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Education

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Art

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Community

〰️ Education 〰️ Art 〰️ Community

About Me 

Vian Nguyen is an interdisciplinary educator, illustrator, and curriculum designer whose work explores the intersections of storytelling, education, and community memory. With a background in Comparative Literature and Asian American Studies from UC Irvine and a master’s in Education Leadership from Harvard, she brings a deep commitment to inclusive, inquiry-driven learning across K–12 and higher education settings.
Her creative and pedagogical practice spans classrooms, archives, and arts institutions. She has designed and taught over 3,000 interdisciplinary lessons blending literature, history, and visual arts, including work with the Vogue & Sotheby’s Institute of Art Summer School and Harvard Kennedy School of Government. As a humanities educator and workshop facilitator, she integrates reflective routines, differentiated instruction, and student-centered design to foster curiosity, voice, and critical engagement.
As a children’s book illustrator, Vian’s work includes The Astronaut’s Whale, winner of the 2021 Mom’s Choice Award, and contributions to Patsy Mink: Foundations & Futures, a textbook project for NYC Public Schools and UCLA. Her visual storytelling is rooted in cultural inquiry and care for representation in educational materials.

Previously, she worked with the Southeast Asian Archive at UC Irvine, where she co-developed K–12 programming on primary source analysis and co-led community exhibitions amplifying marginalized histories. Her work in organizational storytelling and internal communications at StoryProject helps connect mission-driven teams through strategic narrative design and values-based engagement.

Vian is passionate about building creative, equitable learning environments through curriculum, illustration, and archives. She has spoken and led programs for students, educators, and community partners across California and New York. When she’s not designing lessons or drawing, she’s probably writing about Vietnamese diasporic memory, experimenting with collage, or illustrating people at coffee shops.

visual storytelling

Craft compelling visual narratives by integrating graphic facilitation techniques, transforming complex ideas into engaging, easy-to-digest visuals for events, presentations, and campaigns.

  • Design custom graphics, infographics, and visual aids to enhance storytelling across digital platforms and live events, ensuring alignment with brand identity.

  • Collaborate with event planners and creative teams to conceptualize and execute visually impactful event designs, from stage backdrops to multimedia displays.

  • Coordinate event-based visual storytelling strategies, including live scribing or illustration, to capture and amplify key moments for social media and internal communications.

  • Leverage visual storytelling to drive audience engagement, creating shareable assets that amplify event coverage across platforms like Instagram Stories, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

short-form content creation

Plan, create, and optimize short-form content (e.g., Instagram Reels, TikToks, YouTube Shorts) to align with platform trends and audience behavior, driving engagement and audience growth.

  • Develop content calendars and scripts for short-form video series, ensuring consistency with brand tone and voice while maintaining a focus on storytelling.

  • Collaborate with designers and video producers to deliver high-quality, trend-driven visuals for short-form formats, achieving specific results.

  • Monitor performance metrics for short-form content, refining strategies through A/B testing and real-time adjustments.

social media strategy & campaign execution

  • Develop and implement platform-specific strategies for Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest, Youtube, and X/Twitter to drive audience growth and engagement.

  • Plan and execute multi-channel social campaigns aligned with brand objectives, resulting in increase in outcomes.

  • Stay ahead of industry trends to incorporate innovative content ideas and emerging platforms into strategies.

Long-form content creation

Plan, produce, and oversee long-form video content (e.g., YouTube features, interviews, and editorial series) that align with brand goals and resonate with target audiences.

  • Develop storyboards, scripts, and production schedules to ensure cohesive storytelling and timely delivery of video projects.

  • Collaborate with directors, videographers, and editors to deliver polished, high-quality videos optimized for audience engagement and platform-specific performance.

  • Use audience analytics and feedback to refine long-form content strategies, increasing viewership and retention rates by [specific result, e.g., "30% over three months"].

  • Manage cross-functional teams to coordinate on-brand integrations and sponsorships within long-form content while ensuring seamless storytelling.