Rice Creative was commissioned by D&AD to create work for the 2014 Annual. The works are inspired by our environment, Ho Chi Minh City, and internal discussions about the identity of our city. The exercise was an attempt to find order and beauty in the chaos and foggy history, as a way to discover something new. When D&AD contacted us, we got to work looking for clues as part of our practice of rediscovering forgotten typography and symbols to re-interpret. Ho Chi Minh City is littered with printed ephemera. It’s not always a positive thing, though a lot of this printed matter is graphically beautiful and significant. Our studio has been collecting it for years, as It reveals rich history, a complex blend of cultures, and often, a timeless quality.
It seemed necessary to catalogue what we have found. Some of the most beautifully designed items we found are not what one would expect a designer to call ‘designed’ at all. A receipt from a restaurant, or a motorbike parking ticket, can offer exceptional examples of odd-ball typography, cryptic symbols, and shapes from a mysterious by-gone era. In the process of cataloging, compositions began to form. The relationships between previously unrelated images created new stories. We made decisions, and categorized a typography section, a flora and fauna section, a pattern section, a vehicle section, and a people section.
The archived specimens pay homage to the unknown designers behind them. They act as inspiration boards for us as designers, and hopefully open doors for others. Finally, they tell of an unheard story of our city. Historically, the city has been a multi-cultural crossroads. This is a crucial aspect of its identity, and we see ourselves as being involved in the unraveling of this. Ho Chi Minh City may have an identity to figure out, but the identity is forming.
These works were used across the entire 2014 D&AD annual. An exhibition coincided with the book launch in Ho Chi Minh City at local art gallery, Antique St. Visitors were able to experience the full sized, 144cm x 77cm images, as fine art prints. Students took note on a research level, and visitors of all sorts marveled at what their city had created.
