#YemziGirl Interview June, Hilma

 

In was summer 2016 when Hilma got in touch to volunteer at Vibes On The Roof. She is sweet, focused and radiates a warm bubbling energy. We have witnessed her flourish from an international undergrad in London to a young professional who has returned to her homeland in Angola, Southern Africa.

 

E: Please describe what you do, where you're from (and your age if you feel comfortable)

H: I'm a 24 year old Graphic Designer from Angola.

 

E: How did you get into graphic design?

H: While I was doing my foundation year in college, preparing myself to do multimedia and IT, I was having Graphic Design lessons, I was loving those lessons and doing really well. In the second term (having already sent my uni application for IT and had offers), I switched my focus on Graphic Design. Had to apply last minute to places, I applied to two places and ended in London College of Communication, UAL...that's where it all started.



E: Talk us through your creative process...

H: I gather all the information for the project or idea, start sketching out ideas because I always have initial ideas, that is a good thing cause sometimes your first idea is your best idea. From there I explore and experiment a lot with my options, I believe that may be one of my weak links, I over analyse and explore a lot. But I believe that is the best part!

 

E. What inspires your work and does having corporate clients interfere or stimulate your output?

H: I am inspired by colours a lot, I could be looking at a chair and the colour could be amazing to me, also patterns and typography for sure, you can do so much with so little once you explore. I feel that you can't avoid working in corporate sometimes, it is more challenging in the sense you can't go all out creative, you have to sensor yourself and refrain when creating for corporate clients, so it's not very stimulative sometimes.



E: What has been the biggest challenge in your career so far?

H: Biggest challenge so far is growing confident in myself and my work, I am working at the moment at a place that is helping me become more confident, especially with clients, as I was not the best at expressing myself and my ideas.

My boss would always shut down my ideas, not because she did not believe in them, but because she wanted me to believe in them and present it confidently with pride.

So growing not creatively but also personally, has been a challenge but a great challenge!

 

E: What has been your most enjoyable project in your portfolio to complete?

H: That is a hard one! Well I must say it was my final project, which was to create a book around shapes, because I was in the whole process. From beginning till end, every step I created from the content, layout design and the final step actually building the book, which was so hard, from that experienced I gained a huge respect for the craft and even more love for graphic design for allowing me to experience that.

 

 

E: Do you have a favourite graphic designer or company that you'd like to work at?

H: I would love to work on a magazine, such as Dazed or a little bit more creative.


E: Please share with us your top 3 skills a great graphic designer has?

H:

1. Vision

2. Open-minded

3. Patience (cause some clients will drive you crazy)

E: What do you do when you are not doing graphic design?

H: I love drawing on my spare time, from patterns to fashion, I guess design is always something that I am doing.

E: Your favourite colour and what's its significance to you??

H: I would say it's purple, it just draws me in and it kinda has a mystery to it, I feel like purple translates my personality, mysterious and curious.

E: How important is graphic design in the fashion industry?

H: I believe that Graphic Design, helps build the brand, more specifically build the identity of a brand and the message they wish to portray to their audience.

From the brand logo to the website (even price tags), it all involves a graphic designer, to communicate the brand and style from the perspective of the fashion designer.

A strong brand identity helps a fashion brand grow, it sends the message about what the brand is about.

 

E. Are you more of a plain or printed person?

H: I am more of a plain person, but I try to play with colours that pop more, especially since I wear a lot of black.

 

E. Which is your favourite Yemzi piece?

H: The crop top from the 3rd Collection, I can definitely see myself wearing it.

 

E: And finally, your favourite quote?

H: C'est la Vie (It's Life)

Instagram: @oui_hilma

Website: www.hilmasassa.com