We sat down with Julius Doroskevicius Senior Product Designer at GoHenry at Mortimer House to discuss the first piece of design he ever created, his designer's eye and what he thinks about wayfinding.
What was the first piece of design you ever created and where is it now?
So the first piece of design that I ever created was for an exhibition in Lithuania. There was a nude person and I had to paint her as a performance art installation. Because it’s performance art it doesn't exist anymore — a fleeting moment!
How does your designer's eye infiltrate your life?
I notice lots of inefficiencies. When I'm going through the airport or buying food for example, I look at the labelling of the fruits and I can immediately sense the inefficiencies in the design and see that it isn’t so well thought through. It’s a bit of a burden because I can't relax and there is always that itch wanting to be scratched.
If you could redesign something in the world, what would it be?
If I could redesign anything in the world, I would probably look at airports and hospitals. Wayfinding in general needs a lot of help and its really the clearest case of design coming into practice.
“Comparing yourself to someone else is not going to get you anywhere in life.”
What projects and briefs excite you the most?
The ones where you can really see that the design might change people's lives for the better. I'm talking about helping kids and instilling a better understanding within their financial education or maybe helping people with epilepsy track their day to day life so that they can better understand their condition.
What is your style as a designer?
I'm an advocate and I like to bring the team together and for the common purpose. I like to think I can bring out the best in people that I work with. So not so much as a leader but more of a considered advocate and someone who really does lots of workshops and helps people get to their best ideas out there. I’m all for collaborative ideation, preparation and project management.
How did you get your first design job?
I went to an interview and I didn't get the job — I sent them a thank you card afterwards anyway. And even though they didn't originally employ me, they remembered my nice little act of kindness and then they called me back. That’s how I got my first job.
How would you describe your style as a designer?
It's influenced by Japanese minimalism and Swedish brutalism.
Do you see your design as more of a science or more of an art?
I think it's a bit of both, especially when working with product design like I do. You need to create something aesthetically, visually pleasing but functional as well.
Are there any designers to look at and you wish you'd be doing what they're doing?
I think everyone is swimming in their own boats, and that’s a good thing. Comparing yourself to someone else is not going to get you anywhere in life. Really you should just be doing the best you can in your field — good things happen when you do that.
What design fail irritates you in everyday life?
I really hate dark patterns. Situations like when you’re booking a plane ticket and they start adding extra things that you don't want or need. It’s not honest and shouldn’t be allowed. Design is a force for good, not for bad.
Thank you Julius!
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