Creator Spotlight: Mindy Nguyen

October 20, 2022
By Claire Xue

What's one non-negotiable in your creative process? Is there anything you have to use, do or incorporate in order to successfully create? Exploration! I need to have room to explore and try different directions. It’s easy to get caught up in 1 direction and fixate on small details, but my best work has always happened when I dedicated enough time to explore multiple avenues.

What does a typical workday look like for you? 

I typically wake up at 6am, take care of puppy duties, walk, and have a slow morning with breakfast. Around 9am, I’ll start emailing and getting admin tasks done. From there, I’ll dive into work for a few hours. Break for lunch. Work for another 4-5 hours with breaks in between. Sometimes I have a meeting or 2 throughout the day. I limit meetings to only 2 per day, so I can really focus on work. Around 6pm, I’ll wind down from work and either work out or start cooking dinner with my partner. After that, we’ll typically end the day with a couple episodes of a TV show or a movie. And then, off to bed we go! 

How do you decide what props and pieces to utilize in your work?

When I’m art directing a photoshoot, I try to consider shapes and the space, like how the main subject/product is interacting with the set. Ideally, you’re able to achieve dimension and hierarchy for the eye to be intrigued and focus on the subject. 

What's been your favorite project you've ever worked on?

The Girlboss re-brand! It was such a whirlwind and went so incredibly fast. I had a few supporting designers and we were all just so in sync and were able to create some really fun work. We had a lot of creative freedom and support from the client, so it was a win-win situation! I had to pinch myself sometimes cause it all felt like a dream up until it was published!

How do you implement personal projects in your schedule? Any advice for fellow creatives on how to carve out the time to honor their own creativity?

I actually don’t do many personal design projects! It’s something I’d like to do in the future, but in my down-time from client work, I’m typically finding other ways to relax and recharge my creative juices. However, I also do rug tufting as a personal hobby on the side which is sort of like a personal project!

Okay, we have to know: are you a morning person, or a night owl?

I’ve always been a night owl, but as of this year, I’ve shifted to more of a morning person!

What's one thing you love doing when you're *not* creating?

Cooking! I suppose that’s still a form of creating, but it always re-energizes me.

What are some of your favorite platforms, tools, blogs, and resources that you look into regularly that we can share with our readers? 

The Brand Identity, TypeWolf , SiteInspire, Are.na, Visual Journal, UI Jar, It’s Nice That, Eye on Design AIGA, Mindsparkle, Pinterest, Instagram 

What is your enneagram? 

3! They’re known for being ambitious, caring, and optimistic. I definitely identify with those. 

Lastly, How do you incorporate colors in your work? Are there any tools you use for generating color palettes?

Color is essential in my work! It’s a main component for creating a cohesive look, whether it’s used through type or graphic elements. Khroma and Cooolors are good color palette generators! I also like to reference books like A Dictionary Of Color Combinations 

We have recently collaborated with Mindy with our New course Motion + Social Media Branding Course Bundle, you can check it out here

All Visuals by: Mindy Ngyuen

Find her work at: https://mindynguyen.me

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