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Interview with Tanya Dunaeva |
Home > Designer Interviews > Tanya Dunaeva |
Editor Frank Scott (FS) from DesignPRWire has interviewed designer Tanya Dunaeva (TD) for A’ Design Award and Competition. You can access the full profile of Tanya Dunaeva by clicking here.
FS: Could you please tell us more about your art and design background? What made you become an artist/designer? Have you always wanted to be a designer?
TD: I always knew that design is a big part of my life. The desire of making world more beautiful and comfortable is my key ambition. And Design supports me in this mission. From the early age I took classes in the art school and further Graduated at Art University as PhD of Industrial Design discipline. Know on I am focusing on Graphic design, Packaging and Branding improving in parallel my skills with one of the best tutors Leonid Slavin at HSE Art & design school.
FS: Can you tell us more about your company / design studio?
TD: My company is Me - Tanya Dunaeva. I am participating to different Projects as Art-Director and Designers. My ambition is to level-up to the level of the best Designers worldwide. Various Awards in Packaging, Graphic design, Typography are making my intention more and more strong.
FS: What is "design" for you?
TD: Design for me is a tool to communicate to externals. I am expressing myself through the creation of new Images, New emotions. Passing the way from idea to the product, Design is a transformation that makes World more esthetic and harmonized many aspects of our life.
FS: What kinds of works do you like designing most?
TD: Branding and Identity is something that excites me most at the moment. Any Design Projects supporting Festivals, Theaters, Museums, Product launches with numerous exposures like Posters, Printing, POS motivates fully my creativity and hardworking. I am really keen in Packaging design.
FS: What is your most favorite design, could you please tell more about it?
TD: In graphic design I can say I have passion to minimaliastic Swiss design with Lettering and clear typography.
FS: What was the first thing you designed for a company?
TD: The first Design for the Company was the Invitation to the Exhibition for Steel Producers. I hope that more people came to the Exhibition Stand of that Company becouse the Invitation was really impressive and pushed people to study more about that Company
FS: When do you feel the most creative?
TD: I am rather dynamic during the day caring of different self-educational, promotional and offcause business affairs/orders. Due to this I am finding the source of creativity in every available moment and environment) Almost every Designer task requires creativity - I have steps and time limits to pass it efficiently to get the best result. It is not my wish but the way of my organization as there are still so much to do and study around.
FS: Which aspects of a design do you focus more during designing?
TD: When people face to "design" they see beautiful pictures that touches them or not, which they like or not. If we ask them "Why do you like this design", they will oftenly can not answer: it is just how they fill it. But what can we do to be sure our design will work? Design should have a sence and clear communication sence, it should be well organized and craftly made. I am deeply convienced that good design appears if we know for whom and for what is created.
FS: What kind of emotions do you feel when you design?
TD: Designer is a craftmen and if you want to design anything worthwhile you should be ready for a steady continious work based on brilliant skills and wide knowledge. But what turns craft into art (some times) is a creative idea - It is one of the most passionate moment of the Designer job when we find it. I think many of us agree with that. The feelings are very different from "oh my god, it is brilliant" to "phh it is so geniously simple! how stupid I was that could not find it earlier". I am trying to feel such emotion at every my project.
FS: What kind of emotions do you feel when your designs are realized?
TD: I am not really selfish about my design, we are often facing the situations when your design is not accepted by Client, Partner or Tutor or Your self. Even if your design is really the best one (as you think) you should set it aside and propose something more impressive, more suitable in this case. So I am really proud of myself when my design is accepted and realized but this is just a small moment of Glory, another small step up to the higher professionalism and self-confidence.
FS: What makes a design successful?
TD: Succesfull design is a combination of right form, content and purpose
FS: When judging a design as good or bad, which aspects do you consider first?
TD: The design should be Relevant. Relevant to the Client, Relevant to the Customer, Relevant to the time being and the purpose of the product... The picture can be beautiful but if it is not integrated into the whole story it is not a design.
FS: From your point of view, what are the responsibilities of a designer for society and environment?
TD: Design - it is not about just drawing. It is in a power of Designer to offer to the Client environmently friendly and sustainable solutions at the initial point of Product Development. It is not always expensive to be ECO - Just a little of creativit is required)
FS: How do you think the "design field" is evolving? What is the future of design?
TD: Design industry is Globalizing a lot as well as many areas of our life. Social tension and oppression of freedoms, deep focus on sustainable environment - all of it is actual to people around the World. I think that motion, interactive self promotional Design can take a lead the nearest future.
FS: When was your last exhibition and where was it? And when do you want to hold your next exhibition?
TD: My last exhibition was at Tretyakov Gallery with a project "Bauhaus/Vkhutemas. The twenties to the twenties." It was a reference to the work of famous artist Falk. My next exhibition is at HSE Art & Design Gallery with a project "Tired man". It is an design experiment that blurs the person.
FS: Where does the design inspiration for your works come from? How do you feed your creativity? What are your sources of inspirations?
