Hello, and nice to meet you! My name is Liz Li.
I’m a graphic designer specializing in books and branding.
Welcome to my portfolio!
Wong Kar Wai
The History Behind 11 of the Most Notorious Chinese American Fast Food Recipes
- 7.25″ wide x 9.5″ tall
- 4c offset printed w/embossing & spot UV on cover
- 112 pages perfect-bound
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- Publisher: self-published
- Food photography: Rachel Kim
- Printer: Ken The Book Printer
- Role: copywriting, editorial design, photo direction, illustration, production
- Typeface(s): Mikrobe Variable, Mr Eaves XL Sans, Valnera Variable, Larken
Authentic Chinese Food is a cookbook that explores the Chinese American diaspora through the fast food they have become notorious for. This “American Chinese food”, such as General Tso's chicken, crab rangoons, and chow mein, has often been dismissed "inauthentic" by the general American public, as well as by Chinese people themselves. However, this book further examines the nuance of the word "authentic" and what this American Chinese fast food really means for Chinese immigrants.
The origin of each dish is distilled into a brief essay at the start of each recipe. Together, the histories of these dishes explore the political and social xenophobia that Chinese immigrants have faced and continue to face in America and how Chinese immigrants cooked and sold these dishes out of necessity to survive in a country that wanted them gone. As a whole, this book asks: is authenticity a quality defined by strict tradition, or is authenticity a living word that describes lived experience, regardless of class or nationality?
From editorial design, to art direction onsite at the photoshoot with Rachel Kim
Series branding
- 4″ wide x 3.5″ tall x 1.5” deep
- 4c offset printed box w/spot gloss; 1c printed tickets
- Hexagonal box containing a roll of 200 perforated tickets
- Publisher: Chronicle Books
- Role: branding, packaging, & editorial design, illustration
- Typeface(s): Rammus Display, Hatfield Park Pro, Category
A new concept in daily affirmations: a take-anywhere, share-with-anyone mini box of encouragement! Take-a-Ticket is a gift format series from Chronicle Books that offers 200 tickets inside a hexagonal box. Each title in the series offers a quick infusion of positivity into your day. Each heagonal box contains a roll of 200 perforated tickets with affirmations, tear-able puns, or prompts for creative inspiration.
Want more info? Interested to see my process of developing this brand? Read the case study
As the lead designer on this project, I was responsible for setting the tone and aesthetic for the series. After extensive collaboration with the editorial team, marketing & sales executives, and the design directors, I settled on an approach that combined playful color and with a retro-inspired visual vernacular.
Shop Take-a-Ticket: Affirmations
Here are the 2 other visual directions I explored:
A Solo Tattoo Performance & Installation
- 5″ wide x 7″ tall
- digitally & inkjet printed on linen paper and kozo paper; flush cut
- 140 pages coptic stitch bound by hand
- Freelance for Taka Fantone
- Role: editorial design, production
- Typeface(s): Avenir
Mirror to Mirror is a documentation book that I created for Taka Fantone’s 2022 tattoo installation of the same name. Using Fantone’s research on Filipino and Japanese tattoos, her writings, and installation photography, I crafted a book that captures the intimacy of her installation and performance.
Japanese kozo (mulberry) paper envelops each signature and serves as chapter headers. The translucent nature of this paper not only allows Fantone’s art to shine through, but also mimics the feel of tattoo transfer paper.
The book follows the structure of the installation, starting with the artist statement, followed by Fantone’s research on her cultural tattoos, her art for the installation, and finally the documentation of the performance where Fantone tattooed herself.
A Book About That Chinese Restuarant Font
- 4.5″ wide x 12″ tall
- riso printed black and red ink on yellow paper
- 64 pages perfect bound
- Publisher: self-published
- Role: editorial design, illustraiton, production
- Typeface(s): Chop Suey, Alegreya
Chop Suey is a book about that Chinese restaurant font. You know, the one with blocky strokes that feels vaguely racist but also is used widely by Chinese business owners. In this book, I explore the visual landscape of the Chinese American experience through the aesthetics of China in America – such as this typeface, the architecture of Chinatowns, and Chinese entertainers in Hollywood.
To mimic the feel of a restaurant menu, I chose a drastically vertical trim size.
I included annotations on the images and the articles editorializing on the content with my personal thoughts and experiences as a Chinese American who grew up in a place where my family and I were almost the only Asian people around. Additionally, the book features some of my own writings where I deemed it necessary. Source material is printed in red ink, while my writings and annotations are printed in black ink, representing my personal voice.
30 DIY Arrangements, Bouquets, Wreaths, and Other Seasonal Flower Projects
- 3″ wide x 5.5″ tall
- 4c offset printed w/ soft touch matte lam & spot gloss on box
- 30 folding cards in a sliding tray box
- Publisher: Chronicle Books
- Role: Editorial design
- Typeface(s): Editor Condensed, Inkwell Serif, Sweet Sans Pro
The Floral Project Deck is a set of 30 folding cards, arranged seasonally. Each card contains a recipe for a seasonal floral arrangement and features an full page illustration, creating a wonderfully luxe package.
