Barbara’s journey to become a visual designer was a long one. It started in a small town in Russia. Her parents were pretty conservative about the idea (in her culture) that poverty always follows the artist. So she tried a lot of things in order to understand who she was. During university school she took part in a literature and languages program, but quit as she did not feel that it was right for her. Although digital design wasn’t something commonly studied there, in her spare time she designed, until a friend suggested she take UI/UX lessons online, and that’s where she fell in love with the craft.
After many years of sleepless nights to learn as much as she could about design, Barbara worked at several studios as a junior designer.
“And now, seven years later I’m a strong professional with a rich visual background. Some of my colleagues call me a unicorn. That’s because I’m so passionate about my work that I have explored almost every design area across my professional path. UI/UX, branding, lettering and calligraphy, illustration, animation, 3D — there is no limit to my curiosity. That’s why it’s always fun to get a new project”
What is your favorite quote and why?
“My life amounts to no more than one drop in a timeless ocean, Yet what is any ocean, but a multitude of drops?” — Cloud Atlas
This quote comes from my favorite movie and always reminds me that every effort and every soul on Earth really matters. I think being a good professional and, what is more, a good person starts with understanding how valuable every little thing is.
What inspired you to become a Visual Designer?
This is just what I have felt like since I was a kid. My two main ways of world perception were drawing and writing. I was doing these all the time and never got tired, so I made one of these activities my job and the other one — my hobby. I was extremely excited that my artistic eye can become an occupation that will help people to grow in things they care about.
What do you enjoy most about being a Visual Designer?
Sometimes I enjoy the complicated challenges requiring strong collaboration with the team and solving a client’s problem. But sometimes I just get too excited about drawing unicorns.
What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
I love many activities: singing, playing drums and guitar, dancing, drama, drawing, writing, and photography. But my favorite spare time activity is just playing video games all day long without caring about the real world.
What volunteering or passion projects do you do outside of work?
Most of my passion projects are my fantasy novels. They are my horcruxes where my soul lives rent-free.
What has been your favorite project you’ve worked on during your time at Solid Digital?
Welcome is the one that is always in my heart. It had a perfect balance between following the client’s needs and having artistic freedom, so the project came out really unique and outstanding. The other two I’m proud of are Hireology and LumenVox. It’s always a pleasure to see the results of great teamwork, especially when there are many things and challenges to work on.
As a Visual Designer what expertise do you have that you can deliver to your clients?
I always treat each new project seriously and dive as deeply as possible into it. Working with the team of managers and developers, we polish every aspect of the project, but the visual one is the “face” that forms the customer’s first impression. As a visual designer, I make sure that every project I work on is a well-elaborated system and a piece of art at the same time.
What is one of your favorite things about Solid Digital’s Culture?
Feeling at home in every moment. No matter if you are working on the project together, discussing work scope, or telling a dumb dad joke on a standup — everyone feels like a person you can rely on. I enjoy being surrounded by good professionals but being surrounded by good people is the most important for me. I’m happy I can be honest and open-hearted with my colleagues, learn some fun little things about them every day with our “solid-dailies” channel and be proud of our common work.
What are your 3 favorite books?
What is your favorite museum?
I don’t have any particular one but I extremely enjoy everything related to space such as planetariums, museums, or exhibitions hosted by NASA. Especially the ones where you can try real astronaut simulators!
What’s your most-used mobile application, and why?
Apart from the addictive social media like Instagram, it’s Lightroom, I believe. I’m really into mobile photography and have more than 28,000 photos on my phone.
What are three things still left on your bucket list?
- Owning a house with beautiful nature around
- Translate my books and present them to an English-speaking world
- I really hope to take part in a musical someday
What is your approach to providing great customer service?
Rely on your expertise and experience but always listen to the client first.
What would you like to be known for?
Breathtaking novels, cool tattoos, ridiculous jokes, and a brave heart.
