/Interview/ Piero Frescobaldi
08/07/2006 | Filed under Design > Interview
Piero Frescobaldi is the creative director and managing partner at web agency unit9, based in the heart of London. His background is in video direction and he’s applied his camera skills to dozens of sites for top brands on the web, so he knows a thing or two about what makes a good site.
“Good content, well delivered, no technical tricks or gimmicks”, says Piero. “That era of coding wizardry is now passed. Users expect anything nowadays, hence only the good story, which touches them emotionally, is going to be noticed.”
.net: How did unit9 get started?
Piero: After eight years working as an assistant director on films and television commercials, I thought the same creative approach could be applied to interactive media. So in 1997 I set up unit9 creative production.
Piero: Most of our projects are covered by non-disclosure agreements so I can’t discuss specifics in advance, but I can say that a lot of our projects are now incorporating production values usually associated with moving images – a drastic shift that is being brought on by increasing broadband penetration. We are now busy casting animals to be filmed on green-screen for an online ad campaign. I’m always on the lookout for a new challenge, and I think this will be one I’ll remember!
.net: What work have you enjoyed most at unit9?
Piero: The net is still young and evolving. I don’t think it’s a cliché to say the best work is really still to come. As agencies and clients come to terms with the potential, no longer regarding web site as an afterthought, or a web game as an end-of-budget quirk, and instead begin treating the web as the focal point of the campaign, more and more exciting things will come. There’s still so much great work to be done. But that’s not to say there aren’t some favourites. The Honda Grrr Game, (www.unit9.com/grrrgame) is great, and Discover Elf (www.unit9.com/gsp/discovercard/1105) is a very well conceived campaign pushing the boundaries of banners, with an interactive 3D character. The Nexus site (www.nexuslondon.com) is also a clever balance between functionality and brand personality.
.net: What’s the most difficult thing you’ve ever had to design?
Piero: My wife’s web site (www.susytelling.com).
.net: Do you ever want to throw your computer out the window and go back to pen and pencils?
Piero: But, pen and pencils never left! And if they have for some of the young new generation, then they need to be reintroduced. There is no substitute for a proper planning process, from a navigation idea for a site, to a concept for a banner campaign, the most immediate and liberating thinking tool is still pen and paper. At the concept stage, for me, the computer can actually be a barrier to the creative process. We encourage all our designers to work on scamps. A lot of new talent likes to hide behind a mouse, so we are making it part of the process that all concepts can initially only be visualised by using pen and paper. Once I actually did throw the computer out of a window… But it was for a shoot.
.net: What aspects of web design attract you most?
Piero: Engaging people at an emotional level: surprise, entertain, educate. All elements of storytelling, but with the added dimension of interactive design.
.net: What would your ideal web design project be?
Piero: A 250MB banner. The refreshing constraint of the banner and skyscraper format without the file-size restriction. I also love projects that really come to life post launch. I’m referring to sites with user-populated content. They evolve in the most unexpected ways. I’d also love to work on some sort of educational project.
.net: Once you’ve become successful, is it best to be pickier about clients?
Piero: It’s a bit like choosing friends; after a while you know the kind of person you are going to get along with. On the whole, our best client relationships are the result of an evolving two-way process. So really it’s about finding clients that you get along with and trust. If they appreciate the work we’re happy.
Piero: Timelines sometimes are more restrictive than any budget. But in reality these are both parts of the job that I really enjoy. In the first instance budgeting for something that I’ve not done before is really exciting. The buzz from taking a leap of faith, believing that you can conceptualise a project to the extent of costing it. I believe it actually takes a lot of creativity to put a budget together for something new. When it comes to actually sticking to the budget, we couldn’t work without restrictions. They’re an integral part of the creative drive to deal with the limits imposed by a budget or schedule. At the end you feel like dragon slayer emerging victorious from the smokes of the battle.
.net: What’s your favourite piece of design software and why?
Piero: At this stage I really don’t care. We can’t love the tools. We just want the results and good people to work with. But, I remember the first encounter with After Effects and that tickling feeling to have the power of moving images on my PC.
.net: What advice do you have for young people starting out in web design?
Piero: Web design requires a combination of many skills: graphic design, information design, animation, sound and so on. All of these skills have to be applied within the technical restrictions of monitor size, browser version, bandwidth and processor speed. You shoud always think in 360 degrees.
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Comments
Mathew Browne / 23/10/2007 / 11:21 / http://www.mbwebdesign.co.uk
Picking and choosing your clients - it must be a luxury being at the top of your game.
