Jobs: Dmitry Novikov, art director MacPaw
Workplaces / / December 27, 2019
Guest Layfhakera - Dmitry Novikov. He has more than twelve years of experience in design. About that, what tools while you use, read the interview. Especially useful information will be for those who are associated with the graphic and product design.
Dmitry Novikov
Art director MacPaw, evangelist Sketch.app graphical editor. He has 12 years of experience in graphic design, and more than 6 years - in the field of product design. It has its own approach to the design and interface design, painting icons and pictograms. Four years ago he moved from Russia to Ukraine.
What do you do in your work?
Work in MacPaw with a team of designers and illustrators on products for OS X: CleanMyMac (A utility to clean and optimize the Mac), Gemini (the application for a duplicate file finder), Hider (Application that allows you to hide confidential files and records) and CleanMyDrive (for cleaning external application discs).
I also came up with the player Listen.app for the iPhone, which allows you to control your music without looking at the phone. Convenient, especially when you're behind the wheel.
In our company, there is a trick: the working part of the time and resources allocated to ensure that staff working on their own projects. Even the most crazy idea can become a reality. It occurred to me to make an application for the Apple TV - GifTV. It was my idea and design, code written counterparts. I like to create new and to solve complex problems. Actually, what I do every day at work.
What is your occupation?
He graduated from South Ural State University, majoring I sociologist. It is slightly fit with what I'm doing now.
When studied in parallel I engaged in freelancing, mostly made logos. Unfortunately, in the Chelyabinsk region at the time it was impossible to get specialized education. However, this is not surprising. Indeed, in the CIS interface designer - a very young profession. All I have to learn on their own.
Meanwhile, product design requires many skills and includes interface design, its behavior and appearance, animation and sound, the feel of the product.
Everything is art director needs to know and be able to.
What are your strengths and weaknesses?
Strong:
- Purposeful and even hard-nosed when it comes to implementing new ideas. It seems to me that there are no unattainable goals.
- I know how to perform the task quickly with high quality. This allows me to design the product as if it already exists, and I already imagine.
- Not afraid to take risks. Sometimes they are fundamentally changing the product. But I like challenges, which can not be solved by standard methods.
- I love innovation, technology and fresh, new solutions and ideas.
- I am questioning all established rules. I believe that you can do anything completely differently.
weak:
- Disorganized, so it is very difficult to work without a product manager.
- Hard learner (taught).
- Perfectionism, which is sometimes only prevents and slows down.
- Sometimes with difficulty I accept someone else's point of view. But I have here is progress - used to be much more complicated.
- Planingi not stand, stand-up and meetings.
How does your workplace?
Two of my working machine - this iMac 5K and the new MacBook. On the laptop is convenient to work, because you are not tied to one place and you can move freely around the office, contact with different people. I scattered people, part of the vital somewhere in the clouds, so much more effectively work as a team. Benefit organized around a lot of people.
In order not to fall into the procrastination, I turn off all notifications. Social services work exclusively on the iPhone, which is usually located as far as possible.
That does not apply directly to professional activity, use the default application that comes bundled with a Mac.
For static interfaces, and design only use Sketch.app. In it, you can focus on design, rather than working with the editor interface.
For photographers use Lightroom and Photoshop. I photograph on the Fujifilm X100.
Music and voiceovers to do Apple Logic Pro X. I like that it does not need to buy any additional external equipment.
Interactive prototypes and animations to make Origami, Form and Flinto. It is much better animation in After Effects, because everything comes alive and you can understand how the real product will be felt by the user.
Sometimes I do video editing in Final Cut Pro X and 3D in Cinema 4D.
Is there a place in your paper work?
Good designers quite a pencil and paper to express his thought. So before you do something on the computer, I first sketching out all the possible ideas on paper, even the most insane and absurd. Paper all endure. :)
What is in your bag?
In my bag only glasses, purse and right. I would be happy not to carry this too.
The trip take only the most necessary. I try not to take the laptop to not get stuck in the Internet, and enjoy staying in a new place.
How do you organize your time?
I divide my time at 40-45 minute intervals with a 10-15 minute rest outside the workplace. Usually during the break switch to communicate with colleagues from other departments know what they are doing. I try not to think about what to do now.
More enjoy the Pareto principle: 20 percent of the time we do 80 percent of the work, and vice versa.
What's your daily routine?
The most productive in the morning and late at night. Afternoon trying to take routine processes or generation of ideas and solutions.
I go to bed at midnight, I wake up at 6-7 am. At the same time every day, I have all in different ways, and I like it.
Outside of work, did not think about it. This allows me to perfectly rest and gather strength. I try as much as possible to spend with family and friends.
How to pass the time in traffic jams?
I'm just crazy about music, listen to it at every possible opportunity, and I can easily find the right track for any situation.
For me it is important to good sound quality and how much life and soul invested in the track. Therefore, when the fast ride I have one type of music, and traffic is very different. here playlist, which I recommend for listening during downtime.
What's your hobby?
I think I was lucky that many of my hobbies come in handy in my work and in life.
I photograph a lot. I like to automate the process of post-processing and photo printing. I write music. I love cars and all sorts of technology associated with them. Spire in the game for the atmosphere, so almost never pass them through. I like to ride with presentations and public speaking. I like live chat, so I prefer not to use chat rooms.
Layfhakerstvo by Dmitry Novikov
I want to recommend documentaries. This trilogy tells of the graphic, industrial and urban design and its impact on our lives. It opens our eyes to many things.
- «Helvetica»(Helvetica, 2007) - about typography, describes the eponymous typeface.
- «reification»(Objectified, 2009) - about our complex relationship with objects of mass production.
- «urbanized»(Urbanized, 2011) - on the issue of urban planning in terms of urbanization.
What is your life motto?
In design, as in life, it is important to highlight the most important and do not overload with unnecessary details.