TD: I can define several pillars that feed my creativity: the viewability - the study of famous awards galleries, on-line exhibitions and so on; the study of ideas generation techniques; participation to the workshops, education modules, lectures; the acquaintance with new techniques and software.
FS: How would you describe your design style? What made you explore more this style and what are the main characteristics of your style? What's your approach to design?
TD: I can say I am progmatic and practical in my Design, I am very delicate with product and try to
FS: Where do you live? Do you feel the cultural heritage of your country affects your designs? What are the pros and cons during designing as a result of living in your country?
TD: I live in Moscow city, the capital of Russia. Surely my roots, my education, my environment influences me. But it is also important to feel modern trends in Design and see current vital Social life problems.
FS: How do you work with companies?
TD: Every projects starts from a deep discussion with Client around its Business, Mission and finally its Product ambitions. Based on Clients expectation I can provide both Creative ideas or/and the set of Reference Mock-upped images that are in line with it. Final step is to finalize chosen Design style with a complete package of outputs agreed in advance. Client is happy)
FS: What are your suggestions to companies for working with a designer? How can companies select a good designer?
TD: The good designer has several qualities: Skills/Specialization, Creativity, Hard working ability, punctuality and responsibility for the result. To recognize these qualities it is necessary to study designers portfolio and talk to him. If you like its style but there is no feedback from colleagues about the designer it is possible to conduct small project together to know each other better.
FS: Can you talk a little about your design process?
TD: Basically design process starts from the understanding of its purpose. As soon is it is clear for what & for whom it should communicate to, we can switch to creative idea generation process. Next step is to find the style of the design and its realization.
FS: What are 5 of your favorite design items at home?
TD: Interior design (self designed); restored retro shutters that cover mirrors in the bathroom and toilet; leather chairs with long legs; ceramic plates (native Uzbekistan/Thailand/Japan); art silver ring
FS: Can you describe a day in your life?
TD: My day starts at night as I often work/study over midnight. In the morning I am waking up with my children to take them to school. During the day I have time to realize the scheduled activities it can be followed by conversations, meetings and Client visits. In the evening I have my classes to improve the skills in Communication design (Art-direction, Creativity, Advertizing...)
FS: Could you please share some pearls of wisdom for young designers? What are your suggestions to young, up and coming designers?
TD: Please focus on continuous self improvement. Try to be visible for the society and don't be afraid to submit your Projects to different Awards like A 'Design. Keep your nose to the wind as profession is changing and work hard. And... be sure that you know why do you need the prizes and what are your next steps in Profession.
FS: From your perspective, what would you say are some positives and negatives of being a designer?
TD: Designer is a creative profession - it gives you high possibilities for self-realization and promotion, it is just necessary not to loose your way and not to get bogged down in routine. It is not always easy to find right place for you as designer at which the design is recognized and valued.
FS: What is your "golden rule" in design?
TD: "Less is more"
FS: What skills are most important for a designer?
TD: Ability to understand the Client and offer Design that can be accepted; Design specialization skill (graphic, product, packaging, illustration, etc.); hard skills (designer tools for graphics and motion); Creative ideas generation skill; Erudition and ability to pensive information; self-motivation. All the skills are similarly important.
FS: Which tools do you use during design? What is inside your toolbox? Such as software, application, hardware, books, sources of inspiration etc.?
TD: Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Cinema 4d, CorelDraw, Font lab, Aftereffects
FS: Designing can sometimes be a really time consuming task, how do you manage your time?
TD: Fully agree with this statement. I am trying to limit the time to complete the task in a most efficient way. It helps me to keep agreed milestones and deadlines.
FS: How long does it take to design an object from beginning to end?
TD: It depends on the Project of cause, I can say that from week to month. It is necessary to split the task for key milestones and track it together with a Client.
FS: What is the most frequently asked question to you, as a designer?
TD: "What is your design process?"
FS: What was your most important job experience?
TD: I have made many steps to get my today level of Professionalism. I just can mention some Projects as example.. One of it was my participation to the Project of the launching new soda-water on the market as a Designer. During this work I have participated to numerous Focus Groups and it was really important to understand how Your design ideas influence on different people. I can also mention that at some step of my carrier My education at Art-Direction Master program at HSE Art and Design School and British higher school of art & design has become a key pillar to boost my creativity and Designer competence. And of cause my job experience with Client from different Business areas (B2B, B2C, Banking, Construction, Food, Fashion, Medicine, Education, Government services...) is priceless.
FS: Who are some of your clients?
TD: Agency of strategic initiatives, Samsung, Braer, Evraz, Tinko, InEureka...
FS: How can people contact you?
TD: https://www.dunaeva.design ; www.instagram.com/tanya_u_dunaeva ; www.behance.net/tanyadunaeva ; www.linkedin.com/in/tanya-dunaeva ; https://www.dunaeva.design tanya.dunaeva.tanya@gmail.com
FS: Thank you for providing us with this opportunity to interview you.
A’ Design Award and Competitions grants rights to press members and bloggers to use parts of this interview. This interview is provided as it is; DesignPRWire and A' Design Award and Competitions cannot be held responsible for the answers given by participating designers.
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