By： Brian Smith

New York, NY – The groundbreaking exhibition Fractured Horizons debuted this May at the PI Art Center across its New York and New Jersey venues, under the prestigious banner of NYCxDesign Week 2025. Organized in collaboration with VSDesign, the exhibition explores the evolving relationship between humanity and technology, heritage and innovation, through multidisciplinary design practices.

Showcasing work from globally recognized talents, the exhibition brings together visionary artists and designers such as Eric Meod, Alex Diamant, Bethany Altschwager, Elise Racine, Guangming Zheng, Qin Zhao, and among them, the distinguished duo Hui Jing and Jinda Zhong, whose collaborative digital wellness project Upband offers a refreshing perspective on the future of creative health technologies.

Hui Jing, a Senior UX Designer based in San Francisco, and Jinda Zhong, a Product Designer working out of Chicago, co-developed Upband as a response to the growing need for accessible, joyful movement experiences in modern life. Their project merges motion-tracking technology with intuitive musical creation, turning everyday movement into sound — a powerful blend of health tech and emotional engagement.

While Hui brings years of design leadership from firms like Microsoft and American Express, Jinda contributes product innovation expertise from Thalerus, where they developed drag-and-drop GUI systems to improve e-commerce customization. Together, the designers crafted Upband as both a health tool and an emotionally resonant experience — reflecting their commitment to user-centered, socially impactful design.

Upband reimagines physical exercise by transforming movement into music. Leveraging smartwatch motion-tracking, the app allows users to "compose" in real time using gestures and physical activity. Each movement becomes a note, each session a spontaneous symphony — designed for users of all ages and musical backgrounds.

The showcased version of Upband at Fractured Horizons includes interactive demos, visual mockups, and a conceptual video installation. Visitors are invited to experience how motion can translate into melody and how technology can facilitate communal creativity. With inclusivity, accessibility, and mental well-being at its core, Upband is not just a digital product but a call to reimagine health as a joyful, collective act.

Both designers bring international recognition to the table. Hui Jing has contributed to industry-defining products and led empathy-driven design initiatives across top-tier tech firms. Jinda Zhong, an award-winning UX designer, holds advanced degrees in Visual Communication and Human-Computer Interaction, and currently drives product innovation in B2B platforms.

Upband was honored with multiple international accolades, including the NY Product Design Award (Silver) and the MUSE Creative Award (Gold), celebrating its innovative integration of music and movement in the wellness tech space. These honors recognize the team’s pioneering work in transforming passive digital interfaces into active, human-centered experiences.

Beyond Fractured Horizons, Hui and Jinda’s work has been showcased in exhibitions across Europe, North America, and Asia, including features at the Louvre’s ART SHOPPING fair, the Florence International Design Exhibition, and multiple appearances in international design competitions such as the IDA Design Awards and C2A.

As one of the flagship events of NYCxDesign, Fractured Horizons underscores New York City’s global leadership in design innovation. Drawing over 115,000 annual attendees and more than 750 million digital impressions, NYCxDesign is a benchmark for creative excellence.

Within this high-profile context, Hui Jing and Jinda Zhong’s contribution stands out as a beacon of humanistic innovation. Their work, Upband, encapsulates the exhibition’s central tension between technology and humanity. It reminds us that design isn’t just about function — it’s about feeling, community, and healing. By turning movement into music and solitude into shared rhythm, Upband offers a transformative vision for the future of digital wellness.