Design Director Elizaveta Pogossov is a Moscow-born Australian creative with an inspiring career journey that has seen her steadily moving up in the design industry over the past twelve years. With an incredible wealth of experience gained working in leading Australian design studios – including Moon, Eskimo and most recently Accompany, where – she worked her way up to a Design Director role after years honing her craft.
Working as both a full-time permanent employee and an independent creative, the career path Elizaveta has carved out for herself has come with its fair share of challenges and difficult times; she believes that these were the moments when she learned the most and discovered new skills. Her multidisciplinary background spanning branding, digital design and art direction, has allowed her to gain the skills and confidence needed to take on the role of Design Director. As she tells DbW, “I built confidence in myself and developed my own idea of success… making the step-up to Design Director was really a way in which I could help other designers or creatives (within and outside the studio) to build that confidence in themselves.”
Elizaveta found moving up from Senior Designer to Design Director was a big step that didn’t happen overnight. As she puts it, “It meant having to let go of getting all my creative thrills from the design work I create, to getting it from what others around me come up with. It seems simple but it was a big shift in thinking.”
We talked with Elizaveta to find out more about her role as Design Director, key things she has learned during her career so far, and her advice for those looking to step up into a leadership role.
Where did it all begin? What were your first steps into the design industry?
I grew up in Moscow surrounded by Russian fables and fairy tales, which developed into a love for stories. Going through school in Australia I found the easiest way to communicate (with very little English) was through drawing and making things. When it came to choosing a career path, I decided to study Visual Communication at the University of Technology in Sydney. It was the closest thing I could find to making an occupation out of my love for creativity – though to be honest I had very little idea what Graphic Design was.
Out of university I was hired by Ant Donovan and Linda Jukic, who at the time were the Creative Directors at an agency called Moon. There I was mentored by some intimidatingly talented and generous female seniors, who taught me about branding, ideation and helped me to hone my craft.
How did you progress to your role as Design Director at Accompany Group?
Over the last eleven years I worked (both full-time and freelance) in many different agencies and studios and at each one I learned new ways of working and how as a designer you can make things simpler or easier or just a bit more fun for others.
But things really came full circle in 2017, when Linda Jukic started her own studio, Accompany. I came onboard as a freelancer and 4 years later was part of the studio furniture. Accompany helped me to take all that I had learnt from my previous roles and develop my own way of working. There I built confidence in myself and developed my own idea of success rather than trying to emulate others.
In terms of making the step-up to Design Director, it was really about how I could help other designers or creatives (within and outside the studio) to build that confidence in themselves.
“In terms of making the step-up to Design Director, it was really about how I could help other designers or creatives (within and outside the studio) to build that confidence in themselves.”
Have there been any key pivotal moments in your career that have helped you progress to where you are now?
Throughout my career I’ve worked in studios that went through multiple rounds of redundancies or had to shut their doors for various reasons and I found myself having to stop and find a new path. At the time those moments were pretty scary and disheartening, but in hindsight they were the times that I progressed my career the most. They took me out of my comfort zone, and what was often a familiar or safe role, and made me try new things and put myself out there. It was bittersweet.
Are there any barriers or challenges that you have faced during your career and how have you overcome them?
One of the biggest challenges I’ve faced was an internal one. Moments when my confidence would take a hit and I would second guess myself – which affected the work – and make me doubt myself even more. This could quickly turn into a negative cycle. As much as design is built on strategy and understanding, there is always a level of subjectivity and you need confidence to make creative decisions and back yourself.
I learnt the hard way that rather than letting myself spiral into doubt, the best way to get through this was by stepping away and putting my focus on a personal project or creating something hands-on. Getting my confidence back through making in any form.
“As much as design is built on strategy and understanding, there is always a level of subjectivity and you need confidence to make creative decisions and back yourself.”
What does your current workday look like and what are you currently working on?
During the last year I decided to take some time out for myself to travel and take on freelance work. That means no two days look the same. Some days I go into a studio to freelance or collaborate on a project. Other days I’m doing personal projects from the comfort of my dining room table or campervan. And other times I’m just indulging in a bit of travel and aimless sketching. It’s both liberating and slightly unnerving not having it all planned out.
Can you talk us through the process of a branding project you’ve recently worked on?
I don’t really have a set way of working. There’s a skeleton of a process but it morphs depending on the project, the client (and their budget) and the team involved.
A recent project was working with the wonderful team at Accompany on the rebrand for Bailey Nelson – an Australian founded eyewear and eyecare company. It was a big undertaking and an even bigger team effort.
The kick-off was a lot of listening and working closely with BN’s marketing and internal design team – doing a deep dive into their world and business goals. We all worked together to do a brand audit and understand what was and wasn’t working with the current identity and think about how we could create something that would stand out amongst their competitors within a sea of double name, all caps, san-serif logos.
The next step was putting pen to paper. We started wide with ideas, sketches, words, references – whatever helped us see the bigger picture (pardon the pun) and get the creative juices flowing. Anything that peaked our excitement or even discomfort (which can often mean you’re onto something new) we narrowed in on and explored further on the tools. This was a combination of the gut and head – a design system that felt dynamic and exciting but also simple and flexible enough for the team to use.
The two most interesting and diverse directions we then crafted into a presentation that showed how the brand system would come to life across everything from in-store to eyewear, off and online advertising and POS. Thankfully the BN team were as excited by the directions as we were and, as often happens, wanted to see elements of both in the final brand. This certainly doesn’t always work out, but in this case the combination made the output more unexpected and ownable.
From there we got to crafting and refining. Once we got the broad strokes in place it was about getting all the elements of the toolkit right. The whole process took over a year and there’s still more to come!!
Link to project: accompany.group/baileynelson/
What do you enjoy most about being a Design Director and what do you find most challenging?
Going from a Senior Designer to a Design Director was a big step for me and it didn’t happen overnight. It meant having to let go of finding my thrills from the work I create and finding it from what others around me come up with. It seems simple but it was a big shift in thinking.
Having been very lucky in the way I was mentored and the space I was given to find my own groove, I wanted to do the same as a director. The challenge was (and still is) resisting the urge to tell others how I would go about solving a creative problem or brief, but rather guiding them to find their own solution. Learning to let go and allowing others to take ownership of the work usually means they care and have more fun with it. As cheesy as it sounds, I think if you’re having fun good work comes easier.
What do you think are the most important qualities for success in a creative lead role?
Empathy: We’re all people with feelings working with other people with feelings. Being able to empathise with your clients, audience and colleagues makes for more meaningful work and a better team culture.
Curiosity: Curiosity means you listen more closely and go beyond the surface both in your work and your connection with others.
Humour: What we do should be fun. And not taking it all too seriously makes the process and the outcome way more enjoyable. A bit of cheek and humour goes a long way.
“Curiosity means you listen more closely and go beyond the surface both in your work and your connection with others.”
Do you have any advice for women and gender expansive creatives looking to move up to a senior role in design?
Choose progress over perfection. Chasing perfection will only leave you feeling exhausted and disappointed. Rather focus on experimenting, trying new things, pushing out of your comfort zone and finding balance for yourself.
Also don’t be afraid to speak up — your greatest value is your voice and point of view.
“Chasing perfection will only leave you feeling exhausted and disappointed. Rather focus on experimenting, trying new things, pushing out of your comfort zone and finding balance for yourself.”