Published by Leonardo Calcagno
Who are you:
I’m Loïc Untereiner, born in Strasbourg on the East side of France.
I first studied pharmacology at the university but I rapidly understood that it wasn’t for me and decided to quit and start something else. I passed several entry exams for art schools to study industrial design but after the first propaedeutic year I ended up in the graphic design section. Four years later I had a master in graphic design.
Your current job:
I’m currently a freelance graphic designer. I’m dividing my time between contracts for other studios and my personal work.
In which city are you located?
After studying in Toulouse (France), I did a couple of internships in Berlin and Amsterdam before moving to Montreal where I currently live and work.
A word to define what kind of worker you are:
Methodic.
What tools are essential to your life (app, software, etc..)?
On the graphic design side, InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop and after Effect (not that original) are software I can’t work without. Sublime Text for coding and Mixcloud for music are also a go to.
What does your office space look like?
As I’m freelancing for other studios I often go to their office to work. It goes from small open spaces with only two people and a very friendly atmosphere to big advertising agencies more impersonal.
Otherwise, I’m working from home where I have a desk with my computer on one side, on the other a table with my music gear and one wall where I can set a seamless background.
What kind of music do you listen when you are working?
It really depends on the kind of project I’m working on or the mood I’m in. It can be Classical Music and Jazz when I need to focus and concentrate, Synth Pop / New Wave to speed things up and Experimental Electronic Music / Noise for repetitive tasks.
Do you have a way to organize your day to maximize your work?
Not really it will change according to the project. But I’m more effective before 1 pm and after 9 pm.
What tips would you give to improve productivity?
Try to allow a long period of time without a cell phone, emails or social media interrupting your workflow. It can really be time-consuming and dry up your creativity.
You’re better than your colleagues to:
It’s not an easy question to answer but I would say that my interest for diverse medium gravitating around graphic design such as print, web-design or motion design among others, and knowledge of related software give me a good 360 degrees way of seeing and understanding a project.
I also had a good typography course in school that I’m trying to extend in my everyday researchers and works.
What is the best advice anyone has given you?
It sounds a bit silly but, trust what your doing, persevere and stop looking at other designer work. It’s not that easy to do.
What is your best tip for saving time?
Put your cell phone on silent mode, and disconnect Internet aha.
What is your routine start and end of the day?
I don’t really have a routine but I do start my day by making a big teapot and read the news.
Aside from your computer and your phone, what gadget can you not you go without?
A big nice synth with a lot of hands-on knobs.
loicuntereiner.fr | instagram.com/loic_untereiner | behance.net/loic_untereiner