Published by Leonardo Calcagno
Who are you:
My name is Dora Georgiadou. I am 48 years old with two children and 8 cats. I started working as a junior designer in an advertising company in 1990 and through hard work, long working hours and passion for design, I managed to take myself step by step to the Art Director position for almost 15 years now. I have worked in many agencies that have given me many experiences, some of which were good and somewhere very bad. But all these experiences made me the person I am today. During my free time, I do Ceramic work, photography and design posters.
Your current job:
Now I am an Art Director at Gnomi Communication Advertising Agency.
In which city are you located?
I live in a small sunny city, Nicosia.
A word to define what kind of worker you are:
Creative & fast.
What tools are essential to your life (app, software, etc..)
Photoshop, illustrator, InDesign, Pencil, Sketchbook.
What does your office space look like?
My office, actually my desk, is in the same space with all the designers and the copywriters. We all work together in large or small teams according to the project. The surrounding environment is always noisy and busy.
My desk is always in a mess and my phone keeps ringing all the time since I am in constant communication with the marketing team.
My work time is shared between art direction with the designers, brainstorming with the team and also a lot of design work in specific projects.
What kind of music do you listen when you are working?
Usually, I don’t listen to music since I always have to be in communication with the design team and the marketing people. However, sometimes when I am upset about something, I put my headphones and I listen to Five Finger Death Punch and my anger goes away or I put the speakers on and play a couple of Bob Marley songs just to remind everyone that life is beautiful and sunny.
Do you have a way to organize your day to maximize your work?
Every day, I organize my jobs and the jobs of my team. Usually, the deadlines don’t change, so I organize and delegate the projects accordingly the potential, the creativity and the style of each designer in my team. Before each project enters the studio it needs to have all the necessary info. An ongoing account will need images, I have access to a digital camera in the office when needed. The copywriters are just a few meters next to me ensure good communication and concept development.
What tips would you give to improve productivity?
Clear brief, creativity, concentration, pleasant environment and knowledge sharing is important.
You’re better than your colleagues to:
Not all people have the same technical knowledge, creativity and working speed. So I would say that everyone is differents with different abilities to make quick decisions, to lead and take responsibilities without any fear.
What is the best advice anyone has given you?
“A designer must be a thinking designer”.
What is your best tip for saving time?
Don’t waste time in smoking breaks. It’s bad for your health and you waste time.
Don’t waist time on Facebook or Instagram during working hours. Do that in your free time. I use Behance and Pinterest for reference and inspiration.
What is your routine start and end of the day?
I start my day by feeding my 8 beautiful fat cats which seem to be hungry all the time and a the end of my day, I just sit on my red IKEA sofa watching my favorite series on NETFLIX.
Aside from your computer and your phone, what gadget can you not go without?
I never go anywhere without my tablet. I read my mail, I take pics all the time and select some of them to be uploaded on Gettyimages, and I watch what is happening at my Etsy and Society6 shops.