David Orheden, Art Director
David Orheden is an Art Director with design and illustration capabilities based in Stockholm, Sweden with a focus on B2B, B2C, CRM, AM etc. During his 17 years in this field he has worked for numerous clients such as Abbott, Brostaden, Coop, DHL Express and more.
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How do you get into the illustration field? Were you self-taught, or did you have industry specific education?
I studied Print Media at The Graphical School of Sweden. I’ve always been interested in advertising, design and illustration. Started off working as a designer at a small firm designing posters, covers and campaigns for movie releases but also traditional advertising. Worked myself through some firms until I ended up at one of Sweden’s larger agencys, Röjning & Co. Advertising Agency, where I work today.
What made you pick up Strata 3D? Was there a specific problem/need that caused you to seek out a 3D application?
Both of my parents worked at IBM for many years, providing me with one of the first PC’s in the 80’s. Combined with early interests in programing, gameplay and computer graphics, I started looking into the 3D media. Fooling around with several 3D apps until I came over a copy of Strata 1.75 Blitz in the early 90’s. This was the first 3D-app that I used with the same simple interface as many design programs like Photoshop, Illustrator and Freehand. I started play around with it and saw the potential with the program, and it worked flawlessly on my mac at work. In this time there weren’t any specific problems to solve but I made some ‘cool’ buttons for a web interface to the first website I designed. Something I want to forget today 😉
How has your workflow changed since incorporating 3D design?
I would say that it gave me an extra dimension. Suddenly I could make nice corporate presentations, sketches of a new brochure, leaflet, stand or a marketing event for our clients with high quality and authentic lights. And it’s easy to show different angles and light sets.
What’s a typical day for you? What other software do you use on a regular basis?
I’m an Art Director so my sketchbook is my prime working tool. But like most agencies I use a Mac packed with the Adobe Suite, MS Office, Strata (of course) and loads of other video and design tools. But for illustration Strata is my primary tool.
How did you learn 3D, or Strata 3D in particular? Would you recommend your method to new users?
Like I mentioned earlier, I was introduced to computers at early age and I was a curious boy. When Strata came into my life everything became so easy and logical with an outstanding GUI that follows the same rules as many other design apps. The rest is history. I’ve read about some specific functions in the manual. Everything else is trial and error. I found some minor bugs on rare occasions in some earlier Strata versions, and the Strata support kindly helped me through to find alternative ways around the problem.
Do you get a significant amount of input from others before or while working, or are you left to interpret the style of an illustration yourself?
That is completely dependent on the client. Sometimes we make a creative brief together with our planner based on our clients needs. In other cases I create everything myself.
How much source material are you provided before starting a job?
Like in the previous question, it depends totally on what I’m working on. Many large companies have very strict guidelines or master brands on their corporate design, and they must be followed of course, everything else is pure creation. We rarely have good materials when we make a pitch, then we have to browse the net, or find other sources for proper info.
In some cases, is your 3D work a sales tool for other print material? eg. do you produce 3D renderings of stationery in order to sell the stationery designs?
Yeah, quite often actually. Using Strata to build up a campaign in stores, or showing new package design is perfect. I recently made a sketch of a large tent area that serves drinks and beverages to thousands of girls at Europe’s largest running series for woman. Touring to 17 different locations throughout Sweden and with over 142,000 girls participating. I’ve also worked on campaigns like a lottery where I needed to make an action marketing campaign for the lottery in over 900 stores in Sweden. We printed over 4.3 million folders that were supplied to the stores and mailed home to members about the lottery etc. In this case the lottery ticket wasn’t printed yet but I still needed to show it in the advertising campaign and TV spots. I solved the problem by making it in Strata. I’ve made a model for Brostaden, a real estate company, to show how their large trash containers could be stationed outside office buildings. I’ve created a showroom for DHL Express HQ in which they could show key customers and visitors their new campaign and corporate design etc.
Any advice for new users? Where to start, what to avoid, creative advice?
Play and have fun. Don’t avoid anything. All creativity comes from the heart.
My favorite quote is:
“You can do whatever you like! Whenever you say you can’t – then you don’t want to do it”. – Gustaf Fröding (1860-1911) Famous Swedish writer and poet.
Thanks for your time, David. We look forward to seeing more of your work!
P.S. We don’t have any polar bears walking on the streets in Sweden, and the Vikings did not have horns on their helmets. Only so you know 😉
