Andromachi Kakava: Embrace Change and Move Forward
CEO of ABC Design Communication
by Elizabeth Lavis
|30 Jul 2024
The best advice that Andromachi Kakava, CEO of ABC Design Communication, ever heard is, “There is no ‘I can’t,’ there is only “I don’t want to.’” This ability to tap into internal resilience and roll with the ever-changing landscape of the design world shaped Kakava’s philosophy. “Everything changes,” she says. “We and others change, and every day differs from the previous one. What we have to do is embrace the changes and move forward, not resist.”
Constant newness and fresh challenges are the key things that Kakava cherishes most about her work. “I like that every day is different from the other; every product or material and its treatment is unique. I also like that the technology, prints, techniques, and materials change quickly. It makes the pursuit of creation magical and keeps me on my toes,” she says.
Kakava’s work is endlessly shifting and enhancing, too. “Every year, month, and day, my work evolves,” she says. “Nothing stays the same, and every day is another day. That is what’s charming about my job: the evolution.”
Kakava grew up in a small village in Achaia, Greece, and was fascinated by the beauty around her from a young age. “I always like to create, drawing in my notebooks under school assignments, cutting fabric, and designing clothes for my dolls. I always knew that I would do something creative and interesting that would make every day different,” she says. “I managed to transform my interests into my profession.”
Nyssos "Bio Olive Oil" , ABC DESIGN COMMUNICATION
Kakava’s design approach hinges on a 50/50 split between strategy and creativity. It relies on respectful and transparent communication with her clients that focuses heavily on the design's goals. “We need to be able to touch them, meet their needs, and make them feel like they made the best purchase,” she says. The process starts with an in-depth discussion about the client’s project and how they’d like to market it, and then Kakava and her team provide different solutions to help them achieve these goals. “The average design campaign takes about 20-25 days,” Kakava says.
This meticulous, partnership-based approach yields plenty of long-term clients for Kakava and her team. “I have a client who has been working with us for 25 consecutive years, and we’ve built a relationship based on trust day by day.”
She manages stress by stepping away from her work to take a deep breath and admire nature. “A few minutes in front of the window looking at the beautiful office garden changes my mood, and the stress magically disappears,” Kakava says.
She also indulges regularly in one of her other creative passions: photography. “Photography is a life choice for me,” she says. “I have been photographing amateurishly for the last 15 years and have been distinguished in international and Greek competitions.” She also believes in the power of getting away from it all. “My little secret is escapes,” she says. “I’ve traveled to almost 55% of the planet.”
Kakava also indulges in plenty of ‘guilty pleasures’ as a form of self-care. “Pleasures are never guilty,” she says. “We should enjoy a day of laziness or fast food, both of which have their charms.”
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