Jobs: Ilya Grishin, senior designer "VKontakte"

"Instead of walking with friends I have almost three weeks came up with the site design on the brake computer"

- Did you get into the social network "VKontakte" in 18 years. Usually at this age are just beginning the path to the profession and come to the university. Why do you have turned out differently?

- When I was 14 years old, a team "VKontakte" organized community VK DesignersThat together with third-party designers to improve the visual appearance of a social network. The group held a competition: it was necessary to regularly provide options to the end of the year how to make the site better. Victory promised to those who come up with as many ideas as possible, which will give light.

I was very weak a computerBut I decided that I still want to participate, and at the same time to pump in the design of interfaces. Most often, I tried to solve the problems that infuriated me the most: redraw parts that looked crooked, or thinking how to simplify sending emoticons in messages. As a result, a few hours before the New Year, I was informed that I won the iPad mini. The parents were very surprised and believed until the end just at the moment when he was taken home.

After that, I took part in competitions VK Designers two more years in a row. Periodically, I won, sometimes lost, but it is only pushed to keep learning.

When I was 16 guys gathered enormously change the design of "VKontakte" and again announced a contest. I decided to drop everything and take part, so instead of walking with friends for nearly three weeks came up with a new design of the site and tried to draw it on the brake system. Until then, I had never worked with web interfaces. When I was finished, I did not count for much - thought that the opponents are much stronger than me.

A few days after the reception of works tagged me in a certain post. I open and see myself among the five winners, each of which will give the MacBook Pro, a trip to San Francisco for a conference and designers the opportunity to work in a team "In contact with». I literally tears flowed from my eyes when I saw it all. His head had only one thought: "This really happened?". In California, I did not go, but got a cool technique to draw even more abrupt interfaces and do not spoil your eyes. So it all started.

- After winning you immediately went to the office, "VKontakte" and began to work?

- No, first I graduated from school education. However, the team has remained in touch: a few months before my 17th birthday I was asked if I want to try draw desktop messenger "VKontakte" for Windows - is an application that allows you to communicate without having to open browser. I agreed, get directions and just two weeks still drawn.

Team enjoyed it and I continued to work on the messenger, until the time came USE. I had to write a COO Andrew mace that I has to stay for exams. He understood me, wished me luck and asked the office to communicate, as soon as I finish school.

After the release, I planned to go to university in St. Petersburg. When I was in the city, I was invited to the office to find out what I intend to do in the next five years. I said I wanted to do and to finish high school, and I was asked to become part of the team.

- So, instead of the university you have chosen to work in "VKontakte"?

- No, I started combine work with studies electrical engineer, but after the first course understood that to live in this mode physically hurt: it is necessary to keep up on the couple, do homework and keep working. It was important to learn well, because I graduated from high school with a gold medal and did not want to lower the bar, but to combine university and "VKontakte" was not easy. Then I decided to change priorities, he transferred to the correspondence department, specialty "Software Engineer Automation Systems" and for three years to fully work in a team, "VKontakte".

- What were the early days of the positions in the company?

- I did not have work experience in a large company, so it was hard to get used. This is not freelanceAnd a completely different pace of work and approaches to it. Helped me a lot guys I started with small tasks in order to understand how to interact with the interface of "VKontakte", I learned to think Product and user problems, and only then I learned how to color theory and other important skills, which must have a designer.

- How did your friends react to what you are now working in "VKontakte"? Do not write posts from the category of "Ilya, return wall"?

- They asked how I got here, and why not study at university. I replied that all combine and they were very surprised.

Basically questions begin when friends want to get an answer here and now, rather than go to support. Then they write to me and ask how to send a voice or donate Stickers. Looks like fun, but really interesting to me to help them. So I understand what people experience when using our interface. On the basis of the problems that come to me friends, I make the decisions about what can be improved, to users' lives become better. In my opinion, this is very cool!

