Chaos, Laughter, and a Screaming Parrot: My Wild Ride in the Russian Agency Scene
Fast forward ten years ago, and picture me as a graphic designer and art director in a noisy communication agency back in 2013 in Russia. My world revolved around commercials, events, branding, and a mishmash of advertisements across various channels. Amongst the chaos, my passion for graphic design burned bright. I was full of creativity, fueled by a mass of motivation. Yes, I was already a mom at that time, but I juggled my time to sketch and work, even well beyond regular office hours. Behance was my constant companion on the computer, and I was admired by the diverse worldwide — crazy designs, motifs, styles, and branding identities that kept me inspired.
So, let me take you back to the good agency days when I teamed up with a creative writer as my partner in producing concepts, ideas, and various abstractions. Trust me, our brainstorming sessions were more of a stand-up comedy show — with plenty of laughs! Just to set the scene for you, our boss was a bit of a ‘sun hunter’, spending the cold part of the year on the sunny side of the planet. But thanks to webcams in the office, he could always keep an eye on us. Now, how would you feel if your boss could peek at your lunch duration or the exact moments you left your desk?
Oh, and the craziest part? Back then, having an exotic animal in the office was all the rage for big agencies in Russia. Some went for colourful fishes or chameleons. Guess what enhances our office as a mascot? Drumroll, please!
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