Graphic Design Student Earns “Emerging Designer Award” at the EU-Vietnam Sustainable Design Awards 2025 with the Project “Gap Gap”

At the Eu-Vietnam Sustainable Design Awards 2025 (EVSDA 2025), the project “Gap Gap” by Ngo Hoang Dung (Class 27, Graphic Design Major, Honors Program) earned the “Emerging Designer Award” in the Communication Design category. The project stood out for its creative, approachable concept and strong spirit of sustainable development.

As the valedictorian of his graduating class, Ngo Hoang Dung soon determined that his graduation thesis would focus on environmental issues. This direction was shaped throughout four years of learning and practical experience. During this time, his participation in various programs, seminars, workshops, and competitions related to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) helped build a solid foundation of critical thinking and define a clear creative direction for his graduation project.

“Gap Gap” is a communication campaign aimed at reducing paper packaging waste amid the growing popularity of online shopping. Through a graphic system and interactive spaces, the project encourages participants to reconsider post-unboxing cardboard boxes not as disposable waste, but as objects that still hold value. They can be folded and turned into toys, handmade crafts, or simply compacted to make collection and recycling more convenient.

The idea for “Gap Gap” originated from everyday observations in a designer’s family life, where collecting paper and aluminum cans for resale to scrap buyers has long been a household habit—a localized form of recycling. From this personal experience, combined with the online shopping habits of today’s youth, the project was gradually developed through multiple stages of sketching, presentation, critique, and refinement under the guidance of lecturers.

Throughout the process, “Gap Gap” addressed the challenge of balancing practical applicability with professional visual design. From selecting deployment platforms and identifying target audiences to developing communication content and a visual identity system, each element was carefully considered to ensure real-world applicability while preserving the project’s distinct creative character.

Participating in EVSDA 2025 enabled the project to be evaluated within a broader, international context and to receive diverse perspectives from the creative community beyond the university environment. The “Emerging Designer” award recognizes both the project’s approach and the designer’s efforts, and while also serving as motivation to continue pursuing a design path aligned with sustainable development.

News: Thanh Man

Photos: Provided by the character