HO CHI MINH CITY (RVA News): Catholic Design, a creative collective established by young Vietnamese Catholics, has spent over a decade employing graphic design, media, and technology to support Church communication and engage young people through digital platforms.
The collective began in 2013 in Ho Chi Minh City, southern Vietnam, when a young graphic designer sought to use his skills in service of the Church. Inspired by the words of St. Paul, “The love of Christ impels us” [2 Corinthians 5:14], the initiative has grown into a multidisciplinary team of nearly 50 members.
The group works across four main areas: content, design, media, and technology. Its members produce articles and educational materials, develop visual identities and publications, create photographs and videos, and offer technical support for digital projects.
Much of its work involves practical support for Church communities. Catholic Design has produced Mass presentation slides, scripture graphics, logos, and promotional materials for youth and family ministries, social communications initiatives, and events of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Vietnam.
The group works across four main areas: content, design, media, and technology. Its members produce articles and educational materials, develop visual identities and publications, create photographs and videos, and offer technical support for digital projects
Its projects have also included resources designed to make Catholic teaching accessible to younger audiences. The group has developed infographics on the faith and lives of saints, Catholic calendars, and publications covering subjects such as Vietnamese Catholic churches, Marian pilgrimage sites, the Joy of Love, healing with the saints, and Asian martyrs.
One of its technology initiatives, HOJO [Holy Journey 4.0], helped establish a Catholic information-technology community. The group has also produced music videos and other digital media projects related to Catholic life and ministry.
Catholic Design has placed particular emphasis on nurturing young Catholic talent. Its Catholic Design Awards series has organised competitions in photography, visual art, and digital media around themes connected with Christ, the saints, Mary, the Church, and youth.
The competitions have included Christus Vivit, With Carlo, St. Joseph’s Strokes, Notre-Dame—A Legacy of Peace, Films about Our Mother, and Youth in Tune with the Church Across Digital Media. The organisers regard these initiatives as opportunities for young Catholics to develop professional skills while contributing their creativity to the Church.
Its Catholic Design Awards series has organised competitions in photography, visual art, and digital media around themes connected with Christ, the saints, Mary, the Church, and youth
The collective has also provided visual support for major Catholic gatherings. Its work has been associated with World Youth Day in Lisbon in 2023, the Jubilee in Rome in 2025, Catholic youth events in Thailand and the Philippines, and the first Asian Catholic Digital Missionary Assembly in Manila in 2026.
For Catholic Design, digital communication is not distinct from the Church’s pastoral work. Its members seek to present the Catholic faith and tradition through contemporary visual forms, while maintaining a strong connection with Church teaching and liturgical traditions.
The group describes its members as “pencils in his hands to write love songs for today’s youth”, expressing its understanding of creativity as a form of service.
As Catholic communication increasingly moves into digital spaces, Catholic Design is seeking to help dioceses, parishes, ministries, and young Catholics communicate faith through platforms and visual languages familiar to a new generation.
Its guiding slogan, “Our Creativity, Our Mission”, summarises the approach: using professional skills not simply to produce attractive content, but to support the Church’s communication, formation, and outreach in an increasingly digital Asia.
