I'm Lan Zhang, a creative technologist who's passionate about crafting people-centric experiences, usually with code. Think of me as a design-oriented full-stack developer and an R&D enthusiast. My approach is rooted in deep curiosity and a pursuit of exploring technologies in unexpected, meaningful, and often playful ways.

Currently, I work as a Senior Creative Technologist at Havas CX in NYC, leading R&D initiatives and technical development for playful, AI-driven, and immersive digital experiences for brands using LLMs, WebGL, and interactive systems.
(Most of the work is either under NDA or not open to the public, but I'd be happy to chat about processes and insights.)

Inspired by developers who push the boundaries of the web as an experimental playground, I curate collections of good digital experiences through:Are.na - Good InternetandAwwwards - WebGL. I also contribute to the digital design community as a developer jury for Awwwards, currently in year #4.

I hold an MFA in Design and Technology from Parsons School of Design and a BS in Advertising Art Direction from Syracuse University, blending technical expertise with storytelling and interaction design.

What I built with:

• AI & Storytelling → LLMs, NLP, Generative AI, WebSockets, Python, APIs
• Rapid Prototyping & R&D → JavaScript, Python, Unity, Figma, Paper :)
• Immersive Web & Real-Time Graphics → WebGL, GLSL, Three.js, Unity, TouchDesigner
• Physical & Spatial Computing → AR/VR, 8th Wall, Unity, Arduino, sensors
• Enterprise Design System → React, Next.js, Tailwind, Figma, Storybook