Minimalist lovers, meet Artur Zherdetskii, who relishes the elegant, evocative energy of the only design components. “In case you can create a dot that tells a narrative, you’ve performed an incredible job,” says the Porto-based designer, who makes a speciality of telling model tales by way of clear, refined line icons. It’s a becoming profession path for Artur, whose love of design sprung from a love of storytelling. We just lately spoke to him about his childhood love of drawing and writing, life as a freelancer and his difficult emotions about AI.
Identify: Artur Zherdetskii
99designs deal with: arturzherd
Location: Porto, Portugal
Specialty: Emblem and branding
Hello Artur! Inform us about your self.
My title is Artur Zherdetskii, and I’ve been a contract graphic designer for the previous seven years. I used to be born in chilly Russia, however for the previous few years, I’ve been fortunate sufficient to reside in sunny Portugal!
What’s it like the place you reside?
Humorous factor is, I’ve by no means felt as chilly as I do right here — the Atlantic wind chills you to the bone! However I adore it right here anyway. The colourful tradition and delightful landscapes are extremely inspiring for my work.
Have been you all the time a inventive child?
It began with tales. Way back to I can bear in mind, I’ve all the time liked them. Whether or not it was a narrative my grandma instructed me or a narrative I heard within the information, there was one thing particular about them — every story painted an image in my thoughts and got here alive. Each time I heard one, I instantly thought, “What if the story took one other flip?” And so I began creating these “what if” tales by way of drawing and writing.
So, how did you flip your love of storytelling right into a graphic design profession?
It was a sensible resolution. I wished to be inventive however had heard a thousand and one tales about artists who struggled to make a residing.
I didn’t need to reside with my mom until my 50s, so I looked for a method to be useful to others whereas being inventive. That’s how I met graphic design. I by no means went to school to review it — I’m one hundred pc self-taught.
Design is an business the place you must study new issues day-after-day, and finding out is one factor that by no means hurts, whether or not it’s a college, ebook or YouTube channel. Plus, being self-taught has given me a novel perspective and method that units my work aside.
How has being self-taught modified your perspective? Has it affected your profession?
It makes you extra impartial and disciplined. Not like college college students, who typically settle for professors’ phrases with out query as a consequence of their authority, you actively search numerous assets to type your opinions. Self-teaching encourages essential pondering and independence. It helps you suppose past conventional educational frames and prepares you for the actual world. With out counting on others, you develop distinctive habits and elegance. This independence permits your work to showcase your imaginative and prescient.
Inform me about working as a contract graphic designer. What’s nice, and what’s not so nice? I like being a contract graphic designer due to the liberty it provides you. You run your individual micro-business, which is each one of the best and worst half. You possibly can’t focus solely on what you want — you must share, promote, community and extra, extra, extra.
I benefit from the number of tasks and shoppers I get to work with, however managing all the executive duties will be difficult.
What impressed you to hitch 99designs?
It’s one of many largest graphic design communities the place you possibly can share experiences and develop. With the ability to see what different designers do and discuss to them is essential for freelancing to grasp the place the business is heading.
What’s the expertise been like?
I joined 99designs as a designer with primary information, and the platform form of modified my design world. There are such a lot of gifted designers and helpful, attention-grabbing weblog posts. It was like a snowball impact. The suggestions I acquired helped me refine my abilities and broaden my understanding of design traits and shopper wants.
You create quite a lot of minimalist line icons for manufacturers (like those in your profile banner!). Are you able to describe your total design model?
I like how one thing small can imply a lot. For me, that’s nearly the definition of emblem design. In case you can create a dot that tells a narrative, you’ve performed an incredible job. The best way a number of easy traces can create a chic picture that catches your eye is magnificent. Design shouldn’t be difficult, and neither ought to life.
What kind of shoppers do you sometimes work for?
Normally, I work with small companies and startups that share my imaginative and prescient of “much less is extra.”
What’s your favourite undertaking you’ve labored on?
The following undertaking is all the time my favourite! It’s very tough to decide on, however a few of my favorites are the Jetsun emblem, the Therapybarn emblem and the double-headed eagle emblem.
Do you’ve gotten a dream undertaking or a model you’ve all the time wished to work for?
Actually, I’ve by no means thought of it. Perhaps The New Yorker — it might be actually cool to create a canopy for them, although I’m unsure my illustration model suits theirs.
What are your ideas for different designers utilizing the platform?
Consistency is essential, and keep in mind that as a graphic design freelancer, you must be not solely a designer but additionally a PR supervisor, gross sales supervisor, and so on. Make investments time in studying these abilities. Constructing a powerful private model and sustaining good shopper relationships are essential.
What’s one of the best total design tip you’ve ever acquired?
Be taught the grid system. It helps in creating balanced and harmonious designs.
How are you feeling concerning the growth of generative AI in design? How do you see it affecting the design business?
I need to be optimistic about it, however I’m sorry, I can’t. I imagine we would lose the sense of life. It’s not simply the graphic design business I fear about, however the world itself. In a number of years, it might be laborious to inform should you’re speaking to an actual human or AI. And there’s an excellent probability that we would like to speak to AI as a result of it might say no matter we need to hear. Firms behind AI might manipulate our choices with years of details about our lives. Robots may have the ability to do any mental job higher than people. The place is the place for us in a world like this? It’s vital to maintain AI beneath management as a result of it has already considerably impacted our lives in only a few years.
That stated, I don’t see any motive to cease growing AI as a result of, in some methods, it will possibly make our lives significantly better. We simply should be smarter when utilizing it. Proper now, we aren’t sensible sufficient.
What recommendation, then, do you’ve gotten for folks occupied with pursuing graphic design?
I might say to maintain design as a pastime and take into account altering fields to knowledge evaluation or AI upkeep. However should you nonetheless need to pursue graphic design after studying this, go for it — in order for you one thing badly sufficient, you possibly can obtain it.
Talking of the inventive course of, do you hearken to any music when working? What helps you keep centered?
There are a lot of musicians I’m grateful for. Listed below are a number of: Leonard Cohen, Augusta, Daughter, The Animals, The Nationwide, Cigarettes After Intercourse, Angus and Julia Stone, Bebe Stockwell, Lera Lynn, Lifeless Man’s Bones, Ben Howard, Tom Waits, Rainbow Kitten Shock, Bukahara, Gogol Bordello, Unhappy Issues, The Velvet Underground, Mac Miller.
I additionally like working late at evening when the town is asleep. It’s simply you, your laptop computer and music in your headphones. Good trio.
And what do you love to do while you’re not working?
I get pleasure from writing, enjoying music, working, watching films, spending time with pals, and taking walks on my own. It feels like a normal inventive particular person’s equipment, apart from the working!
The place can folks discover you or study extra about your work?
My girlfriend, Sofia Gazarian (who additionally works on 99designs), and I are engaged on our personal emblem & model company, Logotypely. You can too discover me on Behance and Instagram. I promise to be extra energetic there any further!
Love Artur’s work?
Invite him to work in your subsequent undertaking now.
