Meet Hamburg-based multidisciplinary designer, Tra Giang Nguyen aka Gydient

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I’m a queer Asian multidisciplinary designer. I was born in Vietnam and currently based in Hamburg, Germany. Tra Giang Nguyen is my full name, my friends simply call me Giang, but I prefer to work under the name “Gydient” since 2017 when I co-founded Fustic. Studio with my friends. Fustic. Studio is a future-forward creative collective combining design, technology and motion graphic.

Describe the city you’re living in and what it’s like to live there.

Currently, I’m living in Hamburg. It is the country’s largest port and commercial center in Germany. Unlike Berlin, Hamburg is quieter. The weather is very fickle, you can have all four seasons in one day in April here.

Currently, I’m living in Hamburg. It is the country’s largest port and commercial center in Germany. Unlike Berlin, Hamburg is quieter. The weather is very fickle, you can have all four seasons in one day in April here.

What is the best and worst thing about living in your city?

Best: Seated on the River Elbe, Hamburg is a diverse city with much to offer its citizens. Thanks to the location close to the river and sea, you could find the best seafood restaurant in Hamburg. If you like nightlife, you can also visit Reeperbahn – Europe’s longest party street and see where the night takes you.

Worst: The cost of living in Hamburg is quite high compared to other cities in Germany. Besides, it rains a lot. You shouldn’t trust the weather forecast in this city. Always bring an umbrella if you go out.

Give us 3 words that describe what it’s like to be a creative in your city.

Supported
Magnificent
Diverse

How did you start your career in art?

In 2017, I attended an art class in Vietnam and met our team members, who also are co-founders of Fustic studio now. The collaborative team has 5 people: Hai Doan, Nam Le, Trung Bao, Hieu Vu and Tra Giang. From there, we decided to create a virtual place, where we can learn, share, and explore the world of visual design. Thankfully after three years together, we grew a studio and have worked with several international artists & clients like Billie Eilish, Facebook, Adidas, Pull&Bear, Uniqlo, Adult Swim, etc…

In my journey, the team members have been supporting me so much. They are always my inspiration and make me be humble to educate myself day by day.

Were the people around you supportive of your decision on working as a creative?

Yes, definitely. In my journey, the team members have been supporting me so much. They are always my inspiration and make me be humble to educate myself day by day.

What are some goals and ambitions you have for your future work?

Personally, I have a big interest in typography and technology. So combining creative coding with type design and brand identity is what I’m eager to learn right now. In terms of contributing something back to the community, I’m looking forward to having more social and environment oriented design, focused on real life issues that are greatly impacting our future livelihoods.

Personally, I have a big interest in typography and technology. So combining creative coding with type design and brand identity is what I’m eager to learn right now. In terms of contributing something back to the community, I’m looking forward to having more social and environment oriented design, focused on real life issues that are greatly impacting our future livelihoods.

If you could collaborate with any person in the world who would it be?

I don’t really have a specific name but in general, I want to collaborate more with sound designers and visual coders to expand my design practice.

What are the biggest challenges you face in working as a creative?

My biggest challenge is balancing workload and contributing creative outputs back to the community. I try to keep myself referring back to the fundamentals and staying humble.

Most influential woman to me is my mom. She is brave, independent but also very soft. I would also like to mention my coworkers since they are selfless and supportive of each other.

How would you describe the women around you?

Most influential woman to me is my mom. She is brave, independent but also very soft. I would also like to mention my coworkers since they are selfless and supportive of each other.

Were there any local female creatives that you looked up to when you were growing up?

Before I wanted to be a graphic designer, I dreamed about being a manga artist. My Anh Nguyen, a talented Vietnamese illustrator, was a big inspiration to me. Her earnest and hard-working spirit is something that has affected me until now.

To talk about specific female graphic designers’ names in Vietnam, I don’t really have a role model to follow. Because this field is still young and new in Vietnam when I started learning graphic design. But nowadays, thanks to social media, the local creative community is growing very fast and it’s much easier to follow up on others’ work.

Always move forward and try to forget what you’ve achieved. The magic of being creative is always experimenting and creating new things. 

Do you have any advice for other women who are aspiring to work in your field?

Always move forward and try to forget what you’ve achieved. The magic of being creative is always experimenting and creating new things. 

Besides, ask yourself what are you good at? I think it’s easy to learn skills like typography, kinetic animation, etc, but learning to develop your true self will be more challenging. It could give you the origin in the way you design and solve the problem.

After all, be nice and be kind. 🙂

What type of music do you like to listen to?

I literally listen to all kinds of music. I don’t have a specific taste as my taste changes quickly over time and also based on my mood. But mostly I try to find new young pop artists to see what the new generation is doing with music. What is excited about the new artists. In addition to pop music, I also listen to jazz-house and piano.

What’s your favorite local food spot?

Local good food in Hamburg like Xeom – a Vietnamese restaurant. And the best bakery is Die Kleine Konditorei.

Junissa Bianda asks: What do you do when you are stuck?

If I feel stuck, I will stop working promptly because it will lead to nowhere. I will start cleaning my desk or writing down my thoughts. Yoga and meditation can also be helpful to help me think through.

Qieer Wang asks: What was the most crazy daydream you had?

I think the most random crazy daydream I have during working hours is working in the middle of the forest. No one or any notification could interrupt my thoughts. If I’m tired of working alone I just have to open a magic door and go back to my apartment in the crowded city.

What question would you like us to ask the next artist?

How does art help you to live more mindfully?

Photos courtesy of Gydient