How do you identify professionally?
Designer, art director, creative (though I really don't like that word!).
Honestly, I’m constantly searching. I tend to jump between different fields within the creative industry, and I feel like I’ve learned to navigate between them. It’s great that this profession lets me do several things at once. One day I’m a designer, the next I’m a copywriter, and the day after that I might dabble in animation or photography. I love to try new things and feel useful. Plus, I think it’s a great skill for an art director to have.
Since childhood, we’ve been told how important it is to “find yourself” and follow one clear path, so sometimes I do feel anxious about that. It takes a lot of effort to remind myself that moving in different directions is perfectly okay too!
I just want to bring kindness and beauty into the world — what you call it doesn’t really matter.
Is the skill of coming up with concepts important specifically for branding?
A concept is simply the idea for a project, the philosophy, the foundation. It’s everywhere.
It’s the starting point for developing any kind of communication: an ad campaign, branding, or a video. It just makes things easier. A concept explains where we’re headed and why. Even in fields not directly related to design, there’s always a concept. Take business development or event planning, for example. But a good concept or idea is worth nothing without great execution.
Do you describe yourself as someone who enjoys working in a team, or do you prefer to work independently?
I used to be a lone wolf at work — I liked doing everything on my own and was frankly a bit afraid of other people. Brainstorming with others felt stressful. But I’m fighting with that little sociophobe inside me! Over time, I’ve realized that work becomes much more interesting and so much easier in a team. Plus, I absolutely love people who are passionate about what they do! It’s such a pleasure to work with them.
Working in a team really helps when you can bounce ideas off each other — it’s like a game of ping-pong, you throw the ball, and they hit it back. The idea evolves with new meanings. I’ve heard that’s how stand-up writers work too!
Trying to take everything on yourself is a mistake. Of course, it’s hard to do the work of an entire studio alone. These days, I’ve started bringing in other people for some freelance projects. Right now, it’s just a small circle of a couple of people, but it’s already more interesting — we’re a team!
For example, I’ve started working with a producer, and I love having someone to discuss things with, present results together, and get support! Plus, I don’t have to worry so much about numbers and contracts. It may seem small, but it allows me some breathing room.
Does working in a team give you a greater sense of stability and confidence when dealing with clients?
Yes, exactly! There's definitely strength in numbers.
It may be a subjective feeling, but I’ve noticed that clients trust you more when two people are presenting the results instead of just one. The same goes for working with agencies. When a project is backed by a studio, there’s just more credibility.
I once had a freelance project with a fairly large client, and I could tell they were hesitant because the project wasn’t super expensive and there was only one person behind it. So even before they saw the work, its value was already kind of diminished. Sigh.
What emotions do you generally experience when working with clients? What scenarios are the most enjoyable for you?
Here’s a scenario: present the concept — the client’s thrilled, and it’s approved! Haha, that’s always a nice one.
I prefer working with smaller clients and niche projects. There’s more room for creativity, you get to create something beautiful, and the client is trusting and appreciative. I love building a brand from scratch, starting with naming. Maybe I’m not a "real" designer since I’m less drawn to big, well-known brands. I hear that grown-ups aim for larger projects!
Of course, big projects have their own appeal. I’ve worked with large clients too — like when I worked for the national food retail chain Magnit. It’s actually kind of cool: you can find the icons I designed in every Russian city! But those projects are often full of struggles and compromises. By the end, you don’t always feel proud of the result. In my experience, there’s a lot of miscommunication and too many decision-makers who can’t seem to agree. There’s a good chance that by the time the project is finished, very little of the original design remains.
I want to believe — and I do — that it can be different! But for now, I tend to choose smaller, fun projects. Like, I’d much rather do branding for a coffee shop than a huge bank.
What aspects of your work make you feel proud?
When everything turns out just the way you envisioned it! When expectations and reality align perfectly. When you can actually touch and feel something that was on your computer screen not too long ago. Pure joy! And then there’s the smile on the client’s face during a presentation. That moment when no words have been spoken yet, but you just know the magic has happened.
I’d say winning awards at festivals or seeing your work published brings a sense of pride too.
Have there been times when you felt disappointment or loss, and how do you handle that? Do you reflect on it? Or do you swear off design entirely?
You won’t believe this, I do exactly that! Sometimes I genuinely hate this profession. Mainly because so much depends on someone else’s opinion. And often, that person isn’t an expert in the industry. Sadly, many clients find it hard to trust the professional, even though they’re paying for their expertise. You can pour your heart into a project and absolutely love it, but if your opinion doesn’t align with the client’s, it’s over. They might dislike something for no apparent reason, and what can you do about that?
Imagine their idea of great milk packaging is something like “Domik v Derevne,” while you bring them trendy European references. (Where did I go wrong, right?)
One of our missions is to educate clients and show them that things can be done differently. But sometimes, you are simply not a good match, and you have to accept that. It’s just like relationships! Luckily, this disconnect often becomes clear in the very first stages of working together.
I tend to take professional setbacks to heart, but after a few days, I usually bounce back. I always try to find something positive in every situation.
It helps to have multiple projects at once, so you can shift your focus to where things are going well. You find joy in that, and eventually, admit to yourself that you do, in fact, love what you do.
Do you believe it's necessary to always defend your opinion with a client?
Oh, I’m quite the fighter. I always stand my ground. But you have to learn to do it carefully. With experience, I’ve realized how important it is to hear the client out. If you're too rigid and unyielding, the work becomes much harder. After all, this isn’t a battlefield — you and the client are on the same team.
