Temur Sadiy, co-founder of the MA'NO branding agency, design director
About the career of a designer
I have been designing since 2008, I did not come to the profession planned. In 2005, at the age of 15, I got my first computer. I was looking on the Internet for information on how to work in Photoshop. But I entered the university at the Faculty of International Relations.
In the first year of university, a friend told about the website free-lance.ru where I started earning money. In three years of freelancing, I found my first clients and put together a portfolio. Then I got a job at a media agency, from where I was fired two weeks later.
In 2011, I got a job at the BrandBox branding agency, where I worked for a year and a half. Then I moved to the international holding company DASM Group, was in the Gforce/Grey team. I have worked with various global brands, such as Nestle, Nescafe, Nesquik. I met my future partner Elina.
About MA'NO Agency
Elina and I registered a legal entity in 2017.
The first office was 30 square meters. We bought the first computer on loan, hired the first employee for a low salary. I remember that the first order was completed for $ 300. For a whole year we didn't even have a name. We were simply called the PO «Design Studio».
For three years we worked, took on everything and grew in expertise. We realized that we needed to focus on one thing, so we chose design and branding. Elina and I graduated from the Higher School of Branding: I'm in design, Elina is in strategy.
The key moment of development was participation in the Red Jolbors festival. I met the editor-in-chief ADME.ru. She said, «Do you know why those guys became cool? Because they didn't go to Moscow and kept their identity.» Then I realized that I would not leave Tashkent.
How to become No. 1
A list of top agencies has been compiled in Uzbekistan over the past three years. But until last year, there was a single rating in Central Asia, in which we were No. 1 in 2020 and 2021.
We make a good product for the customer and work on the principle of doing our job better than the last time. We have reached the level where we know, how and how much we need to do, so as not to overdo it.
Participation in festivals also helps. This is a good PR not only for us, but also for employees and customers. When projects win international festivals, it means that you and your agency are growing professionally, doing world-class projects. This is a kind of confirmation that you are relevant not only in your country, but also abroad. The assessment of the professional community is important. Also, participation in festivals is a cool HR story that brings the team closer together. When you are recognized as No. 1, it creates a good impression on customers. This means that the cost of our services is growing.
About customers
We have cases with banks, pharmaceutical companies, developers. Among the clients there is a large network of EVOS, My Taxi, Express 24, Uz Post and many others. We have developed branding for our city. It is approved, but not yet implemented.
Our agency is mainly focused on the local market, but there are requests from Kazakhstan and Russia. There are also one-time clients in Europe and the USA.
We plan to develop in the CIS countries.
