Interviews with Julia Hell

As long as I can remember I was driven by the need to create something. As a kid growing up i weekly rearranged my room and redecorated it. My interest in art and design was fostered by my parents but never forced on me. They just gave me options to join them visiting exhibitions or plays. I joined willingly because I liked it even as a child. When I prepared a gift for a friend, I made most of it myself but always aimed for a professional look of it. Like something you can buy at a store but better and more individual. A mother of a close friend once gave me the essential hint, asking me why not become a graphic designer. After graduation from high school I was a bit lost in the flood of possibilities, so I went a different way. A way with many crossings that luckily led me back to the idea to become a designer after trying several thing I didn't wanna be.

At first I need to get an impression of the subject I am designing for. This is a mere cognitive process. I have to take some time and think about it. Sometimes I take some notes but most of it is in my head. Usually the next step is research followed by sketching ideas. Most of my work starts digital but nothing is more reliable than a prototype. I feel it is good to have build the thing you are working on at least once yourself to get a better understanding of the product.

I feel joy when designing. I enjoy the journey and that it is often surprising what happened to the first idea at the end of that journey. Usually I try to come up with three different ideas, when I start working on a new project. I scribble the visual possibilities of these three ideas and the most special part is, when I find my favorite in the set of those three drafts. This is the moment when it starts to get exciting: Will my client favor the same? What does it take to make the other two as strong? I challenge myself in order to improve my work.

My passion for change shaped me most I guess. I still manage to rearrange my home every other month because I get visually bored. Plus I want to improve it. When I am done with one room, I have a new idea for the next one, because it appears to me to be more functional. That helped me understand visual problems and trained me to come up with solutions to them.

So far I preferred (and learned) not to plan that much ahead. My growth path is also more drawn by happy coincidences than strict plans. I just planned to work on my own, that I did. But the rest is about meeting people, finding opportunities and trying them out. The Master plan for the future is at some point to have my own agency with people working with me. But we will see how things come together.

As I experienced the design business so far, it is a lot about trial and error. I knew from the beginning that I wanted to be able to make decisions on my own. That meant, I had to try working freelance. So I did. It worked. What I am trying to say is, that there are many possibilities. It is important to know what is important for you and how you feel comfortable working as a creative. One of the main positive aspects of this industry is it's flexibility - so you can create a work environment in which you can unfold your potential.

My suggestion is, not to rely on success. It is nice to be acknowledged and of course we all work to be successful and acquainted. But I am afraid to rely to much on success and commendation in order to stay independent and also be critical towards my own work.

Regardless of where I am working, from my own studio or in-house at a clients office, I start with a cup of coffee and my e-mails before I leave the house. Currently I am working in-house on a daily basis, I go by public transport or bike. It is a nice phase to prepare for the day, think about the to dos for the day. I try to take a walk once a day, to clear my head or to think things through. I look forward to that little me-time once a day.

Personally I am following design trends. It is hard to say wether or not to pay much attention to them. But following the happening of the business is important. I am not sure how much it influences me but in general it does for sure. In both directions. If I find something appealing, the impression sticks. It is very likely that I integrate such an impression in my work in my own way. So trend may also help to develop, inspire or spice up a style without changing the basic signature. It is a fluid process every person with a strong visual influence is subjected to.

When it comes to evaluation of good design, in my case the answer is a bit ambivalent. I am drawn to clear and functional designs. Things that are reduced to the vey essence with a functional purpose. In contrast, if a design is able to provoke a reaction, makes me laugh or cry it did a good job.

There always comes a point in my design process, where I can't look at my work anymore. This usually indicates, that it is ready and I can't do more at this point. In general I would say, yes, a design can be complete for a certain period of time. At some point you will have to make adjustments or rejuvenate the look of a brand or product to keep it attractive.

My biggest work so far is the corporate design for Mrs T, a Hamburg based manufactory creating delicacies with tea as an ingredient. The company is growing since we started together in 2016. The design tasks get more complex and it is nice that we step by step improve the brand's look. Besides that I am working on a new issue of a paper I am publishing together wit a close friend. It has a literary topic and we are about to release our fifth issue this spring.

In the current landscape of creatives I'd pick Konstantin Grcic and Stefan Marx as both, individuals and artists. I like what they do and how they relate to their work.

I live in a very inspiring city that is the epitome of change. Berlin is vivid and so variable in itself. Plus it is very intercultural. I love that. Culture has an effect on design and design on culture. Good design may even be used as a communication tool. If a design is considered to be good, the positive feeling about it often crosses borders. So yes, I think it is necessary for advancement of society.

