HiQ People Designer Anh Ngo turned a childhood hobby into an award-winning career
Anh Ngo’s favourite pastime became the foundation of her design career and led her from Vietnam to Finland. Her work extends far beyond aesthetics, requiring an analytical mind, strong creative direction, and picking up new skills.
Anh Ngo’s love for drawing and curiosity about the thought processes behind graphic design brought her from Vietnam to Finland. After earning a BA in Design and an MA in New Media from Aalto University, she joined Great Apes, HiQ’s design and development studio.
“As a visual thinker, design is a natural language for me to express myself. I especially enjoy uncovering meaning and intrigue in things that might not seem interesting to the world at first glance”, Anh says.
When a childhood pastime becomes a career (and wins awards)
The title ‘Designer’ encompasses a wide range of expertise, from creating digital products and experiences to branding. Expanding her skillset is important to Anh, both personally and professionally, but the skill she’s most proud of points back to her beginnings: drawing.
“I wouldn’t call myself an illustrator, but it’s something I love and have the most fun doing. To me, illustrating is about visually expressing imagination–exploring ways to convey ideas beyond the obvious, evoking thoughts and emotions, and creating something that feels fresh and unexpected.”
A tangible example of this is the ‘Abe of Great Apes’ mascot, an ape character Anh designed for Great Apes during her traineeship. Her work was awarded in Vuoden Huiput, Finland’s most prestigious creative design competition, as well as by European Design Awards (Corporate Illustration – Bronze).
“I was just doing something I enjoyed. The fact that my team liked it already wowed me, and receiving an award meant that I was also recognised as a designer by the industry. But I cherish it because it proved that this thing I’ve loved doing since childhood–for fun rather than for its usefulness–could also be my profession.”
I was just doing something I enjoyed. The fact that my team liked it already wowed me, and receiving an award meant that I was also recognised as a designer by the industry.
Anh Ngo
Designer, Great Apes
Beyond aesthetics – debunking designer myths and calling for analytical skills
Flexibility, multidisciplinary projects, and low hierarchy are some of the aspects Anh appreciates about working at Great Apes. A typical workday can involve anything form preparing sales pitch materials to working on client projects or internal marketing.
“We work with companies seeking unconventional ways to express their brand, such as interactive experiences. I come to work with the mindset that no two days look the same”, Anh says.
“Lately, I’ve been enjoying the opportunities to learn new skills. I can move freely between, say, UX/UI, motion, illustration or 3D, or take up projects specifically to develop a new skill while working on them.”
Anh says a common misconception about designers is that their role is to simply make things look nice. In reality, the job requires strong analytical skills, willingness to keep learning, and observing the world beyond one’s workspace.
“Creating something visually appealing isn’t enough. Our work must serve a purpose and address the industry-specific needs of the client. Successful visual communication and great design involve fulfilling a myriad of requirements and making informed, research-based decisions.”
Curiosity for hows and whys of the design process led from Vietnam to Finland
Before moving to Finland, Anh was studying business administration in Vietnam while exploring design on the side. Eventually, she decided to pursue graphic design because it aligned with what she had always enjoyed: drawing.
However, design education in Vietnam heavily emphasized mastering software rather than understanding the hows and whys behind the creative process.
“Arts aren’t generally encouraged as a profession in Vietnam, and leaving university and moving to Finland felt like a leap of faith, a big risk. Back then, I couldn’t foresee finding a design job in Finland, let alone one where speaking Finnish isn’t required. In my experience, workplaces that truly accommodate diversity like this are uncommon, and I feel lucky to have found one”, Anh says.
In my experience, workplaces that truly accommodate diversity like this are uncommon, and I feel lucky to have found one.
Anh Ngo
Designer, Great Apes
Anh believes the key to choosing a career isn’t necessarily deciding what kind of work to do but rather understanding what you want to convey through your work.
“Once you know that, it becomes easier to find a profession that serves as a platform for self-expression. I advocate meaningful work, which to me means having a balance between doing what I love, what I’m good at, and creating something that serves a purpose.”
Fighting creative blocks with grounding hobbies and trusting the process
Having a vision and strong creative direction are essential in Anh’s line of work, but creativity can sometimes run dry. For those moments, she relies on two go-to methods.
“When I simply cannot be creative, I try doing nothing. Sometimes, all it takes is allowing yourself the time to wait until the creative block passes, or until something unexpected inspires you again. It’s super hard, but it works.”
Drawing is another way Anh resets her creativity, because she’s discovered that doing something simple and enjoyable by hand has a calming and grounding effect.
“Drawing is close to my heart. I don’t do it for the results, for most of the time those sketches are messy and clumsy. It’s a way of expressing myself through a creative outlet that isn’t tied to my work. For someone else, journaling might have similar effect.”
Anh also turns to running as a way to clear her mind of all the clutter and noise.
“Running sounded tedious at first, so I was surprised to find that after surviving the first few miles, it became something enjoyable. It helps me focus on the present and listen to my body. I’ve even noticed it benefits my work. Afterwards, even the gnarliest of problems seem simpler.”
~ Header image by Joël Petzold
