Invent your own dream future: Q&A with Creative Director Radim Malinic to celebrate launch of new book

To celebrate the launch of Book of Ideas – Vol. 2 we’ve caught up with creative director and Author Radim Malinic to discover his inspiration behind the book, plus his top tips for any budding designer wanting to unleash their own creativity.

The book was created in partnership with Adobe Stock and author, Radim Malinic, used Adobe Stock and Adobe Creative Cloud to design the cover artwork. The book includes a case study on the process for people to give it a go at home.

Adobe Stock has curated a collection containing the original assets used to create the cover to help creative enthusiasts follow along. View the collection & get 10 free assets: http://www.adobe.com/go/bookofideas

Read on to find out more about his unique approach to design and what gets his creative juices flowing…

1. How did you get into the design? Did you always want to work in the creative industry?

Before entering the creative industry I tried many things, from ice hockey and music, to journalism. I was born in Czech Republic and had limited access to the ‘design world’ so didn’t realise there was this ‘Creative scene’. However, I was fascinated by music which was amplified when I moved to the UK and my musical horizons broadened – this is where my passion for design started. I realised it wasn’t just the music I loved, but the visuals connected to it such as album covers or promotional materials, and how these visuals helped create a sense of identity. This is when I started to dabble in design, but it was only in my early twenties I realised it’s what I wanted to do.

2. Tell us a little bit about the project, what was your inspiration for Book of Ideas Volume 2?

The book is a crossover between a monograph and self-help book, it tells people what they’re doing is fine. I’ve gone through trials and tribulations in my career so wanted to share that wealth of experience and say _“Hey, try to do it this way because the way the world is set up is not necessarily the set up you need to win” _and I’ve worked out that actually you can win, you just need to think about it in a different way.

The inspiration behind the series started from questioning the creative process. Who we are? What makes us tick? What does creativity mean to us? By going through these philosophical motions, I realised what differed me from my contemporaries was wanting to find efficiency in creating work that would help turn someone’s ambition into reality.

3. The cover looks fantastic, how did you decide on the final creative?

I wanted to stay true to the aesthetics of the series to create a feeling of continuation. I used Adobe Stock to find the assets that would work so I could do that again. The design process started with sketches and some tests in Photoshop, I then posted a selection of visuals on my Instagram Stories and people went nuts – and I was like right, this is it – it’s going to be pink and dangerous!

Although I wanted the design to have a connection with the first book, I wanted it to evolve so created more of an oil colour painting style. The final creative is something that could be many things but doesn’t belong into one specific category – that was the beauty of using Adobe Stock imagery and Photoshop (and a little bit of inspiration and creativity), it helped pull it off.

4. What Adobe programmes did you use to bring the cover to life?

I’ve been using stock imagery since 2002 and in the past it’s been super cumbersome, so having Adobe Stock integrated into Photoshop is an absolute godsend.

It’s so easy and efficient, and it’s that efficiency of creativity and production that’s second to none – it makes the whole process far more enjoyable. What I like about using Adobe Stock is it’s immediate, it’s been a valuable addition to Adobe Creative Cloud as allows you to focus on creating stuff. I always say using Photoshop is like playing a musical instrument, you shouldn’t be looking at what keys you press, it should be organic and an extension of your creativity.

5. Where do you get your inspiration and when do you feel your most creative?

Up until 5 years ago I’d say everywhere, all the time and everything. However, I‘ve learnt to split my time between work and life. When I first got into the industry I was dreaming about creativity all the time, then you realise thinking about everything all the time is not effective. This is something I’ve learnt overtime.

I get inspired by anything around me, food, travel, a conversation with a stranger – my background in economics and interest in subjects such as anthropology and behavioural science has led to a fascination with humans. It’s because of these influences I tend to create work that makes a connection with the end user, and to do that it needs to be almost coded in our DNA, it needs to be around people which I feel helps validate my ideas.

I’m most creative when I’m prepared, I used to say to people don’t work until you’re inspired, but I’ve evolved with age and responsibility, my life is different to when I was 24 and this maturing has infiltrated in my work. I now focus far more time on the planning and thinking before rushing into a project.

6. Can you reveal a few of your top tips to overcome creative block?

Creative block is when we dwell on possible failure and are scared to go any further because it may not be right. When we get creative block we need to remember there is nothing physically stopping us from picking up a pencil, instrument or whatever it is – what stops us is the fear it may not be ok.

I think the reason people struggle is that they try to get from A to B to quickly, for example I used to do a piece of work in five to six hours, which turned into five or six days, and then five to six weeks – the overall time spent may be the same, but I now give myself time to reflect on the idea and make sure it’s the best it can be.

7. Are there any pieces of advice you wish you’d been told when you started out?

Firstly, spend more time thinking about what you’re thinking of making. As I made my baby steps into a commercial environment, I found there was no time to think. In the early days I was often tasked with doing five or six pieces of work a day, all measured by time and efficiency – that’s why I decided to go on my own. However, it was then I got intoxicated with the meaning of creativity, it was something that consumed every waking hour of my day which started to impact my health, as I wasn’t looking after my well-being. Ever since then I’ve tried to make a conscious effort to find balance between life and work, but also rest.

It’s definitely quality over quantity, spend the time to ensure you craft something good. Create honest work that lives well beyond the borders of social media – in shops, people’s houses, galleries – that’s where the connection really is, that’s when you’re giving people something they can truly cherish. And that’s what this book is, it’s a product of that shift.

8. What’s the one word you think of when you think of Adobe and/or its Creative Cloud? And why?

Life-changer. I’ve found Adobe tools indispensable from the very start. Adobe Photoshop was a game changer and Adobe Illustrator, in the same way, became an essential tool for me – having access to these tools was essential as that’s where I spend 95% of my working day. It’s amazing to know where everything I need is, have everything in one place with Creative Cloud. Having access to these at my fingertips has enabled me to concentrate on what I’d actually like to make. The diversity of the applications and everything in there has been well tailored and created for people like me.

Book of Ideas is out on September 7. Order your copy here