Interview with Kristina Pacesaite

I have always liked practical activities, it is important for me to see the result immediately. in ceramics, part of the process can be unexpected, while in graphic design you have more control over the process and see the whole picture at once. I am inspired by the process and motivated by the curiosity to discover and show the uniqueness of each client or brand.

I can't say for sure if I was forced to study design, in some sense yes, because I saw how much it is needed in all fields.Design is in every step, and it is necessary to understand it if we want to convey our value to others.

I have been specializing in packaging for gastronomy for the last 8 years, it is the area where I feel the best. I my designs i often use illustrations, i think it is the great way to convey the character of the brand. i want to do more of wine or other drink labels, for me it is interesting and funny precess.

There are so many talented young designers! They have all the tools and media to achieve their goals. First i would say they have to start working on different projects and in the process they can narrow their vision to what they like the best. And they cannot stop learning.

Good designer follows the rules, and a great designer knows when to brake them.

Good design captures attention, gives the information, is easy to understand.. Really good design inspires you,invites you to be a part of the brand family, gives you the sence of great value.

As designers, we define how a product looks and feels, but more crucially, how it aligns with users needs and aspirations. Good design gives intangible benefits to the barnd with powerful ripple effects as a robust brand reputation, higher user engagement, customer loyalty.

I would like to do bigger projects who extend beyond packaging, maybe some murals, or even combine it with ceramics doing dishes or interior details.

I thing i have no particular project in mind, every timei like to start from scratch. the breif inspires to investigate and search for new ideas.

Be passionate. Your passion will automatically inspire you. Also develop your own style of thinking and designing. i like to use illustration in my works.

I am not original here, I would say I love Massimo Vignelli, Saul Bass, Paul Rand... but my first inspiration came from a few artists during the Soviet era: the logos and calligraphy - Gediminas Pempe, book illustrations - Albina Makunaite, posters by Vladimir Lebedev and Alexander Rodchenko.

i do like Rotko photography ( I like the composition and structure) Stasys Eidrigevicius paintings and illustrations ( timeless magic of being, simple and complicated questions).

funny enough my best work was made from a sketch in 15 min at the university class and the same night the fire destroyed almost all the works.. it was a logotype that came into my mind with simple forms, somehow I knew it was great because it ticked all the boxes: simple, clear, timeless and with the element of surprise. Till now I have no finished peace, just remember the idea..

I think nowadays we think too much about gaining more skills and knowledge every day, of course, tecnical knowledge is crucial, but the inspiration can come from anywhere. I think you have to enjoy small moments of life and let your imagination go into different places.

I love animals, maybe I could be a zoo-psychologist.

if we think of graphic design i would mention simplicity, aesthetic appeal, unexpected details

My family always supported me in all my beginnings, I think is a lot better to create in loving environment.

The main thing was that I followed my intuition, I have tried different areas, but always was driven back to my passion.. Follow your gut.

Every profession has its own nuance, maybe some mechanical work can be done with a bad mood, but creative work requires some special state of the mind I would call it. Sometimes it is hard to achieve it.

The work has to be displayed beautifully, articulately presented, and properly aligned with the client’s original objectives.

I hope to start some projects with the local organic food producers.

Never stop learning and combining emerging technological possibilities with my main areas of work.

Most of my clients expect professional approach and understanding of the latest trends, also they expect creativity and smooth communication.

Designers have the skills and expertise to create solutions that address social, cultural, and environmental issues.

currently I work on redesigning a bread packaging, I have to grab the essence of the brand and give it a new face.

Almost every time then I had more freedom to experiment and less "restrictions". Surprisingly some of them the client didn't like.

We all know AI is changing the landscape of design, and media careers in general. I would like to see two different paths: original artist work based on creative thinking and development behind the idea and some other (based on AI tools)

We already can see the workflow expand it into animation, video, 3D..we have to learn to enhance our creative presence into different medias.

it depends on the project itself, on the communication with the client, average project can take 1-2months.

I begin with a client briefing to understand goals and preferences, research on the industry and target audience meanwhile creating mood boards for inspiration.

Transform your weaknesses into your super powers

I can go both ways

it allows me optimize the design process leaving more space for creativity

mainly Adobe Creative Suite

Color energizes your spirit, materials stimulate your senses, and ambient lifts your mood.

they can ask about the inspiration, the reasons behind the colour, mood choices.

When I look at other designers work I would like to know how it was made, what is the thinking behind it.

Co-design works well if the skills every artist has can enhance the overall quality of the final product. It is important to make the people you work with feel invested in the experiences of your users. can

beside the artists I already mentioned above I think the most influence on my design decisions were made by my academical drawing teacher , she was a perfectionist and a deep thinker.

Marty Neumeier, Ellen Lupton books

I have learned the fundamentals at college and university, when experimenting with different styles and areas, and finally specialising in food branding and packaging

Socrates, Alexander the Macedonian, Leonardo Da Vinci

I do not feel that way at all, I am happy when someone appreciates my work, but I think for me the precess has more fun than the final result.

Grey is my favourite colour, I love autumn, forest is my best place to get some peace and energy, I do not have a favourite brand I see them more like a playground.

