Anton Herasymenko is a founder and designer of Readymag, an online design tool for the creation of microsites, portfolios, presentations and digital magazines. He is also a designer at Pinterest. As part of Readymag, Anton is the art director of Enso, which explores "creativity and inventiveness as central sources of meaning in our lives". We've been impressed by his talent and success to date whilst being intrigued as to where his path of inspiration might take us.

* Photo of Anton by Anton Repponen

Work by Anton Herasymenko:

Anton Herasymenko nominated the User Interface (UI) designer Mike Matas:

I first saw Mike’s work back in 2011 when he gave a TED talk on his latest project—Al Gore’s Our Choice digital book. It was really inspiring and resonated with me immediately, as back then we just started working on Readymag and were thinking about how we can make digital publications, like magazines for example, more engaging and interactive for readers, and simplify the creation process for independent publishers. To a certain degree, his work helped me realize that when building new products it’s very important to try to escape the Now and think about how well your product fits the Future, what new UX patterns it changes or creates.

I think that Mike’s obsession with nature is what makes him a good designer and thinker. Sometimes it can be hard to explain, but you can feel the honesty in his work which I think is the highest skill in design. Well, not only in design, I guess.

Work by Mike Matas (L-R: Facebook Instant Articles, Nest Thermostat, Al Gore's Our Choice)

Mike Matas nominated designer and illustrator Sharon Matas who is also his partner:

Sharon and I first met when we were working at Apple. I walked into a meeting where she was presenting ideas for a new project we were working on. Holding up little index cards she explained her colored pencil sketches. There is a special quality to Sharon’s work that is hard to put my finger on. When she draws her hand is calm and steady, moving without hesitation. It’s just natural and effortless. There's a charming quality that comes through, in even her most simple sketches, that feels like a very authentic reflection of her personality.  Looking at her drawings you can get a real sense of who she is and how she sees the world. As my partner in creative work and in daily life she is a great source of inspiration.

Work by Sharon Matas:

Sharon Matas nominated the graphic designer Tom Crabtree who runs the Manual design studio in San Francisco:

Tom Crabtree is a brilliant graphic designer. His work just speaks for itself — simple, beautiful design, with a lot of charm and confidence. 

When I started working at Apple about 10 years ago, I sat right opposite Tom. He and everyone on our team are some of the best designers I've worked with. I remember feeling a bit surprised when Tom told us he's leaving Apple to start his own design studio in San Francisco. Knowing his wife was pregnant with their first daughter, I thought it was a bold and admirable move for him to leave the comfort and prestige of a big company like Apple, and take on the risk to pursue his own dreams and passion.

8 years later looking back now, it's wonderful to see how his studio Manual has grown, and the collection of amazing design and branding work they've done. With his background of working in London, Tom has brought a unique sensibility and thoughtfulness to the design scene in Silicon Valley, making a refreshing and valuable mark in the tech world. Being a new mom myself, embarking on a new journey in life, it's an inspiring reminder to keep following my passions and not being afraid to take risks.

Work by Tom Crabtree and his agency Manual:

Tom Crabtree nominated the Vancouver based musician and producer Loscil (aka Scott Morgan):

I only recently discovered the music of Loscil (aka Scott Morgan) a couple of years ago when Sea Island was released, but his music has since resonated with me in quite a deep way.

The micro-crackles, fizzing textures, warm waves of looping melodies, and quietly pulsating heartbeat rhythms - it all brings to me a sense of contemplation and pensiveness. I find it very beautiful and quite moving. There’s a tension in his work also - an ongoing relationship between the melancholy and the uplifting.

I find it perfect music to work to. On one hand my work requires me to be hyper-focussed on problem solving and rationalizing: understanding problems, uncovering concepts, recognizing patterns, and forming a narrative. On the other hand it requires me to be open to artistic inspiration and creative possibilities: mark-making, recognizing beauty, and trusting my eyes and my intuition. Loscil’s music is a perfect soundtrack to this creative process.

He’s also brilliant at putting my three year old daughter to sleep.

Work by Loscil:

Loscil nominated the musician and interdisciplinary artist Marcus Fischer:

Someone who has provided constant inspiration to me over the years in my friend Marcus Fischer. There isn’t much Marcus doesn’t do. He is a designer and visual artist, photographer, musician, builder and general tinkerer. He approaches his work with such playfulness, intelligence, whimsy and passion. His music is quiet and contemplative, very designed and particular.  

He creates floating, self-enclosed systems - like music machines that create their own sound world - part sculpture, part installation, part instrument. There is something very Cascadian about Marcus’s work. His photography blends texture, geometry and nature and his music evokes longing for the forest and the sea. Marcus is one of those people that seems to be constantly creating. It’s his resting state. Always seeing through the eye of a photographer and listening with the ear of a musician.  

Marcus Fischer and his work:

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