Before M — N Associates became a company, it began with a coffee shop. Lan and Duy often met there with friends, spending long hours talking and gradually falling for each other. At the time, neither of them knew that those ordinary gatherings would become the beginning of a shared life and a shared practice.
Before that possibility took shape, Duy had discovered independent creative studios in RMIT’s library. A book called The Small Studios showed Duy how small practices could build a future through their own convictions. Around the same time, a branding assignment taught Duy a harder lesson: Duy had put too much of himself into the design and too little attention into the system the brand needed. That experience pushed Duy to understand branding more deeply. During their first year, almost every bit of money they earned went into buying books and learning about branding.
When Lan left her previous company, Duy came up with what felt like a crazy idea: opening a studio. In 2014, they founded M — N Associates in Ho Chi Minh City. Their name brings together their surnames, Mai and Nguyễn. They started very small, with one table, two old laptops, four chairs, two desk lamps, and one printer in our apartment. That was the entire studio. They did everything themselves, from designing and arranging shoots to printing and putting up signs.
They also travelled whenever they could, looking for new ways to approach projects and discovering possible directions for the studio’s work and models. Those journeys helped them understand the world beyond their desks and gave them a wider sense of what design could do. Being partners in life and business meant building something that depended on both of them. Duy brought a background in multimedia design and an interest in strategy and storytelling. Lan brought design knowledge, production experience, and the ability to organise people and turn ambitious ideas into finished work. Today, Duy leads their creative direction, while Lan leads the company as CEO.
Earning clients’ trust took time. They wanted businesses to see how design could express their purpose and support their growth. They learned to demonstrate that value through completed projects. Each became evidence for the next conversation, and each taught them how to work better together.
Guta Cafe became a turning point. Looking at contemporary Vietnam’s street culture, they found inspiration in an ordinary plastic stool. Its familiar form helped shape a distinctive identity and custom typography. The project gave them confidence that everyday Vietnamese life held ideas capable of connecting with people locally and earning recognition internationally.
As more talented people joined them, the studio grew beyond what either of them could make alone. Today, M — N Associates is one of Vietnam’s leading branding agencies, bringing together around 20 young and talented people who work to build meaningful creative solutions for cultural organisations and major corporations across the country. Their work has expanded to brands and institutions including GHTK, Biti’s Hunter, MoMo, Bát Tràng Museum, and Quang San Art Museum. In 2024, Lan and Duy shared their journey at the Brand New Conference, one of the biggest branding conventions in the world, in Salt Lake City, ten years after starting the company.
Looking back, building M — N has meant learning how to give a shared ambition a practical foundation: thoughtful work, dependable delivery, and relationships built over time. It began with a coffee shop, a small room, a few old devices, and an idea that seemed slightly unreasonable. It grew through curiosity, persistence, and the belief that a studio could create its own path. Their hope is that the next generation of Vietnamese designers can see a future for themselves here. They want to keep building a company where their curiosity has room to grow, and where the culture they live with every day becomes a source of creative confidence. For them, that is a future worth building together.
Before that possibility took shape, Duy had discovered independent creative studios in RMIT’s library. A book called The Small Studios showed Duy how small practices could build a future through their own convictions. Around the same time, a branding assignment taught Duy a harder lesson: Duy had put too much of himself into the design and too little attention into the system the brand needed. That experience pushed Duy to understand branding more deeply. During their first year, almost every bit of money they earned went into buying books and learning about branding.
When Lan left her previous company, Duy came up with what felt like a crazy idea: opening a studio. In 2014, they founded M — N Associates in Ho Chi Minh City. Their name brings together their surnames, Mai and Nguyễn. They started very small, with one table, two old laptops, four chairs, two desk lamps, and one printer in our apartment. That was the entire studio. They did everything themselves, from designing and arranging shoots to printing and putting up signs.
They also travelled whenever they could, looking for new ways to approach projects and discovering possible directions for the studio’s work and models. Those journeys helped them understand the world beyond their desks and gave them a wider sense of what design could do. Being partners in life and business meant building something that depended on both of them. Duy brought a background in multimedia design and an interest in strategy and storytelling. Lan brought design knowledge, production experience, and the ability to organise people and turn ambitious ideas into finished work. Today, Duy leads their creative direction, while Lan leads the company as CEO.
Earning clients’ trust took time. They wanted businesses to see how design could express their purpose and support their growth. They learned to demonstrate that value through completed projects. Each became evidence for the next conversation, and each taught them how to work better together.
Guta Cafe became a turning point. Looking at contemporary Vietnam’s street culture, they found inspiration in an ordinary plastic stool. Its familiar form helped shape a distinctive identity and custom typography. The project gave them confidence that everyday Vietnamese life held ideas capable of connecting with people locally and earning recognition internationally.
As more talented people joined them, the studio grew beyond what either of them could make alone. Today, M — N Associates is one of Vietnam’s leading branding agencies, bringing together around 20 young and talented people who work to build meaningful creative solutions for cultural organisations and major corporations across the country. Their work has expanded to brands and institutions including GHTK, Biti’s Hunter, MoMo, Bát Tràng Museum, and Quang San Art Museum. In 2024, Lan and Duy shared their journey at the Brand New Conference, one of the biggest branding conventions in the world, in Salt Lake City, ten years after starting the company.
Looking back, building M — N has meant learning how to give a shared ambition a practical foundation: thoughtful work, dependable delivery, and relationships built over time. It began with a coffee shop, a small room, a few old devices, and an idea that seemed slightly unreasonable. It grew through curiosity, persistence, and the belief that a studio could create its own path. Their hope is that the next generation of Vietnamese designers can see a future for themselves here. They want to keep building a company where their curiosity has room to grow, and where the culture they live with every day becomes a source of creative confidence. For them, that is a future worth building together.
