Yurko Gutsulyak：有趣的結果只由有趣的過程造就

Yurko Gutsulyak

「我們熱愛我們所做的，並相信任何工作的結果只有在有趣的過程之下才可能有趣。」這是Yurko Gutsulyak創辦的平面設計工作室的一句介紹。

這位來自烏克蘭的設計師，在十幾年前原本做著營銷的工作，本著對設計的誤解而入了行。如今，他已成為一個擁有16年經驗的職業設計師以及藝術總監，對設計也有了自己的理解。

Narkii:

您大學專業是營銷，畢業後也有一年在做本專業的工作，之後轉作為設計師，您當時是怎麼做的呢？

You graduated from university as a marketing manager and worked according to your education just for one year, then you started your creative career. How did you make it?

Yurko:

這是一個非常自然，甚至偶然的決定。在一家服裝廠（位於一個省城）的營銷部門工作後，為了實現了我的創意夢想，我搬到了首都。一開始沒有生計，任何我能找到的工作我都得去做。一個朋友告訴我，這個世界上最簡單的職業就是設計師，因為你不需要特殊的教育或知識，也不受任何責任約束……那時，我甚至沒有意識到我有多麼錯，這位給我提建議的朋友有多麼錯。就這樣，在我到基輔後的第四天，我開始在列印店做設計師。半年後，我成了一家雖小但有發展潛力的設計公司的主要設計師。在那工作的一年裡，我漸漸了解什麼是真正的平面設計，我的項目也為公司贏得了許多獎項。獲得成功後，我被邀請加入一家著名的烏克蘭葡萄酒和白蘭地品牌公司的營銷部門。所以我就有了機會同時作為設計公司以及公司內部的設計師；也有了勇氣去創新，有了耐心去改進。我學著把我的營銷知識與設計經驗結合起來。最後，為了能夠自由地發揮創意，我創立了自己的工作室。

It was very spontaneous or even random decision. After working in the marketing department of a garment factory (in a provincial city) I moved to the capital aiming to realize my creative dreams. Without livelihood, I had to find any possible job right from the beginning. A friend of mine told me that the easiest profession in this world is a designer as you do not need special education or knowledge and it is not bound by any responsibility… At that moment I didn t even realize how wrong was I and how wrong was my adviser. This way I started my work in a print shop as a designer on the fourth day after arriving in Kyiv. A half year later I started working in small but very progressive design agency as a leading designer. During one year of working there, I started to understand what is real graphic design and my projects had won the majority of awards for this agency. Being successful I was invited to join the marketing department of a famous Ukrainian wine and brandy brand. So I had a chance to be an agency designer as well as an in-house designer; to have courage for creating something new and patience to evolve already created things. I was learning to combine my marketing education and design experience. Finally, I started my own agency inspired with the idea of creative freedom.

Fairy Milk

Narkii:

營銷在你後來的設計生涯中扮演什麼角色呢？

What kind of role does marketing play in your design career?

Yurko:

在我開啟我的設計生涯時，我低估了我的教育背景的力量，它雖然是獨立地工作，但卻非常有用。在開展和分析工作室的每個項目時，我都一人分飾兩角——設計師和營銷經理。它讓我能夠明白真正的客戶需求，並在設計的所有流程中緊盯住目標人群。我並不認為設計是藝術，我關注的是設計對於品牌、環境和幸福的影響。這也是客戶信任我的主要原因。最終，設計工作室是一種商業，是需要營銷的支持的。

At the beginning of my design career, I underestimated my educational background though while working independently it appeared very useful knowledge to be. Each of studio』s projects I develop and analyze like a team of two different persons – designer and marketing manager. It helps me to understand real client』s needs and stay focused on target audience during all steps of a design process. I do not take design as an art and I care about design impact on brands, environment, and well-being. This is the main reason my clients trust me. Eventually, the design studio is a business and it needs marketing support as well.

Narkii:

成立平面設計工作室，遇到的最大的困難是什麼呢

What was the biggest difficulty you had encountered during the period when you established your studio?

Yurko:

由於平面設計當時在烏克蘭是一個比較新的行業，最大的困難和最無聊的事情就是解釋什麼是平面設計，為什麼人們需要它，為什麼它這麼昂貴。許多客戶將設計視為他們對業務的裝飾，並以喜好來評價設計。現在還到處都是這種類型的客戶，儘管現在我有可能會去挑選合作的對象。

As the graphic design was a comparatively new industry at that period in Ukraine, the biggest difficulty and the most boring thing were explanations on what is graphic design, why do people need it and why is it so expensive. Many clients perceived design as a decoration of their businesses and rated design with likes and dislikes. This type of clients is still widely spread today as well though now I have a possibility to choose with whom do I want to work.

Brun ka

Narkii:

「我們熱愛我們所做的，並相信任何工作的結果只有在有趣的過程之下才可能有趣。」——這是從您的網站中引用而來的。您能解釋一下或者舉個例子嗎？

「We love what we do and believe that any work could be interesting as a result only provided that it is interesting as a process.」 --I quote this from your website. Can you explain this or give me an example?

