Étrange

Étrange: the creative agency I built in Kyiv in 2006

What started as a small graphic design studio became a multidisciplinary creative agency, a team of talented people, and one of the most important chapters of my professional life.

In 2006, I founded Étrange in Kyiv, Ukraine. At the time, I was a young graphic designer finishing my university studies, working in advertising, and already thinking about how to build something of my own.

I didn't start with a grand business plan or a clear vision of what the agency would become. I started with professional experience, a few clients, a creative partner, and a strong desire to grow.

Looking back, I realise that building Étrange taught me as much about business, people, and leadership as it did about creativity.

How it started

Before Étrange, I worked at AdWorld, a publishing and advertising agency where I developed my skills as a graphic designer. It was there that I met another designer who would later become my business partner.

We stayed in touch after she left the company. She had more professional experience than I did, while I had plenty of ambition and a constant desire to try something new.

At that time, I was already experimenting with small business ideas. I knew I didn't want to spend my entire career working only as an employee, although I couldn't yet tell you exactly what I wanted to build.

One day, we discussed the idea of working independently. We already understood the industry, knew how to work with clients, and had experience delivering design projects. Starting our own studio felt like a natural next step.

So we registered the company and began working together.

During the first year, we worked from home. There was no big office, no large team, and no complicated structure. We focused on finding clients, delivering good work, and figuring out how to turn our skills into a sustainable business.

The name came from the French word étrange, meaning strange, unusual, or unexpected. I liked the idea of doing things differently and not always following the most obvious route. It felt right for a creative studio.

When a small studio became an agency

I was never interested in design as an isolated discipline. I wanted to understand the business behind it: how companies worked, how marketing decisions were made, why people responded to certain ideas, and how creative work could help a business grow.

Once I graduated in 2007, I could invest more time in the agency. I started actively building professional relationships, meeting marketing directors and business owners, and looking for opportunities beyond the smaller projects we were handling.

We participated in tenders and competed for larger contracts. I was learning how to present ideas, negotiate with clients, manage projects, and think beyond the design itself.

In 2008, we won a major tender for Intertelecom, one of Ukraine's significant telecommunications companies at the time.

That project changed everything.

Suddenly, the workload was far beyond what our small team could manage. We began hiring designers, then account managers, and later web developers. Gradually, we moved beyond graphic design into advertising, digital projects, and broader brand communication.

Our collaboration with Intertelecom continued for almost a decade, until 2017. We worked on campaigns across different regions of Ukraine, brand guidelines, outdoor advertising, radio, digital communication, and many other materials.

For me, it was an incredible learning experience. I had to develop creative concepts while also learning how to manage a growing team, organise production, maintain quality, and keep clients confident in the work we delivered.

I was becoming an art director in practice, not just in title.

The work that shaped Étrange

Intertelecom was a major milestone, but it wasn't the only project that helped define the agency. Over the years, we worked with brands including NOVUS and its private-label brand - Premia; METRO Cash & Carry; and IDS Aqua Service with its Alaska brand, along with many others.

Our work expanded into branding, packaging, advertising campaigns, websites, editorial design, photography, video, and digital communication.

I was involved in almost every part of the process. Depending on the project, I could be developing a visual concept, discussing strategy with a client, directing a photoshoot, reviewing a website, or managing the team responsible for delivery.

I enjoyed that variety. I never wanted to be limited to one narrow role, and running an agency gave me the opportunity to connect different disciplines.

One achievement I particularly remember is the website we created for IDS Aqua Service, which received a European award in 2012 for the best water-delivery website.

But what mattered most to me wasn't collecting awards. It was seeing the agency become capable of handling increasingly complex projects and building relationships with clients who trusted us over many years.

I also learned that running a creative business requires much more than creative talent. You need to understand people, communicate clearly, make decisions, manage expectations, and take responsibility when something doesn't go according to plan.

