Dakota Nguyen ︎ Design & Direction

Art director + multidisciplinary designer in Toronto. I build brands, sandbox systems, and move between realms of digital & tactile design.


Currently Art Director @ Endy and Casper Canada.


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︎︎︎ Behance
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Selected Works

Design & Direction
2021 —
Branding
2022
Branding
2021
Packaging
2021
Branding
2021
Branding
2021
Illustration
2021
Fine Arts
2018
Fine Arts
2017 —

︎︎︎ Full resume available upon request.

Phùng Ân Heritage

Featured in Packaging

We often celebrate Tết (Lunar New Year) with joy and hope for the upcoming year, wishing each other wealth, health, and happiness in abundance. However, 2020 was a year of turbulence—extravagant wishes suddenly felt estranged. In these challenging times, what we needed most was perhaps tranquility. Phùng Ân Heritage understands this and wants to offer the gift of inner peace to our loved ones.


Year

2021

Scope

Packaging Design, Art Direction

Client

Phùng Ân Heritage

Team

Design: Hoang Hiep, Colin Tran, Dakota Nguyen, Nguyen Minh Trang
Showcase Photography: 282 & Phùng Ân Heritage
Stylist & Art Director: Dakota Nguyen










Concept


As 2020 came to a close, people began to appreciate what they already had and saw less of a need for excess. I was tasked with creating the key visual for a gift set, and the process of self-reflection became my inspiration.

The primary graphic on the box uses semiotics of reflection and covers all sides seamlessly, creating a panoramic effect. The fluid form of the mountains also resembles incense smoke. Using a minimal pastel palette, soft gradients, and metallic foil to convey elements of nature, my team and I designed a tranquil landscape for the mind.







I also created an iconography set inspired by Vietnamese vintage floor patterns, flowers of Tết, and fireworks. These icons are used as a decorative motif throughout the components of the gift set. On the front of the box, a lineup of icons alludes to the alignment of chakras and rebalancing of the soul.









Packaging Design

We wanted this gift set to have a longer lifespan as a beautiful display piece on a shelf, so I designed a pop-up system to complement the packaging format. When the box is opened vertically in half, it reveals a 3D extension of the graphic landscape, which serves as a backdrop for the incense.





Early packaging format sketches

The most challenging aspect of the design process was engineering and mass-producing the pop-up system. It had to fit within the box when folded and spread open fully with the box's length laying flat.

To achieve this, I created a system that consists of a foundation piece with three fold spines (two stabilized and one movable), and pop-up items that open in asymmetrical V-folds and layers. This system not only adds a wow factor to the user experience, but also completes the visual story of the gift set.


From prototype




To final product

Phùng Ân Heritage's 2021 Lunar New Year gift set is a thoughtful selection of items crafted by Vietnamese artisans across the country. The set highlights incense and tea as its centrepiece, honouring the traditional practice of meditating on life while burning incense and sipping tea. This gift set serves as a tangible representation of serenity, promoting the healing process and spiritual preparation for the coming year.