From China to Copenhagen: Studying in Denmark changed this designer’s life

studying in denmark
Studying in Denmark has given Xuerong Zhang a multitude of opportunities that she might not have had otherwise. Source: Xuerong Zhang

A proverb in Chinese goes: “坐井观天 (zuò jǐng guān tiān),” literally translated into English as “sitting in a well watching the sky.”

But what the proverb really means is being willfully ignorant and narrow-minded; someone who doesn’t leave the well to see the magnitude of what the world has to offer beyond the skies above it.

Xuerong Zhang lives by these words — and ensured she had as full a view of the world as she could by studying in Denmark.

“If I only studied in one place, I think I would only learn a specific way of doing things,” she says.

Zhang started her university journey at China’s Nanjing Agricultural University and pursued a mechanical engineering programme in her first year before switching completely to the industrial and product design programme.

“I think design has a higher degree of freedom compared to other majors because there are many answers to beauty, and the creative possibilities are infinite,” she says.

“I prefer the creativity you get from design to the rigour of physics. Moreover, industrial design is also based on some scientific theories and data, such as ergonomics, and is not as pie-in-the-sky as pure art.”

studying in denmark

Zhang’s undergraduate studies in China focused on the subject of industrial and product design – a topic that combined art and science into one. Source: Xuerong Zhang

Industrial design is the professional practice of designing products and services used by millions of people around the world every day.

Industrial designers typically focus on the physical appearance, functionality, and manufacturability of a product, though they are often involved in far more during a development cycle. All of this ultimately extends to the overall lasting value and experience a product or service provides for end-users.

The subject strikes the perfect balance of art and science – an aspect that attracted Zhang a great deal. 

studying in denmark

While Zhang might not have pursued her industrial and product design programme further, she acknowledges that the skills she learned have shaped her approach as a designer. Source: Xuerong Zhang

Shifting design focuses and learning in a new environment

In her industrial design programme, Zhang picked up skills like engineering drawing, auto body design, product development design, visual communication design, service system design, and C programming.

All handy skills, even if Zhang didn’t proceed with an industrial designer’s career after completing her undergraduate studies.

Instead, she packed her bags and was off half a world away to see what else she could learn – this time through studying in Denmark.

“I was pretty curious about how people do design in Europe,” Zhang explains. “There are a lot of design masters here, and I wanted to learn the different perspectives.”

For the uninitiated, Denmark’s prize creations include Poul Henningsen’s PH Lamp, Finn Juhl and Niels Vodder’s Pelican Chair, and Arne Jacobsen’s Egg Chair.

Zhang found what she was looking for at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts (KADK), one of the top universities in Denmark ranked #22 in the QS WUR Ranking By Subject 2024 for Art and Design.

There, she pursued a Master’s in Game and Interactive Media Design.

The programme focused on game media, visual entertainment, animation design, level design, 3D modelling, design theory research, story narrative, and business modelling research – quite a change from Zhang’s bachelor’s in industrial and product design.

Still, the skills she picked up prior were helpful.

“I am grateful for the opportunity to study industrial design to begin to understand design, and some of the methodologies I learned in industrial design and the empathy I should have as a designer will always influence me,” says Zhang.

studying in denmark

One major difference about studying in Denmark for her master’s was that Zhang’s cohort was small in size, offering lots of opportunities for collaboration and group work. Source: Xuerong Zhang

Plus, Zhang wasn’t the only one to benefit from her existing skills too – her master’s programme consisted of a class of 12 people, and many discussions and exchange of ideas took place.

“Everyone needs to speak up, talk about their opinions, and play a role in the team,” she says. 

“In Denmark, presentation skills and expression skills are important. When I first arrived here, I was quiet and not sure when to express myself. However, my professors and classmates encouraged me to speak up. Now, I am more confident and comfortable with presentations and expressing my own opinions.”

studying in denmark

Zhang’s graduation project, Tap Tap Island, earned her one of the most prestigious awards in Denmark. Source: Xuerong Zhang

The best parts about studying in Denmark

Beyond building her technical skills as a designer and sharpening her communication skills, Zhang’s time in Denmark is also marked by the opportunities she earned just by being in a new country.

From getting out of her bubble by meeting people from different backgrounds to seizing the work-life balance culture of Denmark to stay inspired and creative, studying abroad has been a great experience thus far.

“It’s not just about studying hard here, there’s also a strong focus on enjoying life and finding time for personal development,” she says. “That balance has helped me stay creative and energized.”

At her master’s graduation ceremony, Zhang was awarded a prestigious scholarship by HK Denmark, a scholarship only offered to four recipients in the country, for her graduation project, Tap Tap Island.

It wasn’t something Zhang had applied to, so imagine her surprise when she was named an award recipient

“I think my professors applied for me and I felt encouraged,” she says.

For the graduation project, Zhang’s class was encouraged to focus on sustainable development – a factor that KADK is keenly incorporating into their curriculum – and Tap Tap Island is a result of that.

“I thought about making a game where you have to balance resources and build a city, and that’s how I came up with the idea,” Zhang explains. 

“If I have to say what I did better than my peers, I’d say it was because I made a playable game. Most of them have more of a concept or prototype instead of making a game that can be released to the public while we were still studying.”

Fast forward to a few weeks after her graduation ceremony, Zhang had the opportunity to present Tap Tap Island at the Water Exhibition at the Danish Architecture Centre. The game — while still in development — was presented as a kid-friendly educational game to learn about balancing the resources in the world, including water, food and the environment.

It suffices to say that her single decision to study in Denmark has helped pave a brighter path for her future.

“I grew up a lot in two years; my English is much better, and I learned a lot of game design skills,” says Zhang, who credits the workshops and resources offered by KADK for her growth.

studying in denmark

For Zhang (first on the right), studying in Denmark was made all the better through the support she gained from her school and professors. Source: Xuerong Zhang



“The professors are good too. In our programme, we have Professor Jesper Juul, who is very good at academic research; Professor Jakob Ion Wille, who is very good at practical work, and my supervisor Arthur Steijn, who was very helpful in guiding my graduation project.”

And the best news? Zhang managed to turn her internship into a part-time career as a digital designer. 

Her next goal is simple: updating her portfolio with new projects and releasing a completed Tap Tap Island out into the world.