PM—Hey Georgia, what’s poppin’? How’s life in Greece?

GH—Hi Damien! It’s all sunny and tasty in our part of the globe, thanks! Currently very steamy, my main focus is trying not to melt.

PM—I’ve always wanted to visit Greece; it looks like a beautiful place. I’ve noticed some talented designers on the gram coming out of Greece. How’s the design scene over there?

GH—It’s definitely interesting I’d say… There are a handful of great studios and indeed some very talented designers here, but the culture is quite different to what I’ve seen abroad. The work environment is very stressful, and wages are quite low. It’s hard for creatives to cope, and I know not only from 10 years of personal experience but also from friendships I’ve developed with a number of Greek designers. On the bright side, there’s a lot of change happening with the rise of Instagram these past years. I see studios struggling to find people to hire or have them stay (considering what they’re offering), and a lot of young designers going off on their own since it’s now easier to network and bring attention to one’s work. I can only say the gram has helped me gain confidence, be able to do my own thing, and actually make a living off it.

PM—Interesting… so how did No Studio, Studio evolve? And who’s involved?

GH—Well, it was about 3 years ago that I’d quit my design job and I was confused as to what was happening. I was considering relocating but deals weren’t really worth it. I was in my mid-20s at the time, so I thought, what the heck… go for it. And I did! I set up my little company and got myself a space. Having worked as an employee in many studios, I didn’t really plan on hiring people or anything like that. No boss, No employees, No Studio! I also didn’t like the culture where studios completely detach themselves from other creatives and have an “it’s only us attitude”. I think collaboration is vital to one’s growth as a designer, and that’s how I’ve found myself working now. There’s no real studio. It’s just me. People call me in (agencies, other studios, other freelancers), and I also call other people in (designers, photographers, developers) according to the project’s needs. Each project team is unique, and I learn so much from each collaboration. Things are fairer when it comes to creative freedom, scheduling freedom, and of course fees. This wasn’t as common in Greece, especially earlier on, and I do think it’s the future for working in the creative industry. The type of work I do and my mindset have always been against mass production. From the produce I consume to the clothes I wear and the designs I produce, I’m 100% No Mass Production, No Unethical Practices, No Studio!

PM—Yeah, I agree. Very similar to how I run my practice. So what’s your studio’s purpose?

GH—No Studio, Studio is an independent design practice (that’s me). No Studio is a publisher and a brand. I’ve designed for so many mediums, from print to digital to physical products that it was only natural for me to want to express myself beyond the scope of a commercial brand or client work. There’s a small e-shop where I release limited products (currently mostly print–calendars, notebooks) but also in collaboration with other creatives like our recent release of Peridot Type Specimens with the lovely people from Foundry5 Type. There’s more in the works, like a t-shirt line in collaboration with a local brand, and an artist catalogue I’m working on with a friend who’s a brilliant painter. It’s only a side-gig at the moment, with client work being a priority, but it’s definitely a passion project that I’ll keep up.

PM—Low key, would you rather be a famous DJ travelling the world or be known as the most renowned typographer ever lived?

GH—Eeeek, that’s a tough one! Can I be the most renowned typographer but then travel the world working remotely and partying while at it? You’ll find me at the booth! Jokes aside, music is a huge part of my life, couldn’t pick one or the other. But I do genuinely love my job and couldn’t see myself doing anything else.

PM—Haha, fair. 😉 I can see you love black & white from your IG stories. Do you have a particular style you like to incorporate in your work? And what inspires you?

GH—I’m greatly inspired from 90s–00s fashion catwalks. Prada, Helmut Lang, Calvin Klein. Also current fashion designers like Ann Demeulemeester, Rick Owens, Heliot Emil, Peter Do. It’s just simple lines – plain colors (if any) and details that make a difference. See when color is not an issue, a designer (both in fashion and graphic design) can focus on the essence of the piece, on patterns, textures, feelings. Also architecture and product design has been a reference point for me since forever because I trained as an architect.

Black and white is really something that came about in my early 20s. I’d seen this Steve Jobs interview when I was still in Uni struggling with time and scheduling. Mr. Jobs was saying he always wears the same clothes so he can limit the number of decisions he makes in a day and therefore be more focused on the important stuff. This practice limits decision fatigue which is “the idea that after making many decisions, your ability to make more and more decisions over the course of a day becomes worse”. And I thought to myself… damn… Let me adopt that! So I started standardising a number of things in my life, from my outfits to my meals. It really gave me order and still does. Also “making sure my clothes don’t speak louder than what I have to say means my outfit is never more exciting than my character” and I live by that. I only ever dress in black (rarely in all white) and that’s not only easier for my shopping habits (filter black and you’ve already narrowed it down greatly) but it also helps me focus on the garment’s unique characteristics (pattern, material etc.) It’s more of a micro-scale approach to fashion but I love it. I handpick everything in my closet, shopping from second-hand to branded (on discount of course) but I always do my best to avoid fast fashion and cheap labour as much as possible (hard to do in Greece or when on a budget).

