We, as the Designer Interviews ("DI") had the distinct pleasure and opportunity to interview award-winning, most creative and innovative Cansu Dagbagli Ferreira ("CDF").
Cansu Dagbagli Ferreira is a designer specialized in brand design since 2014. She focuses on providing high quality and boutique brand strategy, visual identity, packaging and web design services. Recognized as an award-winning designer, Cansu Dagbagli Ferreira delivers exceptional quality work that elevates brands to new heights. A 360° brand approach, developed by her, has enabled her to forge brands that resonate and captivate. She has a credible portfolio, with esteemed international clients such as Johnson & Johnson, Jeep, Snapchat, Hallmark, Ambev. With a decade of international experience, she prioritizes client satisfaction above all.
Cansu Dagbagli Ferreira Designs
We are pleased to share with you original and innovative design work by Cansu Dagbagli Ferreira.
Cansu Dagbagli Ferreira Design - Ecohiny Branding
Cansu Dagbagli Ferreira Design - Dreavita Branding
Cansu Dagbagli Ferreira Design - Heti Branding And Packaging
Cansu Dagbagli Ferreira Design - Nutrili Supplements Branding
Designer Interview of Cansu Dagbagli Ferreira:
DI: Could you please tell us more about your art and design background? What made you become an artist/designer? Have you always wanted to be a designer?
CDF : I hold a Bachelor of Science degree in Product Design and Master of Arts degree in Design. Since mid level education I was sure that I wanted something in between art and sciences. I felt close to each and was rather successful in each but had not felt to be in the extreme side of any of them. Looking at my options of degrees, what caught my attention was architecture and industrial design. I knew that I wanted to make things around me more functional and more beautiful. So, I have chosen industrial design because it was offering me more opportunities & more areas to work with in the future. During university education I spent one year in Italy in a Communication Design program. That also had a lot of effect to shape my career as a brand designer today.
DI: Can you tell us more about your company / design studio?
CDF : I'm a one person design studio that offers brand, packaging and web design services to worldwide clients. I started working as a freelancer in 2014 just after my graduation and during my masters education.
DI: What is "design" for you?
CDF : For me, design is exploring the best creative option for what we're creating within the frame of restrictions and relevant context. It's both analytical and imaginative. It's what makes us humans enjoy life, get inspired and find meaning.
DI: What kinds of works do you like designing most?
CDF : I'm fascinated by creating new worlds for brands. It's a world that completely belongs to that personality of the brand and I like to think 360 degree while designing that.
DI: What was the first thing you designed for a company?
CDF : My first work as a freelancer was a brand color palette creation.
DI: When do you feel the most creative?
CDF : When I experience new things that broaden my horizons such as visiting an art exhibition, trying a new food that I haven't tried before, walking down a beautiful scenery. That's why I'm so passionate about travelling which allows me to find new experiences every day!
DI: Which aspects of a design do you focus more during designing?
CDF : Consistency is a big must for me while designing a brand.
DI: What kind of emotions do you feel when you design?
CDF : Honestly it's a roller coaster of emotions. Each project starts with excitement, then exploration feeling, a bit of stress, then comes the pain of creativity, followed by the hope, adrenaline and satisfaction at the end.
DI: What kind of emotions do you feel when your designs are realized?
CDF : Immense happiness and fulfilment
DI: What makes a design successful?
CDF : When I'm working with clients, I work for their brand as if it's my own. This is a personality feature, I'm not able to do the opposite. Even though I'm not sure if it's exactly good or bad, I realized that it creates this bond between me and the client because they realize that I'm very honest and I'm going above and beyond to create the best option for that specific brand & target audience. So, overall I believe what makes a design successful is a good communication and dedication during the design process, which then results in great visual fit between the design & target customer.
DI: When judging a design as good or bad, which aspects do you consider first?
CDF : I’m a hard person to like something :) Firstly I judge by the basic design rules and the functionality. If we’re evaluating a graphic design this starts with visibility & readability. If we’re evaluating a product it starts with ergonomic and usability. Then, after checking these most important boxes, I judge by the aesthetic. Actually these judgements happen really fast in my brain and I might not be able to critic a design very quickly even though I know if it’s good or bad. As I internalized these aspects since the beginning of design education, some decisions come really fast and then I look for the reason after that.
DI: From your point of view, what are the responsibilities of a designer for society and environment?
CDF : Each designer has their own ethical rules. For me, the responsibility starts with our own life and personal & business decisions. These can be small decisions such as not using any paper for business documents etc. Or bigger decisions such as not working/providing services to the companies in specific sectors. We have the power of design in our hands and it can be helpful to bring awareness.
DI: How do you think the "design field" is evolving? What is the future of design?
CDF : We see the importance of design increases day by day. It became a differentiation factor and an important communication aider for companies. As each company is pushing the boundaries to have a unique design that has a message to give, I’m expecting that a design done just for the beauty will lose impact. Instead, a meaningful design that feels relevant to customers will raise. We already started to see this happening since some years. However, it’s not quite easy to tell a unique story with a design because the roots of that story are in the brand and the marketing strategy. That’s why I feel that the line between the marketing and design will get thinner and more designers will start to upskill in marketing.
DI: Where does the design inspiration for your works come from? How do you feed your creativity? What are your sources of inspirations?
CDF : For me it's possible to get inspired by many things, I try to see the beauty and ideas behind anything I see. That's why I travel a lot and try to experience many things in life. Especially creativity and art of the things inspires me; there are many inspirations if we really look at nature, art, movies, music, simple routines of daily life, well designed objects; as well as any creative work showcased on behance, pinterest etc.
DI: How would you describe your design style? What made you explore more this style and what are the main characteristics of your style? What's your approach to design?
CDF : I’m able to design in many different styles however what is in common in all of them is the versatility and clarity. I’m aware that a brand appears in a lot of different mediums in a variety of formats, that’s why I give importance to flexibility. It’s important for me that the brand I create looks good on all mediums and formats. So even though I can create in a very minimal style or an eclectic style, in a feminine or a masculine style, in a colorful or monochrome style, in a dynamic or still style, in a bold or classic style, the main characteristic is that the brand would be versatile and clean.
DI: Where do you live? Do you feel the cultural heritage of your country affects your designs? What are the pros and cons during designing as a result of living in your country?
CDF : I'm currently based in Paris, France. However I'm from Turkey and lived briefly in Italy and Brazil before. In my opinion all these experiences shaped my design approach as a heritage and it creates a mix of work culture, design perspective. It allows me to be able to work with many different styles.
DI: How do you work with companies?
CDF : I mostly work on a project basis. My client portfolio generally consists of startup companies who're in the phase of creating their brands or in a rebranding. However I also work with top tier corporate companies for their packaging, presentation designs etc. I like to build long and lasting relationships where I'm almost like a partner to them and they can trust me with their valuable brand.
DI: What are your suggestions to companies for working with a designer? How can companies select a good designer?
CDF : A common pattern that I see when companies are looking for a designer is that they look for somebody who has already worked in the same area. I don’t see that this aspect is really important. Because the education we passed through allows us to design in a very broad perspective. My suggestion would be to look for design style and communication instead. IF you like what’s in that designer’s portfolio, probably he/she is a good fit for you. Some easy rules to follow can be: - Read reviews of the designer and try to understand the their process and communication. Reviews say a lot than you expect. You should make sure to choose a designer that is honest, responsible and follows a project timeline, delivers on time. If you see these keywords on their reviews, chances are high that this designer is a good choice. - Reach with a design brief so that everything can go smoother and more efficient - Trust the expertise of the designer but provide them with enough information about your company & product so that they can better understand your needs
DI: Can you talk a little about your design process?
CDF : I have set a streamlined process from the start to the end of a project. It's a result of many years of experience and is evolving every day. Mostly I get approached by companies who would like to commission my design services and after a short discussion (through messaging and an online design brief form) I understand their brand, product and their design needs I provide my design proposal. If gets accepted we start to work. I also have a standard process for onboarding, invoices, offboarding etc.
DI: What are 5 of your favorite design items at home?
CDF : My Barcelona Chair The gallery art wall I designed and created for my office My reference arts and design books Handmade walnut pencil case and coasters designed and made by my classmate's brand Pour over slow coffee machine
DI: Can you describe a day in your life?
CDF : I work some days from home and some days from a shared office. It feels good to be surrounded by other people and boosts my motivation and creativity. I work around 6 hours per day and arrange the morning tasks to be the lighter ones, then after lunch I work on the heavier tasks. After work I go to exercise or go out with friends & family. Usually don’t work on the weekends and spend my time visiting art exhibitions, events, socialize.
