Natalya Popovicheva, art director at Mir Dyetstva, manufacturer of children’s toys, accessories and clothing, speaks with The Leader about how her designers have to adjust to rapidly advancing technology — even if the general principals of their job are much the same.

The Leader: Where did you graduate from?

Mrs. Popovicheva: When I was choosing a university, most of the high-school graduates were signing on to economics or law colleges. So did I, enrolling in finance and economics courses despite my love for drawing. Fortunately, times changed by the time I graduated and I could do whatever I felt like doing. It turned out that all the time, I was somehow engaged in designing interiors at my friends’ places. Then I took a three-year course in design to acquire academic knowledge in the field, although I am sure most of what I know I have obtained on a self-study basis.

The Leader: Does this mean that, for a designer, inner talent and diligence are more important than academic education?

Mrs. Popovicheva: Well, that’s not quite right. Although many details and skills can only be acquired through practice, academic education is still an important part of your knowledge. It gives you what I call "professional-development potential," some basic knowledge-searching skills for further growth. If one chooses a career as a designer, academic education provides a philosophical background, a foundation.

The Leader: When did you start working for Mir Dyetstva?

Mrs. Popovicheva: Five years ago, Mir Dyetstva started reconstruction of the Sintel Soviet factory, building new production facilities and offices. I went there to do some part-time work in interior design and stayed on, working for them on a full-time basis. My position now is as art director, and I am in charge of the designers’ team working in different fields — interior design, advertising and package design and, most importantly, toy and clothing design.

The Leader: What is the working environment of a designer like? Is it like an artist’s studio?

Mrs. Popovicheva: Most of a designer’s job is done on computers, so everything looks more organized than it would have in the past. Computer monitors and the mouse have replaced most of the paper, paint, pencils and brushes once used. Only the original pattern or illustration is done manually. Then it is scanned and processed by computer.

The Leader: Do you provide your designers with sources of inspiration?

Mrs. Popovicheva: We’ve put them into a large room with expansive windows that open onto a beautiful view of a medieval monastery. It’s especially inspiring when the monastery has its bells ringing with the sunshine playing on the golden roof. The kind of goods we are making and the idea that we are working for children also give them an incentive, both spiritually and creatively, to work.

For my part, I provide the designers with a flexible working schedule. Since most of them are still studying, they can take time off for school, exams and so forth.

The Leader: Do you ever have disputes over how a particular product should be designed?

Mrs. Popovicheva: Such disputes occur quite often — not between the designers themselves, but between departments. For instance, accounting might not want us to use more colors, saying that it is too expensive. Or, marketing might have done some research and found out that consumers now prefer a different type of illustration.

The Leader: Are there any designs that Russians like in particular?

Mrs. Popovicheva: We fit the design to Russians’ taste by adding brighter colors, pictures of animals and family scenes.

When we were looking for a main character for our new series of products, research showed that Russians’ most-beloved cartoon hero is Winnie The Pooh in his Soviet incarnation. We acquired the rights to use the character from Soyuzmultfilm, and he will soon appear on our new products.

Our products are purchased not by their consumers — they are too small for that — but by their parents, aunts and uncles, so we have a double task: to please the tastes of both the adults who buy the products and the children who are going to use them. For the kids, the most attractive color is red. You can’t say the same about parents.

The Leader: Will upgraded computers and better software eventually replace designers?

Mrs. Popovicheva: For me, computers and software are like a brush or a pen, nothing more. For amateur designers, they are a lot of help. But I believe that no matter the stage of technical development, professionalism will still be at a premium. Apart from mastering the mouse and software you have to have talent for sharing your ideas and your inspiration with others.