Interview with CEO of Idealogic Design

Designs have the power to capture our minds and imaginations at first sight. In today’s world, it has become a form of art while still being a functional element. But have you ever wondered what’s behind the scenes of design processes?

We decided to talk with the CEO of Idealogic Design, Viktor Zhytomyrskyi, about his journey from team management in a product company to the launch of his own design studio that helps businesses to release the products that change the world. Viktor tells us about the balance between the creative process and the commercial side of every project, Idealogic Design’s approach to the product development workflow, what he thinks of design trends, and even more.

Dive in and discover how Viktor sees the future of design.

Please tell me about your background. What did you do before Idеalogic design? 

I was the Head of Design at a product company. We worked on product development for the academic consulting industry. At this company, I was involved both in design and team management. My responsibilities included project management, research, and contributing to product strategy development. There were analytics, testing hypotheses, A/B testing, and more.Tell me about your journey from the design studio idea to its launch.

At some point, I realized I could use my deep product development expertise to help startups create products that would solve users’ problems and meet their needs. So, I launched the design studio with a complex approach to product development. We aim to help startups at any stage of their life cycle. We focus on products that drive business growth and improve users’ lives.

‍What were the biggest challenges you faced before the launch and as soon as the studio began to operate? How did you overcome them? 

Finding clients was the main problem at the beginning. However, we deeply researched the market and potential clients and connected with other companies and industry players. It helped us to attract the first clients after all.

Building a skilled and experienced team was another challenge at the initial stage. We started to recruit talented specialists who share our passion for innovations. We are working constantly on our team growth and training people in new skills and technologies. 

It also took effort to balance the creative and commercial work aspects. Yet, we’ve managed to build such project management and communication processes that allow us to meet clients' needs and create products our team is proud of.  

How is Idealogic Design different from other design studios?

Our approach includes not only design services but also research, product strategy development, and technical implementation. 

We involve the clients in every stage of product development to ensure it fits their needs and expectations. 

We’ve collaborated with various businesses, including startups and enterprises, so we understand the specifics and know how different their needs may be.

What ethical and philosophical principles are fundamental for the studio’s work?

We believe that products should correspond to high standards of quality and safety and be ethical, not to mention the appeal and functionality. We value sustainable development and strive to be eco-responsible and socially oriented.

What is the most difficult part of being the CEO at Idealogic Design?

One of the most challenging parts of my job is managing the creative process and making tough design decisions. Being the CEO at Idealogic Design, you must be able to visualize the ideas and concepts as actual design elements later to be implemented. Also, you must evaluate other team members and give your feedback in a way that improves final results. Of course, you must have experience with various platforms and design formats to ensure effective communication with all the parties involved.     

What do you find the most exciting part of your job?

When I solve complex problems and see how our solutions prove to better people’s lives — that part is the most exciting and inspiring. I am a member of the team that makes it possible, and it motivates and fulfills me.

Tell us more about your team. How do you pick new team members? What are the main requirements?

We make decisions about new team members based on their hard skills and relevant experience. Creativity and analytical thinking matter a lot. Such soft skills as the ability to work in a team, accept feedback, and constantly learn something new play a huge role, too. We strive to build a team that aligns with our values and mission and is willing to work for our clients' benefit. We embrace the diversity of opinions and experiences as it serves our common goal to satisfy our clients and their users.  

How do you encourage and support creative spirit and motivation inside your team?

We provide our team with new and challenging projects of all sizes and formats, emphasizing the creative approach. It helps to broaden their knowledge of the different subjects and hone their skills.

How do you handle the creative process in the team? How do you balance your vision with the ideas of others?

I ensure clear team communication to avoid any confusion. Overall, I aim to create an atmosphere where all team members can freely express themselves. Besides, there are regular discussions and evaluations of our efforts to confirm we are moving in the right direction and achieving our goals.  

Where do you get new ideas? What inspires you?

Often, we brainstorm. I find it the most important part of creating something new. Once, I read The Agile Mind by Estanislao Bachrach. It is a book about our brain and creative process. It changed my attitude towards it completely. Briefly, he talks about how it is significant to put as much as you can in your brain to generate many new cool things later.   

