Employee Success Story: When Design Talks

Our very own Art Director, Sona Safaryan, joined the company in May 2017 to bring her experience as a Web Designer to her role at Ucraft. Sona has played a pivotal role in our branding elements and design aesthetic, and now she’s here to share her experience with the rest of the Ucraft Community. 

She shares her thoughts on what it's like to work and grow at Ucraft and how to grow as a team member while maintaining your individuality. What is success, and how to achieve it at Ucraft?

Let’s dive into Sona’s take on things.

1. So, after five years at Ucraft, can you pinpoint the moment you realized you made the right decision to choose to work here?
   I guess I realized I made the right decision when I was trusted with some very important projects. Trust is essential for me: when you are assigned a task, and nobody doubts your skill or reliability. It is also pleasant to recognize that I can create and try new things and never feel limited.
    
2. Tell us a bit about your current role - how has it evolved, and how do you see it evolve in the future?

   I started my journey at Ucraft as a web and graphic designer in the template team. Those were some of my most favorite days - unlimited freedom, different themes, creativity: it was an art/design phase. 

   Later on, I also did some Product Design looking into the exact details of a concrete product. This enabled me to gain new approaches to branding. These two periods worked their magic to bring me to where I am today.

   Currently, I am the Ucraft Art Director, and it is more of a management role. As a matter of fact, making decisions is harder than it seems. It is essential to always motivate and support designers, provide an individual approach and constructive feedback. Even if the assignment is not completed, it is important to properly address the situation instead of reprimanding the person and bringing them down. 

   Inviting new ideas and new perspectives is also very important. Try and try again; never be afraid of making mistakes and failures. 

   I don’t tend to think about the future; I value the present. One must aim for perfection in the present so that the future happens.
    

3. How would you describe the work environment at Ucraft in three words?
   Good taste, freedom, and minimalism.
    

4. Do you have a specific memorable accomplishment - something you are most proud of that you achieved at Ucraft? 
   I believe it is teamwork. At Ucraft, our team has grown to understand each other so well that numerous words are substituted with a smile or a meme. For example, instead of giving a lengthy speech on how I dislike a particular design element, I might just send the “Oh, my eyes, my eyes!” meme from Friends instead, and everyone will get the point.  

   I think the most significant achievement is the harmonious relationship among the different teams. There is so much to learn from each other, and that motivates me immensely. 
    

5. How do you define success? What qualities can make a person successful at Ucraft? 
   Success for me is being useful: when you are able to share your ideas when the team needs you. 

   At Ucraft, we love and value diligence and devotion, the potential, the desire to learn, and - of course - human qualities.
    

6. As a close-up, share with us a fun fact about you that nobody knows!
   I am deeply interested in true crime. I usually finish my day by watching stories about murder disclosures. I am not planning on killing anyone :))) I am more interested in human psychology and the disclosure process.