jessie is jleftovers

Hello I’m Jessie, a Vietnamese-Australian creative based in Sydney (Australia). I’m studying a Bachelor of Design in Visual Communication (if that makes you like me more), but in my practice I’m drawn to telling stories. As of now I’m drawn to printed media but I’ve always had an itch to branch out and try foreign takes, because I believe stories and feelings make up everything we have around us.

yes, a student of design honours (visual communication)
but also yes, loves music, movies, murakami books, and horror games.

Did Tchaikovsky Really Commit Suicide?

Interactive Web Experience / Printed Media

The Tchaikovsky project is a school project exploring new opportunities within a field of our choice — mine was the print and publication. Developed in Figma, this project was inspired by Ludovico’s Mutation of Publishing, which examines how traditional publishing is shifting in the digital age.

The challenge set for myself was to identify ways I could add value to digital publications, beyond simply translating print content to flat screens. Through this lens, the project investigates narrative flow, user experience, and interactive possibilities, in order to engage readers. By experimenting with physical components, layout, and interactive elements, the project seeks to demonstrate how digital publications can hold the same value that physical publication have, despite not being something that provides an implicit sense of ownership.

Here you can out the figma prototype for yourself!

Mirage Club

Social Deign / Printed Media

Mirage Club is a school project encouraging young people in Western Sydney to help others prepare for extreme urban heat. Through surveying, I found that the greatest barrier stopping young people from fighting against the maintainers of urban heat, is feeling that they have no say in the matter. I chose to combat this with a campaign containing a tangible heat survival kit. It features a mini publication, custom keychain, and sticker set, with three location-based murals. I illustrated them with the aim of turning the public spaces into community hubs. These elements work together to raise awareness and inspire social engagement.

This project is where I first challenged myself to dabble in 3D modeling. By using the software Womp 3D I created the keychains for this project.

Design Honours Tidbits

Experimentation

So far I have undertaken a series of weekly material experiments, as part of my studies as an Honour student. Some of my favourites are typeface making with the Glyphs software, and an animation using AfterEffects and TouchDesigner.

My short animation experiment aimed to convey the rhythmic nature of the Amitabha Sūtra, a buddhist chant.

On the other hand, my typeface experiment is a display font comprised of 3 of my favourite typeface personalities!

VANG

Publication/Printed Media

VÀNG is my response to the ISTD Milestones brief (2025). Basically, it is a multi-format work that explores the relevance of bolero to overseas Vietnamese (Việt kiều), and the generations that come after them.

Vietnamese bolero is a genre of music that is close to our hearts, and in strange ways too considering how removed we are from its original context. This publication explores our relationship with bolero in all its intricacies, and celebrates how a few sad songs could permeate that barrier of age, language, and hardship that lies between old and new generation Việt kiều.

For a sneak peak inside, the title ‘VANG’ stems from the way that bolero is often referred to as ‘nhac vang’ or ‘yellow music’ in day-to-day language. Interestingly, the meaning of ‘vang’ shifts between yellow, gold, and blonde depending on context. As I lead you through the milestones of bolero discussion, we’ll see how some view it as gold, some yellow, and how the genre could still prosper after being censored during it’s golden age.

TRANCE MAG

Publication/Printed Media

This first edition of TRANCE MAG is a digital magazine, and a collection of mellow moments buried inside the day to day life. Diary entries, 3am notes to self, full on poetry and/or photos from a personal flower collection -- TRANCE MAG . This edition ended up being about love, something that was on everyone’s mind at the time of making. It sets the tone for what is to come, but you can never be too sure.

Life is an unforgiving transitionary period which can be wasted in the blink of an eye. TRANCE is meant to grab life by the wrist, to almost say aloud “No! Wait a second. I want you to say that again for me. I want to hear it one more time”.

Contributions were made by myself, others, creatives and non-creatives. Anyone who had something to say.

monstera app

UI/UX Design

The Monstera App is a though provoking experience that is disguised as a productivity/self-care app.

We were tasked with finding a way to design for a non-human client, and raised the question of how we would go about designing for something we cannot communicate with or connect with.

To make plant caring more than just making sure the plants are alive and well, the app challenges the user to introspect a bit. I encourage the user to consider the WAY a monstera plant wants, how it percieves, and what we and the plant may share. I suggest that what connects us and the plant is the excitement of a new leaf, which warrants a celebration, similar to a birthday or losing a baby tooth.

Leati

Packaging Design

I spend time having fun too.

Here I developed a packaging series for an imaginary dry food brand, Leati, focused on premium granola. I made custom illustrations and a tactile layout to form this final minimalist design.

To be frank, of all the student work here, this is the one I am the most shy about. This was a rare instance I wasn’t able to hide behind the strength and structure of typography.

Letting myself get in touch with my illustrator self gave birth to Leati.

Other Fun

Zines! I have a few! But they’re in my hands instead of on my drive! gimme a sec

noi di