Summary
Mikhail Sharanda is an award-winning multidisciplinary designer born in Russia.
Currently, a design director at Huawei, based in Shenzhen, China. Previously: lead-designer at OnePlus, OPPO, Alcatel, had an honor to contribute on projects for Samsung, Android, YouTube.
He’s best known for the logo and identity of OnePlus smartphone corporation. He received mobile excellence and 2 honorable mention awards from Awwwards and Google. Design teams under his leadership won RedDot, GoodDesign, iF awards. His work got featured in Google’s maters of mobile report (China). Manrope font got featured in Behance graphic design curated gallery, and currently one of the most appreciated fonts there.
Philosophy
Do you remember how magical it was when you’ve combined blue and yellow paint for the first time?
That control over the colors and visual perception...
I loved how can I influence the world around me. Make people surprise and smile. Tell a story, deliver a message.
There was nothing before. Now it works. It helps somebody. Makes his life slightly better.
Through all the hard things, I find love and excitement.
there’re no shortcuts
I’ve grown up in a bad neighborhood during an economic crisis in Russia. I can’t say my childhood was hard. I had everything I needed, but I clearly remember that strong feeling of rejection: I didn’t like anything around me, I didn’t want to be like the others. I wanted to make a difference, but I had neither skills nor knowledge.
When I got my first job I desperately wanted to succeed in career and life… I often compromised my work and did “whatever it takes” just to get where I wanted.
I took projects I didn’t like. I worked with people I didn’t enjoy working with.
But from where I'm now, it finally becomes clear that there’re no shortcuts.
Every time I tried to “cheat” - it just hit me back harder. The projects got suspended, I was embarrassed to publish those in my portfolio, clients were disappointed, and even didn’t want to pay.
But every time I’ve done something because I loved what I’m doing - it raised me up. I’ve impressed my clients, they’ve recommended me to their friends. But more than that, it made me happier, made me learn new skills, opened new opportunities.
You have to find your own way to love what you are doing.
all that matters
I’ve been truly passionate about design and technologies. My dream since teenage years was to become a design leader of a world famous tech company.
But the story of Johny Ive was only his story, and I had to make my own.
Hard work and craftmanship of people before me have always been a true inspiration for me. Neither money nor fame. I only want to become really good at something and make this world a better place.
Master your craftsmanship is all that matters.
