Igor came to Clearmove nearly a year ago as a Graphic Designer quickly switched to UI/UX design and in a relatively short period of time, he became the Lead of the Product Design team. He is no doubt creative and very passionate about what he is doing. Moreover, he had a completely different passion before coming to design and he tells us about it in this interview.
About you
You are clearly a creative person. Is it only about design or do you have some other creative hobbies?
Probably the biggest hobby of my life is collecting Ford Mustang 1:18, diecast models. For me, there are 3 stages: 1 – unpacking the model itself and reviewing all details of how close to the real car it has 2 – taking photos outside where you can use the landscape with a perspective that makes the model look like a real one 3 – the processing of selected photos and the photoshoot result itself. You can check out my Instagram page here.
As for other creative hobbies: I like traveling, it used to be my passion before, but not package tours of course, only traveling by myself. For me, it’s not about reaching the destination, but the feeling of excitement when getting there. And music, of course, is an important part of my life.
What’s so special about music?
Before becoming a designer, I was engaged in music and worked as a sound engineer. For me, working with sound was almost the meaning of life. And I never wanted to perform on stage, I’d rather sit in the studios and deal with new synthesizers or with processes that could transform any sound into something new. Only later design came into my life.
Is there anything similar between design and music?
For me, these things cannot be separated – you can close your eyes and see the visualization of the music itself, or by looking at the picture you can hear the melody. Often, in order to draw an album cover for an artist, I asked to play his music and this led me to certain images that I then used in the design.
What inspires you?
Everything that can be found around: advertising, applications on my phone, art, cinema, and music. And for sure the people that surround me. I believe that every person gives something into your life, whether positive or negative. I like to take only positive things and then use them in my life, in my creativity, etc.
What is a perfect atmosphere for you to work productively?
Music, a clean desk, and the right people around. I like clean space both on my desktop and on my physical table at the office. I hate to sit and work being limited in my space, with t-rex arms. I can’t work the same way my colleague Myroslav does, for example (our Product Manager, Myroslav Gavryshchuk – editor). He always has on his table a variety of objects from plants to knick-knacks, whereas my table has only the most necessary things on it.
Is there anything you are proud of? Not necessarily in the design world.
Most of all, I am proud of what I do or have achieved in the past: most of it was related to work. I used to work as a designer of advertisement campaigns for brands such as Ford Motor Company, Renault, Skoda, and more. I am proud of myself.
Define your greatest success and greatest failure
I do not know how to answer this question: I will say that there were a lot of both in my life and I am satisfied with where all these actions have led me. I don’t regret anything. I hope that all the greatest is yet to come.
About work
Can you describe your career path? How did you become who you are today?
I went from the musical world to the world of design. I was happily working with music, but I once saw how beautiful a tool for work can be. Specifically, I’m talking about realizing how great the Mac was compared to the PC. Before that, I did not pay attention to these things. I saw how comfortable the Mac is for the user, so I thought – this is what I want to do, designing things to be user friendly and comfortable, and this became a part of my life. I quit the advertising company I worked at, and I drew several designs of applications without any previous specific knowledge or experience about how to do that. I only had my imagination and assumptions about how comfortable design should look like. This is how I got into this sphere. When I joined Clearmove I was a Graphic Designer and step by step I became TL in product design within a year.
Why did you switch from Graphic to UX?
Recently I realized that as an advertising designer I have already reached the top and I can only develop my technique or enrich my taste. Therefore, I wanted to try something new and I entered the world of applications and web design. It’s always cool to learn new things and improve old ones, I’m passionate about that. I even have a necklace with an “Ankh” symbol, which in Egyptian mythology means new beginnings.
It is very important for designers to have good taste. Where does your taste come from?
This is a very important component for every designer. And for me, taste comes from a mix of experience and inspiration. In my case, it’s a lot of practice.
Is creativity something that one can learn?
No, I do not think so. A person can be taught methods on how to express themselves in a literal sense, for example, methods of how to paint. But, creativity is understanding how to use these skills and how to properly express themselves on a different level, it’s more than just knowing how to hold a brush, it’s more like knowing how to paint what you feel in a new and exciting way. This is something which one acquires through how they view the world and solve problems. And it seems to me that one should have a desire for something new, to go beyond the routine.
By the way, Igor gave his comment on “How to become a successful Product Designer”.
What’s your opinion on the role of design in creating applications?
It is one of the most important roles: there must be a balance between the visual perception of the application and its usability.
What’s great about working in the design field?
Pride and delight. If you do not have pride in the results of your work, then it’s time to think about changing your profession.
About Clearmove
Did you know anything about Global Mobility before joining Clearmove?
Not so much. However, because I traveled a lot I understand how much of a headache it is with moving people from point A to point B. Travelers have problems when going to neighboring countries when they bring their snacks in their backpacks. I can only imagine the trouble people face when relocating with families to other continents.
What’s good about working in start-ups?
That you can do everything your way, there are no limits or rules. In product design particularly you can decide on your own what the product will be like. Of course, there are stakeholders and other important people above you, but mostly it’s the team that creates the software. This is an awesome feeling.
What does it mean to be a mentor?
Carry a huge burden of responsibility for the decisions of your team and inspire your subordinates to learn more than you can give them.
What kind of rules, culture, or structure need to exist to foster team collaboration?
Trust, openness, and constant communication.
Are you a strict team lead?
Not strict but demanding. I do not yell at people, whether they are colleagues or friends, or relatives – I am a person who believes that anger won’t solve problems. Demands are mostly related to constant checking the end result, it’s like proofreading on copywriting. Designers need to check everything before issuing to make sure it’s without small mistakes or issues.
How do you share knowledge with your team?
By asking leading questions, I bring them to an independent logical solution. If there is not enough knowledge, then I refer to world practices or my experience.
Which of the company’s values (Innovation, Initiative, Responsibility, Leadership, Resilience, Teamwork, People) resonates with you the most?
The First will be Teamwork – I really enjoy working with my team. I also appreciate how quickly we switched to online work and how we cooperate despite the lockdown, so Resilience is my second favorite. And People, of course, I like how we treat each other. As I said, I love working when surrounded by great people, so I have it here at Clearmove.
What would you recommend to those who want to join Clearmove’s design team?
Do not be afraid of difficulties at work, but perceive them as a challenge to yourself and your abilities. With everything else, we will help.
Do you want to join our team and work together with Igor on interesting creative tasks? Let us know by pressing the button below: