When Dot Creative Studio was born in 2011, the business had to find its place in a market stippled with some sort of ignorance about the creative arts. But if you ever wondered about whether creativity does indeed thrive in restraints and challenges, Dot is the living proof that you it is the case indeed.
Fast forward exactly 10 years, and Dot is a growing creative studio now established in Stockholm as well, a team with a clear vision that is always on the hunt for the next original idea. Proof be the fact that they try to avoid the triteness of clichés whenever possible, in the interview below (and presumably in actual projects as well).
For this Company Spotlight, we are learning more about the story of Dot and what the future holds for this amazing team of professionals born in Greece.
How was your company born and where are you based?
With a humble personality but ambitious desires, Dot was born in 2011, at the sunny seaside city of Heraklion in Crete/ Greece. In the last few years, we are also, virtually based in Stockholm/ Sweden.
What was the biggest challenge for the growth of your company?
Getting established in a small market that had a kind of ignorance about the correct practice of design and advertising was a challenging task. There were times that we had to “educate” our clients to understand the benefits a good design has to offer.
Which was the first huge success that you can remember?
In our first year of existence as a studio, we have participated in two global design contests. We were very successful with both of them, ranking on the top spots with more than one submission. Having global recognition felt like a real success for our newborn agency!
What’s the biggest opportunity for you and your company in the next year?
Between the changes that Covid-19 brings to our lives, we notice the intense and rapid demand in every kind of digital - online services. We consider this an opportunity for our studio to focus closer on this part of the design industry.
Can you explain your team’s creative process?
We want to avoid the triteness to say that we have a holistic approach, but unfortunately, we think this term describes our process better. Firstly we use a plan in which the well-detailed briefing is the king.
Afterward, we put a lot of creative thinking to combine data with ideas to finally deliver a unique and distinctive outcome for each client.
How does your team remain inspired and motivated?
As a team, we share the mindset that you can find real inspiration in the most unpredictable places.
All it takes is to be in tune with the challenge you have to accomplish. Then the idea will appear even with the most unorthodox ways. Despite that, nature is a good stimulator for our inspiration, both mentally and creatively, and of course, all kinds of art (we love comics) and design. We are motivated by the constant need for improvement and alignment with our time.
How has COVID-19 affected your company?
The presence of Covid-19 got all markets off guard. That had as a result of many projects being canceled or postponed. We tried to leave back the negativeness of the situation. We took advantage of the extra time by looking inward at our company and evolving aspects we had left behind.
Which individuals do you gain inspiration from? Do you have any heroes in the industry?
In reality, this is a never-ending list! Despite the “grandmasters” of art and design, new blood with really inspiring ideas arrives every day! If we have to name some heroes, these are Neville Brody and David Carson. The two graphic designers who formed our early perception of graphic design.
What is one tip that you would give to other aspiring creatives looking for work?
An important tip we want to give to other aspiring creatives is to keep their ego balanced. What do we mean by that? Our industry contains art but is not art. It’s important what we design to express the masses, unlike an artist who expresses his/her personal view. Having a balanced ego as a creative helps a lot to understand the real demands of each project and to achieve better results.
What’s your one big hope for the future of the industry?
We feel that we are at the doorsteps of a digital renaissance that will radically change the way people receive information. AR, VR, and NFT art, are some of the immersive technologies which will have an impact to our industry for the years to come.
Do you have any websites, books or resources that you would recommend?
We keep checking many websites every day to have impressions from all the spectrum of art and design.
So we recommend some URLs with a good range on these topics, such as dezeen.com , thisiscolossal.com and synapticstimuli.com