Who can become your client? Do you have any experience with global clients and international markets? If so, what is the specific of such collaboration? 

Any company or startup interested in high-quality product development is welcome to work with us.

We’ve worked both with global and local clients. The specific of the partnership depends on the client’s and project’s needs. We always try to ensure clear and concise communication in every part of our workflow. 

When you work with international clients, you must consider local cultural and business specifics. It can influence product development in terms of different languages and discourses. From our side, we provide the resources for the work across time zones to ensure effective communication and timely delivery.

What projects can the design studio work on? 

We provide branding services for businesses of all sizes. We are ready to begin with a logo and end with a complete brand identity. 

We can step in at any stage of product development. For example, someone may have an idea and want to test the hypothesis or raise first investments. We can help with it, do the necessary research if it has not been done before, and create an MVP in any format, be it Figma markets or full code implementation (we can do that thanks to the parent company idealogic.dev).

When a startup has a vision of its product or has already attracted investments, we may help to scale it, meaning we provide product design services, including additional research, testing hypotheses, doing A/B testing, etc.

In the case of enterprises, it is more difficult to talk about the specific examples of flow. It all depends on the client’s needs and requirements.

What is the project you are most proud of?

Currently, we are working on a project by Ukrainian producer Yurii Nikitin. The project’s name is Ugreator. Up to date, it is our most ambitious project, considering the scale and requirements. We are completing various product design tasks along this way. I hope to support and accompany this project long after the release.

What do you do when there is a different designer’s and client’s vision? How do you handle interactions with the clients during the development process? What strategies do you use to reach the common ground? 

When such a story happens, we try to understand what precisely doesn’t satisfy our client. We see it as an opportunity to sit down and discuss the situation to achieve even better results. We listen to the customer’s wishes and suggest alternatives that correspond with the requirements, and our client approves. We also ensure the client’s access to the product development flow. They should have a chance to have the last word. Our goal is to provide design of such quality to satisfy both clients and the users.

How do you see design development in the coming years? What are your predictions?

I believe that design will become more meaningful and influential in the future. The world is rapidly changing, and designers will be a more and more significant part of it, creating the products we need to improve our life quality. Designers also need to adapt to new trends and market demands as the technologies become more sophisticated.

I also believe in the role of design as a solution for social justice and a positive impact on the world. Designers may use their skills to create products that help to fight inequality, provide access to education and medical services, and save the environment. I am sure that design has the potential to make the world a better place. 

How do you feel about design trends? How do you ensure the studio’s designs stay relevant when everything constantly changes?

We are cautious about any design trends as they may quickly become outdated. Still, we follow new things and use them in our projects if they fit the client’s needs and goals. We also focus on training our team to keep up with the latest trends and technologies in design to apply them in our work later. Our studio strives to create innovative designs that remain relevant in the future.

How do you feel about experimenting in your creative process?

Experiments are an integral part of our routine. I always ask the designers to make as many as possible completely different options to solve the task so we can choose the most suitable one together. It also helps us to widen our outlook and look for new design ideas and approaches. Once, I read in the book Principles by Ray Dalio that it’s necessary to find the best possible option, not the solution some designer or our team is capable of.

Please describe your Ideal project. 

We prefer working with clients ready to cooperate on every stage of product development to ensure maximum efficiency and the best results. First, the ideal project should solve the user’s problem and make the client’s business grow. Second, we appreciate the projects where we can try out our technological skills and expertise to create innovative products with the potential to shake the industry and improve users’ lives. When the project is from the social sphere and aims to fight injustice is even better.

Wrapping it up, it was quite an enlightening talk about Viktor’s journey to the design studio launch. He combines his two personalities as a designer and entrepreneur to handle the Idealogic Design’s performance at the highest level. 

There are not so many business owners who are genuinely worried about social injustice and strive to challenge the status quo using their opportunities. Yet, Viktor is eager to be more involved in projects where design can make a real change. Let’s hope that in the future, there will be a lot of opportunities for Idealogic Design to engage in such activities. 

For now, let’s implement the technique Viktor Zhytomyrskyi recommended himself: fill our brains with concepts and things to pull out and create something new from them later.

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