Interview with Paulina Grondal
Design Legend Interview
22 May 2019
I have graduated from Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow, Poland. I have Bachelor Degree in Animation and Master Degree in Typography and Editorial Design. I also attended a year course of Sculpture.
During university years I had been involved in teaching animation, preparing workshops and participating in Animation and Film Festivals. I gained my first professional experience working on TV and Digital Campaign n in-house advertising agency. All this previous experience gave me confidence to start working on freelance projects as a side gig.
During university years I had been involved in teaching animation, preparing workshops and participating in Animation and Film Festivals. I gained my first professional experience working on TV and Digital Campaign n in-house advertising agency. All this previous experience gave me confidence to start working on freelance projects as a side gig.
I believe we all should be more involved and aware of current global problems. By using all tools we have , we should focus on improving life quality . For me design became that tool. I hope that through good design I can reach wide audience of people and I can communicate and educate them about importance of topics such : women empowerment, sustainability and equal access to education.
I chose consciously to follow Art path in my life. Motion Design is just one of many tools I am suing to pursuit it.
I work in a field of motion graphics, so of course my main area of expertise is animation, motion graphics, and live footage. But I am truly passionate about illustration and art direction too. I wish to work more on brave, experimental projects, that combine different techniques e.g. live footage, found footage, stop motion, clay motion etc.
I think what helps to grow is a lot of sleepless night, plenty cups of coffee and occasionally feeling hopeless and in despair. Frankly speaking - a lot of hard work.
Good designer executes well someone’s ideas and great designer understands them and make them better. But no one is born a great designer, it is a long way to go there. I think we are all born as pretty bad designers.
First impression. A good design makes me think ¨oh that is pretty¨. It gives me a real pleasure to look at it or experience it. Great design gives me goosebumps and leaves me speechless.
Message. Good Design makes me to understand the message immediately, without doubts. Great Design do no let me to forget about it.
Message. Good Design makes me to understand the message immediately, without doubts. Great Design do no let me to forget about it.
While evaluating design I ask myself these questions:
1) Is it understandable? 2) If it is understandable is it also interesting? 3) Is it also new? 4) if this is new, how does it make me feel?
There are so many reasons, why we should invest in good design, I do not know where to start. First of all designing is communicating. If the design is not good, the correct message will not be deliver. Secondly to prevent from sinking in the ocean of ugly billboards commercials on every corner. I strongly believe it hurts not only your eyes but also soul. Finally a good design is like a good art or literature. You have to instantly keep educating people about it.
1) Is it understandable? 2) If it is understandable is it also interesting? 3) Is it also new? 4) if this is new, how does it make me feel?
There are so many reasons, why we should invest in good design, I do not know where to start. First of all designing is communicating. If the design is not good, the correct message will not be deliver. Secondly to prevent from sinking in the ocean of ugly billboards commercials on every corner. I strongly believe it hurts not only your eyes but also soul. Finally a good design is like a good art or literature. You have to instantly keep educating people about it.
Motion graphics for TEDx videos.
A documentary showing women role in different parts of the world
I cannot say. Otherwise it would be a secret anymore.
Of course some classic like Walsh & Sagmeiser, but I also follow bunch of motion design studios like The Marmalade, Parasol Island orSehsucht, and many young freelancers on instagram, dribble and behance.
I always like projects where the line between reality and CG is really thin
Once I worked on new TV commercial for trivago. I was a creative, responsible for the storyline, art direction and creative direction. Together with a team full of talented people we shoot a commercial casting ballerinas. It was the most beautiful, soft and charming piece of advertising I have ever made.
Never settle down for the first idea you have. Only third or fourth shows your real potential.
If I weren’t a designer I would become a journalist. These professions are not so different. Both designer and journalist are creative, they both serve people, and they both tell stories
It’s art but with more analytical and less emotional approach.
Plenty of talented people who I have been working with
Working and drinking a lot of coffee.
The usual ones. Not finding dream job immediately, not having great projects or big clients.
I believe in power of social media, featuring on blogs or even writing a blog with your work and case studies.
I am currently working on some personal projects - Typography and Art installation
For now I would love to open my own studio, where I could hire a bunch of talented people from all over the world to learn from them. After achieving this I will set up next ultimate goal.
Confidence, quality and quick answers.
The main purpose of designing is to communicate. Design helps to educate society
Currently I am working on couple game trailers.
The most satisfying projects are those that raise important topics like women empowerment, access to education and sustainability.
The future of design is in hybrid content - relentlessly mixing styles, from memes and high quality productions and media, from print to VR to produce pieces of content that possess unique language.
Usually couple nights more that our first rough estimation.
I start each project with a very long careful conversation with clients to better understand their needs, expectations, doubts, and concerns.
There are no too small project, insignificant client or low profile projects. Every project teaches you something.
I think it works both way, they complement each other.
I believe in power of hand drawing and hand made objects. Technology should only serve us to translate it digitally.
Adobe Suite, C4d, camera and pencil
It all is equally important for bringing right message and we tend to forget about it.
I wish they didn’t have to ask anything, because everything what they see is clear enough
I am positively jealous, it was not me who come up with this great idea first.
