Narrowing My Direction (Without Locking It In)

Following recent tutorials, research tasks, and personal reflection, I’m beginning to see clearer patterns in what interests me, even if I’m not ready to define a final narrative yet. Right now, my aim isn’t to decide what the project is, but to understand what kind of work I want to make and what topics feel meaningful enough to sustain over time.

I’m increasingly interested in working with travel as a theme, but not in a conventional or celebratory way. I’m more drawn to travel as a pull, something instinctive, emotional, and sometimes uncomfortable. This links closely to my own experience of moving through different places and noticing how certain stories, voices, or realities are either oversimplified or overlooked, particularly when viewed through a Western lens.

Vietnam has started to feel like a potential context for this exploration. It’s a place that is often framed in the UK through limited narratives, whether that’s historical, political, or touristic. I’m interested in the possibility of engaging with a subject that may be political or emotional, but told through a smaller, more human story, something that exists within a larger issue but doesn’t receive much attention on its own. The idea of giving space or visibility to voices that are not often centred feels important to me.

In terms of practice, I’m leaning towards illustration combined with typography as my main medium. I’m drawn to illustration because of its ability to communicate feeling and atmosphere, rather than just information. When paired with text, it feels like a way to guide interpretation without being overly didactic. I’m also considering format, possibly a publication or an experimental film, but at this stage I’m more interested in how the work functions than what it ultimately becomes.

Rather than committing to one idea too early, I want to continue researching and observing. This includes looking at how other designers approach political or place-based storytelling, especially where the work is poetic rather than literal. For now, my focus is on following what resonates: movement, voice, overlooked narratives, and expressive visual language. These interests feel like a strong foundation from which a clearer project direction can emerge naturally.