Name: Usama Shaukat
DOB: 28/03/1992
Favorite dish?
Chinese Rice with Chicken Manchurian.
Hobbies?
Play Football with mates, Xbox, table-tennis with my brother.
Interests?
Graphic designing, Football, Video editing.
Inspirations?
It has to be none other than my father. He has been the driving force in my life.
•What graphic design software are you most comfortable working with?
Adobe Photoshop.
•What graphic design software do you know best? Which one could
you improve?
Adobe Photoshop.
•What do you think are the most important qualities in a graphic designer?
I feel like a creative and confident mind is one of the most important qualities required. Designing is all about personal capability to express thoughts floating in your head. Therefore, if you have the creative essence inside you and you're not afraid to express it to the audience, you'll do well if not the best. Also, I feel like exposure to the world, travelling and getting to know different forms of art in the world helps a lot in processing new ideas.
•How comfortable are you being told what to design?
Ummm, this is a tough one. It usually depends on how the person asking for the design phrases or explains their required design. Once the idea/concept behind the requirement is clear, the brain cells get to work and usually end up with something relevant.
•How well do you take criticism?
I only admire positive criticism and all my work is always open to it. However, absurd random comments about an edit that took a lot of effort and time to make do tend to trigger some anger inside you but then again ignoring is better than confronting in such situations.
•You are asked to design a new logo for our company. What would it look like?
From what I've understood, I feel like something young, fresh, catchy and entertainment-coverage oriented would be best. I could be wrong, hehe.
•Do you sketch your designs first before converting them to digital format?
At times, but mostly I don't. I feel like a graphic designer can also only work with a software without having amazing artistic skills on paper.
•How many designs do you usually sketch before choosing one?
A couple, not many.
•Do you have a tablet at home? What is it and why do you like it?
Ummm, nope. I'm not a very technology-gadget-person. Laptops are more than enough.
•How long would it take you to plan, design, and complete a 300×400 banner?
Depends on what is required. However, a rough approximation would be a week.
•How familiar are you designing graphics for [online marketing, newspapers, etc.]?
It's only been a rough 8 months so I wouldn't call myself a professional, but I've had a few great projects to work on. For example I had the opportunity to design graphics for my University's new website. That was an amazing experience. I've also designed logos for a few companies which are doing immensely well and that gives me a lot of happiness.
•You may be given strict parameters for your designs. Will that stifle your creativity?
I believe it will. Designing is a creative process and art has no boundaries, therefore specific requirements that put you in a box do affect creativity. But then again, if it is a corporate logo and it requires a certain look to it, I wouldn't mind working within the given parameters.
•You are told to create a design without any instructions. What do you do?
Firstly and most importantly, I would get to know about the company/project. I would ask questions about what idea/concept they are trying to convey and then work accordingly.
•How do you plan your designs before you start drafting them?
It might sound familiar to writing an essay in your College Writing course, but I start with a brainstorm. After brainstorming the possible ideas, I make a rough draft. I show the rough draft to a few close buddies who are good at this work and get their opinions on it. Then I create a polished draft, and finally the final piece of work.
•Tell me about some of the designs you have created, and their success.
Luckily, all the corporate designs I've created so far have been appreciated tremendously. Companies like Twiinz (a cupcake company in Lahore), Sobeam Inc. (an event management company in South Beach, Miami), Genesis - Where it all Begins (A Pakistani clothing brand) and some others use the logos/banners/business cards/etc I've created for them and so far with the grace of Allah Almighty, only praise has been coming my way.
•Any upcoming projects?
I'm working on a short video on Imran Khan's neya Pakistan. It's a one week coverage of Imran Khan's campaign by a profound German Journalist, Susanne Koelbl. I'm assisting her in creating a 20 minutes footage which will have interviews of Khan Saahb by Susanne and clips of his 23rd March Jalsa.
