Kiss Me I'm Polish
About
Studio Size
Small (1-5)
Year founded
2003
Borough
Manhattan
Studio Bio/Philosophy
Kiss Me I'm Polish is a multidisciplinary design studio with a focus on branding, interactive and editorial design. Our clients come in all shapes and sizes and from a wide range of industries. We are passionate about great design and the clear flow of information. We solve problems with brains, tackle challenges with brawn, and design with heart.
The Team
Kiss Me I'm Polish has 5 people. Of those, 1 is a studio head and 2 are managerial.
60% of studios are small-sized (1-5 people).
Gender Breakdown
20% male
80% female
Average height
5’4”-5’6”
Shortest: 4’10”
Tallest: 5’9”
Average age
30-35
Youngest: 26
Oldest: 41
Number of freelancers/year
11-25
1-5 are long-term freelancers
Number of interns/year
1-2
Average: 1-2
Studio Disciplines
Breakdown of Work
Number of studio projects
26–50
Pro-bono projects
1–5
Primary Specialties
- Art Direction (58)
- Books (52)
- Brand Strategy (42)
- Branding & Identity (77)
- Editorial/Publication Design (51)
- Illustration (45)
- Information Graphics (41)
- Interaction Design (36)
- Mobile Design (30)
- Motion (29)
- Packaging (45)
- Print (75)
- Product (23)
- Web Design (59)
Outside the scope of the studio
- Sound Design (49)
- Typeface Design (20)
- Web Development (43)
Clients’ Industries
- Education (40)
- Fashion (45)
- Healthcare (18)
- Local & community organizations (41)
- Media & Publishing (58)
- The Arts/Cultural Institutions (71)
Kiss Me I'm Polish’s Clients
- AIGA (5)
- Daily Candy, Inc.
- Design Trust for Public Space
- GOOD, Inc.
- Knight Foundation
- National Geographic (2)
- Outside Magazine
- TED (4)
- The Atlantic Monthly
- The Museum of Modern Art, New York (4)
- Water For People
- WW Norton
Agnieszka Gasparska, Founder / Creative Director
Demographics
From Warsaw, Poland, lives in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, NY. Primary design education is school (The Cooper Union School of Art).
What’s been the biggest influence on your design career?
There have been so many experiences over the course of my career that it's very hard to pinpoint just one or even a handful. It's really the whole of all of those accumulated experiences - all of the things learned through simply working and running a business, all of the relationships with clients, collaborators, and peers - the exposure to all of those experiences is what has most shaped who I am as a working designer and a person today.
Years in Design Industry
14 years
Average: 17 years
Previous Design Employment
- Funny Garbage, Inc.
- The Cooper Union Center for Design and Typography
Teaching Design
- Parsons The New School for Design — 1 years
- Cooper Union School of Art — 1 years
Board Member on Professional Design Organizations
- AIGA — 2 years
Time spent designing
40% actual
60% desired
Location
The Space
The studio is about 1300 square feet. It’s rented and they’ve been there for 3 years. They share a space with 1 other company/individual.
Approximately 217 square feet/person. The average is 210 square feet/person.
37% of studios share a space.
Number of times moved
2
Total people in space
6
Kiss Me I'm Polish: 5, Other: 1
Amenities
- Bike storage (26)
- Cleaning service (44)
- Doorman (23)
- Elevator (54)
- Free booze (28)
- Free drinks (27)
- Free snacks (27)
- Library/book collection (67)
- Pin-up board (43)
- Whiteboard (23)
Number of conference rooms
0
Client meetings held in studio: Approximately half
Number of plants
6-10
Decorations
Books and bookshelves, Our friends' artwork, Our work, Photos, Process materials for ongoing projects
Desk Policy
To each their own: some keep their desks tidy, while others like it messier.
Space Satisfaction
We love it, it’s perfect
Working Days
Working week
The work week is 50-59 hours/week. On an average day, the last person is out at 8:00pm.
31% of studios work 50-59 hours/week.
The average is 40-49 hours/week.
Paid Vacation
11-15 days
41% of studios in this range
Paid Holidays
13 days
Average: 7
Work Weekends?
Once a month
Take Summer Fridays?
Every once in a while
Busiest Time of day?
It’s high intensity all day
Favorite Typefaces:
- Akkurat (8)
- Arial (5)
- Avant Garde Gothic
- Chronicle (2)
- Feel Script
- Franklin Gothic (8)
- Georgia (3)
- Helvetica / Helvetica Neue (14)
- Karben
- Museo
- Salvo
- Times (2)
Culture
Music
Plays music for 80% of the day at an average volume. Currently obsessed with Spotify / Everything.
Side Projects
The Itty Bitty Project
42% of studios have side projects.
Biking to work
2
127 bikers across all studios
Pick your poison
Whisk(e)y
Overall Noise Level
Average
59% of studios are average
Studio pets
1 dog, small pet (e.g. hamster, mouse, etc.)
32% have pets at the studio
Working groups
Internal studio meetings
A couple times/week
Lunch Habits
Eats in small groups
Favorite delivery/take-out: Dil-e Punjab Deli, Co Ba Pho, Go! Go! Curry