Hany Zackova, creative web and graphic designer

Published by Leonardo Calcagno

Who are you?

I’m a funny, crazy, and (on occasion) naive blonde trying to be a part of the fantastic world of art and design. On my path to happiness, I am glad to constantly expand upon my own experience and knowledge, searching for new methods and collaborations with other creative individuals. I seek to create the right atmosphere for teamwork on specific projects so that there is potential to transform something in its nascent stages into new ideas and, eventually, meaningful design.

Your current job:

I’m a creative web and graphic designer. But sometimes I change my role to collaborate as an art director with exceptional people, organizations, and brands around the world to create seemingly simple yet effective, smart design solutions to achieve remarkable results. These projects are the result of a deep understanding of the necessary research and a holistic approach that aligns with the objectives of each design.

I, together with my team, have received many international awards, including the Grand Prix and First Place Award for Calendar of the Year 2016, awarded by Typografia Magazine in the Czech Republic, as well as Silver in the Publications category at the European Design Awards. Additionally, I have co-worked on multiple international projects, such as QueueDr or work for Canadian Twitter.

In which city are you located?

I’m living in Vienna, and you can sometimes find me in Brno in the Czech Republic, but I create without borders 🙂

A word to define what kind of worker you are:

Experimental!

I love to experiment and create combinations of everything and anything—artistic techniques, paper, drawing, design, plasticine modeling, photography, wood, whatever. When it comes to creating each project, the idea is paramount. I don’t want to create a purely aesthetic result; it must also have meaning, logic, and certain unique magic.

What tools are essential to your life (app, software, etc..)

Of course, my lovely Adobe Creative Cloud—I can’t imagine life without it!

I love and use many apps that help’s me make my life easier on a daily basis, so if you ask me about Facebook, Twitter, Skype, WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram, Behance, Dribbble, Pinterest, Tumblr, YouTube, Google, whatever… I’ll say yes! I like to stay in touch.

What does your office space look like?

That’s a pretty good question. As an artist, I feel I work best in a city, in a space where everything is functional and where I can find cool, interesting people to talk to. (And maybe there’s a foosball table nearby.)

What kind of music do you listen when you are working?

Well, for example, I’ve been listening to Enter Shikari all afternoon long. Otherwise, I listen to a lot of groups and different types of music. During Christmas, I like to connect to my roots, so I listen to traditional Czech songwriters. And I have to say—I like to listen to my music very loudly!

Do you have a way to organize your day to maximize your work?

No, I don’t. I organize my day according to my feelings. When I feel tired, I go get some coffee. When I can’t find the best reason for new logos, I leave that for the time being and start to work on another project. When I’m frustrated or need to relieve stress about a client, I go play some foosball or go for a walk.

You know, on all of my projects, I work and work and work until my gut says, “Yep, that’s it! Eureka!” Good things need time. For that reason, I need to feel fresh and rested, and I organize my day according to my feelings.

What tips would you give to improve productivity?

I am not a fan of productivity at the expense of quality. As I said above, good things need time, and when you take the time and take care of something, it will be great and you will feel proud of your work and of yourself, as well.

I think the best thing ever is when you feel happy yourself, so why not do what you can to achieve that feeling with your work.

You’re better than your colleagues to:

Nope!

It’s from knowing my colleagues, professionals, family, even strangers that meet on the street I make cool projects! You never know who will give you great advice or improve your ideas or projects. I listen, watch, love, and appreciate many.