We speak to Yanko Djarov, Creative Director of Bulgarian based design studio inkpression™ to learn more about their award-winning work and plans for the future.

Can you tell us something about yourself and your studio? 

My name is Yanko Djarov, and I am a brand designer, printing specialist, and the Creative Director of inkpression™ .

I have 20 years of design experience, a bachelor's degree in Graphic Design, and a master's degree in Brand Design from IED, Milan. I am also the Art Director of KNESKO SKIN – a skincare brand based in Los Angeles.

What's the main area of expertise of your studio? Can you share your journey with design?

inkpression™ specializes in branding, identity, packaging, and print. We do strategic design and have our printing facility for prototyping and production. We test special printing techniques and exclusive materials – from hot foil stamping and 3D embossing to die cutting, 3D printing, etc.

Where do you see the studio heading to next? What is the future of inkpression?

To more great projects! Some international and innovative ones. More Pentawards, of course, and why not the jury table one day!

You’ve won three awards with your pack LEVSKI 1968 Packaging Experience. Can you tell us how that makes you feel?

Winning three awards in such categories for the LEVSKI football club project alongside brands like Johnnie Walker, PepsiCo, and Toblerone sounds surreal. We are so glad this happened!

Winner of 2 Silver Awards (Smart & Connected Packaging, and Entertainment and Leisure), and a Bronze Award (Garments & Accessories)

Can you talk us through the journey of creating’s LEVSKI 1968 Packaging Experience’s visual identity, the inspiration and challenges in bringing the pack to life?

As one of the key players in the print/packaging design scene in Bulgaria, Blue Hearts approached us to work on this project. Blue Hearts is an association that aims to preserve the history of the football club and is a non-profit which works closely with LEVSKI.

The pack itself honors LEVSKI's championship-winning match from 1968. It has a nostalgic look and uses blue, the club's color. We used mainly hot foil and premium materials. Everything is 100% football-inspired.

First, we did a 3D scan of the 1968 trophy. Thus, we were able to print a 3D-embossed replica of the trophy, as well as create an Instagram AR filter.

The box shows football field tracks and holds a reproduction of the match shirt, an acrylic plaque, an autographed and numbered football card, and a poster with the match story and access to the AR filter.

Which part of creating the pack did you and the team love the most?

The whole project is entirely an in-house job – a sophisticated one. We came up with the idea and the design, and I printed everything myself.

Are you currently working on any exciting new projects? 

Yes, we are working on a massive branding project, which will have a packaging experience too. I am also developing a skincare line.

The below project for AKUMULATORI BG is one of our latest – a brand identity system and a packaging design project. I cannot wait to tell you more soon!

What does the power of design mean to you?

It means responsibility but also the ability to solve problems. Good design is how it works, not only how it looks, so I have to be careful.

Finally, what is your message to young designers or students who are entering the design world?

They need to have a lot of patience, commitment, and desire. It is a long way, but a great one.

Find out more about inkpression™ here , and enter this year's competition for a chance to be a 2024 Pentawards winner!