"By any task I approach both to the equation, and it will never be solved at the first attempt"

- When did you realize that you are interested to engage in the design, rather than with the boys in the yard chasing a ball?

- In contrast to today's children, I have got a computer rather late - in 13 years. Then I became interested in Photoshop and registered in the "VKontakte". There I began to create different thematic community, the first of which was the fan club "Zenith". I had hoped that the group immediately flee the crowds, but it never happened. However, public still need to draw, so I started to develop design skills.

Embodying creative ideas in the community, I became interested in how to update the site. As a result, more and created a group of pro upgrade "VKontakte" - tried to follow the work of the team and as quickly as possible to inform subscribers of changes in the social network. To publish a post, I had to make a screenshot, to draw a picture in Photoshop, and then write the text. And began to emerge design skills.

I was hooked, I can imagine something in your head and render view their own ideas directly on the screen. More pleased to know that with the help of their skills I can solve other people's problems. All this delighted me, so I started thinking about how to design-related career. In the end what happened.

- How did you turn out skill? Vidosy watched on YouTube or read books?

- Oddly enough, I did not watch any video tutorials. It's the same thing, that the decision to write off a classmate when you were offered to find him alone. All in all, not my way.

My main way to learn something new - at random, which helps so far. So I figured out most of the tools you need to work with interfaces. In addition, before starting to create their own interfaces, I redraw other people's icons and learn successful techniques to later repeat them. I wanted to understand how designers think cooler than me to solve a complex problem.

- The concept of beauty is very subjective: one thinks classy design, and the other will find a million reasons it zaheytit. How to understand that the work is done well?

- I think the job is done well, when she decides to custom problem - it begins with her finding most of the changes in "VKontakte". Typically, the feedback comes through the support of friends or the employees themselves. If you manage to solve the problem and make user interaction with the interface easier and more enjoyable, the result of work can be called good. And the beauty of it is very difficult to measure. If the image corresponds to the visual style of the screen, and like many people, it is likely, it can be called beautiful.

- Designer to work you need inspiration or it is rather an excuse to do nothing?

- Without inspiration not get far. At first, it is possible and to look for examples of when a task similar to yours, has been solved better. I'm here often impressed by the guys from the studio Art Lebedev. One of the most recent examples: they combined the images that characterize the Russian people, and created the mascots for the Olympic Games. The result was a roly-poly bear and a cat-ear-flaps. They combined the simple things of offline and put them in a Digital. It turned out very cool - I dream to do the same, but it is yet to come.

- Whom do you follow in your field, someone to be?

- "VKontakte" - this is the rare case where you can be inspired teamIn which you work. I think people - the new oil. They may teach you something at any time: as long as you're just talking or working on a new project.

If we separate people from other companies, but recently I am inspired by Daniel Kovch - art director of "Yandex". He was a great article on "medium"About how it interacts with the interface.

I also like how the company's design team Dropbox. They have recently updated the visual style - it has quite specific, but at the same time beautiful.

"We are pursuing the same values ​​as when Pavel Durov, but strive to continually improve them"

- You're from a small town of Ephraim, where a total of 35 000 people, but for the sake of study and work moved to St. Petersburg. How did you adjust to the new rhythm and learned to live in a new way?

- Like most young people, under 18 years old, I lived with my parents, so it was unusual to be in a major city completely alone. They say that St. Petersburg depressive, and at the beginning of the move I felt it well. I helped people adapt and favorite business. The desire to constantly learn something, to communicate and to find new experience helped to cope. In the end, I just got used to what is happening around.

- What was the most difficult to move?

- Oddly enough, the very moving. To get from Ephraim to St. Petersburg, you need to overcome a difficult path: first, 400 kilometers from Moscow, then by metro to the center, then Aeroexpress, and then another, and the flight to St. Petersburg. At first it all seemed just some hell, but I gradually got used to move, and the like have become commonplace.

- How parents react to the fact that now you live far away from them?