I love my job, that makes it pretty easy for me to work. I prefer a mixture of teamwork (working in-house with a team a few days a week) and on my own on other projects the rest of the time. Experimenting with different solutions, this has proven to be the most comfortable way to work for me. I am a very solution oriented person which I think is important as a designer. Being able to come up with quick, good solutions for several tasks on- and offline is my everyday business at the moment.

I already did pro bono work and I am still open to that idea. It is important to see that there is more than a monetary aspect to creative work. Of course everyone needs to earn money but sometimes the work process and the outcome are so different if there is no money involved. It is not necessarily better or worse but different, maybe more free in the creation process.

Attending A' Design Award is interesting for me because it is very international. The Award makes my work accessible to an international audience by showing the winner designs on different exhibitions and fairs around the globe. The promotion through an award makes sense to me since it gets harder to draw attention to ones portfolio. Participating in design competitions helps being noticed not only by potential clients but also by fellow designers. And the other way around. I became aware of many interesting projects, that I might have missed out. I am happy to be picked as Designer of the Day.

The products are made by hand with high quality standards. I wanted the vessels and corporate materials to transport that right away.

Mrs T will grow bigger in 2018 and I am going to accompany the brand as creative director. The corporate design will be developed and adapted mainly in the point of sale area to increase attention in stores.

It took me about a month from the first draft to design the concept.

I use to start designing by creating three different approaches for the look and feel of the brief. This design was not commissioned, we talked about my clients view on her brand and products in advance and then she gave me creative freedom. In general I try to pursuit my inspirations – considering the briefing of course.

The design was tailor made for a small Hamburg based company and is used by them as a branding for their manufactured goods.

I wanted to emphasize the special feature of the company, using tea as an ingredient – a spice for their products in the design. Plus they only use tea that comes fro the tea plant. This is why I integrated the plant into the Logo.

People who like fancy foods and are open to culinary experiments and people who like to have beautiful packaged goods in their kitchen.

The name was set before I started designing the concept. Since every product contains tea as an ingredient, and my clients last name starts with "T" – Mrs T is a good fit. She is the one creating the recipes and manufacturing the products. It makes sense to have her as a bran representative on the products themselves.

Illustrator, Indesign and Photoshop.

In a way the design transports aspects of the taste. I find it fascinating that many people take a closer look because they like the appearance of the packaging but at the same time they want to try the products. The design seems to create an appetite.

My husband created the website. He is a frontend developer.

It is a rather traditional product. We have a website and a web shop to buy the products online but that is it.

I have participated in design competitions, both national and international, over the last three years. I think it is worth giving it a try, especially with projects oneself holds dear, to gain attention for my work and at the same time to receive neutral feedback for it.

My research showed that a lot of film production companies don't show their strongest imagery (moving pictures) online. The idea was to create a website that focuses on video content and to show the handwriting of the company in a sophisticated way. The stationary and business cards accompanying the design in the Brand color tones.

I can imagine to expand the range of stationary and create some branded giveaways for the company to spread the word.

The concept was created in two month but the whole process of designing took almost four month. We are still working together on finalizing the website which is a work in progress state right now.

I always start by showing my clients a variety of three ideas to get a glimpse of how I see their work and what I can imagine it to look like in consideration of the first briefing. After this step my client wanted to try out wit a stencil font (the Container OT, which goes together nicely with the company name) and we went on with that idea together to shape the brands logo.

The design was created for a company in the first place and will e used by them exclusively as a corporate design.

First of all the briefing and second the results of my research. Companies producing video material like documentaries and reports should have a bold brand. They also have to compete to sell their work to broadcasters. Most of these companies have a very shy appearence. I wanted to create a bold brand identity for my client.

Well I always try to make my designs as functional as possible and follow the idea of »less is more« in my creative process. Even if I try to make something very expressive and playful I catch myself kicking out elements and reducing it very quickly. So I guess I am very influenced by Bauhaus in general and Dieter Rahms in particular.

The target customer will be the TV broadcasters who buy my clients productions for their program.

The variety of content we show. We have big imagery and, more importantly video content. On the website you have three to four full screen mood loops before you enter the page. After that you can browse the categories magazine and reports and you will find either the link to the complete video or making of material accompanied by some stills and perspective some photos from behind the scenes.

The name already existed. My client named his company Alpha Container Pictures. Both, alpha and container are elements of a video (e.g. alpha channel) and containers help to determine the format of the video. Plus alpha also means first – which can be seen as a positioning of the company among the competition.

