Interview with Rilind Hoxha
Why Agency is a creative studio based in Skopje, working across design, communication, and strategy. The studio collaborates with clients, institutions, and partners on projects involving visual…
Interview about House of Smaragd Advent Box Design Interview
Designer Interview
25 May 2025
I studied visual communication and design, but my passion started long before — I was always curious about how things are made and why they look the way they do. Becoming a designer felt natural; I’ve always been drawn to the emotional and functional power of form, space, and typography.
I’m the Head of Design at Why Agency, a multidisciplinary creative studio based in Skopje. We focus on branding, product packaging, UX/UI, and storytelling. Our approach is holistic — strategy and aesthetics go hand in hand.
Design is structured emotion. It's not only how something looks, but how it makes people feel and behave. It's intention made visible.
Packaging, branding systems, and spatial design. I love formats where storytelling, materiality, and interaction come together.
The House of Smaragd Advent Calendar is a favorite. It pushed boundaries — not just as packaging, but as a functional collectible. It’s rare to work on a project that blends luxury, sentiment, and sustainability so well.
A brand identity for a small architecture studio — it was clean, modular, and taught me a lot about simplicity and restraint.
Uncoated papers, textured boards, and any material that feels human. Digitally, I work extensively with Adobe Creative Suite, Figma, and Blender when needed.
When the brief is clear but the solution isn’t. I thrive in that space between structure and exploration.
Hierarchy, texture, proportions, and storytelling. A good design always has rhythm.
Focused excitement. You enter a flow state — part logic, part instinct.
It’s rewarding, but I rarely stop to celebrate — I’m usually thinking about how to make the next version better.
When it communicates clearly, evokes feeling, and elevates the experience for its intended user.
Concept strength, execution quality, and alignment with purpose.
Designers shape culture and consumption — we must act responsibly, reduce waste, and design things that last.
It’s becoming more human-centered. The future lies in adaptive design, sustainability, and cross-disciplinary collaboration.
The most recent public showcase was the A' Design Award itself. We are preparing a seasonal installation in our stores later this year.
Everywhere — architecture, nature, fashion, typography, and especially moments of stillness. I keep digital mood boards constantly evolving.
Tactile minimalism. I explore clean structures with attention to material, space, and feeling.
I live in Skopje, and yes — being in the Balkans, you're surrounded by contrasts. That duality — tradition vs. modern — definitely informs my visual language.
Strategically. I listen, analyze, and then build design systems that solve problems and tell stories.
Trust the process. Great design comes from collaboration, not control. Be open and clear about your goals.
We start with research and immersion. Then moodboarding, sketching, prototyping, testing, and refining. It’s iterative — with constant dialogue between form and function.
A Bauhaus-style wall clock
Japanese ceramic teacups
A classic Eames chair
A handcrafted brass lamp
The Smaragd calendar prototype
Japanese ceramic teacups
A classic Eames chair
A handcrafted brass lamp
The Smaragd calendar prototype
Morning review and planning, creative blocks before lunch, team feedback in the afternoon, and sketching or quiet design time in the evening.
Design for people, not for trends. Don’t rush your style — let it evolve. And always stay curious.
Positives: You get to create. Negatives: You often have to defend the value of your work in non-creative environments
Less, but better — only what matters.
Critical thinking, empathy, composition, and storytelling.
Illustrator, InDesign, Figma, Photoshop, Blender, Pantone books, sketchpads, Japanese design books, and too many saved Instagram folders.
Timeboxing and phases. I split projects into creative, technical, and feedback blocks to stay on track.
It varies — from days to months. The House of Smaragd took 6 weeks including prototyping.
“How long will it take?” Or, “Can we make it look more premium without changing the budget?”
Designing the full Smaragd seasonal campaign — it combined retail, packaging, identity, and emotion in one system.
Through Why Agency: Volvo, Burger King, VivaSokovi, KFC, Smaragd1969 and lifestyle brands.
Packaging and spatial — it’s where brand meets physical experience. You feel the result in your hands.
I want to create more permanent collectible designs, and eventually launch a curated product line under my own label.
Both. I love designing solo, but nothing beats a tight creative team working in sync.
Yes — we’re working on a gold investment collection and a new jewelry line for children, with custom packaging and interactive elements.
Via www.whyagency.co or through our Instagram @whyagencymk.
Design should never feel like decoration. It should feel like intention — thoughtful, useful, and emotionally resonant.
Interview about House of Smaragd Advent Box Grand Interview