Open

Where did you study and what were some of your first jobs?

I started studying graphic design at the age of 22. For the first year of my studies, I learned without a computer! Back in those days, I also worked as a nightclub manager in Jerusalem. As part of the club’s marketing efforts, we needed to design invitations on paper (20 years ago, we didn’t have Facebook or Instagram to communicate) I felt truly excited, and asked one of the partners of the club, Eyal (my current partner of OPEN) to give me the responsibility of designing the invites. He agreed with no problem.

I then purchased summer courses in photoshop and freehand (current day illustrator),and fell in love with design. Real, pure passion. The rest is history.

Any passion projects/collabs you would like to share?

I am very proud of our work—and those specific projects that are close to my heart, because they have significantly impacted our journey. Firstly, the invitations and posters for the Jerusalem nightclub, “Haoman 17” that I managed from the age of 18-24 years old. This is where I learned the principles which I still have today—unique identity creation, consistent language, minimalism, working under time pressure, creativity inside borders, and print.  

Secondly, is a project that we have been working on for the the last seven years, “Mekudeshet.” Mekudeshet is a music and arts festival held every summer, in my childhood home, Jerusalem. The identities we created for this festival have won worldwide recognition, and international awards. In the next month (May) I will contribute to the international design conference, TYPO Berlin, where I will present our design framework for Mekudeshet, called Dissolving Borders.

Thirdly, “Bank Hapoalim,” the leading bank in Israel chose us to spearhead a re-branding process after 18 years with the same brand identity. We conducted a very interesting process of which I am truly proud of.

Sometimes I pinch myself—how could I have come this far? From the early years of designing invitations for a club in Jerusalem to the current days of implementing a new strategic branding process for the leading and most important bank in Israel.

How did you develop your style as a designer and what tips would you have for others?

From very early on in my design career, I understood that people like simplicity. They cannot handle too much information.

I always design the purest, most simple version of the idea for every single one of our various projects.

What’s your take on internships? (do you take interns now?)

Israel is known as “the start-up nation,” and Tel-Aviv as one of the most eclectic and energetic cities in the world. To join us and complete an internship would give one the opportunity to see a creative energy and point-of-view as well as experience a unique approach to the creative process. Not to mention the Mediterranean Sea, Middle Eastern sunshine, and Israeli beers—what more do you need?