Interview with 10 Russian Professional Web Designers

Dear Friend!
We are going to talk about one of the most important aspects of web development, web design, with top ten professional designers and art-directors from Russia, Ukraine and Belarus. We chose the designers whose works we find exceptionally skilful and unique. 🎨

Designing is not just creating a beautiful image – it is a mechanism which can make or break. All your efforts will be wasted without quality design. We strongly believe that experience, hard work and attention to details are the factors that make a professional designer and that you will find the tips you are going to read today useful.

Alexey Popov

Ukraine, 15 years of design experience

www.alexey-popov.com alexey-popov-kurilshik

— What questions should one ask himself before starting a career in web design?

— If your purpose is making money, then it won’t be simple. It takes time. All the questions will be wrong until you try it first; you should feel it from inside.)

— What does web design start with?

— It starts with learning. Start with copying good works for practice and work out your own style.

— What qualities does a designer need to succeed?

— Be persevering and creative! Don’t be afraid of failures, especially in the beginning!

— What is most important in web design?

— Emotions! Don’t just design a web-site. Create a world - then you will see the results.

— What advice would you give to starting designers?

— Develop your taste and skills by copying good works.

— Any wishes to our readers?

— Good luck and patience in your endeavors! :)

Alexander Laguta

Saint Petersburg, 17 years of design experience / L&L®

lagutalaguta.com Behance

— What questions should one ask himself before starting a career in web design?

— First of all, I think, while choosing a profession you should listen to your feelings and shouldn’t think about money. Do what you love! Love for profession will keep you motivated and working, which will consequently lead to success.

— What does web design start with?

— Don’t separate practice from theory. Keep practicing what you learn. Trial-and-error method is what you need. As the profession is quite young, there are no safe ways.

— What qualities does a designer need to succeed?

— Patience 🙂

— What is most important in web design?

— The objectives of the project. You should start and finish with the objectives in mind to get the results you want.

— What advice would you give to starting designers?

— You can’t get success or skills in a short period of time. Be ready to work hard! You are the one who decides how far you can go!

- Any wishes to our readers?

— Hi! ☺️

To go fast - go slowly, but without halts.Alexander Laguta

Alexey Bychkov

Minsk, Belarus; 10 years of design experience

www.alexeybychkov.com l1ttlewd

— What questions should one ask himself before starting a career in web design?

— Well, where can I download Photoshop? There are no questions. You just need to want it. And you don’t need to have a Diploma in Arts. It’s checked. 😊

— What does web design start with?

— First of all, I’d recommend registering in major freelance websites to promote your profile. Of course, you need an office, too. Live communication is priceless and makes work easier. Interaction with colleagues - copywriters, testers, page-makers and other designers helps you understand better what each person does. And I love those lunchtime jokes with colleagues.

And of course don’t be discouraged by failures and unmet deadlines - they are inevitable. 😊

— What qualities does a designer need to succeed?

• Don’t make spelling mistakes. They will destroy you.

Master the hot buttons and blind typing.

Be able to sell yourself to the customer.

A very, very important thing – use a second screen to increase your productivity significantly.

You are going to encounter different types of people in your career. Sometimes conflicts are inevitable. I’ll give a good piece of advice I was once given. If you get really frustrated with the customer, write an angry letter to him, express all you think about him in purple language. Feeling better? Now delete the letter. Do this as many times as you wish, until you really feel happy again. Now you are ready to get back to work. And lastly, google for you answers. This is one of the skills any coder should learn.

— What is most important in web design?

— A couple of years ago everyone was obsessed with perfectionism, especially with the emergence of (page-makers, close your ears) Pixel Perfect, which in my opinion was developed with the purpose of making perfectionist designers feel depressed all the time.

I used to be one of those poor depressed designers, who days and nights scrupulously struggled with each pixel, sweat over indents, changed the shades millions of times and in the end got: “All the designers are assholes. This is not what we wanted.” As a result, I had to return the money paid in advance, I went nuts and vented my ill-temper on friends, family and colleagues.

So, what should you do? Change your attitude – don’t be a perfectionist, be a professional! No one cares whether there are 17 pixels or 20 as long as everything looks nice and tidy! So why should you torture yourself? 😊

— What advice would you give to starting designers?

— Don’t plagiarize! This is some kind of plague! Everyone is trying to steal ideas nowadays. Don’t do that! And don’t watch my channel on YouTube!

- Any wishes to our readers?

— You have made a great choice – being a designer is great! Good luck with it!

I would have done a lot today, but it’s tomorrow already.Alexey Bychkov

Oleg Frolov

Moscow, Russia; 11 years of design experience

Behance Dribbble

— What questions should one ask himself before starting a career in web design?

— Do I really enjoy it? You will be doing it most part of your life. You need to be motivated to grow in your profession. Technologies change all the time, you need to be constantly learning. If you love your job, it is easier to keep motivated for continual self-development.

— What does web design start with?

— Graphic design basics. Teach your brain to identify visual patterns and use them in your design.

