Interviews med Masoud Najafi Amirkiasar

From a young age, I've always been drawn to the creative process. Crafting items from wood, painting, and making tools were more than just hobbies for me—they were my passion. This love for creating led me to attend art school, and later, I pursued a degree in graphic design at university. My lifelong fascination with creativity and problem-solving naturally steered me towards a career in design.

I’m a freelance designer.

For me, design is all about solving problems. Responding to a challenge in a beautiful and eye-catching way

Packaging and Identity design, are my favorite kinds of design.

The first project I undertook for a company was designing a logo.

Paper, Ink, and Printing are my favorite

I feel the most creative whenever I come up with an attractive, eye-catching, and effective design idea.

Usability، Simplicity and comprehensibility

Dreaming, exploration, and creation

Imagination and the joy of discovering new paths

Correctly understanding the subject of the order, the customer's needs، and finding the right solution.

The beauty and eye-catchiness of a design and how to attract the target audience.

Regardless of the beauty and eye-catching of the design, the relevance between the need and the design's answer is my first consideration. I then evaluate how effectively it communicates its message to the target audience.

My last exhibitions were BASTEHA packaging design biennial in Iran. and A'design competitions in Italy.

But I think the real showcase of packaging design is in the marketplace, on the shelves, and in people's homes, when they buy the package you designed. You may see your designs in different places for many years and that is one of the most lovely things about design.

Inspiration can come from anything and everything around us. By observing the world deeply, a creative mind can uncover new opportunities and ideas. I feed my creativity by staying curious.

Rather than focusing solely on a personal design style, my approach is focused on facilitating clear and effective communication between the product and its audience. I prioritize understanding the design's brief and the product thoroughly to craft a solution that meets these needs seamlessly.

I was born and raised in Lahijan, Iran, located in the northern region. While I now live abroad, in Istanbul. the cultural richness of Iran—its calligraphy, painting, literature, music, and geography—has profoundly influenced my aesthetic sensibilities. My design perspective has been shaped by this heritage, although I strive to adopt a modern approach rather than a strictly traditional one.

When companies or clients approach me, I begin by scheduling a brief introductory meeting to understand their business and product in depth. During this meeting, I request the clients to outline their specific needs and expectations. I then proceed to research their industry and their product to find the benchmark and global best practices. Following that, the design process starts, drawing upon the insights gained to craft a tailored solution.

In my opinion, first of all, companies should be able to know their request and order correctly and be able to convey the correct information to the designer. Trust the designer based on his abilities and knowledge of previous works to get a good result

Upon initial negotiations with the company and understanding their requirements, explanations, and information, I proceed by receiving a Client brief. Subsequently, I conduct thorough market research and review similar products. Integrating insights from the client's brief and my comprehensive research, I commence ideation and begin the design development phase.

Notebook, Pencil, Pen, Calligraphy Marker, iMac

I typically rise early each morning. Initially, I prepare tea Subsequently, I power on my computer to outline the day's tasks. I review emails and messages before having breakfast, after which I commence my work. Occasionally, I might spend several hours on the sofa contemplating ideas or plans, sketching on paper, or jotting down thoughts.

If I have a scheduled meeting, I ensure adequate preparation beforehand. I also enjoy listening to music and tending to my plants. At times, I may engage in design work until late into the night, although my usual practice is to conclude work in the evening. I often take leisurely walks with my wife, go for a run, or meet with friends during this time.

To be a good designer must have a big vision and plan. On every design project, you should look from all points of view, to understand different customer's experiences.

Look deep into everything around you, to find ideas, compositions, and correlations. See, Experience, and Learn

I think the positive point of being a designer is that you can think about making anything better, but the negative part is that you can't change everything.

Beauty and conveying the right message, along with ease of use

The ability to recognize and understand an issue and find a solution.

Besides design-related skills, Communications, Presentation, and research are crucial.

Paper, Notebook, Pencil, and Marker for sketching or thinking about ideas.

Adobe Software for design and online platforms for search and benchmarking

I am writing a to-do list and setting a specific time for each task.

But if things don't go according to plan, I have to do several things simultaneously to meet the deadlines.

On average, I calculate about one month for designs.

1-2 weeks for research and idea generation, 1 week for design, and 1 week for finalizing the project.

but the project size may affect timelines

How much is the design cost and delivery time?

