UISDC interview: A high-quality poster design every day, he insisted for three years!

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Prototypr

7 min readNov 16, 2018

He used to be an electronic music artist. He began the design road for an album cover. He likes to design with a playful attitude, insists on using various experimental methods to do “daily design”, learning new technologies, and also he gains countless powders, and today it’s honor to talk with Vasjen Katro.

Behance: https://www.behance.net/katro16

Baugasm ins:https://www.instagram.com/baugasm

UISDC:

We know that you used to be an electronic music producer. How did you get into design? Tell us about the growth of your design career

Vasjen Katro:

Since I was 13 years old I was so much in love with electronic music like Techno, Tech House and Minimal Tech House. That genre of music has also a certain aesthetic which really inspired my design.

When I was producing music I was lucky to have a contract with a Label. They wanted to publish a few of my songs and asked if I really did like the design they sent over. Back then I was experimenting with photo manipulation being that photography is another passion of mine. And I asked them if I could design something myself for the artwork. They liked it and kept asking that maybe I can design some more covers for other artists as well as a side thing.

That’s when I realized the design could also be a side thing, but happen that become my primary thing and the music was left aside.

UISDC:

Can we explain your poster making process? share the inspiration and implementation of the design process.

Vasjen Katro:

Most of my posters start on Photoshop with a blank canvas with just the template with numbers around it.

Sometimes I know what I want to achieve and I go straight for a certain look, but most of the times it’s just me starting to play with a tool in Photoshop, or I experiment with something in CInema 4D or Adobe Illustrator.

For the most part of the process are trial and error. I can play around with a poster for hours and hours, but at the end of the day, I have to finish it cause I have to publish it. That’s what keeps me say enough is enough and to be able to get it done asap. Sometimes I would start something in the morning, and work occasionally during the day with it, and sometimes I would look at it by the end of the day and looks bad, or I don’t like it and I end up doing something else from scratch.

UISDC:

Your daily plan has entered its third year. What makes you insist on doing it for three years? I know you still worked on it even you were in the hospital.

Vasjen Katro:

Yes, I did work on it while being in the Hospital as well. Funny that you know that.

The first year was the most intense one because I wanted to prove to myself that I can do it. But after gaining some attraction on my work it started to feel like Baugasm was more than just a project started to become work. And that was the moment I decided that it should not and I should continue with it and treat it the same was I was feeling about it when I started just a side project for me to experiment with new things and learn as I go. I learned so much during these years that I would probably never if I would have not taken this challenge. So keeping it there and treating it as a side project is something that makes it still fun for me.

UISDC:

Your Baugasm series posters are creative, bold-style, colorful shapes, gradients, and shadows. Can you tell us about your typography and color design experience after more than two years of daily design? What do you feel most creatively inspired by, both within your field and outside it?

Vasjen Katro:

As you can notice through my work things have changed I try to experiment with a lot of techniques and try to learn new things.

I started this project for my self as a playground for me to experiment and make cool things. So being able to apply new techniques and mix all things together is so much fun. I have been in Design more than 13 years now and I think when it comes to colors is intuitive that I know what goes well together, same with typography even though sometimes I try to make it more experimental and come up with something more unique.

UISDC:

What is your typical day?

Vasjen Katro:

Wake up around 10 AM. Go to my studio which is literally 5 min away from home. And have a coffee there while I browse youtube or watch something cool to inspire me for the day. Sometimes I get into emails in the morning and get as many as possible done. I hate emails. :P

After that, I get started to work on any Freelance work I might have and until 3–4PM I just work on freelance work. Sometimes in between, I start working on the poster as well early on the day and keep adding and making changes as a break from freelance work. Around 3–4 PM I do contract work with a Non-Profit Org that I have been working for a few years now. That is something cool to have aside cause makes my design work diverse. After that, I finish around 9 PM and that’s when I start wrapping up the poster as well. Most of the days I leave from there Studio around 10:30 PM or 11 PM. But there are days when I have so many freelance works that I stay after midnight.

My day is intense but I also try to have breaks during the day if I feel less creative I go for a ride with my Motorcycle or Cruise around with a car in the city with my Girlfriend just to clear our minds.

UISDC:

Can you share with us how you can effectively improve your design capabilities? Is there any good book or efficiency tool worth recommending?

Vasjen Katro:

About books I am not sure I don’t think I ever learned something from a book, I like design books to get inspired and have a physical artwork on your hand but to learn certain design stuff I don’t think that books ever helped with that.

If you want to improve your design capabilities I would recommend be consistent with your learning and stick to doing something new every day. That’s how you learn and don’t forget. Learn and practice and be consistent. There are so many ways you can learn new stuff, you can watch tutorials on Skillshare or Youtube there are so many things on the internet you can improve your design skills. I also have classes on Skillshare where I share some of the techniques I use on my designs. You can check them out here: https://www.skillshare.com/r/user/katro

UISDC:

Your PS AE AI software technology is great, in addition to a lot of practice, what other learning websites, resources recommending?

Vasjen Katro:

I would say experiment with things that you have never done before. Could be photography, could be acrylic or oil ink photographing that and use that as part of your design. I like to use a lot of things and combine them together.

viedo: https://www.ccv.adobe.com/v1/player/ccv/MEwdy2X_BN9/embed?bgcolor=%23191919

I recently did also a project for Adobe, the Adobe REMIX where I used almost every tool and technique I could possibly think of.

UISDC:

We are very interested in your office environment. Can you show us your workstation and the items that bring you happiness? Can you open Uisdc.com for us to take a picture of your workplace?

Vasjen Katro: