Drawing on Experience

ISSUE: 132

From being the sole illustrator at a small agency to becoming a partner in one that allows him the freedom to express, Nipen Bhuyan’s focus has always been on learning

What does creativity mean to you?

NB: Creativity is a form of self-expression of course. It can be extremely satisfying if, through our creativity, we can touch others emotionally, touch their lives. I see some wonderful campaigns and artworks that inspire me and tell me that I have a lot to learn.

How do you manage that balance?

NB: Personally, I don’t like to focus on the commercial side. I strongly feel that one should focus on improving one’s work and clients will be ready to pay for good work. We make the mistake of focusing on the commercials but the focus should be on building a relationship with the clients. They will come back to you again and again if they trust you and like your work. They are paying for the work so their satisfaction is of paramount importance. We go that extra length to ensure that we deliver good work. I also like giving a little extra than is expected from me. Sometimes, the client doesn’t know any better but I ensure that I give the best possible. There are no shortcuts at work.

Tell us about other memorable projects.

NB: We were working on a big animation project. The team was new and we took some experienced freelancers on board to help us manage. Each day was a challenge. We had the pressure to deliver and the freelancers would either play truant or ask for payments upfront. Some of them disappeared since they were not comfortable with the quality I expected. It was a frustrating period for me. I decided to take things into my own hands. You are in control when you know the craft first hand. I sat up all night and with the help of tutorials created the animation. That was a liberating and memorable experience for me.

Purchase Designindia 133 here. Read the digital copy of Designindia on Magzter, or POOL App which you can download from AppStore, Google Play.