Adobe: Illustrator, Indesign, XD, Photoshop. Web: Drupal, HTML, CSS, Javascript

The usage of fullscreen moving imagery on the web.

I collaborated with my husband, who is a full stack frontend developer who brought my ideas for the web to live.

Technology actually has a leading role in the design. We used it for the web solution to create a up to date platform. Since the video technology also changes a lot and topics like resolution or 3D become more and more important design needs to be flexible and adaptable to these changes.

My client showed some websites of competing companies and I also researched the web to get an overview of the business. I focused not only on visual aspects but also on technical solutions and functionality of those pages representing film production companies.

Concerning the web design it was challenging to transport the idea to the real website. We needed a high performance an shot loading times for high res video content.

I started participating in Awards last year. It challenge me to make the best out of my ideas and it ist a good way to get feedback from a variety of different opinions and backgounds.

Talking to people about your work is essential.

I wanted to set a strong emphasis on the imagery and the design to be timeless and adaptive to the content.

Step by step developing it with some more features as well as developing more print solutions, like authenticity cards for buyers of the artworks and a catalogue.

Designing it was a process of 3 weeks.

I was completely free in the design process. After the research period I decided, that the imagery has to be the key element which the design should wrap around.

I keep on producing it myself.

It is one of my first web designs. When I was asked wether I would like to design the page, I thought it might be a nice way to gain experience in the web area.

No, nothing in particular. Though I am strongly influenced by designers like Dieter Rahms or the Bauhaus era, where the reflection on essentials was significant for the design.

Photographers as well as people interested in Photography.

The usage of the website is very intuitive. The focus lies on the artistic works of the photographer. The design is simple and easy to use, it works on an international level without translation into other languages.

The name was given by my client. It stands for the necessity to keep your eyes open and to expect the next motive in everything.

I designed the website in Adobe photoshop.

I had no restrictions designing the page, there was no other briefing than »I need a redesign for my website, can you do that?«. That was unique.

My client is also the programmer I worked with for the realization.

Technology plays a main role in this design. Since it is a website, it should be accessible through all devices and therefore needs to be responsive.

I went online and had a look at many websites with similar content. The design is the outcome of my personal analysis as a user. Some of the portfolio pages I visited were either complicated to use or somehow standard, like a tumblr. I wanted the monitor be the only frame / limitation instead of a container on the website.

Image sizes online and loading them can be tricky and of course cross browser compatibility of some of the features is not given, because of lacking support by older browsers.

I received an e-mail by your Executive Account Manager, introducing the competition and that they saw my design and it might be a good idea to submit it.

To stand behind your work.

I am a one woman design studio. Currently I am working as a freelancer in different positions. 2-3 days for a larger client inhouse and the rest of the week for my other clients from my home studio. I really enjoy the different ways of working on those projects. Personally I like the experiences in the very different work environments, being around other people at the office twice a week and also having the solitude of my home office. These are two very different ways of working but it really is a mixture of those completely different things that inspire me the most.

Design is something functional, which doesn't mean that thats all about it. It has to be appealing and unique. It's something in between these three corners.

I am really into corporate designs. Creating a Logo for a client goes hand in hand with a typography concept, which leads you to create the business cards and papers and finally a website. It is a beautiful process of creating something, often starting with a simple idea, that grows stronger and becomes someones identity.

Konstantin Grcic's »Mayday« Lamp currently is my favorite design object. To me it is the perfect mixture of functionality, usability and a clean yet interesting design.

I worked on a editorial layout for a Berlin based magazine/newspaper at a small design studio in Berlin.

I come from a classical print design background. Paper still is my favorite material to work with. I like the way it feels and behaves. When it comes to digital designs I think of the website as a huge page of white paper I am working on.

The moment inspiration hits me. Often it doesn't take long until I have a first idea what I want to do with the brief or task I am working on. Most of the time I change directions and the first idea is not necessarily the one that will be realized. But it is the exact Moment when I find a way to start working on a new project is when I feel the most creative.

I spend a lot of time focusing on the typography. Finding the right font for a logo, brand or magazine is essential to me. I has to feel good.

Designing satisfies me. Not only the result but also the process of designing. It gives me a balance and on the other hand I feel challenged to make the most out of a project.

It is a strange mixture of happiness, melancholy and a dash of pride.

I consider a design to be successful when the designer, the client and the clients target group are responding positively to the design.

I focus on the usage of typography first. Which font was chosen? How did the designer play with it? Does it feel vivid and expressive together with the product or other design elements.

