headshot of Stephanie Zhu

Hey there, I’m Stephanie.

I was most recently a designer and developer at San Francisco Chronicle working on digital news products and interactive stories. My work there has been recognized by the Online News Association, Society for News Design and Pulitzers. Before that, I studied journalism, computer science and design at Northwestern University. I’ve also designed for The Boston Globe and CalMatters.

Like every person with a journalism background ever, I tell people I love telling stories. But more specifically, I want to combine research and analysis skills I learned from journalism with technology to create experiences that are thoughtful and delightful.

What this looks like is different day-to-day and can be confusing to explain, but at the core of it all, I just want to make cool things.

Currently:
• obsessing over whimsical art, jigsaw puzzles and bright colors
• making questionable choices in Disco Elysium
• reading Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry
• documenting my eats through doodles

See something interesting? Let’s chat! :-)

Kudos [selected]

Silver Medal

Society for News Design • Creative Competition 47

Award of Excellence (x5)

Society for News Design • Creative Competition 47

Honorable Mention • Excellence in Online/Digital Journalism, Immersive Storytelling

Asian American Journalists Association • 2025 Journalism Excellence Awards

Bronze Medal (x2)

Society for News Design • Creative Competition 46

Award of Excellence (x4)

Society for News Design • Creative Competition 46

Winner • Excellence in Visual Digital Storytelling

Online News Association • Online Journalism Awards 2024

Winner • Topical Reporting: Race, Ethnicity, Gender and Identity

Online News Association • Online Journalism Awards 2024

Award of Excellence (x2)

Society for News Design • Creative Competition 45

Award of Excellence (x3)

Society for News Design • Creative Competition 44

Developer/Designer

Contributed to Pulitzer finalist pieces in 2023 and 2026