I’m Chi Hao, a graphic designer and artist based in New York City.

I spend a lot of time thinking about pauses—the quiet moments just before something happens. Maybe it’s because our world feels rushed, conditioned to expect immediate clarity. It makes me wonder: When did we become so uncomfortable with uncertainty, with not knowing?

In my practice across brand identity, typography, motion graphics, web design, and spatial installations, I deliberately hold space for contemplation. I embrace friction, hesitation, and ambiguity—not as disruptions, but as invitations. New meanings unfold slowly, quietly, in spaces where attention deepens rather than accelerates. I believe design can move differently—at the pace of people. And people, real people, don’t always move quickly.

We wander.
We get distracted.
We forget and remember.
We take time to arrive.

Pausing isn't passive. It's active. It's where interpretation begins, not ends—where things remain unresolved but alive.

I hold an MFA in Graphic Design from the Rhode Island School of Design, where I also taught undergraduate design, and a BFA from the School of Visual Arts. I recently wrote and designed a book titled Lingering Loading, based on my MFA thesis, exploring these themes in depth. Beyond credentials, what matters most to me is creating work that feels honest, human, and deeply considered—design that doesn’t just deliver information but creates space for reflection.

Maybe that’s why you’re here. If so, I invite you to stay just a little longer. Because some things only arrive when we give them time.