A Day in the Life - Nastya, Graphic Designer at Elephant Games

Hi, my name is Nastya, I'm a graphic designer and I want to share my working day at Elephant Games with you!

So, morning.

Due to the fact that I'm mostly a nocturnal person (in other words, a night owl) my activity level in the morning is almost always zero. Therefore, I start my work day at 11:00 am (thanks to my flexible schedule!).

My main morning rituals are messy: I remember being a multitasking lady, so I manage to make coffee, brush my teeth and answer my work questions at the same time! A quick breakfast, 5 minutes of workout and here I am at my desk in front of my PC with a stylus in hand.

I usually spend my afternoons dealing with general communication issues: calling my colleagues to discuss the project and the feedback on tasks, solving any spontaneous items (in case someone urgently needs to find a good reference picture).

After talking through everything with everyone, I gradually move on to my tasks. Typically, I try to always write down all the stages of work in a notebook so as not to forget and not to miss anything, to prioritize, and calculate the approximate time of completing each task.

Any new task begins with a description. I study all the information in detail, sometimes discuss it with the GD (game designer) in order to avoid any misunderstandings. And then, I work the art itself!

I have a blank canvas in front of me. What’s next? Before I start drawing, I ask myself a bunch of questions which help me later on in the search for reference pictures, composition, etc.

Here are some of them: what kind of atmosphere should be there? What is the main action? What is the density of the room? (how cluttered or empty it is) What is the entourage and what should we get in the end? Etc. When the questions seem to be answered, I sketch a couple of ideas for interesting animations!

The very description of the task, whether it is a location, a mini game or something else, is the foundation on which you lean, but the final picture depends only on your imagination.

Smoothly we move on to another pleasant ritual - lunch! This time comes when the whales in my stomach start rumbling viciously and reminding me of themselves. As a rule, I try to eat quickly so that the remaining time can be spent sleeping. A little nap on my lunch break helps me get my head in order and restore my strength.

And then it's off to battle, with renewed vigor! I go back to work, sometimes distracted by messages. You know, it's not uncommon to have minor work items to come up that are worth getting done. Sometimes something urgent and sometimes just my fellow artists need a little help.

Day gradually turns into evening, and a tired body needs a little activity change! I enjoy going for a walk and spoiling myself with something tasty or just lying down with a book on the couch. Any rest is healthy, even if it's not that active.

Late at night, well rested, I go back to work. Sadly or fortunately, my brain generates ideas only at night and all the inspiration comes at the time when many people are getting ready for bed. And here comes the fun part, because most of the ideas that start with "what if" are very actively used in my work at this moment!

After a couple more hours of work, I go to bed, and then ... another day comes!