Oksana Kashkovskaya

LEGENDARY INTERVIEW

Design Legends ("DL") had the distinct honour to interview legendary designer Oksana Kashkovskaya ("OK") for their original perspective and innovative approach to design as well as their creative lifestyle, we are very pleased to share our interview with our distinguished readers.

DL: Could you please tell us a bit about your design background and education?

OK : I started my design activity as the professional photographer about five years ago and it was a really my passion to create the perfect photos with sometimes. The next years I began close to research the different 3D Softwares and with every year my knowledges at this area increased, thus I could create the interesting short movies of animation.Moreover, I have the Graphic design university degree,thus the creation of package design and graphic elements is one of my big love as well.

DL: What motivates you to design in general, why did you become a designer?

OK : I think in general why I create the new projects is that I just love to create interesting and unusual things that not existed before. The idea create someting new very inspire me. I loved to decorate the books of my classmates by very interesting and bright colours and used the different technics of drawing, since my childhood, probably then I decided that I really enjoy the design process and after that the all my life was interacted with design at the various areas.

DL: Did you choose to become a designer, or you were forced to become one?

OK : To become the designers it was only my desire and my conscious choice, I always knew that I will become the designer.

DL: What do you design, what type of designs do you wish to design more of?

OK : I can design the different areas, for example graphic design, package design, design of web site, the design of animation and 3D modeling as well.One of my big design love is package design, because I can bring my design idea from my mind to the real product and this is really great feeling of happines.

DL: What should young designers do to become a design legend like you?

OK : The young designer have to be very interested person at the design area, also working hard and enhance knowledges at the design field every day for perfect results.

DL: What distinguishes between a good designer and a great designer?

OK : I think a good designer to work on the important design aspects and achieve a good result but at this stage is not enough to have the perfect achievements, moreover designer try to spend more time on achievement of the best results. In additional, the great designer try to create the unusual and unique projects and not repeat the last successful design project.Also will search a new way to interesting and new design concept.The all life of great designer must be at the searching of the best new way to the next perfect design concept.

DL: What makes a good design a really good design, how do you evaluate good design?

OK : First of all, an interesting and bright idea makes the good design.It must be not similar design concept with others designes, besides this something unusual and matchless with combination of convenience and ergonomic side.

DL: What is the value of good design? Why should everyone invest in good design?

OK : The good design always has a good price because it’s mark of the perfect quality. The best professionals work on the perfect result, thus this design will be have really good value at the best achievement of the aims of project.

DL: What is the dream project you haven’t yet had time to realize?

OK : This was the project that I did for myself, but at that stage haven’t time to finish it yet.

DL: What is your secret recipe of success in design, what is your secret ingredient?

OK : I think that it is an interaction of all concepts at the design as harmony between colours,shapes,light and etc, that I use at the design projects.The all design concepts have to look as one whole from the start to the end and seems that can not exist without each other and this is about of all my projects.

DL: Who are some other design masters and legends you get inspired from?

OK : I have the several art people whom I can admire as designers and their works are really amazing.

DL: How could people improve themselves to be better designers, what did you do?

OK : To working hard,try to find that exactly inspire you,that the aspects at the design area you really adore and develop yourself at this area.

DL: If you hadn’t become a designer, what would you have done?

OK : This is a good quastion,because I haven't idea what I can love so much as design,otherwise if I was never interested the design at all, probably I could become the veterinarian.

DL: How do you define design, what is design for you?

OK : First of all, the design it is something interesting that can attract the attention of viewers at first sight. This is when person could remember when saw the design at once, some bright graphic detail and emotions what were with him/her at that moment.For me design is a feelings that I receive from impression when I see interesting or sometimes not very interesting design project,it’s a various emotions that can be sometimes good or not.

DL: Who helped you to reach these heights, who was your biggest supporter?

OK : It’s an inspiration of life,what is my big supporting at my achievements.

DL: What helped you to become a great designer?

OK : My aims is to create interesting projects and take my individual point of view at my design working area.

DL: What were the obstacles you faced before becoming a design master?

OK : Probably shortage of funds for realizing my design ideas.

DL: How do you think designers should present their work?

OK : I think yes,because without it many people never won't see this amazing art works

DL: What people expect from an esteemed designer such as yourself?

OK : I think the success result of completed full work

DL: How does design help create a better society?

OK : The design help to take an environment part with environmental-friendly projects and materials, also provides the supporting of important and necessary products for people.

DL: Which design projects gave you the most satisfaction, why?

OK : I was satisfied almost all of my projects,because during the creation process I take attention even on little details and to the end all projects have a complete good result.

DL: How long does it take you to finalize a design project?

OK : It's depends on different projects tasks, for instance how many should be the details and how many Softwares will be used.

DL: What is your life motto as a designer?

OK : Design looks as one whole when shapes and colours to find for itself a couple.

DL: Do you think design sets the trends or trends set the designs?

OK : I think this is interaction of both cultures directions, trends take idea from design area and new design is born via interests of trends.

DL: What kind of design software and equipment do you use in your work?

OK : I’m using many interesting Softwares at my work with different projects,very much pleasant to me the 3D Softwares, working with it I opened for myself a lot of various opportunities for new design area.

DL: What is the role of the color, materials and ambient in design?

OK : This is one of the general things at the design area. I can talk about colours at design a lot, because at our nature exist million colours and it transmit our ideas to the design projects. It can be as a peaceful colors, for example white or light- grey to dark colours, but all this sort of palettes can influence very different on the human perception, for instance dark color without any peaceful colours can be not very friendly for human visual perception and will be affect from negative side.Furthermore, bright colours and very rich colours such as red, orange bright green can give the feeling of happiness and be very positive at the human choice of products. The materials also very important for people choice, at this time persons try to buy more natural products and more natural materials appear for package now.

DL: Who is your ideal design partner? Do you believe in co-design?

OK : Yes I believe, I think the collaborations always can be very useful and interesting.

DL: How did you develop your skills as a master designer?

OK : I try to attend new interesting various courses of design that I find for myself really usefully, watching different lectures of designers on the vast web platforms which talk about new concept and new technologies, and also watching the works of different designers because always very interesting look at projects of talent people and their achievements at design area.

DL: How do you feel about all the awards and recognition you had, is it hard to be famous?

OK : For me to have the awards very honourable part and means that I did the good work at the design area. The award also is very significant things because I can really be proud of these works that had the success at the professional design areas.

DL: Please tell us a little memoir, a funny thing you had experienced as a designer?

OK : It was at my stage as photographer I took the very interesting photosession with white rabbit and one girl according to the fairy tale Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, this is one of my favorite photo- story that I created during my period when I was only the photographer. We taken the photos at the amazing place in the Saint-Petersburg that has name the "Old Peterhof", thus was very funny spending of time there, approximately 5-6 hours. At Once our rabbit almost escaped from us, but we could catche up him.

DL: When you were a little child, was it obvious that you would become a great designer?

OK : I always knew what I will be to create something at the design area, but at my childhood I didn’t know that exactly I will be doing, my first dream was be a film director, I wished about it very long time.

DL: What do you think about future; what do you see will happen in thousand years from now?

OK : I think will be something Interesting and unusual, more perfect and incredible technologies which will be doing life of people so useful and convenient that they will be just to enjoy their life.

DL: Please tell us anything you wish your fans to know about you, your design and anything else?

OK : At my future plans I will create more interesting works as package design, animations ,thus I think will be very interesting to keep an eye for my developing at the design area.