I have had the chance to work with some famous Iranian or international brands in Iran, like Somaye, Kalleh, MeerCoffee, Naderi, Nestle, Danone, Samsung, and Miele.

I enjoy packaging design and visual identity design.

Because they are the link between business and art.

Run my design studio, build long-term relationships with international clients, and create long-lasting designs.

I am a freelance designer, and in charge of the major parts in case other expertise requirements, such as illustration, photography, and Strategy I will collaborate with other professionals.

I have some design Projects in progress and I hope to be able to share them with you in the future

Linkedin: masoudnajafiamirkiasar

instagram: masoudnajafi_works

e-mail: masoudnajafiamirkiasar@gmail.com

thank you.

Coffee is a high-involvement purchase product, where consumers are susceptible to the brand, they choose due to their sensitivity to flavor and aroma. They are often reluctant to try unfamiliar products. In MEER design, I showcased a high-quality texture of professional-grade coffee. Such imagery evokes the sensation of premium coffee's aroma and taste in the consumer’s mind, encouraging them to explore, purchase, and enjoy the product.

Gaining deep customer insights was pivotal. Conversations with avid coffee enthusiasts revealed that what truly tempts them to enjoy coffee isn’t the image of a mug or coffee beans but rather the texture and aroma of the coffee itself. This understanding inspired me to depart from traditional motifs and focus on elements that resonate more profoundly with the sensory experience of coffee.

Much of this time was dedicated to research and in-depth discussions with seasoned coffee drinkers to uncover valuable consumer insights. Additionally, considerable effort went into perfecting the photography techniques and crafting the imagery to ensure that the visuals effectively balanced aesthetic appeal with the functional requirements of representing 15 SKUs and 5 distinct flavors.

Nothing guides consumers in their decision-making process like clear readability of the product name and details. This principle is inspired by techniques often employed in designing graphic elements for public wayfinding systems—simple, bold, and legible. By applying this approach, the typography and layout were crafted to ensure the product commands attention while effortlessly communicating key information, enhancing its shelf presence and appeal.

The visual solution focused on leveraging typography to achieve dual objectives: standing out among competitors on the shelf and ensuring easy readability of the brand name. I believe this design fulfills its role effectively in creating a strong first impression. However, building deeper brand recognition with consumers requires complementary efforts through point-of-sale advertising and other communication activities.

As I mentioned earlier, the creative process for packaging design begins with a thorough understanding of the brief and deep insights into the target audience. The idea of incorporating texture into the Meer Instant Coffee packaging emerged directly from these research findings. By focusing on texture elements, we aimed to evoke a sensory experience that connects with the consumer's expectations and preferences, enriching the overall interaction with the product.

For the Iranian market, coffee is seen as a non-native product. It’s rare to encounter coffee packaging in Iran that incorporates unique local references in its design. However, what truly matters to the Iranian consumer is differentiating a new product from an existing one. As mentioned earlier, local coffee packaging typically relies on mugs and coffee beans as primary motifs. The design, based on the texture of coffee and a distinctive typography, effectively creates this differentiation, making the product stand out while still maintaining universal appeal.

The overall design format, which combines photography and typography, provided the flexibility to adapt the design to different packaging sizes without compromising its integrity. Given the differences between the sachet and box formats, a uniform layout couldn’t be used across all sizes. However, the design had the potential to maintain its core spirit while adjusting the composition to suit each new format, ensuring visual consistency across the various packaging dimensions.

I believe the Meer Instant Coffee packaging is a design rooted in consumer insight. It was through a deep understanding of coffee drinkers that the initial idea of incorporating coffee texture came to life. I believe that uncovering a deep consumer need and addressing it in the design process in a way that meets this need can inspire other brands as well. I hope we will soon see packaging that doesn't just tell a brand’s monologue but engages in a dialogue with consumers.

Sensitivity, attention to detail, and a passion for the work were central to the process. In designing the Meer Instant Coffee packaging, it was crucial to present a visually appealing and accurate representation of the product. We worked with great care to capture and combine images or photograph the texture in a way that showcased the colors, bubbles, and foam on the coffee, ensuring that the pleasant sensory experience was effectively conveyed to the viewer. These technical choices played a key role in enhancing the overall impact of the design.