Kareena Zerefos
www.kareenaz.net

Tell us a little bit about your background?
I was born in Sydney in August 1983 and have lived in Sydney all my life. My family originated from Samos, Greece. I study design at the College of Fine Arts (UNSW).

Where are you from?
Sydney, Australia... Traveling around this year though, in Canada at the moment.

Design education:
I am a student at the College of Fine Arts, UNSW, on exchange at UAlberta, Edmonton Canada now.

What inspires you to create?
Anything... From the most trivial to emotional to global (consumerism, politics, feminism...)

Did you go from creating art and then move into graphic design? Or was it the other way around?
They kind of came hand in hand. I pretty much started out with an interest in drawing and photography, moved into painting and then bought my computer and like to put all my work styles together.

Do you think that traditional art styles transfer across well to graphic design?
Yes, well, depending on what kind of 'traditional art style' and how it is applied to graphic design. I think it can make graphic design more tangible (If that makes sense!!).

How would you compare today's graphic design from 40 years ago?
Today graphic design has no (or very few) limits, 40 years ago people were limited by technology and convention.

What programs do you currently use?
Adobe... Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign. A bit of Flash.

How would you describe a piece that's over designed?
Um, I'm not sure! Probably something that looks as though the designer has tried too hard to produce 'good design' and follow conventions, rather than having fun and letting it just happen.

How did you first learn of the Internet?
My parents bought a PC and I figured it out from there through trial and error.

What do you like/dislike about the net?
I like being able to communicate globally, so easily. I dislike the lack of personal contact, intangibility, privacy issues and the frequency of stuff that is just crap (junk mail etc) and/or wrong (porn).

What do you do besides Art and Design?
I play guitar, I go to the beach, I travel and I work retail (but not at the moment!!). Today I attempted to snowboard for he first time!

Do you prefer technologically advanced sites or sites with simple but good design?
If they have good design and content, either way. I use very basic technology for my site (I'm not that great with web design yet), but I think it work's as well as if it were flash.

Where do you see yourself in five years?
I'll be working in graphics, probably freelance. Hopefully things will be happening with "Skribble" my graphics for clothing 'label', or something similar. I'd like to start a design/political/feminist zine in Sydney as well.

Everyone has bad "design" habits, what's yours?
Sticking with the same kind of style and techniques, everyone I know always says 'that's so you' when they see my new work. Makes me feel like I'm not progressing.

Design styles you dislike:
I don't think I can pin point design that I dislike down to a style/s. I suppose I could generalize and say corporate, meaningless or misrepresentative commercial/mass media design.

How would you like to be remembered?
I would like to be known for involvement in the media revolution (it'd be good to see it happen!).

Do you have any new projects coming up that you can tell us about?
I'll be getting pretty into Skribble design next year, and get my zine started.

Favorite food and drink:
Licorice, apples, water and vodka cranberry.

Final Comments:
Thanks!! Kareena

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