Food for thought‘[...] do not think that good design can make a poor product good, whether the product be a machine, a building, a promotional brochure or a business man. But [...] good design can materially help make a good product reach its full potential. In short, [...] good design is good business.’
Thomas J. Watson Jr., IBM CEO

About

 

WHO I AM
My name is Iancu Barbărasă, a Brand Identity Designer living and working in London, UK.

I was born in Baia Mare, Romania, April 20, 1982. I grew up in Craiova, went to college in Cluj-Napoca, then moved to Bucharest in April 2006. I’m now based in London, since September 2010. Living in so many places and working with many different people has made me quite adaptable, shaping me into a good listener and especially into a patient person.

HOW I BEGAN
I’ve drawn through all my childhood, but I didn’t go to an art-oriented school or high school. Instead, I studied programming and mathematics, which increased my already natural inclination for rational, organized thinking. However, thanks to one year of life drawing and another of design training in private (with one of the best design teachers I’ve met, Mr. Ion Preda), I made it into The University of Art and Design from Cluj Napoca. Four years later, choosing for my diploma’s subject the visual identity of the Cluj city, it was quite clear what design field appealed to me the most. Looking for more experience, by the time I finished college, I had already worked as a photojournalist, interior designer in an architecture studio and as a graphic designer. In less than a year after finishing college, thanks to Octavian Giosanu‘s (one of the CDs) strong faith in me, I was working as an Art Director in Bucharest in one of the top advertising groups, Lowe & Partners (first for Draft and MedicOne, then for Lowe).

GROWING AS A DESIGNER
Working for almost two years in advertising certainly had it’s moments, but when the chance smiled, I gave it all up to follow my college dream and join Brandient, the leading Romanian branding and design company. Realizing pretty soon that I barely knew how a ‘real’ designer should think and work, I spent the first year zealously learning, reading and trying to catch up and ‘steal’ from the much more experienced designers, led by Cristian Kit Paul. I had to forget most of the things learned in college or in advertising and go back to the greats: Paul Rand, Müller-Brockmann, Hans Rudolf Bosshard, Otl Aicher — or reading the more recent books by Robert Bringhurst, Paula Scher, Michael Bierut and Wally Olins. Soon I was not only catching up, but sometimes even asked on different design matters, like grids and typography, for which my interest had grown the most. I became a very reliable designer, capable of handling complex projects and dealing with the clients, in spite of being the youngest.

In three years and a half as a Brandient designer, I’ve had the privilege of being part of some of the biggest rebranding projects in Romania, including the rebranding of CEC Bank, the oldest Romanian bank (1864), and Dedeman, the largest DIY retailer in Romania. Both projects won international awards. I’ve also taken part in the rebranding or designing of financial institutions, retail chains, IT & telecom companies, food chains, law consultancy businesses, FMCG products, residential projects and several more — all being fruitful experiences.

DESIGN APPROACH

Good design is good business, as Thomas Watson of IBM once said.
I would add that good design also means a better, more enjoyable life.

I strongly believe in rational, well-thought, idea-driven design. Most of the times, the solution is found within the problem itself. Let’s not forget that the most simple, most efficient and clear concepts — or objects, for that matter — are the ones freed from all the unnecessary elements. However, functionalism is not the absolute truth in art, architecture or design, as beauty can take many forms, ever-surprising. A true designer should be open, always watching and listening. Last but not least, I believe that pen and paper should always be the first tools of the designer when starting to work on any kind of project.

IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE BESIDES DESIGN?
Being a designer is a 24/7/365 blessing — and sometimes — a curse. You can’t switch off when you leave your desk, everything keeps going on in your mind, even if you don’t realize it. Spotting bad typography on a shop’s sign while biking by, not buying milk from another because their labels are set in Arial, going to a specific mall just because they have a nicer wayfinding system — all these are part of the small daily pleasures and annoyances.

Apart from commercial work, I keep the fire going on by being a founding member of the Design Challenge, a small group of savvy creatives. I sometimes go ‘urban’ biking on the thrilling, busy streets of Bucharest. I’m a big fan of anime, having watched hundreds — they’re by far more complex and thought-provoking than most of the American movies, animated or not. Like most creatives, I’m interested in photography, design books and blogs — I’m making efforts to write more and browse less. I enjoy Apple products very much, but I’m not quite a zealot. Last but not least, I have a shokyu degree in Ryogen Ryu Iaikenpo (traditional Japanese sword), five kyu in Kukishin Ryu Hyoho Bujutsu and six kyu in Ryogen Ryu Shinobi Bujutsu, all thanks to the passionate Shihan Cristian Ozon Karyu.

COMPETENCES

  • Brand and identity design
  • Graphic design
  • Print design
  • Retail design
  • Packaging design
  • Legal documents & forms design
  • Web design
  • Exhibition design
  • Client and employees presentations

EDUCATION

  • B.A. in Design, University of Arts and Design, Cluj Napoca (2001-2005 — diploma subject: Visual identity for the Cluj-Napoca city).

EXPERIENCE

  • 2011 April — present
    Designer, Appetite, London;
  • 2010 September — 2011 April
    Brand Identity Designer, Freelance, London;
  • 2007 April – 2010 September
    Brand Identity Designer, Brandient, Bucharest;
  • 2006 April – 2007 April
    Art Director, Lowe & Partners Group, Romania, Bucharest;
  • 2005 October – 2006 March
    Designer, Adveritas, Cluj-Napoca;
  • 2004 December – 2005 april
    Graphic Designer, Interior Designer, Transform, Cluj-Napoca;
  • 2004 May – September
    Graphic Designer, General Services Group, Cluj-Napoca;
  • 2003 April – December
    Sports photojournalist, Photo editor, Sport 80 weekly newspaper , Cluj-Napoca.

AWARDS

  • 2011 — ‘Merit’ award at ReBrand (Rhode Island, USA) for the Patria Credit rebranding (as part of the Brandient team);
  • 2009 — ‘Best Of’ award’ at ReBrand (Rhode Island, USA) for the Dedeman rebranding (as part of the Brandient team);
  • 2009 — ‘Merit’ Award at ReBrand (Rhode Island, USA) for the CEC Bank rebranding (as part of the Brandient team);