Martin Šipka Sipkovsky made a wise decision when he joined us straight from school. As a Graphic & Motion Designer, he has been with us for almost 5 years and still counting.
This time, our Šipi was chosen by Strategie, the most-read Slovak magazine on advertising and marketing. They interviewed him as part of Talents from the industry and delved into his personal preferences, thoughts and (non)rituals to work at boomex agency.
The monthly magazine Strategie presents young and smart people from advertising, PR, media and social media in the section Talents from the industry.
In the interviews, they mainly talk about their experiences from the first years in the creative field. Read on and get to know our professional talent more personally.
„„The most important thing is always how the final version looks and whether the designer and the client are satisfied with it.“
Where do you get inspiration for your work, and what do you like most about it?
I’m fortunate to be surrounded by talented people who inspire me daily. And not only in the field of graphic design or marketing as such. It includes friends who are architects, dancers, photographers, or people from the fashion industry who can inspire and motivate me. Usually, a single conversation, a small idea, or a slightly garbled word is enough to create an unexpected idea.
Of course, I can’t omit the classic “everything around me inspires me,” which is actually true. More and more I find out how to work with the stimuli around me and transform them into my creativity.
I’m more of a visual type of person, so I prefer to watch video podcasts while working or in my free time. However, I often listen to podcasts about personal or professional development. I think it’s essential to know how to work with your emotions and to know yourself.
Who in the world of marketing, advertising, and media inspires you?
It’s probably no one specific. In general, it’s people who have the “drive” in what they do, enjoy their work, and try to do it as best they can whenever they get the opportunity. I’m glad to meet such people daily in the office.
Do you have favorite influencers whose work you follow?
I try not to overload myself with influencer profiles, which isn’t easy because I’m just waiting for the first one to “pop out of the fridge” at me. I prefer to follow people who are involved in (also) visual creation. However, there are a few whose content I pay more attention to. These people usually engage in various activities, and that’s what I enjoy. Influencers like YAK.SHA, Nobodylisten, or Lousy Auber and Kubo Krizo fall into this category.
Which social media platform do you use most often,
and how much time do you spend on it daily?
I’m closest to Instagram, where I can spend a few minutes scrolling through reels. But if we count WhatsApp among social media, it would undoubtedly be the one, since communication is essential.
Where do you get inspiration for your work, and what do you like most about it?
I’m fortunate to be surrounded by talented people who inspire me daily. And not only in the field of graphic design or marketing as such. It includes friends who are architects, dancers, photographers, or people from the fashion industry who can inspire and motivate me. Usually, a single conversation, a small idea, or a slightly garbled word is enough to create an unexpected idea.
Of course, I can’t omit the classic “everything around me inspires me,” which is actually true. More and more I find out how to work with the stimuli around me and transform them into my creativity.
I’m more of a visual type of person, so I prefer to watch video podcasts while working or in my free time. However, I often listen to podcasts about personal or professional development. I think it’s essential to know how to work with your emotions and to know yourself.
Who in the world of marketing, advertising, and media inspires you?
It’s probably no one specific. In general, it’s people who have the “drive” in what they do, enjoy their work, and try to do it as best they can whenever they get the opportunity. I’m glad to meet such people daily in the office.
Do you have favorite influencers whose work you follow?
I try not to overload myself with influencer profiles, which isn’t easy because I’m just waiting for the first one to “pop out of the fridge” at me. I prefer to follow people who are involved in (also) visual creation. However, there are a few whose content I pay more attention to. These people usually engage in various activities, and that’s what I enjoy. Influencers like YAK.SHA, Nobodylisten, or Lousy Auber and Kubo Krizo fall into this category.
Which social media platform do you use most often,
and how much time do you spend on it daily?
I’m closest to Instagram, where I can spend a few minutes scrolling through reels. But if we count WhatsApp among social media, it would undoubtedly be the one, since communication is essential.
„„Each task is different,
and that’s why I approach
each one individually
with a unique “ritual.”“
Do you have a dream project or brand you’d like to work on?
For many years, it has undoubtedly been Nike for me, to which various other brands like Aimé Leon Dore or New Balance have gradually been added. I’m more into fashion brands because I feel that sometimes creatives have more freedom in creating campaigns or various visuals.
Which projects have been most successful for you, and what is your personal highlight in your career?
Unfortunately, the projects that came to mind first are not published, as they involve internal brand reveals or sales pitches and animations. Often, with these internal client outputs or confidential outputs, we can go even wilder. Thanks to the clients for that. Although I work in a (really great) team, there are several projects that were entirely in my hands from start to finish, which I am proud of and grateful for.
I am also very pleased that, thanks to boomex agency, I could collaborate on assignments from various companies such as Immocap, WOOD & Company, DHL, LeasePlan, or AJ Produkty.
Do you have a ritual you always do before starting a new project?
I hear about various rituals everywhere. Some people make tea, cover themselves with a warm blanket, and then they’re in the comfort zone, undisturbed, and can create calmly. However, I haven’t managed to come up with anything similar yet, or find one universal ritual. I feel that I do better without a regular ritual. Each task is different, and that’s why I approach each one individually with a unique “ritual.”
What can anger or upset you with clients?
I think I don’t have anything specific. These are things that happen to almost everyone in marketing – whether it’s a poorly filled-out brief, “make the logo bigger” feedback, or a logo sent in Word. In the team, we approach each problem constructively and prefer to solve it right away rather than discuss it for hours. We love our clients, and that’s why I look back on such situations with a smile rather than negatively.
Is there anything you would like to learn or gain experience in?
There is always something to learn, and there is always room for improvement. Since I devoted half of my time to coding in high school, it sometimes pulls me in that direction, and I occasionally enjoy returning to it and finding out new information. However, for now, I leave it to our web developers.
Sometimes, I also dive into the 3D world, but so far, I haven’t managed to complete the “legendary donut tutorial” on YouTube. So when I create my own donut, I would like to add this category to my portfolio.
What goal have you set for this year (2023, note by the editor)?
I’m not used to setting specific goals for the whole year, but it happened naturally this time, and there are few of them. We’re only in the third quarter of the year, so I’ll keep them to myself for now. Just in case I mess something up.
However, if there’s someone who is very curious and can’t sleep because of it, feel free to slide into my DMs (@siipka) after the New Year, and I’ll be happy to tell you.
What would you recommend to newcomers in your profession?
Personally, the point where I realized that the client or end customer doesn’t see the entire process behind a given output or idea helped me a lot. So I once told myself that it doesn’t really matter who, where, how, and when came up with a particular idea or created a particular output. The most important thing is always how the final version looks and whether the designer and the client are satisfied with it.
And I would add – dedicate a lot of time to education.
It is genuinely useful and important for personal and professional development. And it opens up new windows in ideamaking.
You already know Šipi. If you want to develop your talent with us and receive kudos from clients, the steps are clear. Brief us about yourself and send your CV along with your portfolio to info@boomexagency.com. The worst thing that can happen is that Šipi will beat you in FIFA. 🙂