Sige Zheng - Sharing Waves: When Digital Nomads Meet Local Communities in Puerto Escondido, Mexico

Sige Zheng's thesis, Sharing Waves: When Digital Nomads Meet Local Communities in Puerto Escondido, Mexico, investigates how the rapid growth of digital nomadism affects community life and local infrastructure in Puerto Escondido. As a designer, surfer, and traveler, Sige has witnessed the surge in remote work and digital nomadism following COVID-19. Digital nomads arrive in Puerto Escondido and fall in love with the place. But love without responsibility has a cost—tourism growth has outpaced local infrastructure development. While grassroots organizations continue to support the community, many newcomers remain parallel to these efforts. This thesis asks: how might design create a meaningful bridge between those who are passing through and the communities and places they encounter—at the beginning, during, and beyond their journey?