Victoria recently joined the Pyramid Group (UpSlide and Finance 3.1) as a Graphic Designer. As a member of our Graphic Studio, her mission is to enhance the Group’s vision and mission through colors and shapes and to help our clients in defining their brand identity. Graphic designers use text and images to communicate information and ideas: Victoria shares with us her vision of her job and the best design tips she uses in her daily life.
Victoria’s design advice
What are the essential skills required to be a designer?
A designer needs a keen sense of observation and imagination. Ideas are everywhere, and you may find inspiration in the least likely places. You just have to be observant and pay a lot of attention to detail!
Each morning, when I go to work, I pass by shops and restaurants and I look at their storefronts or logos imagining how I could redesign them: does this logo really fit the core business of the store? How could it be improved? Sometimes I seek inspiration from the architecture of the buildings surrounding me or from an exhibition. Paris is a great city for a designer; creativity is everywhere!
Which influencers or media do you follow?
I use Behance, a web platform featuring new work every day from top portfolios in the fields of design but also fashion, illustration, industrial design, architecture, photography… I also consult specialized websites such as webdesignertrends.com and awwwards.com, promoting the work of the best designers, developers and web agencies.
Of course, social media are playing an increasingly important role as information sources for designers: I follow artists, architects, photographers and designers on Instagram and Pinterest. I pin a lot of things!
Print VS digital media?
I am a huge fan of printed magazines! At a time when digital is slowly replacing print media, I am a strong supporter of paper. I read “Etapes”, a design-specialized magazine, “L’ADN” (marketing/communications) and “Usbek & Rica”, a magazine “exploring the future” around topics such as technology and innovation.
What are your own favorite design tips?
Sketching! I use a lot of illustration best practices – for example, I sketch everything I do. A sketch is not intended as a finished work, it is just a rapidly executed freehand drawing that allow me to quickly graphically demonstrate an image, idea or principle. I also constantly broaden my design horizons to avoid too common ideas.
What are the best and worst things about being a graphic designer?
I learn a lot about my clients, businesses that designers are not used to working with. My missions can vary from the creation of a graphic charter to the design of marketing supports, digital or print… There is a lot of diversity!
However, you have to be able to adapt when we need to. For example, when I worked in South Africa I had to design a Christmas campaign… without using the typical “Christmassy” elements like snowflakes, because they do not mean anything in a country where Christmas falls in the summertime!
My motto: Thinking outside the box is great, but if you have to think “inside the box” to meet the expectations of your client, just do it!
Victoria’s UpSlide profile
Our mission is to “Help People Work Better”, what kind of helper are you?
I try my best to be trustful and trusted!
How would you describe UpSlide in one word?
Efficient 😉
What is your favorite UpSlide feature?
“Swap position”: a small feature with a big impact! In the process of creation, it is very useful to easily and quickly try a different layout.
