Interview with Edmundas Jankauskas

In early days I was choosing to become programmer or designer. I chose to be designer and to work with packaging because I just love to see my final work printed, on the shelf in shop and used by other people.

I can’t imagine a great work being done with an extremely tight timeline. I think that one of the key elements in great design is having time to step back, relax, take a moment and look into the work you’ve done with new eyes. If I feel that I can’t work today, I don’t.

For me the most exciting time is “aha!” moment when everything comes into its position, when the equilibrium is reached between client and myself.

I think that curiosity is the most important skill that any creative person should have. Being curious not only about the field you’re working on, but all the aspects of our life: politics, economics, science, sports, urbanism etc. Some greatest ideas for design can come from least expected fields.

Though now I work as a freelance designer, tn the future I can really imagine having my own design studio, my own team that I can work with on some of the biggest projects.

I have only two advices: don’t be afraid to do something completely new that no one believes in and never hesitate to promote yourself and your works.

Understanding HOW and WHY design works in very important. Invest time and sometimes money to get new knowledge, find and read research papers, discuss with other people, expand your view.

One of the key aspects of being a freelance designer is being able to organize your day as you wish. Some days are very productive, some are not. I like to not push myself on those unproductive days, I’d rather do something else that I feel like doing and work when I feel like working. Of course, keeping an eye on project timeline is very important.

I think that knowing what design aspects are trending is important, but not vital. Being able to adjust your design decisions depending on what is best for your project is much more important that blindly following what others do.

I believe that good design is one which works. If a box of chocolate has beautiful visuals, but is very hard to open and use – it’s poorly designed. In packaging functionality is very important, hence design is never only the visual beauty of fonts and other elements. It is very important for designer to be able to step back and think of your design from the perspective of user. Ability to forget all that you know you’ve done and see the product as if it is the first time you see it.

I think that for most designers their design is never the best they can do. Every time I look into the projects I did I always see something I could have done better. And that is normal: we change our views, we learn more, we change our thinking.

Being still young designer I think that my latest works are the best works I’ve done and I want to believe that the next one I will do will be too. My latest project is an active ecological packaging LIFI, made out of tree leaves.

I tend to mostly admire people who do not work in the field that I work in. Few of the most interesting interviews that I have ever watched were with Sir Jonathan Ive, lead designer in Apple.

I believe that good design is very important to how people experience their daily life and how they feel about it. Hence good design should not be limited to most expensive products, it should reach everyone no matter where and how they live.

I extremely admire people who can give promise and then keep it also people who do their best to reach the best result they can. These kind of people I imagine working with in my own design studio in far future :)

I think that working together for general good is the most effective way to bring people together. I myself feel very proud when I can do something for the community that I live in.

Recognition is very important for young designers, who might not have a huge portfolio and big clients, but have great ideas. Therefore I always recommend for design beginners to send their work to local and international competitions. Yes, sometimes that can cost you a lot (when you just start working and don’t have lots of clients), but being seen and especially winning is what pays off.

Currently I work alone.

It's what makes everything work, no matter what it is: just a table, packaging of product we consume or house we live in.

Packaging, web design, editorial.

There are thousands of designs that are beautiful in every way.

It was a web design for my school. Yet my first real project was 20 years anniversary editorial for Vilniaus Private School.

My favourite programs are the ones that don't crash during work...

Night is the most creative moment for me. It's so quiet and peacefull then: the city sleeps, no one texts you. A wonderful time to do something amazing!

My main focus is to do a functionally beautiful design, the one that fulfills it's purpose.

Responsibility is one of the main things that keep coming to my mind when I design something. Will my client like it? Will it help boost sales? Will it be successful?

Proud. If everyting is how me and my client imagined, then it's really joyful to see your design in work.

I think that designs success depends on result it produces.

Doest it work? Does it solve the clients problem? How it looks?

I think that designers have even bigger responsibility for environment than everyone else, because designers are the ones who decide what and how materials will be used, how design will change our actions.

Design was always going in the right direction. New materials, printing possibilities and even scientific discoveries do huge impact to how designers think. Ant that is a good thing. Only by collaboration between different fields of art, science and culture we can make bigger innovations and change our world to the better :)

My last exhibition was in Vilnius Book Store, year 2013.

Actually I don't know. Maybe it's that Spirit of Creativity which keeps on sending ideas to my head?

I think my personal design style is still in it's development stage. But I like the idea of Scandinavian minimalism.

Main advice to a company would be to formulate a very distinct problem and expected results. That way designer can get work done much easier and faster.

Problem - research - sketching - result.

My pencil, some design books and internet.

Don't say that your designs are uninteresting, don't stop talking about your works.

Positive and at the same time negative thing of being designer is that you are always at "work" - while asleep, brushing your teeth or sitting in a bus.

Make it work.

Curiosity.

You just have to do everything on time. Don't waste it on something that does not give you personal result.

It really depends.

What do you think about that? Whatever it is: fashion, mechanics or something else, designer has to have opinion about everything... :)

I like projects that give me ability to experiment and try something new.

After bridging studies in Vilnius Academy of Arts I plan to go for Master's degree.

So far most of the times I was working alone. Nevertheless I like working in team.

Most of the time I prefer using email.