Johanna Rüdinger
Creative Art Director / Senior Copywriter / Founder Studio Dominguette
Barcelona, Spain
www.johannaruedinger.com
instagram @johannaruedinger / @studio.dominguette/
TikTok
Q What do you do?
“If I had to condense it, so it could fit into a Polly Pocket’s pocket, then:
Having ideas that tell a brand’s story. And I have a lot of them. ”
That’s still a bit abstract, so let me break it down into bits and parts that my parents would not understand anymore: I am that person that will take a brand and find the right words to define its soul (creative strategy, brand personality, tone of voice), before finding the right words to tell its story (advertising copy, campaign development). And then, I can take that brand’s soul and breathe life into it through visual storytelling, too. By defining a style and direction that will create a consistent look and feel throughout design, photography, and videography. And the most fun part for me, and the one I truly shine at, is coming up with ideas every day that create a truly three-dimensional brand.
Q What steps did you take to get to where you are now?
Right after I finished school, I did a marketing internship and I still remember the moment I met their copywriter and discovered that this is A REAL JOB. Like what, I can write and get paid for it? Sign. Me. Up. So, from that point on, there was nothing else I rather wanted to do.
Fast-forward to some months later, and I made it happen. Went through the wringer in an in-house agency, then went freelance and took absolutely any kind of project to gain as much experience as I could. I never said no, I tried it all, I found out what I liked and what I didn’t, what I was good at and what not. And I took a lot of courses and workshops on the way, read books, all that stuff. It helped, and still does. I always keep learning and expanding my skills and knowledge, it is what I love most about my job. Honestly, it was a mix of working hard and late, a good gut feeling, and luck.
Q How do you stand out in your field?
Not very tall, because I am only 1,64 m and that’s a lie I told at the passport office. I’m really only 1,63 m. But fear not, they pack a big personality.
What makes me truly stand out, though, is that I speak German (mother tongue), French (first foreign language), and English (second foreign language). And I am currently learning Spanish and Italian, so hallo, bonjour, buenas, and ciao, I have quite the knowledge about the European market. This has helped me to launch many brands into the European market in the past, and am very experienced in adapting strategies, copy, and campaigns to different locales.
I am also a multidisciplinary creative and have dabbled in a lot of different areas that make it easy for me to collaborate with different talent or even do it myself. Photography, videography, set design, styling, food styling, voice recordings, you name it, I might have done it, and I can do it again.
Q What are you working on right now?
Professionally, I am currently working a gig as interim global creative director of social media for a German brand that sells supplements and functional nutrition. I mainly focus on empowering the social team, support them to find more ideas, improve processes and communication, and of course, the output.
I have also been given the opportunity to create a chocolate brand from scratch, naming, brand strategy, packaging, design, and everything. It’s truly a dream come true.
Personally, I decided to launch a small studio to publish personal projects, get the chance to explore my own style, experiment with different ideas, and work with other creatives that I admire, and flex my muscles as a director and filmmaker. It’s called Studio Dominguette, it’s very cute and cool.
Q What’s your style?
A recruiter I sometimes work with told me that I am the girl she calls for ‘unconventional, crazy, cool, edgy, and alternative gigs’. I take no offense in that, I love it, actually.
However, personally, I love poetry in words and visuals. I am inspired by softness, moments that feel suspended in time, and deep lush colours of the sea, the sky, and nature. But I also love to write with a cheeky undertone, subtle humour, always packaged in beauty and glamour. And I like it sexy, funny, witty, bold, independent.
I wrote, co-directed, and co-produced a short film that showcases perfectly how I like to write and bring words to life through visuals: johannaruedinger.com/project/stuff-fix-air-freshener-acd-producer
And I also recently completed another idea that popped up in my head, which is a fake pizza restaurant with a bit of an unconventional name and concept... I built a small site for it here: wixsite.com/candidiasis
Q Out of all your slashies, which one do you wish you could do more often?
