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Diana Cristea

Graphic Designer

DianaCristea

Brussels, Belgium

I give companies & products a voice and a face. I create identities, packaging, print, websites or new media design. I also lend a helping hand with advertising. I'm always up for cool things, so let's talk.


+320488605941 mobile

Things I want to do


  • Make interactions with brands more satisfying for the end user.
    Solve big & small business problems.
    Learn something new everyday.
    Make something new everyday.
    Design a chair.
    Shoot a movie.

Things I've done this far

  • Art Director & Graphic designer
    Brussels, Belgium
    Apr 2009 - Present
    Freelancer

    Enjoying the everyday 30-second commute to work. The rest of the day I'm busy with designing identities & websites for photographers, bakeries, food brands, non-profit organisations and construction companies. I often conceive & design materials for promotions or special events. I even do games! A bit of everything goes a long way.

    To see my favorite projects so far go to http://dianacristea.com/

  • Art Director
    Brussels, Belgium
    Aug 2008 - Feb 2009
    Famous

    Famous was my first Belgian agency. I completely immersed myself in the local culture by working with both a Flemish and a Wallon copywriter. Learned a few words of Dutch, a bit about the market and what strings to pull to get your paperwork from the authorities faster.

    Successfully applied my new know-how to local brands like hebbes.be, Electrabel and MNM.

  • Art Director
    Bucharest, Romania
    Oct 2004 - Jun 2008
    Graffiti BBDO

    Kept agency people happy. Part of the new business & pitch team. Never-tired helper of the other teams. The first person to go to when you need to know something about the web or medical conditions.

    Not less than all clients of the agency benefited from my services:
    Pepsi, Lay’s, Snickers, Dacia Renault, Samsung, Tuborg, Scandia Foods, Banca Romaneasca, real hypermarkets, KissFM, Total Air Skydiving, metropotam.ro.

    I kindly helped them from concept to implementation on 360 campaigns (print, outdoor, web, TV, events, unconventional media & anything else you can imagine) and branding (naming, corporate identity, packaging, POS).

    Because I still wasn't tired enough, I also did freelancing work on weekends for local studio Etcetera & non-profit organizations.

  • Copywriter/Art Director
    Bucharest, Romania
    Oct 2003 - Oct 2004
    Tempo Advertising

    Took good care of: Orange, Allianz Bank, Agricola Foods, Ultra Pro Computers.
    Did the same things as in BBDO, but just not as good.

  • Junior Art Director
    Bucharest
    Jun 2002 - Sep 2003
    Punct, Spotlight, Brands & Bears

    Wandered around in a bunch of smaller agencies I did not find very exciting.
    Learned about advertising while working on Knorr, Dr. Oetker, Agip Gas Stations, Pietroasa Wines.

Things I learned in school

  • Bachelor in Advertising
    Bucharest, Romania
    Sep 2000 - Jun 2004
    PR & Social Communication Faculty

    My first advertising award was won then, when I participated with my team at the Communication Olympics. We went for the first prize and job offers started pooring in.

  • Highschool graduate
    Timisoara, Romania
    Sep 1996 - Jun 2000
    "Jean-Louis Calderon" bilingual highschool

    I was awarded the first prize at the National French language competition in 2000. That's probably a good thing, as I still remember how to write “caoutchouc” and the longest French word: “anticonstitutionellement”.

But I never stopped learning


  • Art direction, coached by Serghey Sidorov from Miami Ad School
    Illustration techniques, at the Bucharest-based art gallery Basil
    Print, from 10 creative directors at the “Cannes kinder garden” Romania

Things I'm proud of


  • 2011

    Best TV ad to the decade in the Financial sector for Banca Romaneasca at Ad’Or Festival Romania

    2008
    Silver at the Romanian PR Awards for the Pepsi Light guerilla campaign
    Shortlist in the TV category at Golden Drum, Slovenia for Tuborg “Filip”
    Honorable mention at the Orange photography contest in Romania

    2007
    Romania’s representative for the Cannes Young Creatives competition (did nothing spectacular)
    Romanian Gold Effie for “The Guide” campaign, Banca Romaneasca

    2006
    Gold in Ad’Or Festival Romania for the Dacia Renault calendar (Colaterals)
    All my investments pay back: my sister joins Mccann as a copywriter

    2005
    Gold in Golden Hammer Festival for Orange Wirefree Zone (Outdoor)
    Gold in Ad’Or Festival Romania for Orange Wirefree Zone (Best Innovative Media)

Things I know


  • English & French
    PCs & macs
    How to use Adobe software (Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator, Final Cut Express and basics in Flash) & Macromedia Freehand
    How to download youtube videos
    Vector illustration, photography & choosing film directors

Things I love


  • people, details, being active, colorful things, snowboarding, 35mm cameras, colorful fish, illustration, experiments in the kitchen, writing, Asia, working with my hands, airports, punk music, rabbits, stories, strawberry daiquiris, diversity, high heels, magenta, design books, animations, markets, cute characters, the mountains, light, redbull, supermarkets, trendsetting, DIY, simplicity, designer furniture, contemporary art museums.

Things I hate


  • layouts without grid, “curiosity killed the cat”, chicken breast, being mistaken, sleeping until 12, holding still, hangovers, waiting, arguments, bad strategy, headaches, supervision, water cooler chit-chat.

Things I do on the web

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