I work alone, occasionally with some trusted partners. I think co-working is difficult, especially in the field of art and design, where sometimes might be difficult to find objective arguments in discussion. But if you menage to find a great partner that complements your skills you litterally won a lottery
There is a bunch of great designers, teachers and masters who had a great influence on me and my work.
Conversations with students by P. Rand
In my case I needed to step out from my comfort zone and start participating in projects that were above my skills and expertise.
Caravaggio. He was a badass.
Hard to say. Feels the same.
All shades of pink. It is a powerfull colour with plenty of different connotations, really underestimated and and dismissed and incorrectly associated only with feminine or kitsch. Favourite place home in Poland, food - italian pasta, season - winter, brand - nike
Nothing comes to my mind right now.
The best way to motivate yourself is to keep working hard.
As a child I wanted to be a librarian.
We will be all long gone and dinosaurs will be back.
Designer Interview
21 October 2019
I haven’t thought about being designer until High School. I was always picturing myself more as a journalist or someone who work in media communication. But the moment I realised designing is also communicating I decided to become a full time designer.
I have graduated from Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow, Poland. I have Bachelor Degree in Animation and Master Degree in Typography and Editorial Design. I also attended a year course of Sculpture.
During university years I had been involved in teaching animation, preparing workshops and participating in Animation and Film Festivals. I gained my first professional experience working on TV and Digital Campaign n in-house advertising agency. All this previous experience gave me confidence to start working on freelance projects as a side gig.
I have graduated from Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow, Poland. I have Bachelor Degree in Animation and Master Degree in Typography and Editorial Design. I also attended a year course of Sculpture.
During university years I had been involved in teaching animation, preparing workshops and participating in Animation and Film Festivals. I gained my first professional experience working on TV and Digital Campaign n in-house advertising agency. All this previous experience gave me confidence to start working on freelance projects as a side gig.
I work independently.
It’s art but with more analytical and less emotional approach.
I work in a field of motion graphics, so of course my main area of expertise is animation, motion graphics, and live footage. But I am truly passionate about illustration and art direction too. I wish to work more on brave, experimental projects, that combine different techniques e.g. live footage, found footage, stop motion, clay motion etc.
Once I worked on new TV commercial for trivago. I was a creative, responsible for the storyline, art direction and creative direction. Together with a great team of people we shoot a commercial casting ballerinas . It was the most beautiful, soft and charming piece of advertising I have ever made
TV Ad for trivago Global campaign
At 6 am in the rainy day.
I like both my designs feel unique and relatable
I try to feel the emotion that my design wants to convey. Music helps.
I look for the next project.
Good design is a perfect combination of form and content.
Is it understandable? Is it new? Is it interesting? How does it make me feel?
If you work for a gasoline company charge double and give back half to charity that tries to save the world.
The future of design is in hybrid content - relentlessly mixing styles, from memes and high quality productions and media, from print to VR to produce pieces of content that possess unique language.
My last Exhibition was in Krakow, Poland June 2018.
Whenever something makes me to stop I try to investigate and try to understand what's in there.
I do not like to have one style. I like to find a suitable way to represent the concept. I always try to bold which means to embrace pink sky or black and white composition.
My design culture is a safe harbour where I can always come back but I have been living abroad for years now so my approach to design is a multicultural mix.
I ask questions. I try to learn and understand they culture and craft design as the result of two ways conversation.
Trust a designer as a professional and do not hire someone only to replicate what you already have. Companies can select a good designer by exposing him to the problem they want to solve and not only by looking at his portfolio pieces.
I design with my hands. I physically attached post-it to represent structures.nOnce my room is covered i try to organise and describe my thoughts.
Chopsticks, it is a design you cannot improve. Vinyl spinning never fails to mesmerise me.Wooden speakers and lego mini figures.
What ties together all of my days is staying curious, keeping a lot of post-it and visual diary.
Read books, seek knowledge, go to museums.
Positive is the chance to apply your knowledge to a great variety of projects and different endeavours. Negative aspect is having to explain all over again how design is not there to only make things pretty.
Apply all the rules and find the one to break.
A fine balance between vision and passion.
Usual Adobe Suit, C4D, camera but also pen and paper.
I am setting up monthly, weekly and daily goals and try to achieve them.
Usually couple nights more that our first rough estimation
Same as I was asking other designers : " How to find next client?"
My most relevant job experience was to work as a creative lead in advertising in house agency. I was responsible for whole video ad production cycle, from preparing storyboards, working with copywriters, through supervising art during shooting , to hands on post production and final delivery to channels.
I have been working for global brands like trivago, for companies representing game industry like Zeptolab, small design studio and independent producers.
I am truly passionate about illustration and art direction. I love to work on courageous, experimental projects, that combine different techniques e.g. live footage, found footage, 3d, stop motion, clay motion etc.
For now I am focusing on opening my own motion design studio, where I could hire talented people from all over the world. After achieving that I will set up next goals.
I work alone, occasionally with some trusted partners. I think co-working is difficult, especially in the field of art and design, where sometimes might be difficult to find objective arguments in discussion. But if you menage to find a great partner that complements your skills you literally won a lottery
I am currently working on couple projects but they are all on a very early stage.
Simply send me an email to paulina.grondal@gmail.com