MEET THE ANIMATOR: Simon Agyeman
Simon Agyeman is the creative eye behind the Arithmos digital animations and graphics! Based in London and having worked with the likes of The British Museum, Adidas and Dyson, Simon took the time to chat about his time in the industry and his career so far.
Do you drink coffee?
Yes! I do drink coffee! My favourite kind is Colombian coffee, particularly Littles Colombian coffee when I am in a hurry!
What was your upbringing like?
My parents were pretty strict when I was younger but slowly loosened up on me as I grew up. They always just wanted the best for me and brought me up with the teachings of always doing more than my capabilities to succeed. I was never a straight A student, I am not really an academic, but always enjoyed and succeeded in more practical subjects
What did you study in University?
I studied Architectural Technology at University but then decided to want to be more involved in the creative processes of things people love to enjoy and experience such as events and interactive activities, so I pursued set design and drafting.
When did you realise you were good at what you do now and decided to pursue it as your long term career?
It was when I started to take on the challenge of wanting to learn how to create a lot of the art I really loved on social media and figure out how I can translate my own ideas and creativity into something visual for the world and myself to see. So I decided to teach myself motion graphics and product design. When I started receiving feedback for some of my designs, it gave me greater confidence to pursue this as a career and made me want to keep learning and expanding to create better materials with every design and render I do and also appreciate the artist and creators around me for inspiring me and creating such wonderful content to the world.
What clients have you worked with in the past? What’s the most memorable one?
I have worked with some really interesting clients in my career. While I worked with a set and event fabrication company, I have worked with most UK tourist attractions such as The British Museum, The V&A, The National Theatre, Adidas, Dyson, Google Conventions, The Young Vic, The Design Museum, and the Science Museum. On my solo journey I have worked more closely with clients and their projects, it is really hard to pinpoint for me which is my most memorable one. I would say it is between working on the Dragun Glass for Nikita Dragun and the animations I made for the launch of Jlo Beauty.
Has COVID changed the way you work?
It really has been a very different experience with COVID, I have had to change a lot of my plans but it has pushed me to pursue the career path of designing for amazing projects and brands as a freelancer and has also made me spend more time learning new skills and hobbies including baking!
Who has the biggest influence in your life and why?
The biggest inspiration for my passion for creating art comes from the many artists I follow in all mediums but mostly, in particular, are from the likes of Tishkbarzanji. I love the unique but chic creative ways he brings his style and fashion together.
What’s your current skincare routine?
This has really been an off-again-on-again scenario for me, and I would love to try and take care of my skin more but the best I usually do is using a scrub on my face then some Youth To The People Squaline. I normally moisturize my face with coconut oil. Since being introduced to Arithmos, I love to use Sandalwood in the evenings as I find it super de-stressing & puts me in a better mood for sleeping!
What’s next for you?
The things that are on the horizon for me now are to keep striving and learning so I can create a multi media venture which will allow me to create content in a grander scale Digitally and Physically (the end game!)