I can definitely say I have a style when it comes to design. Stripped down to the bare minimum I’d say is a good description. I hate it when people say my work is minimalist because type-wise some of the stuff I’ve done is very bold and just in your face. That’s not minimalist at all. I just like to frame the essence of things and not over-design or add excessive graphics that have little meaning in the end. I do believe good design is as little design as possible (that still conveys the message) and I try to live and work by that. That being said I have started to add colour to my client work, just not my feed lol.

PM—Yeah, I’m a big believer in ‘less is more’. I see you have been experimenting with some 3D imagery. How did that come about? Is Cinema4D hard to learn?

GH—Well I’ve always dabbled with 3D since architecture school so I was familiar with some of the software. I could do standard modelling, but nothing too fluid. I came to a point where I needed to quickly visualize things for projects – like packaging for example – and honestly, it was easier for me to learn than deal with 3D artists (haven’t had the best experience thus far). I did have heaps of help though from one of the best in Greece (and probably worldwide), so I won’t take all the credit. Still try to play around in my free time. Cinema4D is literally a whole world to explore, I wish I had more time! I wouldn’t say it’s hard, we’re designers after all… not surgeons. But it’s different to Adobe’s software and that takes some getting used to. I would advise anyone to just dive into it, resources online are literally abundant, we just gotta invest time and be curious about learning.

PM—One brand gets to survive. Choose one: Balenciaga or Louis Vuitton?

GH—Balenciaga for sure.

PM—RIP LV. 🙃 What do you believe good studio culture is?

GH—Be nice to one another. Hear each other out. Allow room for ideas, even if they’re coming from the intern. Pay people well. Get to know the people you work with on a personal level. I think ‘designer’ is not a job position but who I am as a person. Take time away from work to get inspiration for work. Travel, meet people, get new experiences, references and stimuli.

PM—So every designer messes up at some stage in their career. Any major f@#k ups come to mind, and what did you learn from it?

GH—I’m kind of OCD in some aspects of my life (fashion choices for sure), so I’m very very diligent in my print outputs. Can’t say I’ve had major mishaps there. The most important f@#k ups I’ve made usually revolve around pricing my work or judging a client wrong. I’ve had a few cases where I thought things were clear as to what the work/deliverables were but ended up greatly overworking the project because the agreement wasn’t clear for both parties. It’s a process and something every designer has to figure out on their own. I now have a huge contract that covers everything, and I also think I’m a better judge of character when it comes to clients. I turn a lot of work down if I think the decision-maker and myself aren’t a good match, which is healthy for both sides. No one likes to work under pressure, especially when assigned creative tasks.

PM—Where and how do you find new work?

GH—I’m blessed enough to have work find me for the time being, lol. That being said, I don’t take up projects I don’t genuinely want to be involved in and I think that makes the output even better. It all definitely starts from word of mouth, but I live in a relatively small city, and it can only go as far. I think a lot of work has come from networking online. Instagram, LinkedIn, etc have brought me interesting projects. I’m also in 3-4 agencies worldwide. Not sure how they all found me but I’m happy to be involved in different markets and work with different teams. Definitely learning a lot!

PM—Do you have a design process when approaching a new project?

GH—Oh for sure. It’s different for each type of project; identity/print/web but they all start with research and building reference points so the outcome can be clear to both the client and me. We usually start with a workshop, building a creative brief that becomes the backbone of designing an identity. A big part is research, looking at references, styles and trying to figure out what’s appropriate for each brand’s expression. Clients in Greece have very different influences on design, than international ones, so we always have to go through a stage that’s almost like training their eye to what’s effective design. I have a distinct ‘style’, and I try to ensure clients know that when they come to me. I experiment within that, but I’d never try and do something that doesn’t come naturally to me. If I see our directions are too different I just point them to another designer who I think is more appropriate. I think that’s fairer for the outcome, the client and myself.

PM—Plug 3 of your favourite IG accounts?

GH—@mgeisser @studiospgd @neophiliagram

PM—Nice selection! What advice would you give a designer fresh out of design school looking to enter the design scene?

GH—Chase the studios you want to work for. Figure out what you can bring to their team, work on that alone and emphasise it when you pitch to them. Grow to become what they’ll need, and don’t take no for an answer.

Also, the most important thing I learned at school is one must know how to learn alone. There’s an abundance of resources at our feet, and people don’t even bother googling the simplest thing. I’m a huge fan of going from A to B the fastest way possible, so believe me, I’ll ask for help if I can. But learning alone has gotten me to where I am today. Just put in the hours, they’ll pay later. Same as in the gym lol

PM—This interview wouldn't be complete without asking what fresh beats you’re currently bumping in the studio?

GH—Oh, good was looking forward to that. I won’t drop Hip–Hop cause that’s all on my Spotify No Studio, Sounds but here’s a link to a brilliant young artist/composer/jack of all that I’ve been introduced to lately: Meibe at Storytellers Podcast

PM—Always a pleasure chatting G! 🍸

GH—Thanks D, been ace chattin!