Hello Dolls!

We received some super duper questions for our third Q&A: Ask an Art & Design Manager!

We’ve selected a few questions to be answered, and we hope that from reading them, you will be able to know more about our lovely Olivia, one of our amazing Art & Design manager!

Here you can read her answers to your questions:

Finchels2Glee asks: Hi Olivia! What is your biggest challenge working with art in Stardoll?

Hi Finchels2Glee! Thanks for your question! It depends on what we do. When it comes to illustration, drawing an interior can be hard, due to the  detail and perspective involved, as compared to illustrating a piece of cloth. Drawing an interior that is a forest, for example, is more difficult because of the perspective. Some fabrics can be really hard to produce, as well. For me, illustrating an item made of tulle can be really tricky, or a checkered item as well. But those are the ones you become really happy with, once they are finished, as you completed the challenge.

Thaalo29 asks: What are your tasks as an Art Manager? What inspires you the most to do your job? Who is your "role-model"?

Hi Thaalo29, I love your question! I have been working at Stardoll for 12 years, so I can do everything related to art and design. Our team does the illustrations, design, and basically everything you see on the website. I love to work on the campaigns, which is the task closest to game creation, which I love also. It’s great to visualize the whole project and see the results. I love to do what is called an “Easter egg” which is something hidden or some silly item that will surprise everyone. What inspires me most is when my colleagues and I have fun together creating something and we get an amazing reaction from all the Dolls on the site. One of my role models is Raph Koster. He is a game designer who inspires me with his thoughts on creativity and on the responsibility one should take when creating social games.

AllDolledUp asks: Hi Olivia! I love your name, and you have my dream job! I'd love to know more about your educational background. What did you study, intern for and what experiences can you share with us aspiring designers? What advice do you have for students? Tell us about how it lead to your role as art director and manager of Stardoll, and what duties you oversee. I've been playing Stardoll for 12 years and I think it has blossomed into a beautifully designed website. Everything is more cohesive for the end user and I love how detailed releases are. I just want to thank the team for everything that you do! Love, AllDolledUp

Hi AllDolledUp! Thank you so much! I studied courses in art history, but I learned most of everything I know while working. I started in Stardoll as Customer Support (like what Sophia does), as an Assistant to Head of Products and as an Office Manager. This was around 12 years ago. After a while, I started working with art on Stardoll. I always liked to draw. Learning a profession is like learning a language; you can study it a lot or you can also move to the country you want to learn the language of. I believe it can 50/50, it depends on you and your willingness to learn. Some people cannot afford expensive schools, but they can excel in the same way, depending on their professions.

Koonsisme asks: What inspired you to become an artist?

Hello Koonsisme! I really appreciate your question! My grandfather, who has also inspired me, has pushed me to use my creativity, since a very early age. I took piano classes, together with my siblings, and drawing, among other creative activities. I always had my creative side, but networking made me start working with art and design. Networking is something really important. I’m really happy for that!

Milivicky1234 asks: Hi Olivia! How do you feel working in such a beautiful game like this one?

Hello Milivicky1234! I’m so happy that you like the game so much! Being an artist, I always have the feeling that I create something I love at first and feel proud of, but then after a while, I start to have mixed feelings about that item… haha! Being a perfectionist makes me want to do my best at all times! So I’m happy you like what we do!

mamamiaCelebru asks: Do you feel pressure working on such a popular site? How do you manage to relax and stay calm, combating the pressure?

Hello mamamiaCelebru! Yes, I do! Haha. As soon as something is released, the feedback starts coming in. The critique is great for us, if written in a polite way. Some people can forget that there are real people working really hard to make them happy. Structuring my job every day, I’m able to be more organized and work more relaxed. I also listen to music, to audio books or even white noise, while working.

Greensnop asks: How do you and the team create so many fashion, interior and beauty designs?

Hello Greensnop! Work, work, work...You see me I be work…(Rihanna)  We work really hard as a team, we are able to produce a lot of things with great quality for the collections, prepare the beautiful campaigns you can see on the site, plus the marketing and much more!

HassadtheMaroc asks: Some items really translate well to Stardoll-sized fashions & some don't. How do you know if something will work well? What computer software(s) do you use in producing the fashions? What effect is it that causes the designs to fit any scale/size of doll? .I've always been intrigued by how the designs "enlarge" once they come in contact with a doll--I call it "popping open"--I found out the HARD WAY, when I was a Newbie, that the design had to do that or it wouldn't show up, for instance, in a Spotlight shot. And lastly: are there any plans for a SEARCH process in our Bazaars? It sure would make life easier!! Thanks! Keep up the good work!

Hello HassadtheMaroc, amazing questions! We pick items that will fit the Dolls well. Sometimes that means we have to nix a great items that won’t work well. For example: we can’t choose something that has a great print on the back; it won’t make sense for the game. When the item has prints, stripes or any pattern, they need to be done carefully. We can reduce the number of stripes, for example, so it can be visible to the eye with details, therefore, we need to re-interpret the item. To create fashion and decor items, we use vector format, Adobe Illustrator CC. The backgrounds, campaign pages and others are done with Photoshop. It takes a long time to make different sizes for each items. Some items have to be done in 3 sizes, other in 9 sizes, likes dresses, for example.

Hazer224 asks "Hello Olivia! My first question to you is: Do you have any item on your desk that gives you inspiration while you are working? My second question is: In what kind of environment you believe that you can work most comfortably? I will be so happy if you answer. Have a nice day :hearts:"

Hello Hazer224, I don’t have photos on my desk, or anything like that. I have many small things on it, like small toys and plants, because they make me feel happy and help with my creativity. For me, the perfect environment in the work is to work with good people, who have the mindset to create together!

imadraKitty asks "Hello Dear Olivia! My question to you is: Would you have been able to imagine how much Stardoll has improved its designs since it began? Also, is there a user in Stardoll that you like their designs? If so, would you share their usernames? Sending you lots of love! "

Hi imadraKitty, that is a great question because every time we create something on Stardoll, I think “Can we make something more beautiful than this?” and then 2 years after, you look back and see the details and realize that it has a lot of room for improvement. Stardoll was a lot more cartoon-like originally and now we are making more sophisticated 3D-looking things, which is great! I don’t follow anyone specifically. I do enjoy going on Spotlight and checking faces and hair. If something catches my eyes,  I visit the Suite and vote for Covergirl.

This is a small selection of the MANY amazing questions Olivia received. Maybe if she has time, she will answer more of your questions later! Olivia was so touched by your thoughtful questions and the respect for her hard work. She is totally excited to keep creating new items to inspire and delight you all. <3

Thank you for making Callie Con 2018 so special!

#CallieCon2018