Conceptualization
Vector Illustration
Interactive Design
Typography
Adobe Illustrator
Adobe Photoshop
ReadyMag
It narrates from the street by the riverside life—the moments of dragging along, moving at an unabated pace—how instances blur into another, how the past and present blend. It's work that suggests clarity will be found not in stillness but within the movement of everyday life, where fragments of experience—fleeting, scattered, incomplete—form into some larger and more hidden narrative.
It is the essence of the city unraveled like some recalcitrant memory, piece by piece, allowing interpretation and reflection to consider that life is in relentless flux.
INSPIRATION
To begin my project, I read Invisible Cities
As the focus of my project, I chose Bình Thạnh District, Ho Chi Minh City due to the deep personal connection I have with it. Having lived here for many years, the district feels familiar—part of the rhythm of daily life. Yet beneath its normalcy lies something quietly special. The name itself holds a duality: “Bình” evokes calmness, peace, and comfort, while “Thạnh” suggests movement, growth, and innovation. True to its name, Binh Thanh is a place of contrasts—where development and progress coexist with a sense of intimacy and gentleness, especially felt through the lives of its residents.
GATHERING THOUGHTS
Through Invisible Cities by Italo Calvino and my reflections on Bình Thạnh District, I began to connect place with personal thought. The experience of a city gradually turns into fragments of memory—blurred, altered by time and movement. In the fast pace of life, it’s rare to find stillness, yet in moments of focus, clarity emerges. Amid the constant motion, distinct memories surface—separate yet connected, forming the unique emotional landscapes of each person.
Bình Thạnh, as I observe it, moves endlessly. Each day holds hundreds of encounters—chaotic, vibrant, sometimes conflicting. In my memory, these moments drift like pieces in an undefined space. At night, when the city quiets, everything sharpens: cold lights flicker, silence falls, and people seem to pause, waiting for the day to close. It’s a feeling both vague and crystal clear.
With this project, I chose to explore the inner world of people—their thoughts and emotions—rather than the external aspects of place, shifting away from my previous, more surface-level approach.
VISUAL CONCEPT
Begin by visualizing the feeling the work will evoke in the viewer. Blurred, indistinct imagery can be powerful—it creates space for personal reflection, allowing each viewer to feel and interpret freely. A subtle touch of emotion—through text, imagery, and gentle color choices—can create a calm, peaceful atmosphere that still holds a sense of motion. The goal is not to explain everything, but to invite quiet contemplation within a world that is always shifting.
TYPE CHOICE
With the concept in place, I began searching for typefaces that could convey the intention behind the design. I chose Xanh Mono
LAYOUT
The initial sketch of the website was quite simple. I began by envisioning the number of pages and how the content would be presented uniquely on each one. From there, I moved into the details—refining the layout of each page using grid systems, adjusting placements to suit the content, and ensuring a smooth, cohesive flow throughout the website.
COLORS
Emotional memories come in many colors, and when combined, they create an indefinite space without a fixed hue. I experimented with various color palettes to evoke a pleasant feeling, but found that colorful backgrounds made the text less legible. Instead, a simple dark background with a gentle gradient allows the text’s movement to stand out clearly. To balance this simplicity, contrasting green and orange-red accents add a striking and engaging touch to the website’s overall appearance.
ADDITIONAL ELEMENTS
To enhance the website experience and elevate the role of typography, I incorporated additional design elements. Abstract illustrations add sensory depth, while ambient music creates an immersive, evocative atmosphere. Text animations respond to the viewer’s scrolling, fostering interaction and engagement. The project features an ambient track by P C III (2022)
The animations help convey the sensation that as one memory comes into focus, others blur and fade away. I also paid special attention to the background: a pattern of patchwork-like fragments combined with scattered dots, evoking countless memories floating in an endless space.