Interview with Shyam aka almosh82

We've discovered almosh82 a while back when we were planning The Logo Mix and were scouting for talented logo designers to feature in our logo design gallery. We thought his work was very professional with a clean style, a clear story and a superb execution.

We've asked Shyam if he would agree to share with us a bit from his experience as a logo designer. He was kind to answer all of our questions and you can read the interview below. Enjoy!

Q. First of all, can you tell me more about yourself?

A. Well I am a 28 year old living in Kolkata, India. Love watching football, going to movies, reading books, playing video games -the usual. Though from a corporate background I have never been fascinated by numbers . Designing has always been my only passion.

Zenon Logo by Almosh82

Q. When did you know you want to design logos?

A. I think it was in early 2008 that I discovered the world of Logos and instantly knew that  this was what I wanted to do  for the rest of my life. And what a journey it has been from then till now! From thought to paper and from paper to illustrator, each project has been a roller coaster ride, and I have loved every single moment of it!!

Q. How did you learn to create logos?

A. I have no formal design education.I strongly believe that all art is instinctive. You can never “learn” only “evolve”. When I started out I studied hundreds of logos and read innumerous design blogs to understand the “technique” behind logo creation .It has been a long process of trial and error for me and am still exploring.

Q. Can you describe your logo creation process?

A. My logo creation process begins with an extensive research, I then move on to sketching and try to come up with as many concepts as possible. Once this step is complete I then shortlist the best concepts and move on to illustrator. That’s 80% of the job done. The rest is all about choosing the right colors and font.

Little Impressions by Almosh82

Q. Where do you get your inspiration?

A. As a designer I keep my senses on high alert all the time because inspiration can come from the most unexpected of places. For instance I got the idea for my Little Impressions logo from my 7 year old cousin who was having a great time playing with colors and placing his hand impressions  all over the wall (to the dismay of his mother!!!).As far as the virtual world is concerned I do not restrict myself to only logo inspiration sites but try to keep myself updated on art trends in general.

Q. How important is the research stage for you? How do you do your research?

A. It is VERY important. If the research work is solid the rest of the task becomes much easier. I generally make notes of the keywords which define the company/client and then move on to the web and glean as much information as possible about the industry. Only when I have a clear picture in my mind do I move on to the next stage.

Q. How do you deal with creative blocks?

A.I can never sleep over creative blocks. It’s almost like a conflict which feels physical at times but until and unless I come up with a solution I can never rest easy. Its 24x7 churning of thoughts and ideas.

Lullaby Studio by Almosh82

Q. What design programs do you use and why?

A. I use Photoshop and Illustrator for all my designing purposes .Illustrator has really served me well and am completely at ease with it.

Q. What do you think makes a great logo?

A. In my opinion there can be  no defining characteristic of a great logo as such. From the minimalism of David Pache to the sheer artistry of Sergey Babenko’s works-it is very difficult to define a great logo. But surely a logo has to have a strong visual impact and capture the essence of the brand to be successful.

Q. What do you think are your best logos so far and why?

A. Well that’s a tough one ☺.But I will have to say that my favorite logos are:
Zenon
for its intricate artistry and regal look .
Lullaby Studio
for its simplicity and beauty.
Discocity
for the fun vibe .
Luminous Vision
because it was one of my earliest projects and was extremely happy with the way I managed to capture the client’s vision.

Luminous Vision by Almosh 82

Q. What was your most challenging project and why?

A. All the projects have been challenging in their own way but the most difficult has been Lullaby Studio. The client produces animated tv shows for children and wanted a moon as part of the branding. To present it in a completely new avatar, keeping intact the aesthetics was quite a challenge.

Q. How do you deal with difficult clients? Can you give us an example?

A. Patience is the key .As a designer I believe it is my duty to meet and fulfill the client’s expectations all the way. So far I have been lucky .I have not come across clients who are “especially” difficult.

Q. How important are fonts to you? Please list a few favorite fonts.

A. Fonts are extremely important for me so much so that I believe they can make or break a design. I do experiment a lot with fonts, but my favorites are: Trajan, Helvetica and Univers.

Discocity by Almosh82

Q. What other design work do you do besides logo design?

A. I also do web and t-shirt designing. Photo manipulation is another thing which I absolutely love doing.

Q. Where can people see your work?

A. I just launched my website - www.almosh82.com - so you can surely catch up on my work there. Apart from this my works can be seen on Behance, LogoMoose, LogoPond and yes here on LogoMix.

Q. What advice would you give for aspiring logo designers?

A. Be passionate about your work and the rest will follow.