SECOND LIFE | VIETNAMESE PICKLING AS PRESERVATION

QUYNH-NGUYEN

Hi! I’m Quỳnh [kwɪŋ] ツ
from ■ Vietnam, now based in ■ Narrm/Melbourne. I’m a recent Master of Communication Design graduate from ■ RMIT, with a background in ■ Interior Design. My interests lie in branding and illustration, specializing in ■ Visual Identity and ■ Spatial Storytelling.

SECOND LIFE |
VIETNAMESE PICKLING AS PRESERVATION

Communication Design | Illustration

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This communication design project tackles household food waste by reviving the cultural wisdom of Vietnamese pickling. It reimagines the tradition as a contemporary strategy for giving forgotten vegetables a "second life," using the Vietnamese folk concept of reincarnation as a metaphor for transformation and renewal.

The project targets the domestic space, specifically the fridge, where decisions about food are made daily. It introduces a Kitchen Toolkit designed to interrupt wasteful habits and inspire small, creative acts of preservation. The toolkit includes two posters, a magnetic board, fridge magnets, and stickers, all guided by Vin (Vinegar), a friendly mascot bridging cultural heritage and practical action.

One poster narrates the second life of produce, while another illustrates common pickling ingredients and (fun facts). Both include cultural insights and a QR code to recipes (included for layout purposes; recipes can be found online), making an ancient practice approachable and relevant for a modern audience. Ultimately, the project demonstrates how communication design can translate intangible cultural heritage into tools for sustainable behavioral change.

■ Supervised by Dr. Michael (Miek) Dunbar
■ Illustrator | Photoshop ■ 2025 ■ University Project

You made it to the bottom! 5★ for you.

MELBOURNE |