Paulina Grondal

LEGENDARY INTERVIEW

Design Legends ("DL") had the distinct honour to interview legendary designer Paulina Grondal ("PG") 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?

PG : 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.

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

PG : 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.

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

PG : I chose consciously to follow Art path in my life. Motion Design is just one of many tools I am suing to pursuit it.

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

PG : 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.

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

PG : 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.

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

PG : 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.

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

PG : 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.

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

PG : 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.

DL: What would you design and who would you design for if you had the time?

PG : Motion graphics for TEDx videos.

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

PG : A documentary showing women role in different parts of the world

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

PG : I cannot say. Otherwise it would be a secret anymore.

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

PG : 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.

DL: What are your favorite designs by other designers, why do you like them?

PG : I always like projects where the line between reality and CG is really thin

DL: What is your greatest design, which aspects of that design makes you think it is great?

PG : 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.

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

PG : Never settle down for the first idea you have. Only third or fourth shows your real potential.

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

PG : 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

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

PG : It’s art but with more analytical and less emotional approach.

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

PG : Plenty of talented people who I have been working with

DL: What helped you to become a great designer?

PG : Working and drinking a lot of coffee.

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

PG : The usual ones. Not finding dream job immediately, not having great projects or big clients.

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

PG : I believe in power of social media, featuring on blogs or even writing a blog with your work and case studies.

DL: What’s your next design project, what should we expect from you in future?

PG : I am currently working on some personal projects - Typography and Art installation

DL: What’s your ultimate goal as a designer?

PG : 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.

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

PG : Confidence, quality and quick answers.

DL: How does design help create a better society?

PG : The main purpose of designing is to communicate. Design helps to educate society

DL: What are you currently working on that you are especially excited about?

PG : Currently I am working on couple game trailers.

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

PG : The most satisfying projects are those that raise important topics like women empowerment, access to education and sustainability.

DL: Where do you think the design field is headed next?

PG : 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.

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

PG : Usually couple nights more that our first rough estimation.

DL: When you have a new design project, where do you start?

PG : I start each project with a very long careful conversation with clients to better understand their needs, expectations, doubts, and concerns.

DL: What is your life motto as a designer?

PG : There are no too small project, insignificant client or low profile projects. Every project teaches you something.

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

PG : I think it works both way, they complement each other.

DL: What is the role of technology when you design?

PG : I believe in power of hand drawing and hand made objects. Technology should only serve us to translate it digitally.

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

PG : Adobe Suite, C4d, camera and pencil

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

PG : It all is equally important for bringing right message and we tend to forget about it.

DL: What do you wish people to ask about your design?

PG : I wish they didn’t have to ask anything, because everything what they see is clear enough

DL: When you see a new great design or product what comes into your mind?

PG : I am positively jealous, it was not me who come up with this great idea first.

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

PG : 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

DL: Which people you interacted had the most influence on your design?

PG : There is a bunch of great designers, teachers and masters who had a great influence on me and my work.

DL: Which books you read had the most effect on your design?

PG : Conversations with students by P. Rand

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

PG : In my case I needed to step out from my comfort zone and start participating in projects that were above my skills and expertise.

DL: Irrelative of time and space, who you would want to meet, talk and discuss with?

PG : Caravaggio. He was a badass.

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

PG : Hard to say. Feels the same.

DL: What is your favorite color, place, food, season, thing and brand?

PG : 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

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

PG : Nothing comes to my mind right now.

DL: What makes your day great as a designer, how do you motivate yourself?

PG : The best way to motivate yourself is to keep working hard.

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

PG : As a child I wanted to be a librarian.

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

PG : We will be all long gone and dinosaurs will be back.