INTERVIEW NO. 5
Dimitris Koliadimas
Greece
Introduction
Dimitris Koliadimas is the Founder and Creative Director of Semiotik Design Agency, headquartered in Thessaloniki, Greece. He holds an MA in Typo/Graphic Studies from the London College of Communication. In 2005, he co-founded the Designers United creative agency, and in 2014 he established Semiotik. In the intervening years, he and his team have won numerous national and international distinctions for their work, including D&AD, Red Dot Design Awards and European Design Awards. He has been fortunate to collaborate with exceptional people and great organisations around the world. He works with multinational brands and provides a wide range of design and consulting services, performing in complex environments and achieving remarkable results. He believes in constant learning and progress through collaboration. Simplicity drives his way of thinking. Deep research, understanding and a holistic approach are the foundations of his working process.
How do you describe your work?
Our work relies on simplicity, functionality and effectiveness, while also aiming to evoke emotional responsiveness. Our design methodology is research-based and aligned with the objectives of each project. This forms the foundation for being truthful to the content, sets the pace for successful outputs and expands the creative opportunities.
A designer o studio you admire?
I’d have to say that the designer that first comes to mind is Dieter Rams. His unobtrusive approach and belief in “less but better” design imbued his products with a timeless quality, and his work greatly influenced the field of industrial design. I admire his innovative design in technological development and the way that he combines a product’s aesthetic quality and minimalism with its functionality. Throughout his long career, Dieter Rams avoided ephemeral fashion trends and created a new form of timeless art expression. His design functions as a constant source of inspiration for us, and we often look to his work as point of reference.
Could you tell us about any of your projects?
Most recently, we created a visual identity system for the Centre for Research and Development in Advanced Materials (CERDAM) – a new, collaborative venture between the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and the Texas A&M University Engineering Experiment Station. The challenge was to respect the academic “weight” of the project, while creating something fresh and contemporary.
We have a multi-year relationship with Volvo Car Hellas. Among the many different projects we implement with them, we recently created the “Volvo Excellence Award” trophy. This is an award given to Volvo associates and employees for exceptional service. It needed to reflect all the values of the brand, and also be an object the recipient would be proud to own.
Another project we did for Volvo was called “A New Beginning”. The brief called for a “vehicle” that would express the company’s commitment to its VIP customers. We created a limited edition information pack (hardcover slipcase and print materials) to be handed out to customers, expressing the brand’s premium character and exceptional values.
Elastic Architects is an architectural practice in Athens, Greece with an international outlook and reach. We were commissioned to reimagine their brand identity and create a system of applications. We drew inspiration from the word elastic, but also from the willingness of the company’s partners to experiment with boundaries and believe in the flexibility of manufacturing innovation. The result is an identity that is dynamic and serves the primary objectives: clarity, functionality and flexibility.
ORC European Championship is the biggest team sailing race in Europe. In 2016, it was held in Greece for the first time, and we were commissioned to design the trophies, for both single-race and overall winners. We incorporated elements of racing yachts in our design, and used the shape of the race routes as inspiration for the typography that records the winners’ ranks.
