THEN...

THEN...

It was 1992, an Anatomy class, when I approached to Sinisa and asked:
“Can I work with you?”
A t that time he was the only one at the faculty who knew how to find a job, sell his service and to earn. It was the year in which sanctions were imposed on Serbia, when hyper inflation started – banknotes with countless zeros, total chaos and hopelessness. War. Many have emigrated. For me, 1992 was the year when it all fell apart. Life of socialism childrens disappear permanently. What was waited to us in the future was unimaginable degradation of values. Unaccustomed to live in a mud, we had to make to and swim in it overnight. We were then students of the Faculty of Applied Arts and Design.
I was studying Interior and Furniture Design, and Siniša – Graphic Design. We did not want to become a part of the misery that was like apocalypse chased us. At that time, real money had only those ones who where selling food in kiosks, small shops and boutiques. They opened shops and kiosks everywhere. That was a boom of shopping centers City Passage, Chumich and Staklenac… Of course, we where always comeing at the end of the story when the owner has already spent his money on arranging outlets, but he also knew that he need a “sign” to be able to work. These were the days of beginnings of using computers. We bring conceptual designs “made” on the computer and it’s instilled a sense of reverence by the owner that “these kids” will do that what he needs.

Continue with reading…

One winter, at much bellow zero, as we Siniša and I knelt putting up an advertisement on the fence in the alley of Chumich, a girl approached to us and said that she have a company who sell advertising space on city buses and that she would like that we paint the advertisements on buses for her. We came to the meeting, met, and since then business start. Formation of Grafix started. Then, at the beginning, advertisements were done by some existing standards where in the space of height of 50cm and a width of a few meters one should put all the information. They were mostly text messages, with the occasional illustration. Nobody still have paint the whole bus. We worked on weekends, at the heat and in the winter, and often we manage to do around 20-30 buses for one weekend. Later came “total design”, as it was called, painting the entire bus. One of the first, if not the first, overall design was for “Duvan” which the two of us have done in just three days.
There is also an anegdote related to this “Duvan” job. We painted the whole bus in orange in two days, Saturday and Sunday. We asked dispatchers to park the bus in the most far away corner of the bus terminal at Karaburma, we set the cardboard template for letters that we will do on Monday. We have noted the dispatcher, before leaving, that the vehicle has not been completed and that they not sent the bus to street tomorrow. On Monday morning we arrive to finish the job but bus was nowhere, we look at the entire garage because they usually send them to wash or repair during the night, so drivers often do not park the vehicle at the same place. There was no any orange bus. We go to the dispatcher, and he tells us, “A, well, he’s on the line.” “How on the line with all the cardboard template on it?”! Well, dispatcher from yesterday didn’t tell him anything but now he will send another bus to replace “our”. And after an hour our bus arrives, all cardboard templates torn. We stood and watched in disbelief, but without words. Nobody saw any template, nobody was bother by anything. Dispatcher, driver, gate guard… All of these experiences were just a preparation for life and work that follows.
When we finished faculty, we wanted to work our profession, but for us there was no work in the old companies. Marketing agencies did not exist in its present form. Those companies that are worked then primarily “know all” and had no need for professional staff. Then the “designer” was anyone who knew to use CorelDraw, for example. We had ideas for new trends that are coming from the west, revealing new products, new technologies, new business philosophy, which was a voice of a new kind of freedom. It’s name was entrepreneurship. Not needed by anyone, we become self-organized. At that time Grafix joined forces with company “Profi Design”. Three partners, two companies, decided to make new entity “Profi Design Group”. We wanted to show a different approach to the client that the product can be good quality, designed with the knowledge and skills. We worked prepress, design, organize and monitor the printing in the few printing companies at that time in Belgrade and then finished printed job delivered to the client. We worked pre-press and layout of the journals like Economist, Interview, Profile…
At that time we were one of the few who do the design and prepress on a computer. We use PCs. Then only Apple Macintosh had a appropriate design software. We had CorelDraw and a huge, self-taught, knowledge of the software. We had a great practice. Then, at that time appears the first version of Photo Shop on a PC. How huge step it was. Who remembers that time knows what a nightmare it was to do pre-press in Ventura Publisher with a bunch of different size bitmap fonts on the hard disk. Then Quark Express with vector fonts arrived, the revolution in quality and speed. Then we come to the first large-scale operations at the time. Redesign visual identity of ITM group of companies. We approached to it professionally, just like we learned in school. The result was a huge customer satisfaction, who after making sure in quality of our service then begins to give us larger and larger jobs. We had worked for Gillette, Oral-B, Braun, Nike … Then it comes Sport Cafe for which we have been doing all of the signs, menus in the form of sports equipment, to collect and scan photographs, do the design and printing of the largest wall graphics, at the time of over 12m in width and 4.5 m in height with all major Serbian athletes until then. Since we have shown what we can do, we begin to do projects of interior and graphic decoration of all Nike stores in Serbia, Bosnia, Montenegro … and the chain AVC (Audio Video Center) specialized shops. New era, beginning of the computers usage in everything, even in our industry, commercial graphics, made that profiles of professionals like us have a comparative advantage.
For 2 years Profi Design Group has become a valued brand. Needed by everybody we where nominated for the suppliers to all major companies. And won. Working with brands Nike, Sony and Coca-Cola showed us path to a field that has been free in market in our country. The field of commercial graphics. First, we developed a service, then we bought the technology from the developed world. At the end we made the product. This was a distinct phase of innovation. Offering a new product to the market. The market has started to give its approval, by buying our product, and we are headed toward an organization that serviced the production. Market opening in 2000 has sparked a new dynamic activities of companies, mostly international which bring a culture where communication through the graphics had an important place. At the same time Serbian companies matured, major buyers of our services. By establishing Grafix, we wanted to build a comprehensive system for the provision of production services in the field of commercial graphics based on knowledge, professional organization and market orientation. We wanted that on the basis of family values ​​we place long term organization.

