Interview with Radim Malinic, Founder of Brand Nu and Author of Book of Ideas

There would be no Vol.2 if it wasn’t for the reader’s demand—it took me by surprise of how many people reached out and shared their experience, asking for a follow-up book. The latest title is a continuation of the first instalment. Both books work in tandem complimenting each other just as well as they work as standalone titles. This time I’ve included extra case studies that show as well as tell. Both books can be purchased via my online store, Amazon, Book Depository and many other booksellers around the world. I didn’t know that this was going to be the start of my book publishing company. There’s a plan for many more titles in a very near future.

What does winning design awards mean to you?

I guess the design awards are a bit like a lottery—you pay to submit your work and hope that your number will come up. Having the ‘award-winning’ words on my website helped the google searches a little bit as far as I can see from my analytics. However, not many clients ask about any awards. Winning an award gives a project a bit of a closure, however, I mainly submit my personal work projects. Both Book of Ideas has won GDUSA awards recently. It was a proud moment. It feels like the final piece of a puzzle making the picture complete.

You’ve spoken at a lot of design events. What was the most interesting question you’ve ever gotten from the audience?

My talks are an extension of the stuff that I write about in my books—I like to expose the crossroads of work/life or happiness/anxiety or ambition/reality and many other juxtapositions that are weaved into our lives and careers. However, it’s near impossible to cover everything in 45 minutes and the questioners are always good to find something that completes the understanding of what was said on the stage. I do talk openly about mental health, anxiety and burnout—sometimes I start the questions with me asking the crowd about meditation and their experience with the subject. We are 99% introverts in this game, it’s always nice to help the ease the mood with reversing the order.

You have a pretty amazing online presence and know how to hustle. Any tips for fellow designer about getting themselves and their work out there?

My advice is always the opposite of the latest mainstream—avoid seeing the social media as the holy grail. Far too many people out there are pinning hopes on being discovered in the super overcrowded space with billions of other people on in the same space. Having your work on Instagram or Facebook is great but it’s potluck to whether the right people might find it and get in touch. I will always be a firm believer of putting the focus on creating honest and best possible work that will do the heavy lifting for you.

When people see stuff working well, they will start looking for that creative to help them in the same way. They won’t search on social media, they will use a search engine. This is why having a solid website with the right functionality is the key to get seen and commissioned.

This is where your personality and work will amount to your own personal brand. People will give you work on the basis of who you are first, what you can do will always be second. So your website with the right SEO will do more business for you than all social media accounts put together. Social media is there to broadcast the good stuff that you make. Use it as an add-on. Most of my clients never heard of Behance or Dribble. I tried to find a specific design talent on Instagram myself but failed to do so.

Who, or what, is inspiring you at the moment?

I get a kick out of contemporary interior design, old heritage furniture colours, artisan food and drinks packaging, modern philosophy, seeing people being inventive with vegan diet and recipes making fantastic and colourful food, people who want to do good in this world, people who are driven to make a difference—and now mainly, I am in awe with my 2-year-old daughter. I love seeing how she discovers everything for the first time. She’s got an amazing sense of intrigue that makes me see the world from a different perspective.

What’s your #1 piece of advice for a fresh design graduate? 

Be prepared for a marathon, not a sprint. A career in the creative industries takes time to properly ripe. It takes time for things to make sense. Everyone needs to grow as a creative professional but also as a person.

Great designers aren’t the ones who have the best ideas, they are the ones who understand people and their audiences the best. Only then the best and most engaging work is created. That is the time when a passer-by is converted into a lifelong fan. I always suggest to novices to master the ‘mechanical’ part of their work, for example, software skills, so they can enjoy exploring ideas much quicker and with ease. Just like a musician who has spent years of perfecting playing the guitar so they can make a connection with the audience instead of looking down the fretboard searching for the right note. When can create work with ease and speed, then you start adding other skills and knowledge to your arsenal. When you know and recognise how the design fits into the bigger picture then you will start getting answers on to how to enjoy the process.

Anything else you’d like to share?

We are in an industry where the majority of players are glory hunters—but don’t buy into such a mindset. Everyone breaks the same. We are all humans. What happens to you, it happens to everyone. If you feel like the world around you feels too much, make sure you open a conversation even when it feels like the hardest thing to do. You might feel the most alone in the crowded space, ask for help and don’t wait until it gets worse just because you feel like you might have to keep a brave face for the others. Be human. It comes first.

Huge thanks to Radim for these amazing insights! Be sure to check out his website, follow him on Instagram and Twitter and get your own copy of Book of Ideas vol. 1 and 2.