DI: Could you please share some pearls of wisdom for young designers? What are your suggestions to young, up and coming designers?
CDF : When we graduate from a design school we already have the necessary tools for designing for a project but usually we’re not experienced in managing a whole project process on our own. Here are my suggestions that I give when I talk to young designers: - Even if you will work for a company or will work independently, make sure to follow standard practices for a project process, as you get more experienced this will flow more naturally. - Be patient and don’t have unrealistic expectations from yourself. Don't compare yourself with somebody who has many years of experience. Actually don't compare yourself with anybody at all :) - Portfolio creation is hard but it’s the most important piece that we can show our work, our capabilities. Try to focus on it constantly and make sure that it reflects what you’re capable of, not what you have done created until so far. This means you may create some fiction work or a different presentation that you created for the client.
DI: From your perspective, what would you say are some positives and negatives of being a designer?
CDF : I love being a designer, actually I don’t exactly remember how my thought process was and how I used to see life before becoming a designer. That’s why I usually see the good points. I see life differently and can extract inspiration from anything I see around. This feels good and positive. Another big positive point is, the satisfaction that creative process brings is a sensation that can’t be beaten by anything else.
DI: What is your "golden rule" in design?
CDF : My golden rule is to approach each project in it’s own context. As a heart based business owner, I provide a boutique service that really digs deep into the core of that brand and develop unique solutions that would work for that brand. I enjoy this tailor made process and it definitely gives me something new to learn, develop myself in the meantime.
DI: What skills are most important for a designer?
CDF : Empathy and communication. We designers should be able to put ourselves in both client and customer’s shoes. It’s quite important not forgetting about who the end customer is. Sometimes it might be hard to satisfy both the client and the end customer, but it’s a skill that gets stronger by experience.
DI: Which tools do you use during design? What is inside your toolbox? Such as software, application, hardware, books, sources of inspiration etc.?
CDF : For the work I do, Adobe CC & Figma combination is what I use most. As a hardware I own an iMac at home office and a MacBook Pro for mobile work. Except these direct design tools I use Google Work tools, Airtable for project and payment follow-up. For source of inspiration I use beloved lover of designers Pinterest :) and my reference design books.
DI: Designing can sometimes be a really time consuming task, how do you manage your time?
CDF : I have a personality that hardly starts to do something but also hardly can stop to do something as well. Usually when I’m hooked, I focus very deeply and can forget to eat etc. That’s why it becomes important for me to manage my time and set an agenda for work. I try to create a routine for my daily tasks and work tasks, it helps to plug off at a certain point so that I have a balanced life. I’m following an exercise routine which also helps to clear my head off.
DI: How long does it take to design an object from beginning to end?
CDF : For a brand design project we’re looking at a timeline of few months to a year (if there are couple products to be launched, depending on the product, there might be approval process managed by authorities etc.)
DI: What is the most frequently asked question to you, as a designer?
CDF : I’m often get asked about my project & design process and how I come up with ideas. The first is easy to answer as there is a step by step process I follow but the latter is hard to answer :) Essentially I put myself to brainstorm, sketch and try as many ideas as possible. Then I choose the best ideas among them to develop. When I start somewhere, the rest come unfolding and I just need to know where to stop producing ideas.
DI: Who are some of your clients?
CDF : Some known clients to mention: Johnson & Johnson, Snapchat, Hallmark.
DI: What type of design work do you enjoy the most and why?
CDF : Same as question 4
DI: What are your future plans? What is next for you?
CDF : I would like to continue creating tailor made meaningful brands for a long period. This gives me a satisfaction at both professional and personal level. In the meantime I’m mentoring young designers for improving design & communication skills and independent career. At the moment all of my mentees are women and I’m so proud of that. In the future I would like to continue where I might be most beneficial to young designers and to the public as a design ambassador
DI: Do you work as a team, or do you develop your designs yourself?
CDF : I develop my designs alone 90% of the time. However sometimes I have collaborations in some projects with illustrators or motion designers.
DI: How can people contact you?
CDF : I prefer an email as a professional communication medium so I’m reachable at hello@cansudagbagli.com I’m also active on Twitter (@cansudgbgli) where I share my experiences and moments from my design process