...AND NOW

...AND NOW

SECOND 10 YEARS OF GRAFIX IS A STORY ABOUT CHANGING
ENTREPRENEURIAL COMPANY INTO PROFESSIONAL.
F or second decade, to me synonym is „Bigz“. In that 2001. we rent the entire second floor lamella from a well known Belgrade Bauhaus beauty. Organize our first 1000m2 of production space. Introducing the most prestigious printer in the region, Vutek, and the era of high production large format graphics began. We have the best print, we have the speed, we have the best application team. Clients choose us because of the quality, knowledge, expertise and professionalism.
At that time, the business which developed business was marketing. McCann Ericsson, Grey, Publicis, Srebrn Tus, Kreativa, As-Advertising … period of grow of a serious marketing. Graphics expanded in those days of these 2002, 2003, 2004 and the golden age in 2005, 2006, then we start the materialization of the dream of a specialized plant for commercial graphics. We where buying property in the industrial zone of “Dunavski Venac” by road to Pancevo. That 2007. was the start of the design of technologically unified structure which on 5,000 m2 must capitalize the vision that Serbia is a land of commercial graphics. An unique blend of design and techniques, 2D and 3D production, under the name “Center for the development of ideas.” At the beginning of the second decade of work we have realized most intensive company growth up to then, and up to 30% per annum. We worked, we employed, we expand, we grow. We wanted to make Serbian STi, Fitch…

Continue with reading…

In the middle of 2008. we were soberly aware that our position as marginal players in the world will not help us to avoid a crisis that has raged in America greatly.
Seven years of selecting people, writing rules, building of factory, ISO standards, will be broken in just 2 years of crisis. The year 2009. showed a face of deterioration of the job again, like in 1992. Once again a question of how to outlive, survive and save the people. Again losses, again doubt, in ourselves, in Serbia. Those year looked like this: 2010. large losses, a large fall, great uncertainty, 2011. we tried to raise, 2012. we made a growth…
Grafix is the story of 20 full years of work, the creation of national experience, understanding of business, learning management, ups and downs. Today we want that, from the state of sustainable business in our market, we move into a bigger game and provide Grafix future beyond the borders of our country.
Now we are at the beginning of the third decade. We’ve had already seen everything two or three times. Competition in the cartel, corruption, politic in business, business in politic, disloyalty, deception, fraud, betrayal. Much of that could break us, or not? When you have a base in the family and the love in creation and profession, success and recognition of the quality come alone. With the realized dream of a factory for commercial graphics and over 5.000m2 of Centre for the Development of ideas.
Come to visit us, we will be more than happy to welcome you.

Emina Radnović

THEN...