This easy-to-use deck includes 30 how-to recipe cards for creating gorgeous seasonal arrangements, including:
- A lush harvest tablescape
- A welcoming holiday wreath
- A summer-sweet centerpiece for al fresco dining
- A 'grateful guest' bundle to present to your host
- Bouquets for Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, and more
As the designer on this project, I designed the cards and packaging. My goal was to create an elegant design system by choosing typefaces that were inspired by flower shops and complemented the art and photos well. It should feel timeless and chic.
A Chapbook by Maya Lu
- 5.5″ wide x 5.5″ tall
- Riso printed in teal and red ink
- 24 pages saddle bound
- Publisher: Kaya Press
- Role: editorial design, production coordinator
- Typeface(s): Avara, Optima
- Collaborators: Maya Lu (author), Kaya Press (publisher), Tiny Splendor (printer)
Double Happiness is the first in a series of chapbooks published by Kaya Press’ imprint, Milkteeth Books. Written by Maya Lu. Printed in risograph at Tiny Splendor in Los Angeles, California.
What comes before a language and a home, and what comes after—if “after” exists at all? The first title from Kaya Press’ Milkteeth imprint, Maya Lu's Double Happiness meanders through family gardens and Chinese zodiac cycles, personal and political histories. Responding to a 对联 passed on from her mother, Lu tends to the lost and the inherited, “choosing what to dig out / and what to leave behind” between generations. Blending lyric vignettes and archival photos, Double Happiness weaves dreamlike between the ever-changing landscapes of Beijing and California and the strange gaps of what memory carries.
The square motif throughout this book serves to censor, highlight, and weaves a story out of certain pieces of photography that correlate with the text—akin to how one’s memory obscures and emphasizes only select pieces of the past. These squares not only mirror the trim of the book itself, but it also references the red “福” decorations that are commonly used around the time of Lunar New Year in Chinese families.
Art installation branding
- Brannding for an art exhibition
- Poster, postcards, digital & social media assets
- Client: UCLA Design|Media Arts
- Roles: brand design, art direction
- Typeface: Tiltortion, Helvetica Neue
I was commissioned to create identity branding, signage, and promotional materials for “Sincerely,” an senior art showcase and gallery exhibition for undergraduates of UCLA’s department of Design|Media Arts (DMA).
The name “Sincerely,” comes from the letter valediction, and it was chosen to honor the bittersweetness college students feel as they graduate. “Sincerely,” aims to communicate that yes, these students were here, left their mark on UCLA, and are ready for what’s next. As such, I chose to combine familiar mail motifs, such as stamps, with pixelation to refernece the digital nature of Design | Media Arts.
A live music bar serving well drinks and specialty cocktails
- Branding for a live music bar
- Logo, storefront, merch, menu, coasters
- Concept
- Roles: Brand design, illustration, custom typography
- Typeface(s): Instrument Serif, Authentic Sans
Rye + Rhythm is a bar that celebrates live music and good drinks. They emphasize that everyone—and every genre—is welcome. As the name implies, their specialty is rye whiskey and bourbon cocktails, but they don’t discriminate; their menu features a wide range of cocktails, wines, beers and even non-alcoholic beverages.
The keywords for this brand were welcoming, sophisticated-yet-approachable, and nostalgic. In order to embrace these characteristics while honoring their love of all music genres, I created a sophisticated custom type logo based on the humble music note (
I created a custom checkerboard pattern that incorporates the roundness of musical notes with the classic nostalgia of diners and bars. For the color palette, I chose a mix of comforting jewel tones (wine red and moss) and refreshing light colors (jasmine, sky blue, and citrus). It should feel nostalgic yet elevated.
The illustration serves to combine the two main purposes of the bar: live music and drinks. With that in mind, I created a playful illustration library that complements the more severe logo and typography. Try and spot all the drinks that the musicians are drinking!
Brand design & packaging design
- Candy brand & product design
- Concept
- Role: Branding & packaging design, 3D modeling, copywriting
- Typeface(s): Providence Pro， 字由点字手写童真体
Candy Wands is a candy brand celebrating the Chinese street food tánghúlú (糖葫芦), which are skewers of fruit dipped in hardened sugar. In this mass-produced version, the skewer of fruit becomes a gummy lollipop coated in a hard candy shell. I decided to offer the candy in two flavors: strawberry and hawthorne (in my opnion, the best flavors of tánghúlú).
For this brand, I used handwritten, textured typefaces that reference the street food origins of tánghúlú (糖葫芦). This, combined with the street cart motif gives the brand personality while also making it accessible to young and old audiences alike.
My goal was to make the brand feel playful, nostalgic, and inviting across all product uses. It should feel modern, yet still pay homage to the street food that inspired it.
