We’re starting a series dedicated to our beloved creative alumni that we’ve managed to meet along our school’s journey and develop in a feisty creative family, with ideas and jokes flying around our heads. A place where we often brainstorm is in our #Above106 group, our place for future prospects and projects, a way of working on paying it forward to the younger creatives paving their way into the industry.

Amalia Vornicu is one of these hard-working alumni, a Romanian visual designer from Iasi, with a passion for motion. She managed to win the 3rd place in our Cannes Young Lions/Design Semester with her other half Lorena Enache, through their Citrique team. Smart ideas, with a little bit of zest, is the best way to describe their ingenious way of working on the school’s real-life briefs, including George by BCR, Glulam and Love&LOBBY Festival. You can check out their work right here.

Meanwhile, we’ve managed to organize a new series of workshops this summer, at #TalentBet, we’re we happily invited Amalia as a trainer on GIFs, which are a fun, simple, and very satisfying way of getting creative. In this little workshop, the focus will be the 12 principles of animation. They represent the foundation of any motion-savvy thing, from short gifs to lengthy animated films, from hand-drawn animation to vectorial or 3D one. Let us tell you, she surely made an impression! 

1. What makes you happy at work and beyond?

Music, doodling, and inspiring people.

2. A childhood story announcing the creative person you are today.

Spending many hours in Paint at my parents’ internet cafe haha. I guess we had a hint.

3. A trend / pre-trend you smell in the air and you would like to embrace & promote.

Hmmm, I wouldn’t call it a trend, but it’s becoming one, so I guess all we have to do is to appreciate it either way: brands being aware of their political impact.

4. An inspiration source that always gets you in a creative mood.

             My Spotify playlists and day-to-day randomness.

5. A project you’ve done and people had a crush on it.

              My personal illustration project: Amiverses. It’s also my crush so maybe I’m projecting it, haha!

6. A local brand that makes your life brighter, better, nicer.

               We have Acaju in Iași, it’s where bright and nice things happen.

6. What did you like most about The Alternative School experience?

               The opportunity to talk to people I would usually be too shy to ask them for feedback. Their insights were amazing.

7. What was your favorite talk and why?

                I have two: Ana Curbelo for my illustrator side and Davor Bruketa because of his wittiness and his way of solving design problems with grace.

8. How did you react when you found out your position in the final top?

               I felt a major sense of “I must be doing something right after all that hahaha.”

9. What was the most challenging part?

              The feeling that you can always make it better but the deadlines are saying: MAKE IT NOW AND LIVE WITH IT.

10. Why do you recommend this experience?

            It’s such an insightful and intensive experience, there are lovely people waiting to talk to you and you can learn a lot of useful info in a short amount of time.

11. Your message for the Romanian creative community:

Join the Alternative School and see you around 🌸

Artwork from Amalia’s personal archive.

Featured image courtesy of Harper’s Bazaar.