Vukašin – Community Guys
This time I decided to interview someone who has been my inspiration for quite a while, Vukašin. If that name doesn’t sound familiar, maybe his work will. He is the creator of a popular icon pack called CandyCons. His work throughout the years have a significant impact on me and my work, and I will keep following him in the future. His work speaks for its self but here are a few things he told me about himself.
Hey Vukasin, let’s start with you. Who are you and what do you do?
Hi, my name is Vukašin, you can call me Vuk for short. I am currently in the 3rd grade of high school. I do creative work on the Internet, and I am passionate about UI/UX design, iconography, illustration/drawing, and most things art-related. I have made a few personalization apps in the past, 3 of which are icon packs, while the fourth is a widget pack. I am currently maintaining one of those packs—PixBit. However, I have some exciting things planned for the near future!
Your work with different icon packs is very well known in the Android community. Which is your favorite?
I would say that CandyCons will always hold a special place in my heart since it is what got me into designing, as well as the Android community in general. However, if I had to pick, I would go with Cubllow. It was quite fun working on it and figuring out how to turn certain elements into shapes based on squares.
I’ve seen your pixelated wallpapers. What’s the design process with those wallpapers?
I enjoy creating pixel art a lot, which is why I find the process quite relaxing. First off, I always start with a sketch. After that, I pick the general color palette I want to use for the wallpaper. I outline and fill basic shapes first, and I refine the sketch too. Once basic shapes and colors are ready, I go about refining the details if the design requires that to be done. The last step is fixing mistakes that went unnoticed, as well as adding finishing touches, even more, adding finishing touches and details. That would pretty much sum up my workflow.
What would you like to say to people who just started designing and creating content?
Starting something is never an easy task. You will have to be dedicated to what you are doing and have a set goal in mind. Take it step by step, organize your time well and try achieving small goals every time rather than jumping into the deep end. Setting the right goals is very important—if your goal is too big you might find yourself having a difficult time achieving it, if it’s too small then it might not be enough of a challenge for you. One thing I would suggest is to try not to compare yourself to others. Most of the people who are creating great designs have a lot of experience and you shouldn’t expect to be able to do the same things right off the bat. Instead, try to compare your past work with your current one. It will give you a much better idea on what you have improved upon and what you haven’t practiced or given much attention to.
Who is your favorite designer?
I don’t think I would be able to pick just one person as my favorite. I follow lots of artists and designers on my social media and I enjoy their work equally.
What was your most fun project you ever did?
I had a lot of fun working on CandyCons back in 2015 when I was starting to get into design more seriously. However, I think the most fun project I have ever created would have to be one I am currently working on. I can’t share much detail about it as of now but be on a look out for it on my Twitter profile.
What do you like the most about your work?
I feel like my work is still quite far from where I want it to be. I am constantly trying to grow my skills as a designer and try out different things to see what I like the best. What I do love, however, is modern design styles which use a lot of pure black and white for enhanced contrast. Of course, I also enjoy the look of designs with fun, vibrant color palettes.
What smartphone do you currently use? Are you satisfied with it?
My current smartphone is Samsung Galaxy S8. This device has been great so far. Of course, Samsung Experience is not the best skin out there and I’d much rather use stock Android or MIUI. However, what’s great about this phone is its display. Having 1440p edge-to-edge display makes for a very enjoyable media viewing experience. The S8’s camera is surprisingly capable and the shots turn out good most of the time. If I am to be totally honest, I did not expect this when buying the device.
What’s your current setup?
My current setup is quite simple. I am using Lawnchair launcher with a custom-made pitch black wallpaper. In the dock, I have shortcuts to five of my most used apps, which use the “dock” icons from Cornie icon pack. Below that is a basic monochrome Google search widget. I am also using a widget from a weather app called Overdrop. I find it quite useful since it displays the time, weather, date, and—most importantly—the battery percentage.
What is your favorite app? What app do you currently use most often?
I would say that my favorite app has to be Instagram. I enjoy looking through people’s posts and I follow many artists there. As for my most used apps, I use Telegram X, Twitter, YouTube, Discord, Snapchat, Pinterest and Google Inbox, on more or less a daily basis.
Where can people find your work?
You can find me pretty much anywhere and on any social media network.
I am mostly active on Twitter, which is where I post about all of the projects that I work on. You can also find me on Instagram, as well as on Dribbble
I have a website which is currently in the works, but once it is finished it will be available at vukash.in.