Insights (Инсайты) is a documentary project about the people of ESH.

Here, we capture the revelations that shape our lives as design studio professionals, each with a unique experience and perspective—particularly in the context of remote work. Featuring a digital workspace and in-depth team interviews, it’s an introspective look at how we exist and create.

Insights (Инсайты) emerged from a desire to reconnect as a team and create better relationships. It helps us confront alienation, relate to each other as coworkers and humans, and paint a collective portrait of our studio.

Great professional relationships go beyond project talks—they thrive on unfiltered, everyday exchanges. Remote work can dilute this genuine connection. Insights (Инсайты) helps us share thoughts, moods, and stories to cultivate our team dynamic and allow us to create truly impactful, emotionally resonant work.

The project has two parts. The first, a website—a shared space, a metaphorical office lost to the pandemic and war. It offers a glimpse into the context of each professional—what art and music keep us going, how we set up our work environments, structure our days, and approach our work. Here, you can find things that unite us and curious artifacts of our daily lives.

The second part features 17 in-depth interviews with studio members. Conducted by Polina Drozhkova, a professional interviewer with extensive experience working with designers, these conversations tackle the most pressing, moving, and difficult questions. They often begin with the question: “Who are you in the design universe?” Polina’s approach emphasizes authenticity and trust:

When planning these interviews, I tried to avoid two things. First, toxic positivity that glosses over any rough edges of real-life experiences. To my surprise, many opened up to me and shared thoughts and feelings they hadn’t even articulated to themselves. Second, I wanted to avoid focusing on projects and accomplishments. A designer is far more than just their portfolio. I wanted to discover and capture this richness—the mix of doubts and superpowers unique to each of us. There were no pre-written questions; each conversation unfolded naturally, leading to shared reflections, visions of past and future, moments of misunderstanding, and breakthroughs. The final text documents careful and attentive dialogue, made possible by the trust and sensitivity of the people in our team.

Insights (Инсайты) is a story about people. Behind every successful project are creators with unique visions and cultures, whose emotional states, attitudes, and approaches directly shape their work. We want to highlight everyone’s experience, including our young professionals, whose perspectives are just as valuable as those of the more experienced colleagues. It’s a reflection on teamwork, the interplay of personal and professional, the emotions that challenge and feed us, creativity and labor, and the quest to find our place in the design universe and survive.

Insights (Инсайты) is an invitation for anyone working in design. It offers a space where you can reflect on the complexities of our profession and resonate with our shared experiences. We hope to connect with fellow professionals, find people who share our values and interests, and start meaningful conversations about the questions that truly matter in our field.

ESH Team: Valera Kozhanov, Phillip Tretyakov, Stefan Lashko, Nadia Kosenkova, Katya Daugel-Dauge,  Ivan Matskevich, PolinaSyrvatka, Kirill Tyrigin, Boris Karakaev, Anya Kolysheva, Dasha Gadalova, Nastia Vedenyapina, Jenya Maksimova, Masha Lutsenko, Senya Afanasiev, Ksenia Ovchinnikova, Michael Ulybin, Katya Molchanova.