Design Kingdom is proud to bring you our second artist profile, this time, she's a very talented artist, designer, radio presenter and dancer. Her name is Nancy Kacungira.
(All images are copyright Kacungira unless otherwise stated)
As usual, we'll start with a brief bio on Nancy.
Nancy Kacungira is a Tanzanian-born Ugandan who grew up in Tanzania but went to school in Uganda. During her senior six vacation, Nancy got a job at a magazine in Dar-es-salaam where she taught herself how to use the Adobe packages and wound up doing the designing for the magazine; she has loved design ever since.
Nancy pursued her bachelor’s degree in Industrial and Fine Art at Makerere University, during which time she also worked part-time as a graphic designer, and as a radio presenter. After graduating with a first class degree in 2006, Nancy took on a full-time radio job as Deputy Programme Director and morning show presenter; at the same time freelancing as a graphic designer.
Nancy is currently finalising her Masters degree in Communication Studies at the University of Leeds, UK. In her spare time she loves to fire up her favourite application (Photoshop) and explore different ways to turn her ideas into pixels; her special interests are image retouching and manipulation. Her creative endeavours outside of graphic design include contemporary dance, watercolour painting, portraiture and photography.
Nancy, thank you for making the time for this interview.
No prob.
Could you please tell us more about yourself?
Well that’s a rather broad question…. I’m not sure where to begin! But I can tell you that I love to try different things, and I especially love a good adrenaline rush… white-water rafting, bungee jumping, paintball… you name it! But I digress. I’ve never really considered myself an ‘artist’ or a designer – especially not in the professional sense. Design is something I love to do and do when I get the opportunity. I am happiest doing personal work, and it is the little private projects that sometimes, no one else sees, that I really enjoy the most. I also really love to dance. Oh, and I love chapatis. And rain. As you can probably tell, I’m rather ‘random’.
Your work from your portfolio is mainly Graphic design work. Would you call yourself a purely Graphic Designer? Or do you find yourself covering multiple skill sets?
I think most graphic designers cover multiple skill sets - design basics are a good basis for everything else. I also find that several of my creative interests often interweave; drawing, painting, photography, and even dance can get involved in creating a concept. I do enjoy graphic design more than web design or animation though, probably because patience is a virtue I’m still working on! Once I have an idea I tend to want to see it come to life immediately.
How did you become so good at design? How much do you practice?
I don’t think I’m anywhere near as good as I should be, but like many other designers mine has been a self-taught journey, so the progress I’ve made is largely due to loads of experiments, tutorials and the indispensable help button. Unfortunately I practice a lot less than I used to when designing was my job, but every time the inspiration hits, I get right back to it.
What influences or inspires you as a designer?
So many things have inspired me in the past, and they are usually very unexpected. Inspiration could be anything from a good photograph to a funny joke, or of course, a deadline! My main inspiration though, is the awesomeness of God’s design; the colour, composition, texture of things around us. It’s amazing how there is such order and perfection in every single little thing; even in the ‘flaws’, there is beauty. But if I’m really stuck for ideas I go and browse through a bookstore – being surrounded by all that knowledge always does the trick!
What projects are you working on now and if not super secret, can you tell us a bit more about them?
Sorry, if I told you I’d have to kill you…
Hahaha. Nice.
What is your most rewarding design work, the one project or piece that you are really proud of? Why is it your best?
I think that would have to be a series of print ads that I designed for a software company back when I had just started out. They weren’t anything too technically challenging, but the concepts, in my humble opinion, were really good, especially for a rookie like myself. Usually I will look back at my work and cringe, but that was one piece of work I would still put my name on!
Tell us a bit about your general work flow: from idea, to concept to finished piece. What techniques, tools and software do you use?
Well that varies according to the job at hand, but if I’m given a brief I generally start with some brainstorming to find a concept. I know I’m supposed to make sketches and all, but that’s something I never really took a shine to; I figure every designer has their own way of working. I ‘sketch’ directly on to my blank page, I love to figure things out as I go along, and as long as I already have the concept, the ideas are usually easy to come by. I like to tie my compositions in with themes; so if my concept is along the lines of ‘space’ for example, I will play with negative spaces, use thin fonts, or pictures with a lot of depth. Photoshop is my true love for posters, image manipulation and effects; I use Illustrator for drawing and vector art, and InDesign for multi-page layouts. I often use brushes and masks; they’re a great way to add interest and texture to compositions. Actions also save loads of time on things that you do on a regular basis.
What are the difficulties or challenges you face in your projects (personal and commercial work) and how do you overcome them?
When it comes to personal work, the biggest obstacle is not having enough time, as life tends to get in the way. I’d be lying if I said I’ve found a way to overcome this, but watch this space – I’ll let you know when I have. As a commercial designer, you sometimes don’t see things the same way your clients do (which is why they come to you), but ironically, this is often also the biggest challenge (especially if they’re asking for a pink, yellow and orange poster with a low-res internet image on it and huge text all in the same size). The best thing to do is try to explain in a non-condescending manner why the aforementioned concept would not work; clients usually listen to solid reasons like illegibility, possible risk of blindness, and so forth. If all else fails, I do what they want and make sure the work cannot be traced back to me.
Original photo courtesy: M. Kharumwa
Where do you see yourself in the next five years?
All sorts of places! I’d like to travel the world.
Thank you for the time and for the interview, do you have any last words of advice or tips for designers?
I don’t know if you’d call it advice, but I think it’s fantastic for anyone who loves design to bring to it their own personality, style and approach. I think the industry sometimes forces you to go a certain way, but even if it’s just in your personal work, it’s rewarding to discover what your own signature is! Let’s learn from others and let them inspire us, not limit us to what they’ve done. It might sound cliché but you don’t need to be the best there is, if you’re being the best ‘you’ you can be, then you have no competition.
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And that's it for this week's featured artist. You can view Nancy's portfolio here on Design Kingdom.
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Next week, we feature Peter Mukiibi, Video Editor and Cameraman extraordinaire. Chances are you've seen his work somewhere. We can't wait!
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