What if the client is actually right? After all, it's their product; they know it best and have their own emotional connection to it. In a way, it’s like clothing they have to wear themselves. It’s important to listen to their thoughts and feelings and see where you can meet them halfway. But it's equally important to explain your perspective and give solid reasons for your design choices.
When you're working as a team rather than rivals on a battleground, the client doesn't demand revisions. Instead, they express doubts or ask questions. You can take those doubts and incorporate them into your vision. But when they start giving specific directives like “Make the logo squarer,” that’s harder to work with.
There are times when it does feel like you’re in a boxing ring, fighting for a beautiful design. That’s a pretty sad situation. The worst is when the client starts suggesting design solutions or even trying to do the design themselves. That’s a clear sign something has gone wrong.
In what situations does this boxing ring dynamic occur? Does it depend on the specifics of the project or the client?
Thankfully, it doesn’t happen often. But when it does, it’s painful.
If a client starts “designing” for you, it means they don't see you as a professional, but just as a pair of hands. To them, you're someone who simply knows how to use Photoshop. And if you silently make edits like “make the logo bigger” or “thicken this line,” the result usually suffers. The client sees that too but doesn’t understand why — after all, they gave the right directions!
As in any relationship, dialogue and mutual respect are key here.
Where do you draw the line when compromising with a client?
If my solution doesn’t work for them the first time, I’m open to revising it or incorporating feedback, but only in a way that I still feel good about, where my inner designer is on board with the result. However, if the edits start ruining the visuals and we can’t find common ground, I might have to say that I’m not going to do bad design. Fortunately, situations like that are rare.
Overall, I’ve been really lucky. Throughout my career, I’ve worked with people who respect and care about their work, who share similar values, and wouldn’t sell bad design.
How important is it for you to express your vision, regardless of the project?
Every project carries a piece of the designer who created it, and that’s certainly a nice feeling. But when you're working on brand identity, you're operating within the client's framework, their field, and you can’t always express your personal style. Or rather, it’s not always appropriate. I want to convey a visual feeling that resonates with me, but it doesn't always fit the client’s needs. I’m constantly searching for that balance.
As an illustrator, having your own distinct style is amazing! But in branding, you have to create a unique solution every time. You can’t just churn out identical projects.
If you do, you end up with a unified “style” that becomes a reflection of yourself, rather than the brand.
But let’s look at it from another angle. Often, clients come specifically for a particular style—yours, or the agency’s. It’s a fine line: on the one hand, it’s great when you have found and mastered your signature elements, but on the other, you need to know when to pivot and find solutions that work for a specific business. And that’s usually where you grow as a designer. Your touch will always shine through in some way. Man, design really is a complex thing! Soft skills are everything!
By the way, in agencies, it’s easier with style because you have different people whose visions mix together. It’s harder for freelancers — you can sometimes see how they repeat their visual solutions from project to project.
Are you interested in seeing continuity between your projects, or do you prefer creating something radically new each time?
What matters to me is that I’m not standing still. I’m not creating the same thing over and over. With each project, I discover more about myself and hone my skills, even if it’s within a particular style. I love trying new things, and I get excited when my experiments prove useful in real-world projects.
Another opportunity to express myself more and search for “my own thing” is through personal projects. It’s a space where I can experiment, where I’m my own client and I set the rules. I’ve got a few ideas brewing; just need to find the time.
Imagine a situation: a freelance project comes along that guarantees your financial stability for several months. But on the other side, there’s a client who does all the unacceptable things you mentioned earlier. What would you do?
I wouldn’t take the job. For sure!
My mental health is more important.
I can find other work, other clients, even if that means a lot of smaller projects instead of one big one. Stressing out and feeling anxious every day is too hard, really. There are things in life that are worth more than money.
What can cause you stress or mental strain at work?
When projects get rejected. Endless rounds of concept approvals. If I’m confident in my work but can’t convince the person who makes the final decision, that’s really frustrating. Another thing is poor execution. You hand in work you’re proud of, but the implementation is so bad that you don’t even want to show it.
And what do you do when you get upset?
I close my laptop! Make some tea, go for a walk, or work out.
Then I switch to projects that are going well.
Are there things you’re afraid of in your work?
A totally irrational childish fear — I worry that each new project will be the one where I fail! Although I'm not a junior anymore, I have this fear every time, especially if it's a non-trivial task. Like, what if this time I just can’t do it? It’s just so silly! The trick is not to show it.
Maybe that fear is what pushes me to generate a million ideas just because I feel like none of them are good enough, so I need more! The important thing is knowing when to stop.
Have you ever faced a creative block?
Like everyone. For me, there are two main problems:
- No ideas at all.
- So many ideas, I don’t know what to do with them.
Believe me, that’s just as painful.
The worst blocks hit me at the beginning of my career. I wanted every single project to be special, award-worthy! That’s a great ambition, but it’s exhausting. My inner critic wouldn’t let me settle on one solution and just finish the job. Don’t do that to yourself!
What makes you happy in your work?
I love that moment of magic. When a beautiful idea appears out of nowhere.
I feel like a kid. I walk around smiling to myself!
I enjoy when a big idea grows out of nothing and a simple product suddenly becomes filled with wholesome meanings.
I love making an impact, surprising people, making them happy, and evoking emotions. When I present my work and see someone smiling back, it makes me really happy.
What drives you crazy?
Making revisions! And arguing — I hate arguing and trying to prove a point.
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This interview is part of the documentary project Insights about the people of the ESH design studio. The interview was conducted by Polina Drozhkova.
More information about the project can be found on the website insights.eshgruppa.com.