As a skill: Editing. I fell in love with filming and filmmaking while studying photography, but I never thought that I should do something about it. But recently, I have discovered that my happy place is being stuck behind the screen, staring at Premiere, waiting for my little films to render. So I said whatever, life is too short to wonder what if, and long enough to avoid what if, so now I direct, film, and edit a little for clients, and a lot for myself. But I want to learn it as a proper craft, so it's in the books.
Q What is frustrating you right now?
I learned my craft at an in-house agency that had incredible talent working there, and we were pushed very hard to make things perfect. It was a blessing and a curse, because I now often get lost in perfectionism. It’s great for clients, as I try to make sure that my decks are impeccable, and my ideas are on-brief and working before I present anything.
Now, on a personal level it does keep me from turning my own ideas into reality, because I spend too much time perfecting them. Which means that a lot of ideas might have started, but editing the last bits of that video or those pictures always end up at the bottom of my list, because I am afraid that I am not happy enough with my outcome. And in return, that keeps me from showing these ideas and get hired for similar projects. But it's OK, I am working on it as I am working through The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron.
Q If you could hire someone for $20/hour, what would you have them do to make your day easier?
A PROEJCT MANAGER! Honestly, I sometimes really struggle to manage myself. My client work? No problem. But doing it for myself? No way. Project managers to me are real heroes, so big shoutout to all the PMs and producers out there for shielding us creatives from clients, translating client-creative, having our backs, and making sure that we can concentrate on great creatives. I recognize, though, that $20 is not enough, and I am willing to pay more.
Q What do you wish you could have told yourself, when, and why?
I wish that I could tell that stressed out junior copywriter that one day, she will be the one to inspire teams, empower them, critically look through their copy and concepts and give them pointers on how to make it better. And that one day, she will realize that it is OK to not be perfect in the beginning, that nobody is born a pro, and that everyone learns. And that the beauty of it all lays in the journey.
And I wish that I could tell that little girl walking wide-eyed through small Italian streets filled with history and massive doors with golden knockers, that one day, she will make that dream come true. That one day, she will live in streets filled with history, drenched in the Mediterranean sun, always a stone’s throw away from the sea.
Q If you could talk to an expert to gain more insight on something, what would it be about?
I would like to know more about the growing pains of a studio or an agency. How to work with people, hire them, how to treat them really well, how to manage money and clients. That kind of stuff. But not a big agency, something small that started by accident or out of necessity. Because you can find masterclasses on many subjects, but finding a Domestika course on an honest passion projects that turned into a professional opportunity with all the gritty details, is much harder to come by.
Q What kind of opportunities/projects are you looking for?
I am at my best working projects that require me to be part of the strategy as well as the output. To help conceive initial ideas or branding and then take it to the next level, execute it through campaigns, events, or anything really that can bring it to life. Ideally, this happens within a team of talent that is bubbling with ideas just like I am. A team I am happy to lead, empower, inspire, and create unconventional and unseen things together with.
Q Describe your ideal job/client/collaboration.
It's quite simple, actually, a client who is not afraid to do something different. A client who wants to push boundaries and create some chaos. Who understands that a new generation of consumers wants to be talked to and wowed differently. Who values new and exciting ideas. And pronouns.
Q What is your rate?
My day rate starts at €800, and then depends on the kind of work required.
For longer or ongoing work, we can discuss packages, and I am always willing to adapt to a client depending on the project, and how it aligns with my interests and values, if it’s a non-profit or collaboration. The best is to just slide into my dm’s and quickly discuss the matter.
Q How should someone approach you about working together?
www.johannaruedinger.com
me@johannaruedinger.com
LinkedIn
Let's be friends right away, I feel more comfortable on a first name basis :)
Client, industry, and some pointers on the project would be great to know if I am a good match for you.
Q Who is a creative you admire?
An amazing art director, retoucher, and friend.
A sensitive soul, frequent collaborator, and edgy art director
A very cool friend, bold and Bohemian art director
Q Oh! and… how do you stay creative?
Suspending moments in time. Watching the earth turning. Listening to the time passing.
This member profile was originally published in August 2023