05.07.2024
The divers of the deep
They are our Special Unit – 12 experts at HAJOK who perfectly master the interplay of a wide range of skills: photography & food styling, illustration & icon development, design work & image retouching. They are professionals in the field of adaptations and implement national and international design roll-outs, where absolute flexibility and precision are a must! Design directors Dirk Fellinghauer
and Serge Pierre-Kaiser explain what other requirements are needed in the team and what role AI already plays.
WHAT SKILLS DO YOU NEED IN YOUR TEAM?
Serge Pierre-Kaiser: “We make pictures yummy! The trick is that you can't see the image processing. You should have the feeling that it was photographed exactly this way. This requires a trained eye, years of experience and the right know-how – but also the drive to create the perfect image.”
HAJOK DESIGN HAS ITS OWN PHOTO STUDIO – WHAT’S THE ADVANTAGE?
Dirk Fellinghauer: “Trawling through image databases often takes ages and is not always that satisfactory. We can get the image we want faster with the help of our in-house studio. We can also shoot flexibly and spontaneously, and thus offer our customers absolute quality, maximum creativity and speed of implementation. We work to the highest level and are particularly well-versed in the field of food styling.”
ARE YOU ALREADY USING AI AS PART OF YOUR DAY-TO-DAY WORK?
Serge Pierre-Kaiser: “Yes, often! We use AI during the layout phase and for briefings for shootings. However, we are not allowed to use AI-generated images in production for legal reasons. And you still have to be careful: many AI images have errors that you notice at the second glance at the latest.”
WHAT OTHER TASKS DO YOU TAKE ON?
Dirk Fellinghauer: “We often have to fine-tune master designs ready for roll-out. Here we really immerse ourselves in the creative design development process. Moreover we adapt designs for different variants and formats.”
WHAT DO YOU PARTICULARLY LIKE ABOUT THE JOB?
Serge Pierre-Kaiser: “The variety! Every day is different and it's always fun to dive into new projects. From dog food to ice cream to electrical cords – we have a really wide range and each category is different. This is what makes our job super exciting!”