Drugi jezik na kojem je dostupan ovaj članak: Bosnian
By: Ekrem Dupanović
Jure Skubic is a graphic and web designer at the New Moment Ljubljana agency. He loves movies and cryptocurrencies, and describes himself as a creative. He does not want to be defined, he works as a designer, but can also be a web designer. He creates websites, his graduate thesis deals with eye tracking, and along with all this, he works all other jobs that can bring him money with all his heart. During his studies, and after they ended, he worked as a freelancer. While studying graphic design, he was told that every good designer has to spend some time in the print shop. He took this advice seriously, and spent two years in designing print products. Most of his work involved design of simple, and a bit more demanding publications. He also took over part of the printing process, with less circulation and on the digital machine. In free time, he still worked on web design. He wanted something more and thus found himself in one of the Ljubljana advertising agencies. After two months, he realized he was still not satisfied. Luckily for him, New Moment was looking for a designer at that time. For two and a half years now he is part of the team at NM Ljubljana, with whom he will continue to make successful stories.
MEDIA MARKETING: You are in the communications industry because you love this job. You were ready to work even without pay, as long as you’re in advertising. They describe you as a completely advertising person. How do you explain this?
Jure Skubic: Advertising is not a job, but a way of life. Immediately after the completion of my studies, it was clear to me that design itself was not enough. It is normal that everyone who watch television, drive by the billboards, walk past the citylights, and frown upon ads on their mobile phones, criticize ads, and brands by extension. Everyone has an opinion on how they would make a certain ad better. But not everyone has the knowledge, the ideas and the feeling for aesthetics. But some do, and I try to be part of the latter group.
MEDIA MARKETING: Your primary job is graphic design, but you also deal with web design, creating websites, and your graduation thesis was in eye tracking. You are a versatile creative.
Jure Skubic: Every day in advertising brings a new challenge, and you must be ready to accept it, to expand your knowledge and, above all, constantly create. I think creativity today is not just an idea, but also the understanding of the systems and platforms on which this idea will be implemented. Every technological advancement and every new platform allows new approaches and therefore the process of “idea making” needs to be modernized and adapted to the time we live in.
MEDIA MARKETING: You stand in high regard among your colleagues in the agency and clients. How does that affect you? Does it motivate you, raise your ego…?
Jure Skubic: It’s nice to hear that you’re doing your job well, that people respect you and that you respect them.
I’m not somebody who’s an ego tripper. So, I would rather say that a nice word motivates me.
MEDIA MARKETING: What should young leaders learn from their older colleagues and apply in their work?
Jure Skubic: Nothing comes overnight, and everything has its own history. We learn from history, trying not to repeat mistakes, and we adjust our knowledge. It seems to me that it’s no different in advertising. The ways, trends and media are changing, but principles remain the same. If we are clever, older colleagues can help us more than we might think.
MEDIA MARKETING: And what should they definitely discard from that legacy?
Jure Skubic: I could hardly say that you just take something in your hand and change it. I see everything more as an evolution, rather than a revolution.
MEDIA MARKETING: When we talk about crazy and bold ideas, there’s a general opinion that the communications industry is gripped with fear. Agencies are afraid of losing a client, clients are afraid of losing business. How to overcome this fear, and how much can you, young people, contribute to overcome this situation?
Jure Skubic: Option 1: Out of the box and crazy works. Option 2: Borderline crazy works. Option 3: Safe but boring. The agency usually chooses the third option. Why? The answer is probably hidden in your question. They are afraid not to lose their client. The agency should have to make only one creative solution, not three, and the client must risk a little. One day, we young people will take over the reins of the industry, and I believe that we will often be witness to creative risks.
MEDIA MARKETING: What would you advise to your peers? To join you in this industry, or to try to find a better job?
Jure Skubic: If you do what you like, you could hardly be bad at it. Right? New people are always welcome in the agencies.
MEDIA MARKETING: How do you envision the future of advertising industry, and especially digital?
Jure Skubic: What’s Digital anyway? Most brands in Slovenia, from what I can see, think that the way to go is to flood people with banners, take over ad spaces on websites with high visit rates, unrealistic click rate statistics, Facebook likes and shares. Banner blindness – which not only exists in the form of non-recognition of ads but is a fact for adds and superficial content on social networks as well – is not something that was invented by agencies so they could continue to talk about storytelling and campaigns. The user is developing into a person who is constantly flooded by information, and therefore becomes apathetic towards everything that is not what they are looking for. High quality content, and online + offline connectivity, is key to be recognized and visible as a brand. We live in an analog world with powerful digital. A good story connected with something that moves you is, and will continue to be, stronger than the flood of nothing.