A journey of life
I graduated from the University of Architecture, carrying dreams of designing grand structures. But life took an unexpected turn and led me down a path I had never imagined: designing software interfaces for a major software company in Vietnam at the time. Yes, an architect like me suddenly had to deal with tiny icons and welcome screens.
During the interview, the director asked me, “Do you know anything about the Internet? Do you know what a website is?” With complete honesty, I replied, “Well, just a little! Back then in Vietnam, accessing the Internet was charged by the minute—it was expensive!” And yet, I still got hired! My job? Designing software interfaces, handling some printing tasks, and decorating the office. Oh dear, I had never done any of that before—what I studied was architectural drawing, not buttons or software windows!
But I couldn’t stay clueless forever. I decided to teach myself. Every night after work, when everyone had left, I stayed behind, browsing the web to explore the things I had never known about software interfaces, 16×16 pixel icons, welcome screens, and more.
Then came my first challenge. I was assigned to draw a 16×16 pixel icon to represent the print function. Of course, it had to be a printer! But can you imagine? Within a mere 16 horizontal and 16 vertical pixels, I had to depict a recognizable printer, and I could only use 16 colors! Sweat beaded on my forehead, my hand trembled as I held the mouse, meticulously placing each pixel as if I were crafting every brick of a monumental structure.
Day by day, I was fortunate to have colleagues who patiently guided me. From my first clumsy attempts, I gradually learned to create more refined designs. We, the graphic designers of the company, were affectionately given a rather fancy nickname: “họa xỉ”—a playful twist on “họa sĩ” (artist), blending artistry with industrial design skills.
And so, from a true architect, I became an unexpected but proud “họa xỉ” This journey, though unforeseen, opened up an entirely new world for me—one where even the tiniest icons could tell grand stories.