Interactive 3D model of candy
A Selection of Poetry by Rita Wong
- 5.25″ wide x 5.25″ tall
- Riso printed in blue and red ink
- 20 pages saddle bound
- Self-published
- Role: editorial design, production
- Typeface(s): Avara, Barlow, Redaction
Forage is a zine that contains a selection of poems by Chinese Canadian writer, Rita Wong, that were sent to me by a friend. I love how Wong uses her writing to understand her identity as an immigrant while simultaneously using her voice to support indigenous people. Her writing sits at the intersection of new and old, land and water, climate and technology and has been a great influence of mine. I find it serendipitous how I stumbled across her writing by chance, so with this project, I aim to honor her.
To honor the rich symbolism and imagery wong uses in her writing, I paired her poems with photos of objects reference either explicitly in her writing or through theme. I chose to riso print this zine, as the texture and ephemerality of the medium pairs with the themes of natural decay and technology that Wong writes about.
Typography inspired by FKA Twigs
- 10″ wide x 8″ tall
- Digital mockups
- 54 pages perfect bound
- Self-published
- Role: editorial design
- Typeface(s): Baskerville URW
Celophane is a book of typographic compositions inspired by the song Cellophane by FKA Twigs. In order to challenge myself, I chose to only use the family of Baskerville URW and instead use color, weight, and size create hierarchy and contrast.
This book documents the progression of typographic explorations, from only using black and white, to adding color. This progression is executed backwards, such that each chapter peels back a layer of design—much like the song Cellophane reveals the heart and emotions of FKA Twigs.
My goal was the use negative space to reflect the vulnerability of the song. Back and white is used in contrast to grey tones to exhibit the complexities and nuance that is often lost when viewing people and their relationships. I used art and photography from FKA Twig’s album and music videos to accompany the typography. Additionally, a brief musical analysis of the song is included in the foreword.
A book celebrating the auteurship of Wong Kar Wai
- 5.5″ wide x 8.5″ tall
- Digital mockups
- CMYK+W printed on black paper
- Concept
- Role: editorial design
- Copy: Li Cheuk-to
- Typeface(s): Lucette, League Mono
WKW: The Artistry of Wong Kar Wai is a concept book I made to celebrate the work of my favorite director: Wong Kai Wai. In order to highlight the themes of light versus shadow in Wong’s work, I chose to use toned black paper and print CMYK+W. This dark paper also mimics the darkness of a theater, which allows the fim tills to shine even brighter on the page.
For the cover design, I chose thin lines and geometry inspired by classic Chinese patterns. These rules are continued in the interior spreads where they become threads that draw connections and lead the reader from one element to another. The title of each film is featured as a running header along the bottom of the pages. It is cut in half to reference the themes of what is seen versus hidden in Wong’s films.
In addition to stills from the film, this book also features movie posters designed by me—featured in images 2 and 7 below. As the primary audience for this reading book would be film buffs, I chose a monospaced typeface that is not only legible, but enhances the film analyses and references the “undesigned” UI of film production technology. This stiffness is contrasted by the serif typeface Lucette for the headers and title, as it reflects the wistful, romantice mood of Wong’s films. It should capture the grace and subtlety of Wong’s filmography through editorial design.
So far, only In The Mood For Love is completed. Text by Li Cheuk-to for The Criterion Collection
An Illustrated Exploration of Creepy Creatures, the Paranormal, and Folklore from around the World
- 8″ wide x 10″ tall
- 4c offset printed w/ 2 Pantone neon inks on interior and glow-in-the-dark ink and debossing on cover
- 144 pages perfect-bound
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- Publisher: Chronicle Books
- Role: editorial design
- Collaborators: Neil Egan (Design Director), Ricardo Diseño (Illustrator/Author), Steve Mockus (Editor/Author)
This hauntingly illustrated book peers into the dark spaces that lie somewhere between belief and imagination, and into the weird stories we tell to make sense of where and who we are. Here are tales of vengeful ghosts, bloodthirsty monsters, internet-conjured nightmares, lost souls, cryptid curiosities, demons, aliens, the undead, and the inexplicable.
The colors in this book are vibrant and bright—thanks to the 2 neon Pantone inks that were swapped for the traditional Cyan and Magenta inks in CMYK.
Rethinking Drinking for the Sober & Curious
- 6″ wide x 8″ tall
- 4c offset printed w/ foil stamping on cover
- 208 pages perfect-bound with ribbon marker
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- Publisher: Chronicle Books
- Role: editorial design, illustration, design coordination
- Collaborators: Vanessa Dina (Design Director)
- Typeface(s): VAG Rounded
For anyone who’s been considering swapping out cocktails for mocktails, Booze Less is the helping hand you've been waiting for.
Through interactive prompts and activities, mini-essays exploring being alcohol-free in an alcohol-filled world, and hardworking how-tos, this guided journal shows you how to take your sober curiosity from possibility to way of life and find power and freedom in doing so.
Our target audience for this title was Millenials and Gen Z individuals who are seeking a bright, fun, and modern way to redefine their relationship with alcohol. With this in mind, I chose a sleek design and contrasted this severity with a playfully rounded font.