Olena Chokalyuk
Designer-illustrator

Please tell us how and when you decided to start your career in design.

— My journey in art began in childhood. I really enjoyed drawing, so I graduated from art school and decided that I needed to go further. That’s how my career in design began when I was 18 years old. 

What projects have you worked on throughout your career? 

— At my first job, I created illustrations, typeset books, and designed covers for them. I really enjoyed what I was doing, and I remember that experience with warmth in my heart. 

I also created landing pages, identities, banners, and forms for companies such as Nova Poshta, UKRSIBBANK, Vodafone, and others. In addition, I designed covers for YouTube channels. 

Which project do you remember the most? 

— Actually, every project takes up the same amount of emotion in my life. During the work process, there are both pleasant moments and not so pleasant ones. Therefore, I believe that you need to work for results. 

By the way, I have a peculiarity — I am very self-critical. For example, a month ago I might have liked my work, but now I don’t. Also, today I am interested in working on a certain project or task, but tomorrow I will not. Therefore, it is difficult for me to answer this question.

What has been interesting in your work lately? 

— I like that at Solve Marketing we work with businesses. Because design, in my opinion, is about loving the client and meeting their needs. And my role as a designer is to encourage consumers to buy a particular product. And that’s cool because it’s directly related to psychology, which I’ve always been interested in.  

What do you like most about your job?

— Coordination and consistency. I like it when tasks are prioritized. 

For example, design work is structured according to the following algorithm:

1. Writing technical specifications for the designer.
2. Creating sketches and prototypes.
3. Finding the first optimal solution and agreeing on it with the client. 

It is very important not to disrupt this mechanism, because then, as a result, everything goes haywire. 

What is your mission?

— To create something visually beautiful that is pleasing to the eye 🙂

First, a person evaluates work with their eyes, and only then, based on their experience, do they understand whether they like it or not. 

Therefore, the main principle of my work is to create logical and beautiful things that will motivate people to take certain actions.

What are the pros and cons of being a designer, in your opinion?

— For me, the main advantage of this profession is being part of something beautiful, creating aesthetic things, making the world beautiful, concise, and modern. 

In my opinion, the downside is when many people in one company make corrections and decide on the design. But that’s part of being a designer, and there’s no getting around it 🙂

What is the most difficult thing for you in your work as a designer right now?

— Currently, there is nothing difficult for me in this profession. 

But I am sure that I will encounter difficulties when I discover the field of web design. Because it is always difficult to learn something new and unknown to you. But that is the fate of a designer — to be an eternal student and keep up with the world 🙂

If a designer falls behind, young and creative specialists will take their place. Because yesterday, a graphic designer was all about logos, covers, and banners, but today it’s motion design, web design, and so on. 

What qualities should a designer possess? 

— I believe that a designer should be focused, diligent, and persistent. Why? Because there are many people who are unfamiliar with design and will try to sway you toward the wrong opinion. 

But it is also important for a designer to learn not to criticize people for their mistakes, but to offer several options and justify them. 

What were the biggest failures in your practice?

— Once, I specified the dimensions of the layouts in pixels instead of millimeters. Because of this, I had to redo 15 banners. But it wasn’t a big deal, since they were only being checked and not printed. I just wasted my time.

What advice would you give to a beginner who came to you to learn?

— Be a sponge and absorb new information and learn from your mistakes!

Curiosity is exactly the trait a beginner needs. And don’t be shy about asking questions of someone who has been working in this field for a long time. Of course, you can figure something out on your own, but it’s not a given that it’s the information you need. It’s also a huge waste of time. 

What trends do you see in design? 

— Brutalism is very popular right now — the use of large elements and fonts. It’s also fashionable not to use a grid, but to make everything as free as possible and leave a lot of space. 

But I believe that trends should be used wisely. First of all, you should focus on the needs and desires of the client.

As a designer, what advice would you give to entrepreneurs reading this interview?

— Provide more information to the designer, such as references, or allow the specialist to search for and propose certain ideas on their own. 

In fact, to understand what design is needed, it is enough to simply analyze the market and the brand itself. And based on this, you can already get something very modern and cool.

Therefore, the client must first understand what result they want to see and gather the necessary information for the designer to begin working.

Thank you for the interview, Olena! It was interesting to learn about your professional career and expert opinion on various issues.