Artist Spotlight w/ Sandra Golay
Jan 25, 2023
First, can you tell us a bit about yourself?
My name is Sandra, and I am a 3D designer and Art Director living in Lausanne, Switzerland. When I'm not absorbed in my work, I love hiking in the Swiss Alps and traveling, especially in Japan. I love this country so much, and I'm fascinated by their arts and crafts and admire the patience and skill involved in elaborating unique objects and artifacts.
With my partner, I form the creative duo Get it studio. We both worked for the same visual communication agency, and as we shared a common interest in cross-media experimentation, we collaborated a lot on projects. We enjoyed working together so much that, after a few years, our thirst for innovation and pushing boundaries drove us to resign and start our design studio.
When I started to learn 3D, I was afraid of not being legitimate in this field… I decided to participate in the 36 Days of Type project to challenge myself and see what I could do. At the end of each day, I had to deliver and, therefore, couldn't afford to hesitate or get lost in details. I had to get straight to the point. Dealing with this particular constraint had a liberating effect on me.
Can you tell us about your experience and the role you are primarily filling?
I studied photography and media & interaction design. I worked for ten years as a graphic designer while freelancing as a web designer, photographer, art director, illustrator, set designer, etc. A genuine Jack of all trades!
With Get it studio, we mainly did stop-motion videos since we both had some knowledge of photography and were very interested in creating tangible set designs. I wanted to make for myself the possibility of evolving as a designer and creative director. We had the opportunity to create images and animations for direct clients, handling all the aspects of production from concept to production. We worked for local clients and also big brand as Logitech and Uniqlo. But when Covid hit the world in 2020, most of our projects were canceled. We decided to move out of our photo studio and do something at the back of my mind for a while: learning 3D.
At that moment, it was as if the puzzle pieces were coming together, and I felt that I had finally found my medium. I love the freedom to test and iterate, which was much more time-consuming with set design and stop motion, especially regarding colors and textures. But rather than recanting my creative roots, I dug deeper into their foundation to create even more tactile and playful images. Everything I've learned in my previous career turned out to be helpful. For instance, I can easily apply my knowledge of photography techniques (lighting, camera, lens, field of view, depth of field) to a 3D environment.
This year, all the hard work we put in place finally paid off as we did design and motion design pieces for clients like Google and Rolex.
If you could speak directly to the resourcing gods and powers that be, what would be your ideal project?
I don't have an exact idea of an ideal project because I like to be surprised and discover new horizons. But my ideal would be one where I can do a lot of research and development and learn something new. My favorite part is the ability to pay much attention to detail and work with light, textures, and colors. The best projects are the ones where I can have a healthy working relationship collaborating with friendly, talented people.
Do you have any dream clients?
A collaboration with studios like Buck or Oddfellows would be amazing! And I would be thrilled to work for brands such as Microsoft, Nike, or Spotify. I also wish to collaborate with clients with strong, sustainable values, like Patagonia or On shoes.
Lastly, do you have any memorable stories, life lessons, or tall tales you can share from your adventures as a freelancer?
When I started to learn 3D, I was afraid of not being legitimate in this field, and I spent much time thinking about this. I decided to participate in the 36 Days of Type project to challenge myself and see what I could do. This project aims to design a letter or number for 36 consecutive days.
Creating a whole series for a personal project is quite overwhelming. But, at the end of each day, I had to deliver and, therefore, couldn't afford to hesitate or get lost in details. I had to get straight to the point. Dealing with this particular constraint had a liberating effect on me. And in this context of urgency, I grew confident in producing solid imagery. These daily challenges can help freelancers grow and find their way.
Lastly, I would love to see more women involved in the 3D industry, it's a beautiful medium with endless possibilities.
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