Novo Mesto

Q: Introduce us to yourself and your company.
A: My name is Miro Koljanin and I am owner, founder of DrawingArt - www.drawingart.org, interactive web design and development studio from Slovenia, Novo mesto. In same time I am designer and flash developer in DrawingArt.

We provide our clients with the most innovative approaches to website creation. DrawingArt has become one of the world's highly respected website design studios, known to constantly push the boundaries of website creation to its limits with high level of small details. We have built a strong reputation as a leading website design company by consistently designing and developing websites that are simply outstanding and technically excellent. Our motto is very simple 'You have to stand out of the crowd', and we are determined to make it happen.

Q: Interactive Producers come from all walks of life, they are a hybrid of talents, tell us about your background and how you got interested in digital production?
A: My story behind my design and development path began 5 years ago when I wanted to present my drawings online to other people. This how I said I need a website and I started designing it and eventually start learning flash and html-css. Before that I was really big fan of flash sites and I was amazed what you can do with interactive approach in this field and that is how my path in web started. Since my first version of my site dedicated to my drawings hit the public I never drawn again. I was changing version of my sites every few months, learning, designing and I really fell in love with it. This how all evolved slowly from drawings site to design and development studio site with the name DrawingArt that still captures my past inside.

Q: How do you stay on top of emerging technologies and keep your team informed and motivated?
Overall I try to stay in focus and read as much news, blogs, ... as I can online. In same time I try different ideas, different approaches from site to a site I do so this how I slowly progress in that field constantly as well. Our work is our motivation ... that keeps us passionate for what we do.

Q: What does your ideal client/project look like?
Ideal client ... hehe tricky question ... maybe I can say ideal client doesn't exists but good clients exist but again it is hard to say this client is good, this client is bad or what I would like good client to be. Each project, each client has good and bad sides like we all do but each project is our challenge and passion so we love them all.

Q: How do you educate your clients and set realistic expectations for a project?
Generally through our meetings and our talk I try to explain every detail how it goes. I'm always open with my clients and I always tell them this will take this much time and unfortunately we can not do it earlier so that every client knows why one thing takes so much of time or budget. Usually until now our clients always understood everything when they got explanation and answers on when, why, how much, how do we do it, ... so I think this is the main part of the project to educate clients so that they know what they will get, when and for how much.

Q: What was the best project you have ever worked on?
This one is tricky again but if I must pick out then I certainly pick Ciril Jazbec Photography - www.ciriljazbec.com website that we did 2 versions already and it is our most recognizable and awarded website till today that also won 2 times the FWA site of the day award. With second version it was a big challenge to beat first version but I'm glad to say it confidently that we did it.

Q: How many projects are you comfortable producing at one given time?
It depends on project size but I can say 2-3 flash sites or 3-4 layout designs with 1 flash site together ...

Q: What does your dream production team look like?
2 designers and flash developers, 2 php/mysql programmers and 2 video / 3d modelers. But overall I have to say my current team of 1 designer-flash developer which is me, 1 php/mysql programmer and 1 3d modeler is everything I need now and fits my needs and my clients needs more then perfectly so I'm really satisfied.

Q: How do you ensure that your client\'s best interests are met?
If we satisfy our client with quality and then if visitors - users of my client are happy and final product is recognizable then we are all happy.

Q: What is your vision of what the next phase of our industry is going to look like?
I will say that quality will be much more needed ... Quality matters, specially in my eyes quality is crucial thing for this business. Design ! Design will have even bigger role on everything since that is first contact with user - visitor so design quality, design idea will have even bigger impact. In same time video and 3D will evolve to have even bigger part then now, since connection speed of our internet providers are evolving, good quality or HD video is much more easier to stream over internet from a day to day.

Q: Please share a snippet of wisdom that you would like to impart on our readers.
Hard work brings results, quality brings even higher results and satisfaction in yourself. Every passioned work is something we are proud of on the end. So again, quality matters.