As a step in our work to create vibrant and inspiring work environments in our offices, we chose to link our new graphic illustrations with our office spaces at Lindholmen. Karin Ohlsson, who runs BahKadisch, is a graphic designer and illustrator and has helped us develop our illustrations that often adorn parts of Entreprenörsgatan’s marketing and communication, but now also a wall in one of our offices. We took the opportunity to interview her about the project and what it’s like to work and run a business as an illustrator.
Can you tell us a bit about the illustration you created for our wall? What does it represent and what was the idea behind it?
The illustrations on your wall were drawn in a previous project for Entreprenörsgatan, where we produced images to help elevate the communication. Illustrations are a fun way to grab a reader’s attention, and in this case, humor and quirkiness were welcome, which suits me and my way of illustrating perfectly. The motifs are things that you often come across in an office environment.
What is the process – from idea to finished illustration?
I do most things by hand. So I often start with a pencil sketch for my customer to approve. Then I finalize it with an ink pen and scan it into the computer to deliver digital files. The ideas for what an illustration should look like come after a conversation with the client where they tell me what they need, and then I try to solve it as best I can.
How do you think illustrations can influence a working environment?
If you look around, there are illustrations everywhere. Most often they are small and with a focus on being informative (WC, Coffee, waste sorting, etc…) I only see using illustrations as decoration as positive. However, it needs to be done with feeling, I think, and preferably customer-unique. That’s when it will be at its best. Dare to hire someone who can adapt the illustrations to your specific needs and it usually turns out well!
What is it like to work as an illustrator today – what is the best thing about the profession?
The best thing is to be able to work with what I find most fun: being creative. Many people talk about AI and how it will take over the place of creators, but I feel that AI has made more people appreciate genuine craftsmanship instead. Sure, AI can do a lot of things that we illustrators can do, but there is no substitute for the story behind how an illustration came about. Many clients want to show the whole process from a pencil sketch on paper to the finished result. The craftsmanship itself. And that falls away with AI. Storytelling is important. The process is important. The end result is only a small part of the wonderful work process.
What inspires you in your work in general?
The joy of doing the craft itself. Watching the colors blend on the paper or trying to draw as straight a line as possible. I am inspired by seeing how other creators work and what their processes look like. I am rarely inspired by their results. It can be beautiful, but I prefer to know how they got there.
What kind of jobs can you get as an illustrator and what do you enjoy most?
The funniest letter is one that goes something like this: “Hi, we like what you do and would love to collaborate. We need your help to set the color and shape. How would you solve our problem?” Then it’s great if you get paid well too, and are not expected to work “because you think it’s fun”. The most fun assignments are those where you are hired based on what you can do, and not expected to turn yourself into something else.
