graphic design\u2014and I loved it! I started doing all sorts of design gigs on the side: making posters for friends and school, and learning every design tool I could get my hands on online.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eventually, I was so hooked that I moved to New York to pursue my master\u2019s in Communications Design at Pratt Institute. And here I am! Over the past eight years, I\u2019ve been bouncing between Beijing, Shanghai, and New York for work. It\u2019s been quite the adventure\u2014experiencing different cultures and business landscapes firsthand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q2. What does being recognized in the MUSE Design Awards mean to you?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I submitted pioklepiokle because it\u2019s a project rooted in care, slowness, and intentionality\u2014values that are often overlooked in fast-paced creative industries. It felt important to share something that embraces patience and imperfection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Winning means a lot to me personally\u2014it validates that there\u2019s space for quieter, slower narratives. Professionally, it encourages me to keep building a practice that\u2019s both thoughtful and experimental.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q3. Can you share the story behind your success? What inspired its creation, and what do you feel it represents in today\u2019s industry?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The idea for pioklepiokle came from burnout, honestly. After years of working in fast-paced studios and corporate environments, I found myself craving slowness\u2014a space to make without constant deadlines or metrics. The name itself is a play on \u201cpickle,\u201d a reminder to let things marinate. The project started as a personal experiment, exploring handmade processes like knitting and textile work, and gradually evolved into something that holds emotional and creative weight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In today\u2019s industry, where speed and surface often take the spotlight, I think pioklepiokle stands as a form of resistance\u2014in the gentlest way. It\u2019s about embracing patience, imperfection, and care\u2014both in how things are made and how we relate to them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q4. What role does experimentation play in your creative process? Can you share an example?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I think what sets pioklepiokle apart is that it isn\u2019t trying to chase trends or look overly polished. It\u2019s rooted in real emotion, real process, and real time. Every element\u2014from the naming to the knitwear to the visual storytelling\u2014was carefully marinated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s a project that doesn\u2019t shout but still leaves an impression. In a field full of noise, pioklepiokle made space for quiet. That contrast, I think, is what made it shine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q5. What’s the most unusual source of inspiration you’ve ever drawn from for a project?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

One ongoing challenge throughout my career has been navigating the balance between creative freedom and external expectations\u2014whether that\u2019s from clients, timelines, or even my own perfectionism. Working across different cultures, time zones, and industries\u2014from Shanghai studios to in-house teams at Nike and Apple\u2014has taught me how to adapt quickly without compromising my values as a designer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With pioklepiokle specifically, the biggest hurdle was switching gears from being a creative collaborator to being a creative owner. Suddenly, I had to be the designer, the strategist, the photographer, and the voice. That kind of holistic ownership is both exciting and overwhelming.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I overcame it by embracing a slower pace and letting the project evolve naturally, rather than forcing it to be perfect right away. I also leaned into my past experiences\u2014drawing from the structure of agency workflows, the storytelling of brand work, and the intuition I\u2019ve built from years of hands-on design. That blend of flexibility and foundation helped keep the momentum going, even when things felt uncertain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

concepts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Winning Entry <\/p>\n\n\n\n

pioklepiokle<\/a><\/h6>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Explore the journey of Ashlee Hollis<\/a>, the Platinum Winner of the 2024 MUSE Creative Awards. She leads Helm Creative Studio, a woman-owned, award-winning agency in Philadelphia focused on empowering creatives and advancing social impact.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Zitong Zhao is a Brooklyn-based graphic designer and art director who finds inspiration in everyday moments, often behind her camera. 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