Yanfang Zhang is an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Design, Kyushu University, Japan, and the Director of the SDGs Design Center.

She holds a PhD in design from Kyushu University, with expertise in universal design and social design, particularly focusing on design initiatives for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

After earning her PhD, she worked for eight years in a Japanese design company specializing in universal design, participating in projects such as the universal design for all Fukuoka Bank branches, signage and universal design for JR West’s Hakata Station, and the spatial design of Fukuoka City Children’s Hospital. Her work has received multiple domestic and international design awards.

She is also a member of various organizations, including the Japan Universal Design Association, the Japanese Society for the Science of Design, the Japan Sign Design Association, the Japan Co-Creation Society, and DESIS-Q Lab. Currently, she leads several inter-university projects under the theme of “design for SDGs” at the Faculty of Design, Kyushu University, aiming to integrate the practice and education of universal and human-centered design with research, contributing deeply and broadly to society.