THEN...

It was 1992, an Anatomy class, when I approached to Sinisa and asked:
“Can I work with you?”
A t that time he was the only one at the faculty who knew how to find a job, sell his service and to earn. It was the year in which sanctions were imposed on Serbia, when hyper inflation started – banknotes with countless zeros, total chaos and hopelessness. War. Many have emigrated. For me, 1992 was the year when it all fell apart. Life of socialism childrens disappear permanently. What was waited to us in the future was unimaginable degradation of values. Unaccustomed to live in a mud, we had to make to and swim in it overnight. We were then students of the Faculty of Applied Arts and Design.
I was studying Interior and Furniture Design, and Siniša – Graphic Design. We did not want to become a part of the misery that was like apocalypse chased us. At that time, real money had only those ones who where selling food in kiosks, small shops and boutiques. They opened shops and kiosks everywhere. That was a boom of shopping centers City Passage, Chumich and Staklenac… Of course, we where always comeing at the end of the story when the owner has already spent his money on arranging outlets, but he also knew that he need a “sign” to be able to work. These were the days of beginnings of using computers. We bring conceptual designs “made” on the computer and it’s instilled a sense of reverence by the owner that “these kids” will do that what he needs.

Continue with reading…

One winter, at much bellow zero, as we Siniša and I knelt putting up an advertisement on the fence in the alley of Chumich, a girl approached to us and said that she have a company who sell advertising space on city buses and that she would like that we paint the advertisements on buses for her. We came to the meeting, met, and since then business start. Formation of Grafix started. Then, at the beginning, advertisements were done by some existing standards where in the space of height of 50cm and a width of a few meters one should put all the information. They were mostly text messages, with the occasional illustration. Nobody still have paint the whole bus. We worked on weekends, at the heat and in the winter, and often we manage to do around 20-30 buses for one weekend. Later came “total design”, as it was called, painting the entire bus. One of the first, if not the first, overall design was for “Duvan” which the two of us have done in just three days.
There is also an anegdote related to this “Duvan” job. We painted the whole bus in orange in two days, Saturday and Sunday. We asked dispatchers to park the bus in the most far away corner of the bus terminal at Karaburma, we set the cardboard template for letters that we will do on Monday. We have noted the dispatcher, before leaving, that the vehicle has not been completed and that they not sent the bus to street tomorrow. On Monday morning we arrive to finish the job but bus was nowhere, we look at the entire garage because they usually send them to wash or repair during the night, so drivers often do not park the vehicle at the same place. There was no any orange bus. We go to the dispatcher, and he tells us, “A, well, he’s on the line.” “How on the line with all the cardboard template on it?”! Well, dispatcher from yesterday didn’t tell him anything but now he will send another bus to replace “our”. And after an hour our bus arrives, all cardboard templates torn. We stood and watched in disbelief, but without words. Nobody saw any template, nobody was bother by anything. Dispatcher, driver, gate guard… All of these experiences were just a preparation for life and work that follows.
When we finished faculty, we wanted to work our profession, but for us there was no work in the old companies. Marketing agencies did not exist in its present form. Those companies that are worked then primarily “know all” and had no need for professional staff. Then the “designer” was anyone who knew to use CorelDraw, for example. We had ideas for new trends that are coming from the west, revealing new products, new technologies, new business philosophy, which was a voice of a new kind of freedom. It’s name was entrepreneurship. Not needed by anyone, we become self-organized. At that time Grafix joined forces with company “Profi Design”. Three partners, two companies, decided to make new entity “Profi Design Group”. We wanted to show a different approach to the client that the product can be good quality, designed with the knowledge and skills. We worked prepress, design, organize and monitor the printing in the few printing companies at that time in Belgrade and then finished printed job delivered to the client. We worked pre-press and layout of the journals like Economist, Interview, Profile…
At that time we were one of the few who do the design and prepress on a computer. We use PCs. Then only Apple Macintosh had a appropriate design software. We had CorelDraw and a huge, self-taught, knowledge of the software. We had a great practice. Then, at that time appears the first version of Photo Shop on a PC. How huge step it was. Who remembers that time knows what a nightmare it was to do pre-press in Ventura Publisher with a bunch of different size bitmap fonts on the hard disk. Then Quark Express with vector fonts arrived, the revolution in quality and speed. Then we come to the first large-scale operations at the time. Redesign visual identity of ITM group of companies. We approached to it professionally, just like we learned in school. The result was a huge customer satisfaction, who after making sure in quality of our service then begins to give us larger and larger jobs. We had worked for Gillette, Oral-B, Braun, Nike … Then it comes Sport Cafe for which we have been doing all of the signs, menus in the form of sports equipment, to collect and scan photographs, do the design and printing of the largest wall graphics, at the time of over 12m in width and 4.5 m in height with all major Serbian athletes until then. Since we have shown what we can do, we begin to do projects of interior and graphic decoration of all Nike stores in Serbia, Bosnia, Montenegro … and the chain AVC (Audio Video Center) specialized shops. New era, beginning of the computers usage in everything, even in our industry, commercial graphics, made that profiles of professionals like us have a comparative advantage.
For 2 years Profi Design Group has become a valued brand. Needed by everybody we where nominated for the suppliers to all major companies. And won. Working with brands Nike, Sony and Coca-Cola showed us path to a field that has been free in market in our country. The field of commercial graphics. First, we developed a service, then we bought the technology from the developed world. At the end we made the product. This was a distinct phase of innovation. Offering a new product to the market. The market has started to give its approval, by buying our product, and we are headed toward an organization that serviced the production. Market opening in 2000 has sparked a new dynamic activities of companies, mostly international which bring a culture where communication through the graphics had an important place. At the same time Serbian companies matured, major buyers of our services. By establishing Grafix, we wanted to build a comprehensive system for the provision of production services in the field of commercial graphics based on knowledge, professional organization and market orientation. We wanted that on the basis of family values ​​we place long term organization.

