When the kindergarten teacher says that this girl's talent must be encouraged, it is no wonder that she was already attending art school 3 times a week at the age of 7. Drawing competitions and her voluntary work for the Chernobyl Children's Foundation allowed her to travel all over the country, as well as Europe, at an early age, and with a scholarship, her education continued at the Belarusian University of Culture and Arts. However, this was not the last stop, because while still at school, Anastasia knew that she would live in Germany at some point, learned German at the Goethe Institute, and after the 2010 elections at the latest, the decision was made.

Of course, the change of location didn't change her desire to become a designer; Anastasia moved to Berlin and studied communication design at the HTW. Starting with an internship, we have been lucky to have this warm and versatile personality in our team for more than 5 years now - and we don't mean her constantly changing hair colours ;-) She lives out her dream job on projects for Porsche, Ontras & the Progroup, among others, but also uses her skills for good causes. Get to know Anastasia and her work at Strichpunkt in our "Talking to... Interview", here we go:

SP: First a question about your start at Strichpunkt. Why did you apply for an internship with us back then?
I really wanted to do an internship in a larger agency because I wanted to get a clear idea of what to expect in my future job in the shortest possible time. Strichpunkt was at the top of my wish list. At that time, I came across an interview with Jochen Rädeker, which, among other things, prompted me to apply to Strichpunkt. Somehow I felt fully addressed when I read that he likes to listen to music by rock bands like Tenacious D while working. It's also a band I like a lot too - I immediately liked that. And of course there were many projects by Strichpunkt, which I already perceived as very diverse and varied back then.
 
SP: What would you never mention in your CV, even though it describes you very well?
Maybe I wouldn't necessarily mention in my CV that I'm a punk rock fan. I would rather tell that in a personal interview and also recommend a few bands, albums or even concerts ;-)
 
SP: Before you studied communication design in Berlin, you studied applied art at the State University of Culture and Arts in Minsk - do you also use parts of this education in your work at Strichpunkt?
Studying art, where among other things a lot of art theory was taught, had a great impact on me and broadened my horizons enormously. In my everyday work, I have many situations where I put this theoretical knowledge into practice, such as colour theory, the teaching of systems for ordering colours. I find it fascinating how colours can evoke certain emotions and reactions and also convey certain messages.
 
SP: As a designer, you are very versatile and have already worked for a wide variety of brands in the field of branding and corporate communication - what do you particularly enjoy about your work?
I particularly enjoy a project where you deal very intensively with a new, innovative and as yet unknown topic or product. That is a great way to develop yourself, because you learn about new technologies and solutions, for example. And the exciting thing is to experience and shape something new from the very beginning.
 
SP: In one sentence: what defines good design for you?
Good design arouses curiosity and makes life not only more beautiful, but also much more understandable.
 
SP: You are very interested in culture, art, music and politics - do you also use your design skills "privately"?
I have always enjoyed doing small projects, such as a record cover or a concert photo shoot for my friends. After the last "election" in Belarus on 09.08.2020, it is also an important concern [or a matter of the heart] for me to support the Belarusian community creatively, among other things. In this context, for example, my animation video for the Solidarity Concert "Live Long Belarus" was created. The last project I was involved in was an exhibition about the banning of all independent media in Belarus called "ERROR 404: Page not Found".
 
SP: And last but not least, the question we always ask: what does courage mean to you personally?
To me, being courageous means:
… to leave your comfort zone
… not to be afraid of mistakes, but to perceive them as an experience
… to be open to new things