During the 12 years I've been in the design field, I've developed deep curiosity about how design affects our perception, comprehension and behavior. I've discovered that through design I could tell stories, change minds and prompt actions, before the viewer ever reads any of the words on the page.
In understanding the power of design I realized two things: 1) Beauty is just a small part of what design is all about, and 2) Every pixel counts.
Intentionally or not, your website's design will send some very specific messages to the viewer - on an intuitive level. That's why I believe a design strategy should be very carefully planned.
Ilina's Bio
[ pronounced: E-lee-na ]
I was born and raised in Bulgaria -- a small country of warm people and rich history. After trying my hand at a film directing school and then the fashion world in Paris, I realized that visual arts is where my true strength is. I had always loved drawing and putting things in order, but I had a revelation when I saw a US college catalog listing Graphic Design as a major. There was no such profession in Bulgaria at the time, but when I read the description, I immediately knew it's where I fit. So, with a little luck and a generous art scholarship, in the fall of 1999, I found myself a freshman in University of Bridgeport, CT.
It was during my first internship in 2000 that I developed a passion for web design, and particularly web interfaces. Since then, I have designed and developed hundreds of websites and interfaces for various clients in the US and internationally.
When I'm not designing websites, I do photography. It offers me a completely different creative outlet!
Unlike design, which I use to express a client's vision, photography allows me to delve into my own feelings and thoughts. While it all started as a hobby, over time I was approached by various publishers and agencies, and my photos ended up gracing TV and print ads, various products, and over 300 book and magazine covers. I still post some of my work on Flickr, but these days most of it goes to Getty Images and Trevillion Images, where it can be licensed for commercial use.
For a while now, I've been working on a web project of mine called Yoledo. It's a suite of life management tools that can help users clarify their priorities and align their long term goals with their daily actions.
Other than that, I love studying the piano, writing & producing songs, learning interesting things on TED, performing as a dancer, spending time with family & friends, and of course, enjoying New York City.