We are curious to know how you got to do this job. Was it coincidence or calling? What was the triggering factor?
The fact that I have reached the point where I am today, I don't think it is at all accidental, I think it is perhaps a combination of several factors. Since childhood I discovered my creative side, I liked to draw, paint, and over time I began to cultivate this passion. During high school I discovered graphic design and since then I have combined the useful with the pleasant, which helped me to become a designer today.
How do you find your inspiration? What do you do if you have creative bottlenecks?
Personally, my inspiration is based on every person I interact with in both my personal and professional life. At the same time, I also gather my resources from hobbies that I have, hobbies based on mountain travel, hiking, cycling or going to various concerts and festivals.
I think that blockages are something normal and are part of our lives, regardless of the field. Sometimes it's good to let things “settle down” a bit, to pass a little time over what you've created, and then see things from a different perspective. The bottlenecks are also related to the stages in my life and how I choose to appropriate each new thing.
What areas of design are you passionate about?
I have always been passionate about packaging design, and this is the aspect that satisfies me the most creatively, but lately I have tried to gain as much knowledge as possible on the animation and motion design side. I try my best to gather as much information as I can from courses, tutorials, and even discussions with design colleagues. But in addition to these categories, to call them “more traditional”, I am also fascinated by the new digital world, in which artificial intelligence is increasingly present and the results are absolutely unimaginable at times.
What is your creative process? How do you approach a new project?
I believe that the first and most important step is to listen as much as possible to the requirements of the client, his needs, and with them, to enter “his world”. After this first step and this interaction with the client, I create a plan that consists of a lot of research, a lot of discovery, a search for inspiration and then the most beautiful and exciting part begins, the creative process.
How do you work with other colleagues in other departments (developers, strategists, etc.)? How has the pandemic changed the dynamic?
I really like to interact with my colleagues, regardless of the department, I think we can all learn good things from each other. I could not say exactly how the pandemic changed the dynamics of the BF, me coming to the team right in the pandemic, but from my point of view things are going very well, the workflow is very efficient and although it seems strange to some, I feel that we are very close although we are at a distance, each in his corner of the world.
Tell us a project you are most proud of.
I could not put my finger on one project, I was always dedicated “body and soul” in all the projects I was involved in, I was very proud and excited about any challenge that came my way. I think you have to give everything in order to be proud in the end.
What brands or design projects do you admire the most?
Being an endless sphere of projects, to which more are added every minute, I don't think I could ever pick just a few of them. As brands I admire, I could clearly pick some pretty generic examples like Apple, Google, Mc'Donalds, Nike, Visa, Coca-Cola.
Why does it take a designer to be really good?
Creativity and passion are the first and most obvious things that go through my head when I think about the assets you need to be a good designer, but of course there are a set of many other qualities that you need including consistency in working style, problem solving because we all know that it doesn't just have to be “beautiful” but also functional, patient acceptance, to be able to accept criticism and also believe that there must be no lack of desire to always learn/discover something new.
Tell us how a day goes on at work.
Surprisingly I do not start my day with a coffee:)), but I like to mobilize and put myself in front of the computer before the start of the “program” in order to have time to discover new projects or simply browse various sites. This is often followed by the morning meeting with the team where we plan our tasks and then we go into strength each on their projects. The most interesting part is that every day new challenges and totally unexpected things can arise.
Do you dream of working on an ideal project?
Naturally, like any designer, I have a project that I am looking forward to. My ideal project would be to work on the packaging of a bottle, preferably rum, gin or whiskey, somewhere in this area. I am absolutely fascinated by the retro/vintage but very elegant and nonconformist look of many labels, the multitude of elements that make up the design, the shape of the bottle and the label.
Is there anything that inspires you in everyday life?
Although I could say that nature, by the calmness with which it comes bundled, and even the city, with the hustle and bustle of everyday life, I prefer to say that the main source of inspiration is the people in my life.
We are curious how you would organize your life on a desert island. What would be the 5 items you would take with you there?
Of course, first I would take food supplies with me... a lot:)), probably some thick clothes, some tools with which I can build various things, then the phone without which I do not think I could sit and I would also take a dog or a cat with me so that I would not feel so alone.
We spent a lot of great moments on our team. Do you remember one in particular?
Although I spent many beautiful moments in the BF team, one moment that will always remain special for me is when I first came on the terrace to get to know the ehipa and the team to get to know me, even before I was “an employee with documents in order”. I felt from the very beginning that this is my place, and the warmth with which I was received by everyone always remains a pleasant memory for me.
Is there anything you would like to know about yourself that you haven't had the opportunity to tell us?
There's probably still a lot to be said about me, but I think the things that define me as a human being should be discovered rather than told.
Remote work, especially in your job, is no longer a utopia. Do you have a favorite place where you would like to work remotely?
I don't have a specific place but I definitely prefer a big city, preferably European.
What is the thing you are most proud of?
From the fact that I have always done what I wanted professionally, regardless of the circumstances, and today I have come to do something out of passion and not just out of obligation.