Those who have embarked on a project with Fastnet over the last couple of years will no doubt have received work from our Lead Designer, Frida Hellberg.
We decided to pop on the kettle, pull up a chair, and have a chat to find out a bit more about our favourite Swede…
So how long have you been at Fastnet Frida?
Just over 2 years.
And what are your main responsibilities.
All things design!
My main tasks consist of website design, branding, posters, leaflets, brochures, illustrations…the list goes on!
It’s also my responsibility to make sure the design process runs smoothly and that the end product is the best it can be. I ensure the design is aesthetically pleasing, but is also easy for the end user to navigate. The end user is always the most important person when it comes to any kind of design.
What does your typical day in the studio look like
I start the day with a cup of tea, to get my brain going, and then spend about 20 minutes doing industry research. I mainly use platforms such as dribbble.com and medium.com to research other designer’s work, and learn about the latest trends and news, to make sure the designs we create are inline with industry developments and trends.
Then I get started on the work I have lined up for that day. It can be anything from starting a branding project to doing the layouts for an event programme.
One day each week is dedicated to my development as a designer. I am currently doing an animation course where I am learning After Effects – it’s super fun! My next goal is to do a course in UX / UI design. I do loads of research in this area and always make sure the websites we design and build are user experience friendly, but I’d like to dig deeper and get proper geeky with it!
What would you say is the best part of working at Fastnet.
Definitely the team. I also really enjoy the variety of work – no week is the same… and I can’t forget the office dogs!
Tell us about your favourite Fastnet project so far… what did you like about it?
Hmm… I have enjoyed every project I’ve worked on. But I think Newlyn Harbour is my favourite so far. Getting to update a brand with such a clear history was exciting, and finding the balance between maintaining the history while also bringing in contemporary elements was a challenge, but a fun one!
Their previous website was dated and difficult to navigate. I wanted to make sure that their new platform would be user friendly and clear, as it would be used by both individuals and commercial interests. On top of a whole new brand identity and website design, I also got to design icons to go on the website.
When you get to be a part of all the aspects of a website design you can really see the quality of the brand – it’s so good for the brand identity, everything is cohesive and it ends up looking very professional and beautiful.
What drew you to working in design?
I have always been interested in design and art. My family are very artistic and I spent a lot of my childhood with a sketchbook in hand, experimenting with fabrics to create crazy garments, or helping my mum with her weaving projects on her big loom.
I just knew from a young age that I didn’t want to have the ‘normal’ office job, but I wanted to work with something I was passionate about. I started studying design when I was 16 and by the age of 21 I had two internships in Paris under my belt.
How did you get to where you are today? How has your career progressed?
After my early design studies in Sweden and my internships in Paris I moved to the UK, where I spent a few years in Brighton figuring out what I did not want to do… finance, yawn!
At the age of 23 I decided to go to university to get a design degree. I ended up doing Fashion Design at Falmouth University, which I thoroughly enjoyed, and towards the end of the degree I realised I really enjoyed the graphics side of designing, so decided to explore the options of becoming a graphic designer.
Shortly after my graduation an opportunity came up at Fastnet and I was lucky enough to start as a junior designer, and it’s all progressed from there.
What advice would you have for anyone who wants to be a designer?
Just do it!..And research is the key to everything!
If you’d like to see how Frida’s design skills could benefit your business, from a fresh new website to bespoke printed materials, please get in touch with the team.