- They are bored, so I try to periodically come in Efremov. But at the same time, they are very happy. Not everyone gets completely break away from their parents, to find work in 18 years and thus learn to be nice. My mom and dad themselves would like to move to a big city, but they have not been able to do that, so they are happy that I'm fine.

- On the office "VKontakte" is legendary: it is compared with workspaces "Yandex" and Google, and do not cease to repeat, as there is cool. On you he made the same impression?

- When I arrived the first time, a colleague I once had a tour of the office. Before that, I thoroughly studied it in the photos, and he knew all along and across. I remember very strongly beating heart, because I was there where always dreamed of being. In addition, I drove into the dome, and I saw St. Petersburg with a very great height. I think just about every resident would like to go there. It would be cool to live through this day again, because I had already raised 20 times in the dome again and calmer attitude to the whole three years.

- What office do you like best?

- Of course, all important matters are solved in the kitchen. We are five of them: four small and one large. Even before my employment in "VKontakte" legend was born when the developers are going in the kitchen, they solve a very important problem. Sometimes the best ideas really come just for a cup of coffee, so that then we can only go and make plans. In addition, there is always fresh fruit, yogurt, cheese, fish, lots of juice and water - can be of anything does not deny.

Yet we have a beautiful relaxation room called "Lenin". There is a large TV and a sofa, so we often meet numerous companies and see some conference - for example, Apple's developers. In addition, in the office even it had a pool of balls, but now it was moved in coworking, where our agents support and moderators.

- How does your workplace?

- The employees themselves choose where they want to stay - in the office or in a common space. However, whatever we choose, each has a table, a chair, a computer and access to electricity. Who in the office 5 floors and are all located on the department, but the team has its own office designers.

My workplace - a continuous creative chaos. In addition to the computer and large monitor on the table four phones, two and two iPhone to Android. They need to check their own interfaces and understand users live in what context. There is also a pair of sheets with sketches and notes, in which I write down urgent tasks or just thoughts. And even a small glass cube inside Hogwarts, which I bought in London.

- People often think of the "VKontakte" with the words: "But when Durov!" Also go such talk in the office?

- Some of the employees of the old team is still working for the company, but I came much later. In my opinion, we share the same values ​​as when Pavel Durov, but strive to continually improve and supplement them. I can not assess whether the change is somehow the work process after he left, but I'm sure that "VKontakte" only gets better and does not change the time.

- What do you do when there is free time?

- Play PlayStation, I walk and take pictures on the iPhone. Sometimes I invent homework and solve them. For example, each time when leaving the house I turned the music on your phone, but still covers playlists looked about the same.

I wanted to solve the problem that in the morning it was easy to distinguish the performers, so I collected them from the face animodzhi and then added the image patterns and gradients.

Layfhakerstvo from Ilya Grishin

books

The last book I was impressed "Corporation geniuses». She wrote, co-founder Edwin Catmull Pixar. I always wanted to understand how the company that creates such wonderful cartoons- and thanks to this book, I did it.

I also like the textbook "TRIZ basics. Theory of Inventive Problem Solving", Which focuses on how to simplify the process of working. The publication is complicated and large, but I hope to finish it eventually.

TV series

I'm just a spectator, so there is nothing specific I do not look. Note series "Black mirror"Because it impresses me the story. One of the coolest series, in my opinion - about how all the inhabitants of the world appeared rating. You meet a colleague in the elevator, talking to him, and then you can appreciate each other. On this basis develops your social status. It looks aseismic, but watch this reality is interesting.

More like the series "news service". He tells about the life of a news agency: which departments exist in it and how to interact with each other.

Blogs and Websites

IN Telegram I read Kostya Gorsky and his channel Design & Productivity. He writes about what interests him, but more often it is interesting to me. More Subscribe to Feed INTERNET 9000Which leads Sergey Surganov, and always look "Digest of product design"By Yuri Vetrov. I do not know where he got so much time, but periodically he pulls out the links that I would never have found on their own. It digests are often very useful.