Jacek Rudzki on graphic design, collecting trash, and returning to a childlike sense of creative freedom

When we ask designers what inspires their practice, they can often mention pioneering figures in industry, reference historical or contemporary styles or movements, or perhaps make note of the more everyday visuals that often feed into their work. When we asked Jacek Rudzki aka Jacek Rudzki Znajomy Grafik for an insight into his creative influences however, he put forward his four-year-old daughter Maja as “the biggest inspiration” behind his work. “I love to observe her creative freedom, ignorance of the rules and just having fun with the process. Thanks to her, after years of practice, I’m trying to reintroduce these values ​​in my work. I think that this is the most important thing for me now,” he shares.

With 15 years of experience in the field, the graphic designer’s practice is multifaceted. He splits his time across his role as a brand designer at Tonik agency, crafting clever visual identities for developing startups, his freelance graphic design work, and his various self-initiated creative projects that are always keeping the joy alive. In his freelance pursuits, Jacek has covered commissions in the worlds of publication design, album cover design, culture and branding — all areas that over the years have “somehow come from my personal interests” he says. “I love music, books, posters, and print, which is why commissions that I do the most circle around these fields.”

Working on commissions of all sizes for his own clients, the designer believes there is “no project too small.” Alongside the larger creative endeavours, he takes pleasure in the smallest design jobs, such as crafting ephemera like “gig flyers or tiny pins” — “often the smaller projects limited by budgets are much more fun and interesting to dive into. They allow for greater creative freedom,” he shares. Speaking of ephemera, something that is an integral part of Jacek’s graphic design practice is the act of collecting — things like “records, found ephemera or prints”, he explains. “I use them for inspiration and sometimes they turn into actual projects,” – for example his Graphic Trash Collection — an ongoing monochromatic archive of found graphics that might be worth a follow, for the graphic design nerds out there!