A designer should be aware of the capabilities and limitations of the technology being used. In terms of web-design they are html/css/javascript, etc.

The most important thing is to understand how design affects the user. Here the designer encounters with a wide specter of disciplines, like psychology, linguistics, cognitive science, social science, culturology, semiotics, etc.

Here are a number of books I would like to recommend:

Graphic Design Basics:

• — «Art of Shape» Johannes Itten;
• — «Art of Color» Johannes Itten;
• — «Typography» Emil Ruder.

Web Technologies:

• — Learn React;
• — Introduction to CSS;
• — The Coding Train.

Perception of Design:

• — «The Design of Everyday Things» Donald A. Norman;
• — «Think slowly, decide quickly» Daniel Kahneman;
• — «Don’t make me think» Steve Krug.

You can find even more useful material on DesignBetter.

— What qualities does a designer need to succeed?

— Diligence and curiosity. The first will help always keep working, while the second will make you experiment and find new, interesting solutions.

— What is most important in web design?

— The users. They are the ABC of any commercial project success. They determine everything starting with the content and finishing with the framework choice. For example, if you are designing for teens, the content should be laconic, as most of them don’t like reading. And you should keep in mind that teens mostly use mobile devices. Also, teens are impatient and will leave the page if it loads slowly. (For more information on this, go to Teenager’s UX: Designing for Teens). You will need server-side rendering components to speed up. Media-content should also be optimized for mobile devices (don’t use HD auto-play videos)

Analyze and improve your product in response to feedback.

— What advice would you give to starting designers?

— Don’t waste your time searching among 100500 similar programs for the one you think suits you best. Focus on honing your designing skills instead.

- Any wishes to our readers?

— Take care of your brain – it’s your main instrument. Get enough sleep and drink water!

Alexey Petyushkin

Saint Petersburg, 22 years of design experience

www.alexsay.ru welcome@alexsay.ru

— What questions should one ask himself before starting a career in web design?

— Question 1 – Do I really need it? Nowadays many people choose a profession because it is fashionable, or because it pays well. But you can’t do a job you are not enjoying all your life.

Question 2 – Why do I need it? Every action needs a purpose, otherwise there is no point in doing it. To reach the purpose you need to make a plan. You should clearly understand what you want.

“I want to be a web-designer”, - is not a clearly formulated goal. “I want to be an excellent web-designer, make 2.5 million a year and buy a BMW X5 and a two-storied house”, - is a clearly stated objective. It can be easier achieved as you clearly understand your steps.

You want stable customer flow? What do you need to reach this? A good portfolio and positive feedback? What else? This system will help you plan your steps and reach your goals. Start with the simplest steps that are easier to accomplish and go higher to more difficult ones. This system will help you understand whether your goal is achievable or not.

— What does web design start with?

— See answer #1

— What qualities does a designer need to succeed?

— A designer needs to be able to listen. Be diligent and patient. Know how to present your product and yourself. Don’t copy. Find your own style.

— What is most important in web design?

— Customer’s needs.

— What advice would you give to starting designers?

— Don’t be afraid to try and fail.
«How many blissful revelations
The spirit of enlightment hides!
And then experience born of lapses
And genius antinomy-wise
And chance, the heavenly inventor. »
A. Pushkin

- Any wishes to our readers?

— Don’t be afraid to try and fail.

My results have long been known to me, I just don’t know how I’ll come to them.Karl Friedrich Gauss

Alexander Ivchenko

Cherkassy, Ukraine; 6 years of design experience

ivchenko.design Dribbble ivchenko.design@gmail.com

— What questions should one ask himself before starting a career in web design?

— Being a web-designer is time-consuming. If you really want to succeed, you must always be in shape. You must be constantly honing your skills, taste and communication skills. You must be learning how to use new tools, follow what’s happening in the world of design, promote yourself, fill your portfolio with new works, communicate with customers, be able to defend your point of view and be open to constructive criticism. This is just a small part of what you will have to face. One of the questions you should be asking yourself before starting a career in web-design is: “Did I enjoy learning at school?” Because you will need to learn a lot. Be ready for this.

— What does web design start with?

— I would recommend finding a mentor, a professional designer, who will be willing to share his knowledge with you. A person with whom you can talk about different aspects of the profession, its advantages and disadvantages. Then you can decide whether you want to be a designer or not.

— What qualities does a designer need to succeed?

— A designer should be reliable and hard-working, have good communication skills, be decisive and ready to learn.

— What is most important in web design?

— A designer must understand the purpose of the product.

— What advice would you give to starting designers?

— I would recommend not to be naïve and self-confident. Appreciate and accept constructive criticism from more experienced colleagues. As years pass by, you understand how important it is.

- Any wishes to our readers?

— - Always aspire to do what you enjoy.

There are three answers to design results – yes, no and WOW! “WOW!” – this is what we should strive for.Milton Glaser

Anton Pecheritsa

Moscow, Russia; 4 years of design experience

www.uxdesigner.im Dribbble Behance

— What questions should one ask himself before starting a career in web design?

