As digital technologies continue to transform the design industry, 3D visual communication design has emerged as a specialized area that combines technical visualization, digital storytelling, and public engagement. Beyond its traditional applications in product rendering and commercial marketing, the discipline is increasingly being used to communicate complex cultural and societal topics through accessible visual experiences. Within this area, Danting Li has developed a distinctive body of work focused on cultural heritage interpretation and data ethics awareness through contemporary 3D design.
Danting Li is a Senior Graphic Designer and Co-Founder of SparksGlo based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Holding a Master’s degree and more than ten years of professional experience, Danting has built a multidisciplinary practice that combines 3D visualization, visual communication, cultural research, and conceptual storytelling. Danting leads creative direction for branding, digital platforms, packaging design, and marketing initiatives. Her work consistently explores how 3D visual communication design can be used to transform complex cultural and social subjects into engaging public experiences. Danting serves as the founder and curator of the YOSN Art Series, an e-magazine series dedicated to exploring the intersection of art, technology, culture, and society. Prior to co-founding SparksGlo, Danting worked as a Graphic Designer at ZAM Network, contributing to projects associated with internationally recognized brands and organizations, including PUBG Mobile, Tencent, LPL, and Alchemy Stars.
One of the strongest examples of Danting’s approach to 3D visual communication design is SparksGlo Horse Sugar Script Blind Box, a project developed for the 2026 Year of the Horse. The project draws inspiration from Chinese sugar painting, a traditional folk art recognized as a national intangible cultural heritage of China. Rather than presenting the subject through conventional educational or exhibition formats, Danting explored how contemporary 3D visual communication design could introduce historical cultural knowledge to modern audiences through an interactive collectible experience.
To develop the project, Danting conducted extensive research into the historical evolution of Chinese writing systems and selected eleven different script variations of the Chinese character for “horse.” These include oracle bone script, bronze script, seal script, clerical script, regular script, running script, cursive script, Wei stele script, bamboo slip script, Nüshu, and nine-fold seal script. Using Autodesk Fusion, Danting created detailed 3D visualizations that translated these historical forms into contemporary sculptural representations while preserving their distinctive visual characteristics.
The project also incorporated digital prototyping and production planning workflows. Danting developed customized packaging structures and used interference testing to evaluate the fit between each sugar sculpture and its corresponding inner tray. Rendering tools were used to assess packaging details, material finishes, and presentation elements before physical production began. The exterior packaging incorporated a hoof-inspired visual motif, while the blind-box format introduced an element of discovery that encouraged audiences to engage with historical Chinese scripts in a contemporary context.
Following the completion of the digital design process, the project entered physical production under Danting’s creative direction. The final products featured customized packaging, foil-stamped details, and edible sugar sculptures representing the eleven script variations. The blind box products have generated more than $85115 in sales and reached customers in both the United States and China.
The project has received recognition from numerous international design competitions, including the French Design Awards, American Good Design Awards 2026 Gold Award, 2026 Indigo Design Award, 2026 London Design Awards, 2026 Hermes Creative Awards, UK FADA-2026 Future Art & Design Award, Muse Creative Awards, and NY Product Design Awards. The project was also officially selected for the London International Creative Competition 2025 and invited to be exhibited at the 2026 Krosno Design Festival in Poland.
While SparksGlo Horse Sugar Script Blind Box demonstrates Danting’s use of 3D visual communication design for cultural heritage interpretation, her project Conditional Privacy applies the same design methodology to contemporary issues surrounding technology, privacy, and personal data.
Created entirely in Autodesk Fusion, Conditional Privacy is a conceptual visual campaign that examines how privacy is presented and understood within modern digital systems. The project was inspired by widely discussed developments involving data governance, user consent, and the handling of personal information by technology platforms. Through a carefully constructed 3D environment, Danting translated abstract discussions about privacy into a visual narrative that audiences can immediately understand.
The scene is set within a minimalist data storage facility rendered with cold-toned lighting, transparent materials, and industrial architectural elements. Two glass human figures stand before a large mirror beneath the statement, “We value your privacy.” From their perspective, the mirror reflects only themselves, creating a sense of trust and security. Beneath the statement, a small disclaimer reading “terms and conditions apply” appears in a subtle visual treatment that is easy to overlook.
The narrative then shifts behind the wall, revealing that the mirror functions as a one-way mirror. On the opposite side, another figure observes everything taking place. Actions that appear private from one perspective become visible from another, transforming an abstract discussion about digital privacy into a tangible visual experience. Through this contrast, Danting explores concerns surrounding transparency, consent, and the management of personal information within contemporary digital systems.
