A girl, who makes ESN VMU events look exceptional, because this is her hobby, her passion and her talent. Designs which you could start noticing in the sky of ESN Lithuania since the September, 2011 then the final PRIME conference was organized in Vilnius and a sudden need of a person, who could make a final flyer for the event, emerged. Probably that is the time then IG designs came into the light for us.
Already 1,5 years passed away after that event, but Indrė Gutauskaitė is still with us. After creating logo of ESN VMU, badges/diplomas for national events, numerous posters for the section. So maybe the time came to get to know better what do precious designs hide. Few questions from ESN Lithuania to ESN design pioneer Indrė!
What was your first impression you recall about ESN in Lithuania?
To join the organization I was encouraged by my friend, who saw that I am always aware of the new challenges, which I could accept and in that way find an opportunity to express myself. At the time I was still involved in the activities of other organizations, but ESN attracted me by the unique opportunity to directly work with international students through mentorship program and other projects, where I could see myself as a possible useful help and support. Then I was also thinking about my future participation in Erasmus program, so I realized, that it is a great chance to better get to know other cultures while I was still here, in Lithuania. And as I was thinking before joining, so I do know – I still can describe ESN as a strong, youthful, focused organization gathering friendly people.
Why have you decided to devote your time and talents for ESN?
I always try to show off in the areas, I think, I have what to show. Because of the reason that at the time I’ve joined ESN VMU, they were in need of the person who could implement certain tasks, which I was able to, I agreed to do so. How did you discover designing hobby?
I suppose it has started already in the childhood, when I used to draw with a hand and all the stands and posters in the school were made by me. After joining university paper was changed by a computer with various graphic design programs. Self-reliant lessons and creative surge, which was always with me – it was everything what did I need to start working in this area. What is true, that until today, I haven’t finished any studies or courses related to that, so I still have a long way to go. So for now it’s just a hobby.
Where do you find an inspiration for your works?
It depends on the topic and the variety of the ideas for the specific task, which I am asked to realize. I never want to create anything what I have seen before. Generally I try to unveil the main idea and after that continue everything that later spectators (most of them, because you cannot please everybody) could enjoy it visually.
What would be the first step for the person, who would love to learn to work with graphic designs?
Just to be creative, have ideas (even sometimes I also do feel lack of them) and learn how to work with one or another graphic design program, what anyone can do.
Did ESN help you to improve your skills? In what ways?
It is certain that working with every design I learn things I didn’t know before. So for me it is a self-education in this area and an escape from my Economics and finance studies in Vytautas Magnus University at the same time. Because of the reason that this organization has always been a sign of quality for me, I was trying that my works for it would also look professional and quality. What helped me to create my portfolio, which I hope to be useful for my future plans related to studies or work in the field of graphic design.
Which is your favorite work you have done for ESN so far?
I am happy that logo of ESN VMU, which I have created, is valued and appreciated. I managed to hear some rumors that not only in local, but also national and international levels of ESN. While working on it I was trying that to make a logo, which could expose the section of my university the best and I think that I’ve succeeded. So this my most favorite work from all I have ever done for ESN VMU. I also do hope that all members of ESN could say the same.
Thank you, Indre, for your thoughts! More works of IG designs might be found HERE.
Currently "Multilingual Lithuania" project covers seven languages - Spanish, Turkish, Latvian, French, Japanese, German and Russian. International students as participants of this project not only had an opportunity to become lecturers but also teach language using various, unconventional methods. Before the start of the project there was a registration process to enter language classes. Some of the languages such as Spanish, French and Turkish acquired such a huge interest that not everybody could get in the language groups. Languages of small countries were not left behind, for example Latvian language. Student from Latvia Ilzė who arrived at Vytautas Magnus University through Erasmus program, told that in the beginning she was quite scared that there will be just few persons interested in her mother tongue as this language cannot boast about its huge popularity. However everything turned out otherwise. Now Ilzė has even 16 students in her language group. Although in the beginning it was a bit strange, now Ilzė enjoys the process. She claimed that presently she understands the difficulty of the lecturer work. Person must observe the situation in classroom, prepare for the lectures and always arrive on time as student are already waiting.
Even the official part of the event took only one day but therefore an additional program was organized – attendants of training were invited to visit the Museum of War, located in the very heart of Kaunas.
I arrived at Kauno Kolegija at 14:00 o’clock. Even though the training was going on from early morning, instead of finding a group of tired, hungry people, I was welcomed by smiling ESNrs who couldn’t wait to see the next presentation/workshop. My Lithuanian is not good, so I couldn’t understand what most of the presentations were about, but I could easily understand faces full of excitement, and laughs and jokes they were making all the time. So if this event was organized in order to strengthen the bonding between ESN sections in Lithuania, I think it got a ten out of ten.
Day one started with personal trainings which were presented by KTU Career Center representative – Eglė Šliurpaitė. Many questions were discussed such as „How to compete with fear of public speaking“, „Why do we need challenges in our life? “, „How to do works in time without physical exhaustion?”. During the day ESN team was learning communication, time planning and working together skills in various practical activities.
Second NP in Kaunas during the history of ESN Lithuania brought together more than 50 active members including and the first Chair of NP in ESN Lithuania’s history. It was Orinta Movsesjan who bravely stood in front of everyone and kept the right order. Therefore at the end of the NP all the sections approved that CT should be elected for every single NP. One more step forward a better work quality was made continuing with the fact that even 6 different workshops were organized by 6 different members of the NB covering the topics from visual identity and marketing finishing with the basics of HTML code. 
While trying to improve skills of ESN members international students mustn’t be forgotten as well, that’s why the idea brought back from CEP Graz 2012 to participate in ESN Olympics were presented for the NP and approved by 8 from 9 sections, who were present on 2-nd day of NP. International students should start practicing their running, swimming, soccer skills, because already this spring they will be invited to Poland to show the best they can and ESN Lithuania will be there for them with all the help to win the gold!
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