Yurko:

「您對這個項目感興趣嗎？」這個問題在業界挺流行，這聽起來就像設計師是小孩子，而客戶需要用有趣的東西來讓他們開心。這個問題無論對哪方來講都不對。這樣問的客戶試圖增加靈感的成分，而減少財務的成分。回答問題的設計師則是試著只關注創意的愉快部分，而減少額外研究、分析以及試驗的困難。這問題的正確回答之一是「如果一個項目本身就有趣，那麼它是不需要設計解決方案的」。我相信，也用我的設計證明了只有設計師才能讓項目有趣起來。設計流程對我來說非常重要，而我的一個秘密就是我熱愛我所做的每一個項目。我喜歡設計過程中每個小小的步驟，也試著儘可能去完善小細節。熱愛不能僅限在你工作的早上九點到下午六點裡。在我內心深處一直有這種感覺。

The question 「Is this project interesting to you?」 is quite popular in design sphere and it sounds like designers are kids and clients have to entertain them with something interesting. This question is totally wrong for both sides. Asking this question, clients try to arise inspiration constituent hoping to reduce financial constituent. Answering this question, designers try to concentrate only on a pleasant part of creativity and reduce difficulties connected with additional research, analysis, and experimenting. One of the right answers to this question is 「If a project is interesting itself, it does not need design solution」. I believe and I proved it with my design that only designer can make a project to be interesting. The design process is very important for me and one of my secrets is that I am in love with every project I do. I adore every little step of development and try to perfect every tiny detail while I can do it. Love cannot last from 9 AM to 6 PM. I have this feeling inside of me all the time.

這種方式能夠做出高質量的設計，但同時也要付出代價。因為我對團隊成員在態度上也有相同要求，所以合作起來常常會有困難。所以我只和最熱情的人合作。

This approach allows getting high-quality design but it has the price. Collaboration with other creative people is often difficult, as I demand the same attitude from other team members. That is why I work only with the most passionate people.

開個玩笑，我想說懂得營銷幫助我活了下來。它總是迫使我去比較我的疲憊程度和我的銀行賬目。

As a joke, I would say that knowing marketing helps me to survive biologically. It always forces me to compare the level of my exhaustion and my bank account statement.

JUSTA

Narkii:

關於設計風格，有人說一個設計師需要花上多年時間才能形成自己的風格，而有的設計師並不願意自己局限於某種特定風格，對此您怎麼看？

About design style, some people say it takes years for a designer to form his or her own style, while some designers are not willing to confine themselves in a specific style. What do you think about it?

Yurko:

這些年間我與一些設計師朋友討論過這個問題。在之後我還會反覆討論它，因為在設計師的發展生涯中這非常重要。我認為設計師不應該有特定的風格。如果你有了自己的風格，那麼你就是在冒著風險一再重複相似的項目。然而項目不應該是相似的，它們有不同的背景，市場，目標受眾等。預設好的風格對於那些想要複製他人成功而不想自己創造的客戶來說很方便。有個人風格的設計師一生就做一種項目，項目的名氣就是設計師的名氣。這樣有點無聊。我喜歡多樣性，我喜歡引起不同的情緒，這就是為什麼我要在每個新的項目中嘗試新的風格。我得承認，隨著嘗試越多，這變得越來越難，我也被一些特定的方法和技巧所吸引，但我沒有放棄創新、試驗和探索新東西。正因為我選擇成為一個設計師。

I discussed this topic with a few mates-designers during the years. And I will do it again and again because it is one of the most important questions in designer』s development. My belief is that designer should not have a specific style. If you have the own style you risk creating similar projects over and over. But projects cannot be similar as they have different backgrounds, markets, target audiences, etc. The predicted style is convenient to clients who just want to copy the success of someone else and not to create their own. Designer with individual style creates one project all his/her life and name of this project is the name of the designer. At least this is boring. I like diversity and I like to evoke different emotions that are why I try to make every new project with a new style. I have to admit it becomes harder and harder as I already tried a lot and I started feeling attracted to some certain methods and techniques but I do not give up and try to innovate, experiment and discover something new. This is the reason I chose to be a designer.

Narkii:

過去五年您專註於包裝設計，您覺得包裝設計，你通常抓住哪些方面作為創新的切入點呢？

In the past five years, you have been focusing on packaging design. For this area, what aspects do you usually take as the entry to innovation?