The project received recognition through several international awards and exhibitions, including the 2026 AVA Digital Awards Platinum Award, 2026 London Design Awards, and 2026 Hermes Creative Awards. It has also been exhibited through Open Art & AOL at The Holy Art in New York and the 2026 online exhibition Textures, Shapes, Patterns or Forms presented by Las Laguna Art Gallery. In addition, the project has been selected for exhibition at the XVI Florence Biennale in 2027, one of the world’s most recognized international exhibitions dedicated to contemporary art and design.
Together, SparksGlo Horse Sugar Script Blind Box and Conditional Privacy demonstrate a consistent theme throughout Danting’s professional practice. Although the subjects differ significantly, both projects utilize 3D visual communication design to make complex ideas more accessible. One interprets cultural heritage through contemporary visual storytelling, while the other examines issues related to technology and personal data. In both cases, the primary objective extends beyond aesthetics and focuses on communication, interpretation, and public engagement.
Danting’s contributions to this specialized area also extend into publishing. As founder and curator of the YOSN Art Series, Danting has created an international platform that explores the relationship between art, technology, culture, and society.
The first edition, YOSN Art Series, Vol. 1: AI, Data, Illusion, features twelve artists from around the world whose works examine public trust in emerging technologies, digital systems, and data governance. Conditional Privacy serves as both the cover artwork and a featured illustration within the publication, extending the broader discussion initiated through Danting’s visual design practice.
Distributed through Yumpu, Lulu, and Amazon Kindle, the publication recorded more than 2200 reads on Yumpu shortly after its release, and the number of views continues to increase. Through the YOSN Art Series, Vol. 1: AI, Data, Illusion, Danting has expanded conversations surrounding technology, visual culture, and public awareness beyond individual design projects.
Danting’s expertise in visual communication design has also been recognized through invitations to evaluate the work of other professionals. Danting is a Certified Judge at the Orpetron Web Design Awards, where she has evaluated more than 380 website design submissions from multiple countries. She has also been invited to serve as a judge for 2026 The Global Undergraduate Awards, 30th Annual 2026 WebAward competition, 21st Annual 2026 Globee® Awards for Technology, 2026 (11th annual) Stevie Awards for Great Employers, 2026 w3 Awards, 12th Annual 2026 German Stevie® Awards, and 2026 (23rd Annual) International Business Awards®.
These judging roles reflect professional recognition of Danting’s expertise and standing within the field of visual communication design. In addition to creating design work, Danting contributes to the professional evaluation of work submitted by other designers and participants. Her judging responsibilities include assessing creativity, usability, execution quality, and conceptual clarity. The range of international organizations that have invited Danting to serve as a judge further demonstrates the breadth of her experience across digital and visual communication.
Looking ahead, Danting continues to expand her work within 3D visual communication design through new projects and publications. Future initiatives include YOSN Art Series, Vol. 2, which will focus on typography and type design and feature her project SparksGlo Artack Regular Type Design alongside contributions from international artists and designers.
Across these different activities, a consistent element can be found in Danting’s approach to 3D visual communication design. Her work uses digital visualization as a way to translate subjects that can otherwise be difficult to communicate visually. Traditional Chinese cultural heritage, including sugar painting and historical Chinese scripts, is reinterpreted through contemporary three-dimensional design in SparksGlo Horse Sugar Script Blind Box. Questions about privacy and data access are translated into a visual narrative in Conditional Privacy. Discussions about artificial intelligence and digital trust are extended through the YOSN Art Series, Vol. 1: AI, Data, Illusion.
Through her work in commercial design, cultural interpretation, social commentary, publishing, exhibitions, and professional evaluation, Danting has developed a distinctive approach to 3D visual communication design. Her practice spans physical products, commercial digital platforms, cultural storytelling, and contemporary discussions surrounding emerging technologies. Her projects have received international awards and exhibition recognition, generated measurable commercial results, reached audiences through publishing, and led to invitations to evaluate the work of other designers. Together, these activities demonstrate how Danting applies contemporary digital design to introduce cultural heritage to new audiences, communicate complex technological subjects, and engage viewers with issues shaping contemporary society.
Links of YOSN Art Series:
https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/view/71261993/yosn-art-series-vol-1-ai-data-illusion
https://www.instagram.com/yosnuniverse/
Link of SparksGlo:
