Now
As an Art Director, I am responsible for integrating brand and digital design with strategy and UX. I am also defining the visual direction of all UI and digital brand elements for the existing and new products at EF.
My role includes developing our brand over a range of digital touchpoints, including internet-based relationships, device-based applications or media and marketing content, and establishing the EF digital space's, brand's story, and presence.
I am leading and mentoring the Design Global Creative Team ✋ and educating all Design Teams across the organization about good digital design practices.
Past
Before joining EF, I worked for four years as a Creative Director for Web Summit ? in Ireland.
I built from scratch, led the designers' team, and set a visual direction for significant projects, including branding, graphic design, color, typography, iconography, illustration, photography, and video. I was responsible for creating a company design language and leading overall design standards.
I started working as a designer/illustrator in 2004, so if you wish to learn more about my career path, check my Linkedin ?
Accomplishments
My projects were published in many design books, magazines, and websites, including Los Logos 6, Design Book of the Year, Visual Harmony - Proportions in Graphic Design, Monochrome: Black & White in Branding, Symbol to logo - Polish Graphics Marks.
I won several design awards : Brands of The World 2011, The Digital Decade 2014 and few Behance Portfolio Reviews among others. Adobe included my works during the Adobe Max Conference.
I also completed several courses and workshops: Enterprise Design Thinking by IBM, Executive Leadership Program by IESE Business School, Leadership Journey by Irish Management Institute.
Design is not a job; it’s a life choice.
Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life - Confucius once said. Being a designer isn’t an office job from 9 to 5. Our brain is always on a creative point. Inspiration surrounds us. Creativity is everywhere.
2019 -
EF Education First - Switzerland
Integrated Art Director
2015 - 2019
Web Summit - Ireland
Associate Creative Director
2014 - 2015
Ogilvy Eightytwenty - Ireland
Digital Art Director
2013 - 2014
Image Now - Ireland
Senior Interactive Designer
2012 - 2013
Originate Creative - Ireland
Senior Graphic Designer
2010 - 2012
Hand Made - Poland
Senior Art Director
2006 - 2010
Pure Graphics - Ireland
Design Studio Manager
Build effective Design Team
Team culture comes from the people you hire, so I look for important qualities like empathy, passion, and diverse backgrounds.
I am focusing on hiring motivated people that fit the company culture. Skills can be developed over time, but having the right designer in the team can save money and time. Good designers need to understand the purpose of what and why they’re doing, not just focusing on how something looks.
My role is to define what the team should look like. How big should it be? What type of skills should we have? What kind of people? Who should we hire? Who we should let go… And finally, how we grow the team that can do something remarkable.
Design Culture
A design culture doesn’t just happen. It is a precisely crafted environment where design can thrive. The well-developed design team understand company values and live and breathe them. They know what the company stands for and understand how we work together because making design should be everyone’s job.
Steve Jobs once said: “It doesn't make sense to hire smart people and tell them what to do; we hire smart people so they can tell us what to do.”
© 2022 Lukasz Kulakowski
Switzerland