Yurko:

首先，我會收集消費者信息，他們的偏好或擔心，以及包裝生產中可能或可以達到的技術相關信息。接著預算包裝，理清可以應用哪些創新材料或技術。根據這些，我就限定了範圍。再者我會分析特定領域以及全球的競爭者和類似產品。這樣我就制定了我需要達到或是超越的設計標準。此外，我還看到了許多已經使用過或者很明顯的點子。我試著去尋找在其他設計和藝術領域中運用而未用於包裝的成功方法。最後就是製造驚喜，問我自己「我該怎麼做才能抓住人們的注意力呢？」

First of all, I gather information about consumers and their preferences or fears, about the possible and available technologies of packaging production. I figure out how expensive this packaging could be and what innovative materials or techniques could be used if any. Based on this information I build restrictions』 area. Then I analyze all competitors and similar products on chosen territory and worldwide. Based on this information I set a level of design quality I need to reach or overcome. In addition, I see a scope of ideas that are already used or obvious. I try to find successful approaches that were used in other spheres of design and art but never were used in packaging. Now it is time to surprise and I ask myself 「What can I do to steal people』s attention?」

Narkii:

您覺得什麼樣的包裝能一下子抓住消費者的眼球呢？

In your opinion, what kind of package can catch consumers eyes immediately?

Yurko:

現代消費者被設計行業寵壞了，為了給他們留下深刻印象，我便要更加任性。這意味著我需要非常批判性地評估自己的想法，而且我需要展示人們先前沒有看過的東西，或者至少要出人意料。消費者對待看起來昂貴的包裝態度是積極的，因為這使他們覺得包裝內的產品比他們所花的錢來得更有價值。也許，典型的包裝比起平面設計是更接近於廣告的。成功的訣竅在於平衡和知道哪些規則可以破壞。

Modern consumers are spoiled by design industry and to impress them I need to be even more spoiled and capricious. It means I need to evaluate my own ideas very critically and I need to show something nobody has seen before or at least nobody expected to see. Consumers positively react on the packaging that looks expensive as it makes them feel that product inside is more valuable than the money they spend to purchase it. Probably, typical packaging design is closer to advertising than to graphic design. The trick of success is in balancing and knowing which rules you can break.

Sunrise Card

Narkii:

您擁有超過16年的工作經驗並作為設計課程的講師，為學生上課時最強調什麼呢？

With more than 16 years of working experience and as a lector on design topics, what do you emphasize most in class for students?

Yurko:

我上課的時候，總是在講受眾如何看待我的設計。我在設計中放進了什麼信息，人們又獲得了哪些信息？我分析這些過程和其中的利弊。設計流程並不是在設計師向客戶提交方案後就結束。我不教學生怎麼做設計，因為我不認為課程適合用來講這個。我試著讓人們去思考設計，思考這個職業本身，思考感知和溝通。分析，傾聽，提問，理解，這些能力在設計中比畫圖更重要。年輕的設計師不知道或是忽略這些，這正是早期遇到困難和誤解的主要原因。

During my lectures, I always try to give information on how my design was taken by the audience. What messages did I put in design and what messages people get? I analyze why did it happen and was it good or bad. The design process is not finished after the designer has sent layout to the client. I do not try to teach how to design, as I do not believe that lectures are a good source for this purpose. I try to make people think about design, about the profession itself, about perception and communication. Analysis, ability to listen, to hear, to ask a question and to understand takes much bigger part of design than drawing. Young designers do not know it or ignore it and this is the main reason of early stage difficulties and misunderstanding.

Narkii:

烏克蘭設計業為設計師們提供了怎樣的環境呢？

What kind of environment for designers does design industry provide in Ukraine?

Yurko:

烏克蘭的設計環境可以說越來越好了。在這裡有新的一代人，他們渴望並嘗試著去改進生活，包括設計與藝術方面。我起步那會兒還沒有一間現代的設計學校，除了少數在做過時無用的蘇維埃項目的機構。如今烏克蘭有好幾家私立的設計學校，提供長期的課程以及單課或講習班。這些學校不只位於首都地區，在西部東部和南部的一些大城市也有所分布。關於設計的會議，聚會，評論，比賽也越來越常有。不好的是，烏克蘭的經濟和政治情況仍然不佳，它們阻礙了商業的發展，國外的投資，迫使許多商人和創意人士移民或是在國外工作。這種情況強烈得影響了設計產業。結果造成現在這裡並沒有大型的，賦有抱負的或長期的設計項目。設計師主要都在進行短期，中小型無風險的項目。志願無償項目成為一種趨勢。

Design scene in Ukraine is definitely becoming better and better. There is a new generation of people that want and try to improve life in Ukraine, including design and art spheres. When I started there was no single contemporary design school except few institutes with outdated and useless Soviet programs. Now there are several private design schools in Ukraine that offer long-lasting courses as well as single lectures or workshops. These schools cover not the capital area only but also a few big cities on the west, east and south of the country. Design conferences, meetups, reviews, competitions became regular events in Ukraine. Unfortunately, the economic and political situation in Ukraine is remaining hard and it prevents business development, foreign investments and forces numerous businessmen and creative people to immigrate or work abroad. This situation strongly affects design industry. As a result, there are no big, ambitious or long-lasting design projects in Ukraine. Designers mainly work for short time, small to middle-sized non-risky projects. Volunteering and non-profit projects become trendy.

本文為藝家人原創，如需轉載請註明出處

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