Interview with Nick Pitscheider, Independent Branding Consultant & Designer of Nick Pitscheider, ITA

Since I started my career at about 25 years ago, many things have changed in all the sides of this business. Today, you have to be versatile more than ever. I can work on a wide range of projects: from small business needs to big companies projects. Depending on what the task is, I decide how to manage it and who to involve in it. The goal is always to give the client the greatest quality to assure success.

This Award distinction Is highly important. There are two sides in todays’ market. On one side it’s widely populated by individuals that define themselves professionals, supplying design and creative services cheap, and low quality. I call them “cheap options”.On the other side there are professionals and companies of actually good level. Competitions of global caliber are effective weapons to convince potential clients that there are effective reasons to choose you instead of others, but competitions and awards are also a way to highlight the immense gap between good professionals and cheap options. Eventually, winning awards pushes yourself to a higher rank, increasing the possibilities to hook clients of higher profile.

It’s a case a bit peculiar because I am personally involved in the Cedea water project. I am the designer and the Brand Manager of the company and the whole thing was (and is) definitely very challenging. I always wanted to exceed the highest possible level, not only because it’s a high premium mineral water, but also because I am part of it.Winning awards on projects that represent you so importantly, is immensely more rewarding. It’s also a matter of pride, trust and personal image, beside business push.

As already mentioned, being part of it, the point is that doing projects for yourself as designer is always ten times more challenging. It’s not a matter of convincing a client; it’s a matter of convincing yourself that your ideas, solutions, executions, are simply the best and definitely the way to go with. This is tough!

Awards bring you fame, proving your high expertise levels to the clients that approach you. They find you also thanks to the awards you won. Winning an award always gives you visibility. The shame is that in the past I won Awards for the agencies I worked for, therefore the visibility was for them. But this is just how things are, this is normal.

The diversity of work, the challenge with yourself in the constant search of improvement, and the fun in working with friends and colleagues that share your vision and will of making things better.

The will to inject emotion into projects.

The creative industry is heavily influenced by the new digital world and media. Difficult to say what’s going to happen. However, the technical side making the technological structure of a product will always need a creative side to be able to be make it appealing to humans. Technology is not appealing if not designed in an enjoyable way. The more technology humans will have, the more they will need proper creative designers to make it feasible.

Run full speed and enjoy!The thing with youngsters or students is that they don’t have know-how on the real limits in production. But this can also become a great spark to develop new and improved production solutions.

I would recommend to develop the thinking skills in mixing different disciplines.

I do my best to fall in love with the project I present and represent. If I am able to convince myself that it’s actually great, I will be able to make the client believe in it too.