...AND NOW

...AND NOW

SECOND 10 YEARS OF GRAFIX IS A STORY ABOUT CHANGING
ENTREPRENEURIAL COMPANY INTO PROFESSIONAL.
F or second decade, to me synonym is „Bigz“. In that 2001. we rent the entire second floor lamella from a well known Belgrade Bauhaus beauty. Organize our first 1000m2 of production space. Introducing the most prestigious printer in the region, Vutek, and the era of high production large format graphics began. We have the best print, we have the speed, we have the best application team. Clients choose us because of the quality, knowledge, expertise and professionalism.
At that time, the business which developed business was marketing. McCann Ericsson, Grey, Publicis, Srebrn Tus, Kreativa, As-Advertising … period of grow of a serious marketing. Graphics expanded in those days of these 2002, 2003, 2004 and the golden age in 2005, 2006, then we start the materialization of the dream of a specialized plant for commercial graphics. We where buying property in the industrial zone of “Dunavski Venac” by road to Pancevo. That 2007. was the start of the design of technologically unified structure which on 5,000 m2 must capitalize the vision that Serbia is a land of commercial graphics. An unique blend of design and techniques, 2D and 3D production, under the name “Center for the development of ideas.” At the beginning of the second decade of work we have realized most intensive company growth up to then, and up to 30% per annum. We worked, we employed, we expand, we grow. We wanted to make Serbian STi, Fitch…

Continue with reading…

In the middle of 2008. we were soberly aware that our position as marginal players in the world will not help us to avoid a crisis that has raged in America greatly.
Seven years of selecting people, writing rules, building of factory, ISO standards, will be broken in just 2 years of crisis. The year 2009. showed a face of deterioration of the job again, like in 1992. Once again a question of how to outlive, survive and save the people. Again losses, again doubt, in ourselves, in Serbia. Those year looked like this: 2010. large losses, a large fall, great uncertainty, 2011. we tried to raise, 2012. we made a growth…
Grafix is the story of 20 full years of work, the creation of national experience, understanding of business, learning management, ups and downs. Today we want that, from the state of sustainable business in our market, we move into a bigger game and provide Grafix future beyond the borders of our country.
Now we are at the beginning of the third decade. We’ve had already seen everything two or three times. Competition in the cartel, corruption, politic in business, business in politic, disloyalty, deception, fraud, betrayal. Much of that could break us, or not? When you have a base in the family and the love in creation and profession, success and recognition of the quality come alone. With the realized dream of a factory for commercial graphics and over 5.000m2 of Centre for the Development of ideas.
Come to visit us, we will be more than happy to welcome you.

Emina Radnović

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