10 Fragen an Ank Klis

Ank Klis is founder and head of the dutch design studio “2d studio in vorm“ . Ank was one of my first contacts on Pinterest . Actually there is no way not to come across Ank on Pinterest being one of the top Pinterestas. For almost a year now we are daily sharing visual inspirations. It is as if we know each other personally even though we have never met. Being connected and inspired like this without speaking the same language or living in the same country is one of the reasons why I love the social web so much. Being a pioneer and all she is designed for being the first English speaking candidate for the 10 questions.

What would be the three words to describe you best?
Creative, passionate/driven, and – unfortunately – impatience.

What are you most enthusiastic about in your job?
The way creativity varies makes every day of work worthwhile. Our clients are active in completely different branches, and their target group is as diverse as their goals, desires, opportunities, setbacks and questions. So no task is the same!

This challenges us to translate, visualize and communicate their goals in different ways for various media, online and offline, various target groups and for amplification of various visualized identities. My job never gets boring (though I would like to have a boring day sometimes to recover my breath ;-))

Who or what inspires you?
Inspiration is everywhere. It might seem obvious, but I really believe that’s true. Just take a good look around you. Like many people I belong to the visual type, therefore I get most inspired by pictures, (product) design, colours, patterns. But I can be taken by a great song, quote, book or person as well. It makes me enthusiastic and due to this I want to make others get enthusiastic as well. I love it when I succeed!

From which mistake did you learn the most?
I never was – and still ain’t – very keen on speaking in public, say for over 10 people. In my schooldays I was glad we could convince our teacher to not let us present in front of the class. Nowadays I regret I didn’t take the opportunity to practice more often. I will not shy away from public speaking anymore, but I am not very glad about it either.
My conclusion is to never turn your back on something difficult, just go for it. Even if you fail, there’s always an upside effect of trying.

Who are your favorite clients?
Clients who are loyal. I recently wrote a Dutch column about it. It’s a pity that most organizations and companies are not willing to invest in a long-term relationship. They pick different suppliers time after time, often driven by (lack of) budget. As an advertising agency we and our clients profit by long-term relationships. We get to know them better and better over time, which makes us capable of being proactive and inventive for them.
I’m proud to say we have built relationships with clients for over 5, 10 and even 20 years.

What means success for you?
Even after all these years it still makes me happy when an assignment succeeded in a way that both parties, the client as us – the ones who created – are positively surprised by the result. The harder the job, the more satisfaction of the client, colleague or target group. I’m open to and fulfilled with constructive criticism, but I love positive feedback!

What is your most successful marketing activity?
That’s a difficult question. I’m convinced that it must be possible for every company to benefit from our expertise, even if the budget and means are limited. The most successful marketing activities are the ones where a minimum of means ends up with the best result. It makes no difference if that’s a marketing activity for our clients or for my company 2d studio in vorm.

What is your favorite social media tool?
Pinterest, no doubt about that! I love the usability and the fact that it’s all about visual inspiration. Easy, quick, inspiring. I always tend to bore my colleagues from the beginning of Pinterest with my enthusiasm of the endless possibilities. For a few months Pinterest delight with positive attraction, which is very understandable. Therefore they can’t ignore my loads of pinboards anymore. Haha.

Which question should every entrepreneur ask herself or himself at least once?
What am I going to do tomorrow and is that what I wish/want to do?
You’re most certainly the best at things you love to do, and vice versa.

When and where do you enjoy your espresso the most?
On working days I like my espresso, regular coffee or cappuccino the most between brainstorm sessions to reload. During the summer I drink my espresso at a small terrace next to my office, love it! It’s an experience of luxury.
During the weekend I like my espresso in the morning at the kitchen table with a brand new newspaper and a magazine about design. On a warm summer day I enjoy an ice coffee now and then.

Thank you for the interview, Ank!

Nächste Woche geht es weiter mit Backunternehmerin Andrea Juchem.