Vincent Tanvis, Natbel, Frederick Austinn, Ashley, and Gandhi Gultom
1. Please give us a brief bio of yourself and your design background.
Hello! We are Kriators. We are passionate about putting our off-time into good use, and sometimes it’s creating better designs as seamless experiences. We started in 2022 with humble beginnings & big dreams. Believing in our oath to leave a dent in the design industry, we want to let people know that design is here to help, here to inspire, & here to stay.
2. What made you become/why did you choose to become a designer/artist?
We’re driven to make things that matter. As artists, we make things that show how we see the world; as designers, we make things that make the world, and we make it better than ever.
3. Tell us more about your agency/company, job profile, and what you do.
Krit is a self-made design club. Both to put our free time to good use and to scratch that itch of making something bigger than ourselves, we are a collective of Indonesian designers who have decided to build our own platform. Now, we are hungry to get our hands on all kinds of projects: branding, advertising, web, product design, and the list goes on. No matter the medium and applications, Krit is here to make the best design possible for you and our clients.
4. What does “design” mean to you?
To us, design is not just a matter of aesthetics, but also a means to an end. Design solves problems, and your life is all the better for it.
5. What’s your favorite kind of design and why?
Our favorite kinds of design are the daring ones, an awesome design is an intrusive thought made real.
6. To you, what makes a “good” design?
While we look at and design the book from the cover, seamless user experience is top priority. A good design has to be both cool and functional.
7. How did you come up with the idea for your award-winning design?
On a road trip at the start of the year, our team pitched each other ideas in a car-ride brainstorming session. We came up with three ideas we loved — each having the potential to be good and fun works. After intense rounds of discussion, we ultimately decided to go with the ideas that can resonate with people more. Hence, “The Playlist” and bringing it to life became our weekly obsession.
8. What was your main source of inspiration for this design?
Our main inspiration is the two arguably most ever-present art forms in how we express our identity in the world: music and perfume. We explored and designed the points where this unlikely pair of media coalesce, innovating ways to harness them into a unique experience.
9. Do you think your country and its cultural heritage has an impact on your design process?
Definitely. Krit’s designers are Indonesian-born and bred, and one thing you can say about the Indos, we love a tune. We wanted to explore bringing that love into something that you can carry with your person in your daily life and so, The Playlist was born.
10. Congratulations! As the winner of the London Design Awards, what does it mean to you and your company and team to receive this award distinction?
To say that we feel honoured is an understatement; though it is the most fitting in this occasion. We are a small group of people who are passionate about creating something on our off time as we go through the motions of our respective lives. This just makes the time and effort that we invested all the more rewarding.
That being said, we know for a fact that this only marks the beginning of more great stuff to look forward to. We are more than thankful to the London Design Awards for giving every creative the platform to take pride in their creations.
11. Can you explain a bit about the winning work you entered into the London Design Awards, and why you chose to enter this project?
The Playlist is a self-initiated branding project. This project is a design collaboration between the visual, olfactory, and auditory senses. The culmination of the different languages of art is reflected in our collateral, such as packaging, posters, branding guide, and final product: a collection of music-inspired perfumes.
This project is also Krit’s first step into the awards scene. We’re new in town and made something cool that we wanted to share with the world. The London Design Awards gave us the opportunity to do so.
12. What were the main challenges you faced during the design process, and how did you overcome them?
This is our first project with this many pairs of hands on deck (five, to be exact). On top of designing (and revising, and redesigning) we also spent a lot of hours on team discussion. As a result, we learned a lot about decision-making and team-building. While it hasn’t been a smooth ride, it has been an incredible one. We wouldn’t have it any other way.
13. How do you think winning this award will impact your future as a designer?
This award is the first of many. Now that Krit is officially on the board, we’re not going anywhere anytime soon.
14. What are your top three (3) favorite things about the design industry?
Art creation is first and foremost self-indulgent, a way for creatives to express themselves. While this isn’t a bad thing, what we love about the design industry is that design is here to help people. It’s a designer’s mission to bring people’s dreams to life. That’s the coolest gig of all time.
As art student alumni, we once looked up to creative heroes in the industry for inspiration. If we could one day reach that level and inspire others with what we do, that would be our dream come true.
15. What sets your design apart from others in the same category?
At Krit, we put a lot of effort into streamlining our project while still nailing its goal. Our design, marketing, and user interface are devised to be compact and easy to utilise. We focus on human experience, intending to make our creations accessible to a wide range of audiences.
16. Where do you see the evolution of design industry going over the next 5-10 years?
The current creative landscape is overloaded with digital media. As time goes on people will yearn for something more tactile — not just a product, but also an experience. We foresee that the industry is going to be more innovative than ever, and we are excited to push boundaries along with our peers.
17. What advice do you have for aspiring designers who want to create award-winning designs?
If you're planning to win awards, take people with you.
18. What resources would you recommend to someone who wants to improve their skills in the design industry?
The big wide web. The internet is one infinite bible for you to take advantage of, with a slew of skilled creators excited to teach you something new. Books of course are just as valuable. If we were to give some advice, try to derail from reading the design books as everyone tells you to, and instead read more books about art, philosophy, music, psychology, etc. While reading design books makes you a better designer, reading other books makes you understand other humans better.
19. Tell us something you have never told anyone else.
Sometimes we just slap on some textures and call it a day.
20. Who has inspired you in your life and why?
As Creatives, we would like to mention our industry peers, for their dedication to their craft & badassery.
As Music Listeners, we would like to mention our alarm clocks, for constantly encouraging us to be proper functioning members of society.
As Humans, we would like to mention our closest people (be it family, friends, and/or partner(s)) for being with us every step of the way.
21. What is your key to success? Any parting words of wisdom?
Be humble, but be confident, and never put more than 2 tbsp of sugar on your drinks.