— Well, first of all: “Why do I need it?” Second: “What do I want to achieve by it?” Third: “What are my objectives?” If you don’t enjoy it, try something else.

— What does web design start with?

— With learning the basics. Study the basics of design, typography, composition, etc. Read professional literature, watch tutorials. And, of course, study good design examples.

— What qualities does a designer need to succeed?

— Self-criticism, reserve, perseverance. These are the key qualities in my opinion.

— What is most important in web design?

— If we are speaking about web design or design of apps, you should clearly understand from the start the objectives of the interface. The priority should be given to user experience and the design should be built around it.

— What advice would you give to starting designers?

— I wouldn’t recommend stealing the ideas of other designers. If you want to enhance your skills set, you can practice by reproducing other designers’ works, though 😁

- Any wishes to our readers?

— Work hard. Do more and better than you did for the previous project. Learn new tools and techniques. Never stop growing.

Aim at the moon. Even if you miss, you will be among the stars.Mary Kay Ash

Dmitry Krivonosov

Khmelitskiy, Ukraine, 8 years of design experience

lime-agency.com.ua Behance

— What questions should one ask himself before starting a career in web design?

— Before you start a career in web-design, you should understand why you want to do it. It’s a multi-faceted job and you need to keep up with the trend. You should realize that it is a way of life.

In my opinion, no matter which profession you choose, it should give you financial benefits, opportunity to grow and be interesting. For me web-design has it all.

— What does web design start with?

— I would recommend to take 3-4 months’ design course to learn the basics and Photoshop or Sketch. Then choose design styles and directions to work in. You can do this by first trying to imitate professional designers whose works you can find on Behance or Dribble. Resources like Instagram or Pinterest can be useful too. Each designer should have a library of favorite works. Work on your techniques, as quality should always be on the first place.

— What qualities does a designer need to succeed?

— Be creative, hard-working, flexible, reliable, disciplined, willing to learn and grow. Be able to plan and meet deadlines.

— What is most important in web design?

— Attention to details. Each website must be unique and developed according to the customer’s needs and demands. It should also be user-friendly. A designer must be able to showcase the advantages of the product.

— What advice would you give to starting designers?

— Don’t take up several design directions at once (web, graphics, etc.). Do one thing at a time. Once you become professional in one direction, it will be easier to learn new things. Don’t start working on a project until you fully understand it.

- Any wishes to our readers?

— Use all your expertise to create good products, which will eventually displace outdated products and designers who are unwilling to grow and keep up with the trends.

Serafima Levchenko

Mariupol, Ukraine; 15 years of design experience

www.alexsima.com alexsima.com

— What questions should one ask himself before starting a career in web design?

— First of all, you should understand what design is. It's not just a beautiful image. Designing is not just drawing beautifully, having good taste or skills - it’s the understanding of how a website works.

— What does web design start with?

— It starts with studying and analyzing works of prominent web-designers. You can try to copy good works to practice.

— What qualities does a designer need to succeed?

— Patience and perseverance. Never give up. Sometimes even your family and friends will not understand and support you. Nevertheless, you should always keep going to your dream.

— What is most important in web design?

— Study the project carefully. Take into account the customer’s taste and preferences, but if you have better vision of what they want, which differs from theirs, talk to them, explain your ideas to them and choose the best option. If the project is too hard, start with a prototype.

— What advice would you give to starting designers?

— Don’t be too self-confident. If you have any doubts, don’t take up the project. And always rely only on yourself

- Any wishes to our readers?

- I wish you good health, patience and never stop there! Web-design is 1% talent and 99 % patience. Develop these qualities and be ready for severe criticism.

Go forward by walkingЦSeraphim of Sarov

Nikita Zotov

Nikolayev, Ukraine; 5 years of design experience

NZO_TOV_20140 Behance

— What questions should one ask himself before starting a career in web design?

— First of all you should understand that design is art. You will be able to create something really valuable only if you have genuine interest, desire and inspiration!

— What does web design start with?

— Everyone has his own way. Design is first of all way of thinking and creativity. These are the things that matter. Programs are just tools to express what you have in your mind.

— What qualities does a designer need to succeed?

— First and foremost is the ability to communicate with the customers. A designer should also be able to prioritize, present the product, set deadlines and be realistic about his own skills. Always keep up with the trends and be attentive to details

— What is most important in web design?

— Design elements, like color, font, shades, etc. should correspond with the website nature and not be eye-tiring.

— What advice would you give to starting designers?

— Don’t use templates, don’t copy the works of other designers. You can do these only when learning. Don’t use burr fonts – it’s old-fashioned. Follow the trends and create good products.

- Any wishes to our readers?

— Wish you endless inspiration, creativity and lots of good clients. Do your best to always exceed expectations!

A good website will build your image, attract new clients and increase sales.Nikita Zotov

The interview was conducted by Web Design & Programming studio - Perfecto Web.
Thank you and best wishes to all the designers for the interviews!