Portfolio 2021: Designs within the limits

Design: Huy Tang
Photographer: Thang Ngo
Location: Vietnam
Project Type: Student Project
School: University of Greenwich (Vietnam)
Packaging Contents: Printed artworks
Packaging Substrate / Materials: Paper
Printing Process: Digital printing, Foil stamping

The Portfolio:
As the ‘beginner’ in the field of Branding, the portfolio showcases my projects in the first 3-year is simple in appearance, and its concept was inspired by the most fundamental aspect of the graphic design era.

The concept “Designs within the limits”:
Graphic design, basically, is creative within the limits. In every project, there is always more than one constraint, to balance it against creativity is always the responsibility of a graphic designer. That is somehow the nature of all designers and also the concept of this Portfolio.

Visualization using the Grid system:
The Portfolio was inspired by the Swiss Style design in which the grid system is the spine, so to visualize this concept, the grid system is the best option. Also, as the grid system is the foundation in most of the designs, its meaning also helps to strengthen the concept properly. A customized grid was created to transfer the idea: Knowledge, experience or achievements,… are enriched over time and the Portfolio is to record them.

The grid was printed using the Foil stamping technique to create the effect of being invisible for a distance or in some perspectives as the grid is a non-print element when designing.

Applying the grid:
The grid was designed to be flexibly used in all parts of the Portfolio. It not only works with the digital element but also with hand-crafted details and as the topic is ‘Designs within the limits’, it was also a challenge to practice my ability to design with the constraint – the grid.

Finally, the Portfolio was finished with handcrafted details and printed using black-gray-white rough-textured papers to create the feel of raw and original, which emphasize the hidden story: back to the start of Arts and Design.

What’s Unique?
There is a horizontal line (part of the grid) that crosses all the designs of the Portfolio, from the outside cover to the final page or the name card. It is to link all the parts of the Portfolio together and make them work well together, so its position is always at the center of any design.