Love Japan Magazine: How did you become a design duo, and what do you enjoy about working creatively together?
Alyona: Our lifelong partnership was born in design school. We met each other while doing our undergrad studies in Image Arts: New Media, where after teaming up for every project that came our way, we discovered that we not only complemented each other in our eccentric humour, but also in our creative endeavours. We both had something to offer to the table that the other was perhaps missing. I was strong in illustration, where Robby was excellent in interactive design. Our creative skills truly complimented each other, allowing us to collaborate on projects that we were proud of. I would say it was a perfect match as we absolutely loved working and spending time together, in and outside of school.
Today Robby and I still hold very specific roles that compliment each other and help PICA grow. I am still the force behind the illustration design and colour composition, where Robby over the years became the master of typography and my biggest critic. Despite having different strength and skill aspirations, we share the same style sensibility, design principles, and know that by working together we produce something much greater than what could have been had we been working alone.