Design shouldn't be misleading and has to be easy to understand, especially when used in larger contexts like for example public transportation. Design guides, supports and can even be helpful. The visual appeal is secondary to understanding and usability.

Design becomes more and more important in our society. We are flooded with inspirations and basically everyone who has photoshop can design something. Therefore it is important to distinguish relevance.

My last exhibition were my graduation exhibition in June 2013 in Berlin and the release of the magazine I am working on in December 2015 in Munich. We are planning another exhibition for the paper this year for the winter edition in December 2016, probably in Munich again.

My inspiration comes from movies, exhibitions, photography. Often the things that inspire me are much more colorful and complicated than my designs are. I always end up unraveling complex inspirations to a clean design.

I like simplicity in design. Easy to use with some spice in the details. I didn't really aim for this style it partially reflects my personality. And that is what I like about it, design should have a character.

I live in Berlin, Germany. I feel german design is strongly influenced by the Bauhaus era and the artistic landscape of the 1930ies. It has always been a country known for crafts and manufacturies of which some are still existing.

I work on a freelance basis, both inhouse or like an agency.

A designers portfolio is always a hint towards the orientation of the designer. For instance, if you are looking for a designer with web experience, check out the projects she or he has realized in that area. Invite the designer for an interview and maybe give him/her a little task to find out if it fits.

First of all I like to collect the key facts, get a briefing and have the possibility to ask some questions about the project. Then I start playing around, start drafting and try out some directions. Usually I narrow the drafts down to three options I work on and those I show to my client for feedback. In round two I focus on the draft we agreed on and elaborate it. Followed by another feedback, I do the final design.

Our Eames »Hang it All« with black wires and birch wood knobs, our KPM Urbino espresso cups, our Konstantin Grcic Mayday Lamp, Hay »Phi« scissors and our essential La Pavoni coffee maker.

I am an early bird but I need my morning rituals of which on essential is the first cup of coffee.

Well, I made the best experiences with trying new things and not being afraid to realize, that some things aren't meant to be or don't work for me like they do for others.

I'd say it is the same thing: Working with something other people would consider to be a hobby. It is a wonderful thing to work freely and express yourself through a paid job. On the other hand I feel that it is often hard to make clients and consumers understand, hat even though his work is a lot of fun, it has to be acknowledged as a job and therefore be paid fairly.

Simplicity.

An understanding of visual aesthetics in general. I wouldn't only limit that on the field of design a designer works with, it is more like a general understanding of aesthetics. Of course this is an individual matter but in the end you can tell by the work if the designer has his or her aesthetic view.

Most of the time, the first program that I open is inDesign when I design fro print purposes. I used to do my web layouts in InDesign as well but now I switched to Photoshop because the new features are really nice for designing responsive pages. As a typography inspiration I like the magazine Slanted a lot, they also have a nice Blog I check out quite often. In general I'd consider magazines a good source of inspiration. Online, I collect inspirations via platforms like tumblr or pinterest, using them as tools for my research or just keeping things that caught my attention.

I always try to set up a project plan for myself containing what has to be done and until when by whom. This works good so far but with more than two projects at a time, the best project plan cannot avoid including the weekends or working late. And most of the jobs I did so far were really to good to say no to because it was fun to work on them.

That depends on the project and of course the client. Sometimes the first idea will be realized and sometimes it takes a while to come to a proper solution. But in the end the proper solution is what it takes.

How much will it cost?

In fact working for another freelance designer. When I started working after my graduation, I worked for a freelance Designer. She influenced the way I work on my own today and set an example of how an independent design business could be ran. Thank you Marika, I always appreciate the work we did together!

My current clients are KPM (Royal Porcelain Manufactury Berlin), Alpha Container Pictures, AVAN Berlin, EYESBOUND Photography and TUI.com

I enjoy drafting a lot because it is a very playful part. You start developing ideas, trying out fonts, colors and building a visual concept. It is a very creative phase.

In the not too distant future I am planning to open up a design studio together with my husband and two close friends in Berlin.

I develop my designs myself. But I am always looking for input. i consider my friends and family for input and talk about projects with them. i is very important to see my work through their eyes to uveal it's strenthgs and weaknesses.

At the Moment I am working in house as Art Director at the Royal Porcelain-Manufactury Berlin. I am covering the position for one year during parental leave of my predecessor. It is quite interesting and diversified since the design team is small and dealing with all print and web matters of the company.

Via e-mail. I read them frequently and I reply as soon as possible.