So, what does a strategist actually do?
A strategist's job is influenced by the studio's focus as well. For example, in a design studio, they make sure the visuals convey meanings relevant to both the audience and the business.
In branding, a strategist creates the brand platform, essentially defining what the brand is all about. When it comes to the development timeline, a brand strategist is involved from the conception of the brand, while a creative strategist shapes the framework for advertising later on. In the advertising, a strategist makes a brief for the creative team, guiding their work through high-level concepts.
Do you find it difficult to articulate meanings and ideas, do they feel elusive to you? Or is it more of a technical puzzle for you?
It's definitely a puzzle! As for the elusiveness — the beauty of strategy is that it has established frameworks with particular components, such as brand platforms. These frameworks are the strategists' way of making it easier to communicate those meanings and ideas. Plus, it simplifies passing them on to teams or clients. When there is a solid idea you’re confident in, then it becomes easier to put it together and communicate it.
What's the most challenging for you when developing a strategy?
I’d say, a disconnect between expectations and reality. Like any creative, I always want to come up with something big in terms of impact, make decisions that lead to meaningful results, even if they only affect a small group of people.
More often than not, the reality doesn’t match up.
This is specific to the commercial world — tasks get resolved from a business perspective, not from a visionary one.
How do you resolve this dilemma between the visionary and the business-practical when choosing projects?
In a sensible manner. I am driven to work as efficiently as possible in the commercial sector, so that I can support myself financially. When it comes to the creative sphere, I can take on less lucrative jobs, but work with cool people — here I afford myself more time, if my commercial work is well-organized.
I'd like to achieve a 20% to 80% balance, with 20% financing my basic needs and the rest being just cool projects. At some point, I decided not to accept projects I couldn't add to my portfolio. It was a strategic mistake — I ended up with neither money nor projects. But I took that step, and now I realize that having a base of commercial work gives me the freedom to choose projects I want. I respect this aspect of my profession — without those commercial projects, I couldn't propose a fee that works for people I want to collaborate with and still have enough to pay my rent and go out with friends.
What could have been avoided during your time working with agencies? What was completely unnecessary, in your opinion?
I would have definitely let go of the negative emotions. In projects, teams, and with clients, those don't move things forward — just stall the progress. Personally, I would have preferred to avoid negative feelings altogether. Sometimes, I found myself succumbing to the negativity from colleagues, thinking it was normal behavior from seniors and directors. It’s a vicious cycle where everyone ends up copying each other's negative behaviors.
What is your current formula for professional communication?
Collaboration is my main framework. Whether I work with a junior-strategist or a client — the scale moves from mentoring to expertise.
Is there anything unique about working with designers? If so, what is it?
Definitely being sensitive about their work. Not all designers, but many of them see their works as an extension of who they are. When you're working on a task and have to abandon some design decisions along the way, this could cause communication issues.
Not everyone has the skills to switch away from the personal. Also, in commercial work, design is a business tool, not an art piece. I believe it’s critical to make this distinction.
To what extent does empathy play a role in the work process?
It's crucial — I'd say 100%, maybe even 120%. Empathy is the foundation of healthy team relationships. However, people have very different experiences, and sometimes empathy alone isn't enough. Someone else's journey might be far more traumatic than mine, and I can't always fully understand their reasons. At times, empathy falls short when it comes to getting someone to shift the focus away from themselves, and I think that's where the main challenges in solving project tasks arise.
What are some red flags for you when communicating with a client?
One major red flag is when a client says, "We hired you; you solve the problem." It indicates that you should reopen the lines of communication and renegotiate your exchange. Because on these terms, the project will fail.
Another big one is, "I just don’t like it." This kind of feedback is completely ineffective and leads nowhere. When there are no standards by which the project is judged and no attempt to explain your viewpoint, the project comes to a halt.
In those cases, there are three options: break up with the client, step back and rethink communication, or try and guess what the client wants. The last strategy is wholly unproductive and causes burnout within the team.
Another red flag is when everything seems perfect at the start: there are no questions, the client accepts whatever you offer without hesitation. This usually signals that the client doesn't fully understand what they're buying. It's a reminder to engage more in the communication process early on, so you don't end up with a situation where everything seems easy during the agreement phase, but becomes painful when it comes to agreeing on the result.
How do you reconcile the dilemma of being the expert who gets paid, while the other, who isn't an expert, pays you? How do you defend and maintain your professional expertise in this situation?
I think you already made the main point: there is somebody who pays for it. They do not pay for my creative development — they invest in their business and aim to reach their goals.
Clients come to me to solve their business problems, but setting the right price and timeline for my work is entirely my responsibility. How I handle this directly affects how I can grow my creativity.
Are you embarrassed by anything in your professional biography?
Definitely bad communication, 100 percent. I handled it unprofessionally at times. But I'm not at all embarrassed about my experience — I'd actually like to have twice as much and be better at solving problems a bit faster.
Are there any professional skills you’d still like to improve?
Again, my professional communication skills, definitely. As for specific tasks, I’m currently working in consulting, which is quite theoretical. I’d like to change the format of the projects, so I could do more hands-on work.
What professional fears and anxieties persist in your remote work?
FOMO — I am afraid of not keeping up with the profession and ending up in a profession that doesn't change.
However, I think I've already faced my biggest fear — moving to Germany and realizing that my job exists entirely in a different language and a context I had never immersed myself in. At some point, your profession no longer feels like your own because you can't speak the same language as your colleagues, and English doesn't help.
What helped you rebuild yourself?
Being broke and jobless — nothing beats that. And, of course, a lack of professional recognition.
Do you have any microdream for the near future?
I'd like to publish an autofiction book based on artifacts from my grandmother and our family's history.
*** * ***
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.