Our team started the project by analyzing the user journey, understanding the user's needs, and gathering feedback from users. We conducted extensive research on the real estate industry and competitors' websites to identify best practices and trends.

We created a new design concept that aligned with the brand's style guide, providing a fresh and modern look. We used high-quality images and videos to showcase the properties, making them more visually appealing and engaging.

We optimized the website for mobile devices, ensuring that the user experience was consistent across all devices. We focused on providing a smooth and intuitive user experience, simplifying the navigation and reducing the number of clicks needed to access the primary features.

We integrated the website with the client's CRM system, making it easier for the agency to manage and track leads. We also added a mortgage calculator and a property valuation tool, providing users with valuable information and improving the website's lead generation capabilities.

Design was my starting point, but building Étrange taught me how to lead.

A new chapter in Barcelona

In 2016, I moved to Barcelona, Spain.

At that point, Étrange had an established portfolio, a team, and years of experience behind it. But relocating to another country changed the way I could run the business.

Managing a physical agency in Kyiv while living in Spain became increasingly complicated. In 2017, my business partner decided to pursue a different direction, and we closed the Kyiv office.

It was the end of one version of Étrange, but not the end of the agency itself.

I continued working as an independent Creative Director and Designer, collaborating with clients internationally. Over time, Étrange evolved into a more flexible, remote model that allowed me to work with specialists according to each project's needs.

This transition wasn't simply about replacing an office with remote work. It changed how I thought about building a creative team. Instead of relying on a fixed structure, I could bring together the right people for each project, combining different skills and perspectives.

In 2023, I gave Étrange a new identity, website, positioning, and service structure. I also brought back the French accent in the name — Étrange — marking a new chapter for the agency.

Étrange today

Today, Étrange operates as an independent Creative Production Agency based in Barcelona.

Our work covers branding, visual identity, creative direction, digital design, websites, content, social media, and creative production. Depending on the project, I work directly with clients or assemble a flexible team of designers, developers, marketing specialists, and other creative professionals.

I like projects where I can see the bigger picture: understanding what a business needs, finding the right idea, and connecting strategy with visual execution.

At the same time, I still love the hands-on creative work. After years of managing projects and teams, I still find it satisfying to sit down and design something myself.

Étrange Events

In 2025, Étrange entered a new chapter with the launch of Étrange Events, bringing together my creative agency and Oksana Zharkova’s event expertise.

Oksana and I first met in 2017, when she approached Étrange creative agency for branding and website development for her new wedding agency - EventWed. What began as a client relationship gradually developed into a long-term professional collaboration. Over the years, we worked together on different projects, partnered on initiatives, and combined our expertise on marketing and creative projects.

Eventually, we decided it was time to unite Oksana’s wedding agency, EventWed, and my creative agency, Étrange, bringing together her expertise in event planning and management with my experience in creative direction, branding, and production.

That’s how Étrange Events, our new division, was born — focused on creating and producing corporate events, product launches, brand experiences, gala dinners, and destination events.

For me, this was a natural evolution: turning years of working together into a new business direction with more possibilities for both of us.

What building Étrange means to me

When I think about Étrange, I don't think only about the projects, the clients, or the years in business.

I think about the people who were part of it, the challenges that forced us to grow, the decisions that changed our direction, and the experience of turning a small idea into something much bigger than its original form.

Building an agency taught me to look beyond the immediate creative task. It taught me how to connect ideas with business objectives, how to bring people together, and how to adapt when circumstances change.

It also taught me that building something doesn't mean it has to remain the same forever. Sometimes growth means expanding. Sometimes it means changing the structure. And sometimes it means letting go of the old way of working so something new can emerge.

Étrange began as two designers deciding to work independently. Nearly two decades later, it remains an important part of what I do — but it has never been a static business.

For me, that is part of the appeal of creative work: there is always another problem to solve, another perspective to explore, and another way to bring an idea to life.

Étrange is the agency I built, but it is also a reflection of how I work: curious, multidisciplinary, independent, and always open to what comes next.