INTERVIEW NO. 16
Elena Miska
United States
Introduction
My name is Elena Miska, and I’m a freelance designer and art director based in New York City, originally from California. My background is in art as well as design, and that has definitely informed how I approach projects.
How do you describe your work?
At it’s core, the work is based on the direct needs of the brand and the consumer, but if design stopped there, there would be no surprises and no excitement. Our job as designers needs to hit the mark in terms of communication and functionality, and then go well beyond that to deliver something that’s unexpected and intriguing. A few months ago, someone told me that he thought a common thread throughout my work was that it’s a little bit irreverent. It kind of stuck with me, and I took it as a compliment. All too often, things are designed or portrayed in a safe, formulaic kind of way, and it’s ok to shake things up a little bit from time to time.
A designer o studio you admire?
Here in New York, a handful that I admire are 2×4, Project Projects, RoAndCo, Collins, Triboro, Base, and the team of designers and art directors at The New York Times Magazine and T Magazine.
Abroad, there’s M/M (Paris), Les Graphiquants, Spin, Bureau Borsche…the list goes on.
Could you tell us about any of your projects?
The Tasslery is a new jewelry brand with a line of luxurious but playful tassled earrings. The design of the wordmark was informed by the tassles themselves, and reflects the elegance and quality of the products.
In the accompanying still lifes, the earrings are set against simple yet artfully sculptural floral arrangements, each with their own personality.
