We recently spoke with Kaupo Kõrv, founder of Haiku Design Studio, and he shares with us how the name Haiku seemingly came from nowhere. He talks us through how bad experiences are crucial to development in both life and career, and we get a little insight into what's on the cards for Haiku in the next 12 months!
How did you name your practice and what does the name represent to you?
Anyone who has had to name anything is probably familiar with the trials. I had been jotting down ideas for months. But it never felt urgent so it dragged along for a while. The need came when we moved in to our studio and had to put something on the door. Few days before the our studio warming party the name Haiku sprang to mind. Seemingly from nowhere. And we haven’t looked back since. The connection to minimalism and excellence of Japanese craft is what I personally find inspiring. Plus it works both in Estonian and English, that’s a good thing too.
Give us the elevator pitch on what you do.
Lately, we’ve identified ourselves as a digital-first design studio. In simplest terms, we design and build websites and other digital experiences. Daily it can include anything from branding, photography, and illustrations to information architecture and web development. Whatever it takes. We love the technical tinkering as much as good aesthetics. And it has been a bit of debate if we should put more emphasis on being the code-savvy guys who appreciate good design or designers who can also build the stuff they envision. But in the end, we just want to do good work and provide value for people who can appreciate it.
What's the worst design job you’ve ever had and how does that make you a better designer?
Bad experiences have been crucial in my career and in life general. Still, are. They’ve taught communication and human relations in general. How we (mis)understand each other and the importance of listening. It's shown me things I thought I knew but didn’t. At the same time to trust my gut more. After a while, you start to get a sort of 6th sense about the jobs and projects that might be better to say NO to. There is always the 1% that no amount of due diligence could save. I’ve learned to not sweat it. And take them as an experience to benchmark against and move on.
What qualities and skills do you look for in a graduate?
The feeling of love for the hustle and the work. And the essential traits of a good human being. Everything else can be learned. Need to have the desire to learn, though. One sure way to get rejected is to present your skills as a scale of one to five in your application. Just kidding. Almost.
Hone in on your communications skills as much as your craft. The way you articulate your design decisions can make or break your success.
What advice would you give students graduating in 2019?
Hone your communications skills as much as your craft. The way you articulate your design decisions can make or break your success. Also, the thing we consider negative feedback is part of the process. Learn to use it.
Whats on the cards professionally and personally in the next 12 months?
After 5 years we are now at a crossroads. 2019 is the time to take what we’ve learned since starting the studio and set the direction for the coming years. I’m a big believer of re-jigging things and experimentation from time to time. It can give you a fresh perspective on many levels and shake you out of old and maybe not so good habits.
2019 for you in a sentence.
Fresh perspectives.
