TheFWA - George Kostov - eDesign Ltd.

Understanding that the only way to stand up for your principles in work is to start your own business.

Please give us a brief bio of yourself.

Hello, my name is George Kostov. I'm 33 and I'm Co-founder and Creative director at eDesign – a creative digital agency, based in Sofia, Bulgaria.

What do you do for inspiration?

I find a lot of inspiration in the working process itself. At work, I always have my door open for new ideas and there is a lot of traffic trough that door. Furthermore, I belive if there is a problem you need to solve, you can find inspiration in almost anything, as long as you have taken it seriously.

Please list 3 of your favourite sites.

www.google.com

www.behance.net

www.vimeo.com

What do you regard as being your biggest achievement?

The fact that my business is my passion. My family. The people I've surrounded myself with – it's a privilege to work with such professionals.

How many hours do you work each week?

About 60, but I never stop thinking of work related problems ...

How do you relax or unwind?

I love taking walks, spending time with my family, playing tennis, skiing ...

If you weren't working on the internet what would you be doing?

I'm very passionate about interior design. This is probably what I would do, if I didn't work on the internet.

What's your favourite part of your job? What's the hardest part of your job? What do you do when you get stuck?

- My favourite part of my job is communicating with the people here at eDesign. Brainstorming, creating basic concepts...

- The hardest part is always trying to beat the clock.

- When I get stuck, I move – literally. I just stand up and start walking around, talking to people, etc.

What's the longest you've ever stayed up working on a project?

Around 36 hours, but it was a long time ago.

If there are any pivotal experiences/decisions you could point to that helped shape your career, what would they be?

Understanding that the only way to stand up for your principles in work is to start your own business.

What software could you not live without?

Photoshop

How many projects does your company juggle at any one time?

Usually there are around 5-6 ongoing projects at all times.

Who do you rate as being the top 3 design companies?

Fi, BigSpaceship, Northkingdom, Ultranoir ...

What effect on traffic do your new designs have?

Design in all of its aspects is what really makes the difference at first sight. Now that the Internet has grown so widely, good and well tought design could be the key to good traffic. Nevertheless, content has the final say. So the best formula is – extraordinary design + strong focus on content.

Are there any websites that have shone through as being pioneering in the last 5 years or so?

Etsy, Dropbox, Museum of me

Has winning FWA awards helped you in any way?

Of course – it's a great recognition and winning FWA has very strong effect on people's motivation. Besides, being a FWA winner could give many new perspectives to a company like ours.

What did your very first site look like? Is it still online?

No it is not online anymore... I made my first site back in 1997. It was a kind of gallery/showcase (photographies, nice programs, games, nice websites, etc.)

What was the last digital effort you saw (or were a part of) that used social media in a way that really made sense. Why?

Several campaigns. I really believe social media is about not being indiferent on matters that affect us all. We day, Earth's day, Micro-funding – this is the usage of social media that really makes sense to me.

Of all the websites you/your company have produced, which one are you most proud of?

What was the toughest thing you ever did with Flash? How long did you spend on it? Is it still online?

It's a web based web-to-print service. It's all flash driven and is one of the most complex projects I've participated in - as an action script developer and designer at the same time. It is still online www.funbook.eu.

Do you think Flash is here to stay?

Yes! Flash is still essential for the web. At the end, I do believe all the anti-flash talks did Flash a favour. There was a real need for flash technology to get focused again. Now, Flash is used much more wisely and the platform will take back its place as a preferable medium for building cutting edge and rich-experience web projects.

What are your views on design/graphic school. Do you think someone can get into the field without educational experience in a school environment?

In fact, most designers I know don't have a graphic education. However, nowadays, education might be essential for growing as a graphic professional and for sure could be a great starting point.

How difficult do you find employing the right people in a world where everyone calls themselves a web designer?

Our agency is one of the most recognized web agencies in Bulgaria. Therefore, we don't experience any difficulties hiring people. On the contrary – our employees are probably the best professionals on the local market.

How do you keep your finger on the pulse of the latest web trends?

I try to browse as many sites as possible. Reading specialized magazines and books helps as well.

What country excites you the most in terms of innovation?

Innovation sometimes is a function of the market. Where the money is, there is the biggest need of inovative solutions. Therefore, countries with fast growing or well developed internet markets are more likely to produce such products. UK, US, Russia, Japan, South Korea are at the top of my personal chart.

What is the most expensive thing you have bought in the last week?

Animal dolls for my daughter, about 30 eur.

Any parting shots or pearls of wisdom?

If at first you don't succeed, redefine success. When you succeed, redefine it again.

It has been a privilege, thanks very much

The privilege was all mine. Thank you!

Links