CHENGCHENG ZHAO
Chengcheng Zhao is a creative director and designer based in New York, specializing in building and growing lifestyle brands.


With a multidisciplinary background spanning digital experience design, product innovation, branding, and art direction, she brings a holistic perspective to every project. Drawing on her cross-cultural experience between East and West, Chengcheng combines thoughtful strategy with strong visual storytelling to create brands that resonate.


She is passionate about helping businesses refine their identity, connect with their audience, and evolve with purpose.

Previously
BCG X, Moment Design, MasterCard


Expertise
Brand Identity Design
Digital Experience Design 
Art Direction 
Strategy & Positioning 
Get in touch
chengcheng.k.zhao@gmail.com
Linkedin
Are.na

Ever-Pretty 2024-2025

Ever-Pretty is a formalwear brand founded in 2005 in Canada, known for celebrating every woman’s unique beauty through thoughtfully crafted dresses for special occasions. 

In 2024, Ever-Pretty set out to evolve their brand identity to better connect with the U.S. market and strengthen their direct-to-consumer (DTC) channels. The goal was to modernize the brand’s look and feel, elevate its digital presence—while remaining true to its values of variety, quality, effortless elegance, and confidence.


Role
Creative Director,  Designer

Team
Project Manager & Production: Solvia Foundry  
Creative Director: Chengcheng Zhao
Designer: Chengcheng Zhao, Claire Chen , Chris Liu
Photographer:  Jack Grayson

Scope
Brand Strategy, Brand Identity Design, Packaging Design, Website Design, Art Direaction


Aesté
2025

Branding, visual identity, and packaging design for Aesté—a home fragrance brand crafting tranquil atmospheres through high-quality scents and refined design.

Inspired by the landscapes behind each scent, the identity uses delicate, map-like line work to evoke traces of a journey. Each fragrance becomes a portal to a place—desert dunes, glacial shores—inviting the user to travel through scent in a quiet, immersive way.

Scope
Brand Identity Design, Packaging design


    onezero
     2025


    Brand identity and packaging for onezero—a sparkling protein water made for women who want clean energy and hydration, without compromise.

    The design is light, modern, and refreshing—echoing the feeling of the drink itself. Soft gradients, bold type, and minimal layouts capture the balance of function and style. A brand built to energize, simply.

    Scope
    Brand Identity Design, Packaging design





    Bales & King Orthodontics 
    2025

    Bales and King is a women-led orthodontics practice originally founded by Katie Bales’s father. As they entered a new partnership, they saw the opportunity to refresh their brand.

    Rooted in deep community trust and a multi-generational legacy, the rebrand aimed to modernize the visual identity while preserving its professional, approachable tone. The result is a brand that feels warm and contemporary—honoring its history while making space for the next chapter.

    Scope
    Brand Identity Design



    Softnoise Studio
    2022 - Present

    Softnoise Studio is a New York City–based jewelry brand focused on capturing ephemeral moments in sculptural form. We seek to preserve intimate gestures and everyday experiences as timeless objects that grow with their wearer.

    The designs often explore themes of time and memory—how we reencounter the imprinted past, trace embedded touch, and uncover untold stories through wear.

    I founded Softnoise as a personal channel to explore my evolving creative voice—blending design, aesthetics, and visual storytelling in ways that feel intuitive, intentional, and emotionally resonant.

    Role
    Founder & Creative Director



    Playground : Exploring Brand Worlds, with AI



    At a time when artificial intelligence expands the possibilities of visual exploration, I use it as a creative partner to imagine and shape new brand worlds.

    Through AI-assisted moodboarding and art direction, I experiment with imagery, atmosphere, and narrative—moving quickly between references, ideas, and visual territories.

    Some directions remain sketches. Others evolve into foundations for future campaigns, identities, and brand stories.


    CHENGCHENG ZHAO
    Get in touch
    chengcheng.k.zhao@gmail.com
    Linkedin
    Are.na