Galina Tretyak
1. Congratulations on winning the London Design Awards! Can you introduce yourself and share about what inspired you to pursue design as a career?
Hi, my name is Galina Tretyak. For the past seven years, I’ve been exploring design in the field of communications and 3D motion. What inspires me most is how design can transform not only our visual environment but also our internal state. Through visual storytelling, I learn to better understand myself, influence perception, and engage with the world.
2. What does being recognised in the London Design Awards mean to you?
Receiving Platinum and Gold awards was a meaningful boost that helped reinforce my professional direction and confirm that I’m on the right path.
If you could describe your design approach in three words, what would they be and why?
3. What's the most unusual source of inspiration you've ever drawn from for a project?
Everyday stories and spontaneous moments at work. Often, the most seemingly insignificant situations spark the most vivid and effective ideas.
4. How do you navigate the balance between meeting client expectations and staying true to your ideas?
I try to build strong foundational elements in a project — whether it's core materials, a component system, or a flexible layout. This helps preserve my design intent while staying within the scope of the brief. The balance comes from understanding which elements carry meaning and emphasising them in the visual structure.
5. What were the challenges you faced while working on your award-winning design, and how did you overcome them?
The hardest part was not getting carried away. With a large-scale project, you want to do everything at once. As a team, we learned to pause at the right moment and focus on what truly worked. That clarity helped us shape a bold and coherent result.
6. How do you recharge your creativity when you hit a creative block?
Movement helps — whether it’s sports, live music, walking, or reading outdoors. Shifting into a physical rhythm helps me reset and return to the project with a fresh perspective and greater clarity
7. What personal values or experiences do you infuse into your designs?
I approach projects the way I’d like others to approach work made for me. For me, quality and creativity should go hand in hand. Even in the smallest details, I try to show care — for the craft itself and for those who will experience the result.
8. What is an advice that you would you give to aspiring designers aiming for success?
Develop your own way of seeing — and learn to recognise its boundaries. Be flexible but don’t lose yourself. Preserve your individuality, understand why you do what you do, and don’t let tools define you. Observe the world, jot down your ideas, and don’t be afraid to bring them to life.
9. If you could collaborate with any designer, past or present, who would it be and why?
I’d love to work on a cinematic project in the spirit of The Blood of Dawnwalker — something with visual depth and strong narrative. Or to be part of teams like BUCK, Panoply, or The Mill, where aesthetics, storytelling, and emotional expression are held in equal regard.
10. What's one question you wish people would ask you about your work, and what's your answer?
I wish people asked: “Can design change people?”
My answer is: Yes. It changed me. So I believe it can change others too.
