1 Please give us a brief bio of yourself and your background.

I am honored to be given this Creative Award and the opportunity to speak as an Art Director. Let me introduce myself, my name is Anastasia Gheorgoudas and I'm an Art Director from Greece / France. The origins of my maternal family come from the Aegean island of Tinos. That Cycladic island is the birthplace of almost all world class marble sculptors and painters of modern Greece, like Halepas, Gizis, Lytras, Filippotis and many others. Furthermore, the arid volcanic landscape dotted by hundreds of “dovecotes” and little white chapels projected in the deep blue sea are the main ingredients of my inspiration. I decided to go to New York to gain more advertising experiences from all these amazing agencies I had the pleasure to be part of. Being open to new experiences and searching the world for new inspiration ideas is the best way to lead a creative life.

2 What made you become/why did you choose to become a digital designer/artist?

I’ve always been an artistic kid and was blessed to have parents who gave me the freedom to explore my craft at a young age. Growing up, I started to see and understand the state of the world and wanted to make a difference in a unique way.

3 Tell us more about your business/company, job profile, and what you do.

My career has led me to specialize increasingly in the Art direction major at international level. The reason for this is because from a young age I have always had a very high interest in advertising and graphics design. Everything that is around us has been designed and this has always fascinated me.

4 What’s your favorite kind of digital design and why?

I really love logos. A brand Logo is the first thing the customer sees and gets familiar with. You need to work really hard and smart to create something unique that will stay forever in both the brand and the customer.

5 To you, what makes a “good” design?

Personally, it’s not just about the “ah- hah” moment but the warmth of my teammates smiles when inspired by a good idea. When my team shares a mutual understanding as well as excitement about an idea, the creative process flows better, and the product is more cohesive in the end.

6 Describe your design style and its main characteristics.

Minimal, I like simple lines and easy reading. Play with the colors to create a clean design.

7 Tell us about your design process.

First things first, make a google doc. Creating and organizing the doc helps me and my team stay focused and always prepared. It’s an easier way to reflect on the brief and gather all of our research. When collaborating, we make sure to write down every crazy idea so it’s easy to remember and build over time.

8 Where do you draw inspiration from?

Getting creative is part of our job. From everything I saw and liked. I kinda mix it and then make something inspirational to feed my brain . Nature inspires me with its clean lines and colors as well as Street art.I would love to be an inspiration for people around me, for people in work. .I want to try my best at my job each day, be attentive to the needs of my colleagues, enjoy my time at work, and bring some positive energy to the office. And I constantly work on my skills and knowledge, learning new things and languages. I am sure that if my subordinates see such an example, it will be inspiring for them.

9 What current trends in digital design (or really anything digital related) are you most excited about?

Social media has been the new trend for quite some time now. They started from writing posts then they evolved to pictures but now video is the new trend. Making videos that someone can interact with. I’m very excited that social media is giving the tools to simple people to create stories that anyone can join.

10 Congratulations! As the winner of the 2021 Vega Awards, what does it mean to you and your company and team to receive this award distinction?

I can say that we are very excited and grateful to have received this award for me and my teammate. It means that the effort we put into this project and the idea with which we developed it has had a great impact and that makes us very happy.

11 Can you explain a bit about the winning work you entered into the 2021 Vega Awards, and why you chose to enter this project?

This project is not only to advertise the brand but also it raises awareness for the hidden dangers of FM & Driving. There are so many things that can distract a driver but most of them we can't even think of. FM and driving is distracting driving. The driver changes the station over and over to find the perfect song or skip the ads but not only that. Things we do out of habit needs change. This project will help people make that change.

12 What was the biggest challenge with this project?

The biggest challenge was to find the right media to hit the FM. Taking over the radio was a challenge.

13 How has winning an Award developed your practice/career?

Winning an award is always an honor and being able to put it in our portfolio always helps to achieve and improve our goals.

14 What are your top three (3) favorite things about the digital industry?

How a campaign can influence thoughts, feelings, and opinions in a matter of seconds. I love how the consumer gets more and more involved with what we advertise. It’s never a boring day in the office because you’re challenged to be creative.

15 What makes your country specifically, unique in the digital industry?

Creativity has no borders; past experiences and views of other civilizations’ achievements, from Athens Acropolis to Gothic cathedrals, from Japanese pagodas to Incas temples may underline the understanding of how people think and observe media.

16 Where do you see the evolution of digital industry going over the next 5-10 years?

I am sure that technology will develop in an exponential way and will be applied methods and techniques that we can only imagine today, but it will maintain the warmth and simplicity of its early days.

17 If you were a student entering this industry or an aspiring Vega Award submitter, what advice would you give them?

All ideas start small but have the potential to become movements if built correctly. Therefore, research and build strategically and your work can have an impact on people and culture. This is worth remembering when you are receiving a creativity award.

18 What resources would you recommend to someone who wants to improve their skills in the digital industry?

Find ways to truly enjoy your assignments. Regardless of your career field, nothing feels like work unless you’re having fun.

19 Who has inspired you in your life and why?

My family gave the paradigm of understanding and respect of other peoples’ culture and values. Furthermore, they are always by my side, supporting all my efforts and plans. They help me to continuously improve as a person and professional, irrespective of how hard work it needs.

20 What is your key to success? Any parting words of wisdom?

Be kind, have respect for the world and everyone around you. Work hard and have fun. Be open to silly ideas even if they’re not realistic. Some silly ideas can be truly creative if not downright brilliant.

WINNING ENTRY

2021
 
Don't FM & Drive, miami ad school - Vega Website Awards Winner

Entrant Company

miami ad school

Category

Video / Online Video (Single) - New Category (Video)