Interview
Nikola Minkov
Serpact, Bulgaria
Nikola’s web design work revolves around simplicity and style, where the user can experience a website without much difficulty.
1 Please give us a brief bio of yourself and your background.
I founded Serpact in 2016, with the sole focus
2 What made you become/why did you choose to become a digital designer/artist?
Selling products online shows me how creative and interesting this area is. The agency I hired shows me that I can outrank giants like Amazon or Wikipedia, doing quality and smart strategy. So I was thrilled at how search results happened and I started reading and experimenting with it.
3 Tell us more about your business/company, job profile, and what you do.
Selling products online shows me how creative and interesting this area is. The agency I hired shows me that I can outrank giants like Amazon or Wikipedia, doing quality and smart strategy. So I was thrilled at how search results happened and I started reading and experimenting with it.
4 What’s your favorite kind of digital design and why?
I like web design, because it is
5 To you, what makes a “good” design?
Design has to be beautiful and attractive. But most importantly - it has to be easy to use and efficient. There is nothing worse than a design that no one uses or likes.
6 Describe your design style and its main characteristics.
Clean, simple, easy to understand, stylish.
7 Tell us about your design process.
Firstly, I make a drawing, some scheme - how it has to work and how to look. After that I discuss it with my colleagues and we go to make it live and to test it.
8 Where do you draw inspiration from?
Biggest and best brands are my inspiration. Their designs are tested many times and they are used by millions a day.
9 What current trends in digital design (or really anything digital related) are you most excited about?
Designs and search results are more and more human-oriented. Spam era is over. Now you have to bring real value to users and that will benefit you back.
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?
We are so happy to win this award. The great value is showing that our work is effective and helps our clients in their business development!
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?
DSK Bank is one of the biggest financial banks in Bulgaria, with more than 300 entities. Finding their local offices is crucial for their business.
12 What was the biggest challenge with this project?
More than 300 entities in Google maps, with incorrect or missing information, duplicates or missing offices, and many hours of human work - the challenge is really big. Also, to optimize our work and to analyze the performance of all these listings, we create an in-house tool to manage and monitor them.
13 How has winning an Award developed your practice/career?
It is evidence for us that working hard brings results. And when you strive for perfection - it will be visible by people, businesses and colleagues. In fact - really good work makes the whole digital marketing business go to the next higher level.
14 What are your top three (3) favorite things about the digital industry?
- changes - the community - the results
15 What makes your country specifically, unique in the digital industry?
Our country, Bulgaria, had hard times. We do a lot of things with our own hands. Life is not very easy. That requires you to be creative, to think out of the box and to be clever. So we have marketing specialists that use some original and non-standard approaches.
16 Where do you see the evolution of digital industry going over the next 5-10 years?
More and more people oriented, with better targeting and personalization.
17 If you were a student entering this industry or an aspiring Vega Award submitter, what advice would you give them?
To be curious, to read and learn each day, to experiment and test. When you find a good road that delivers, you walk into many bad roads before that.
18 What resources would you recommend to someone who wants to improve their skills in the digital industry?
Find the forums and good media in your niche. Search for good design, SEO or marketing blogs - there are tons of resources. Also.. human connections are more precious, friendship with colleagues, etc.
19 Tell us something you have never told anyone else.
I have only one football match in the First Professional League in Bulgaria :)
20 Who has inspired you in your life and why?
My father and mother, my wife and my two daughters. I learn from it every single day.
21 What is your key to success? Any parting words of wisdom?
Focus on details, not only Devil, God is there as well :) And be organized, structured and with a good discipline. Work proactively, be brave.
22 Do you have anything else you would like to add to the interview?
Thank you a lot for showing the good examples.
