Design is one of the most powerful means to create an impression. Nowadays, it is probably the most dominant one.

I spoke with Slavimir Stojanovic, I will be subjective to say with our best designer, on the theme of perception and its connection with the design.

His works are part of the collections of Pompidou Museum in Paris, the Museum of Posters in Warsaw and the Museum of Art and Advertising in Hamburg. Please, read how he, since he was 16 years old, makes an impression to the best in his work, but also to all those that his work addresses.

• Based on your experience, what is the main task of design?

Graphic design has a task to draw the attention of a viewer in such a way that he wishes to engage in a deeper communication.

A good graphic design, in addition to this primary function of drawing attention, establishes a dialogue, awakes inspiration and aestheticly refines a target observer. Nowadays, on one hand, we have too many examples of an aggressive diversion of attention, often extremely violent and tacky, lavished on all levels of society, both on target groups and all the others, and, on the other hand, we lack the subtle, intelligent and precise communication, and, therefore, we get an impression of visual pollution that surrounds us every day. However, when a design is precise, when it hits its target, it permanently remains an integral part of the experience and life.

• How you find and/or explain the relationship between design and the impression it makes on the observer?

I take those as two inseparable components of visual communication. I think it necessary that the designer has a burning desire to communicate, he must be genuinely interested in how his design is perceived, received and further emotionally and intellectually processed in the consciousness of each targeted observer.

Only after such a desire, there are coming the talent and professional skill of how, to whom and what to communicate so as to shake the stable vertical of consciousness of the audience. On a daily basis, graphic designers must come up with new, never before seen combinations of existing visual elements, metaphors and associations, because only new and unexperienced items actually cause some kind of effect.

This is a difficult and exhausting job when you take into account that the average person in the course of one day experiences over 10,000 visual sensations, and let yourself win your place so at to be remembered under these conditions.

• In your opinion, how important is the design and branding of an event? Give us perhaps an example of an event that made a strong impression on you?

Events are an integral part of any branding, and design must be in perfect harmony with the overall line of communication of a certain brand. Those are also, because of the vastness of their visual, auditory and tactile platform, a perfect opportunity to show the brand in a whole new light. The strongest impression on me is made by the events that are designed as a kind of theatrical performance that draws into itself an observer, it enters more deeply into his consciousness, gives the impression of inspiration and personal identification, and remains in the subconscious in the most positive way possible.

• Does a design should make an impression so that everyone understands “what the author meant to say”?

It is very important to precisely define a target audience and concentrate solely on its perception of your design. Of course, it is nice when the circumstances are such that wider range of society is able to understand such a communication in a right way and get something positive out of it for themselves. The main difference between design and art is that art asks questions, and design provides answers.

• When you work, what is the common that you turn to: humour, irony, sarcasm…?

My favourite method of a visual communication is a satire laced with minimalistic aesthetics. However, in the light of recent social movements on the global stage, proven methods of subtle humour communicating of discrepancies with certain anomalies of modern society, turn out to be redundant, if we agree that an irony gained its natural shape in people who run this planet, countries, cities…

Therefore, it is pointless to creatively comment something that is obvious. I think that all creative energy in the future should be focused on promoting the right values, which, in the new circumstances, become the alternative values. It will be an extremely difficult task, as the new reality simultaneously dismantles both the satirists, and the promoters of love, generosity, charity and caring, but this fight shall in no way be given up.