Becoming Base Saigon

Tell us a bit about you.

Chí-An: I’m half Vietnamese and half Italian, and I grew up between Asia and Europe: Vietnam, Taiwan, France, and England. I studied design in the UK, then moved back to Vietnam in 2008. At the time there weren’t really branding studios here, so Josh and I met while working as art directors at an ad agency. We started a branding division inside it, but after a while we wanted more independence and decided to start Rice.

Joshua: I’m from Ohio. My dad, mom, and brothers are/were all in design and art, so it was kind of inevitable. I studied at the University and Art Academy of Cincinnati and worked at Landor before moving to Vietnam. I wanted to see the world and to learn by being somewhere unfamiliar. That’s how Rice began: two outsiders trying to build something meaningful here.

You’ve built a practice rooted in Vietnam and are now connected to a global network. How do you define this moment for yourself and your team?

Chí-An: For us, it’s about visibility. Vietnam’s creative scene has evolved so much, but people don’t always see what’s happening here. Being part of Base helps shine a light on that. It says, Saigon is part of the global conversation now.

Joshua: This moment isn’t about becoming something new. It’s about becoming the best version of what we’ve always been. Rice was never meant to be the most Vietnamese studio. Our goal was to be the most international studio based in Vietnam: a place where perspectives meet and thrive. Joining Base gives us a platform to grow through connection and to compete at a higher level. Becoming Base isn’t leaving something behind; it’s the natural next step in what we’ve been building.

What did you recognize in Base that made you feel it was the right next chapter?

Joshua: We saw ourselves in Base: the same values, the same challenges, the same curiosity. When Thierry (Base Design Co-founder & Partner) first visited Saigon, he said, “You’re going through what we went through years ago.” That sense of shared experience really resonated.

Base has a culture of constant improvement, a kaizen mindset that we connect with deeply. Even after thirty years at the top of the industry, they still ask, How can we be better? That humility is rare. And the Base Model, with independent studios connected by shared values, lets us stay true to who we are while expanding through collaboration. It’s not an acquisition; it’s a partnership.

Chí-An: For us, it also came down to trust. From the first conversations, we could tell Base understood what we were trying to do here, and that made it easy to imagine a shared future. We could easily see inviting anyone Base to jump in and support our clients, seamlessly.

Base prioritizes excellence over scale. How does that idea resonate with the way you’ve led Rice?

Chí-An: There’s something powerful about remaining small. A studio of twenty to thirty people lets everyone wear multiple hats, take risks, and shape the culture together. The team is the culture. That’s something we’ll never lose.

Joshua: For us, the measure has always been influence over headcount. It’s about integrity and independence: staying close to your craft, your clients, and your people. That’s how we’ve built Rice, and that’s why Base feels like home.

After fifteen years shaping design in Vietnam, what do you want the world to understand about Saigon’s creative power today?

Joshua: That it’s not imitation; it’s innovation. Saigon is a living laboratory for what’s next: fast, optimistic, full of contradictions that somehow work together. There’s courage here. People experiment, fail, try again, and keep going.

Chí-An: The creative community is open and generous. There’s a sense of “we’re all in this together.” It’s messy and full of heart, and that’s what makes it exciting.

What’s something about the way your team works that you hope never changes, no matter how global you become?

Joshua: Our hunger. We’re always refining, always asking how something could be better. That spirit of kaizen – never believing we’ve “made it” – drives us.

Chí-An: And the warmth. There’s humor, care, and humility in the way people work here. We take excellence seriously, but not ourselves. That balance keeps us grounded.

What’s the most “Saigon” thing about how you run your studio?

Chí-An: The energy. Saigon moves fast, but it’s not chaotic. It’s alive and intuitive. People improvise, adapt, and keep things flowing. That’s exactly how we work.

Joshua: There’s also a collective momentum, like everyone in the city is moving forward together. It’s that mix of intention and spontaneity that defines us.

Design at Base is both local and collective. How do you see your approach evolving now that you’re part of this international conversation?

Joshua: We’ve always believed that “international” isn’t about geography; it’s a mindset. It’s curiosity, generosity, and the ability to listen across cultures. Being part of Base amplifies that. We can share our perspective while learning from studios that have mastered their craft for decades. The collision of ideas – Saigon meeting New York, Brussels, Geneva, Melbourne – is where the magic happens.

Chí-An: It’s also about discipline. Seeing how each Base studio defines clear criteria for what they take on inspires us to refine how we choose and challenge projects. The exchange will make all of us stronger.

Looking ahead, what are you most excited to explore, creatively, culturally, or personally?

Chí-An: Education. We’ve always acted a bit like a school; people come through, learn, then start their own studios. Now we want to go further: partner with local universities, connect them with trusted programs, and help raise the bar for design education in Vietnam.

Joshua: And more cultural work. We’ve built strong foundations with brands, but we’d love to do more in culture – projects that connect design, art, and community. Joining Base gives us the credibility and network to make that possible, not to mention work at greater and greater scale.

Chí-An: Ultimately, it’s about impact. We want to keep pushing what Vietnamese creativity can mean for the world, and what the world can learn from it.

BaseSaigon (BaseSGN) officially joined the Base network on October 16, 2025.