I had a client who was asking for some design work once in. a while and it seemed ok overtime, but the last time we worked he was acting a bit strange: we were making the final touches to the project and he wanted to change the main brand colours ( established known brand)... 4 times... I asked to explain, and he said his wife didn't like the color (he had a new wife:))

I love the feeling of calmness when I stay cosy at home with a cup of tea or coffee and I have a whole day "to play" with some design ideas.

Yes and no, for me it was obvious every child has to draw all the time, we didn't have computers!

I can't think of 3 years from now, the life is so fast. I can't even imagine and only hope we can survive

Nobody does everything in design. We have limits, but we play on our strengths. I want people to understand it.

I work as a freelancer since 2010 and last 4 years specialyzing in gastronomy. I like to work alone and take my time to investigate and dissolve myself in each project.

Design for me is a metaphor of the map, where a customer and brand meets together. Good design solutions not only have an aesthetic appeal and funcionality, but enhances customer experience and leads a brand to a proffit.

I like to work with food and drink industries, mostly with small local brands because of their care about their business and product value. In general, the communication with small brands goes smoothly and I can get a timely feedback.

There were lots of them, but lately I was enjoying a lot drawing bird illustrations for coffee packaging. The concept was minimalist but with the handmade feel to it. There were 14 coffee bags with digital illustrations of the birds of each country that produces coffee, all in dark brown tones and bold typography. I had a nice time designing this project.

The first commitioned work i got was a corporate identity for a automotive company.. it was quite generic and the client had no clue about the design tasks and was happy with the result anyway. It was a fuzzy feeling.

Since i've bought my new Ipad, I can't get enought of Procreate app. It makes my workflow so much easier and smooth. The few paltforms I'm always checking for references are : Dribble, Behance and Pinterest.

It depends. After watching a nice movie, or when i read an excellent book. Normally I feel more creative in the first half of the day, also when it rains.

Normally I try to imagine the whole picture from the begining (a systems approach) but personaly I like the most to work with colors and think how I can set a mood and tone.

A curious mix of calmness and excitement. Excitement is all about the new challenges and calmness comes from knowing that the solution will be found.

Satisfaction and pride - when i have enough freedom to offer my own design solutions that are innovative, interesting for myself and also meet client's expectations.

Smooth flow of visuals, communication and funcional aspects.

Visual harmony.

I'd say our duty is to Educate!

Design is a verb, an approach to solving a problem. Its fantastic that so many people want to be involved in a process that takes a principled approach to solving problems! I think the future lies in disciplinary cross training: design disciplines + social science, psychology, business, engineering, etc.

The last time was in december 2019 i went to Russian Museum in Malaga, Spain to see the paintings of Nikolaj Rerich.

Lately i've discovered the phylosophy lectures and practices that inpire me a lot. There are no better feeling when you find out you understood something about this world or yourself.

I find my design quite eclectic. In general i use clear forms and bold colours. Depending on a project it can be more detailed illustration or a flat image.

I strive to minimalist style with some modern elements. I'de rather find my inspiration in diferent artists, not countries or culture in general. Working as a freelancer in Spain i'd say that frees and taxes are too high.

we comunicate mostly online. I send them a small questionaire and after gathering information and analysing additional sources i start designing.

Investigate. Look for a designer that has a style that fits your vision.

When I work for a client the project starts with the meeting brief. Then I generate different ideas, create mood boards, collect references for inspiration and better understanding of what client wants. Then I work several variations of concept design. When client agrees on which one to work, I make more specific and detailed variations. If client wishes I create virtual pre-visualisation at this stage too.

100y old Sweedish chairs, abstract copper etchings, steampunk lamp,

My usual day starts with shower, breakfast for my family and taking my son to school, when i'm back, I glance at my day schedule, start first with urgent tasks. Unfinished will carry on for next day. Usually i work 8-9h during the day with some breaks.

Try to be open minded, study consistently and take advice only from people who you admire and who inspire you, avoid negative influence.

The hardest thing for me is time-management since i work from home. The crative part is my favorite, though it can be just a tiny part of all the workflow. i like that every new project is a unique challenge.

Visual harmony, functionality

The ability to analyze, planning skills, the ability to listen, good time-management.

I use Adobe Package tools, most often: Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign. I look at the works of other designers on Behance, Dribble, Pinterest.

I use Trello app to manage my projects.

Depends on the project. I can say that on average it takes 3-4 weeks to develop an identity system for brand.With the packaging it can take longer, up to 8 weeks.

How much does a logo design cost

Working on big projects. You have more responsability, but at the same time you can rech more people and make something meaningfull and to make their experience better or more pleasant through packagind for example.

As i'm specialysing in gastronomy, my clients are: Coffee roasters, Food suplement companies, Food E-commerce , small farmers etc.

Every project is unique. I enjoy a lot when i find "the right key" to every project and i can emphasize it's value through design.

In the nearest future I am planning to start a blog.

Usually I work on generating and developing my ideas and concepts by myself. If I require additional co-workers for specific technical tasks, I have a few fellow designers to help me.

It's better to talk about the finished projects.

hello@kristinapacesaite.com

Thank you for this interview.