Everyone loves a hero origin story — what’s yours?
I was born and raised in a small city in Macedonia called Tetovo. It’s a city under Shar Mountain, one of the largest and highest in the region, known for its beautiful landscapes, hiking and ski center (if you love nature, you should check it out 🙂).
My first touch with computers was a curiosity for gaming, back in the day when internet cafes were the go-to place. During my high school years, I fell in love with HTML, CSS and JS, especially the front-end aspect of building websites. This was in the early 2000s, back when we used tables with <tr> and <td> tags to create layouts — anyone from that time will remember the struggle!
Did you go to school for design or have formal training?
I don’t have a formal design education. I’m proud to say that I’m a self-taught designer.
After graduating high school in 2008, the closest college program to my interests was Computer Science. I started studying software engineering and after two years discovered the world of design, including interface design to logo creation — that’s when I knew I had found my true spark. I dropped out of college and completely shifted my focus.
I would wake up at 5:00 AM and start my day by reading books on design, going through courses and videos, and also studying the business side. By noon, I’d switch gears and work on freelance projects until evening. This routine helped me build my skills and knowledge from the ground up.
My top 3 book recommendations for junior to intermediate designers interested in Graphic Design/Identity Design/Branding are:
- Grid Systems in Graphic Design by Josef Müller-Brockmann
- Designing Brand Identity by Alina Wheeler
- The Brand Gap by Marty Neumeier
Who were some of the early influences in your career?
I followed the path of successful design firms and the work of pioneers in Swiss design like Josef Müller-Brockmann, Richard Paul Lohse and Max Bill. I’m still amazed by their ability to combine simplicity, precision and functionality.
Also, design mentors like Chris Do from The Futur. I love their design courses and YT channel.
How did Alphamark start? What was the original vision for the company and has that changed over time?
Alphamark started as a one-person design studio. After a few successful projects, I brought on a junior graphic designer and junior creative developer to help me with the technical side and to grow with me. Starting as a solo endeavor, Alphamark has grown into a small team of talented professionals.
Our ambitions have shifted towards improving the type and scale of projects we work on and the impact our work has on our clients' businesses. We're very selective about the projects we take on, as I believe that our projects define who we are and our future path.
Today, the goal of Alphamark is to maintain a small team of carefully chosen professionals who are passionate about design. I believe that small teams can provide big results by providing both personalized and high-impact services.
Award-winning rebrand and website launch for Bemo at bemo.studio
How did you come up with the name?
I decided to shift my focus from my personal brand to building the brand of the organization and knew I needed to come up with a cool, memorable name that would stand out. After a couple of naming exercises, Alphamark was the one that stood out to me.
Quoting from our website: Alpha means something or someone first in position, order, or class, symbolizing leadership — and Mark means an area different from its surroundings, conveying the idea of leaving a visible and memorable impression.
What does Alphamark specialize in and what sets you apart from other studios?
Our expertise focuses on designing brand identities to websites. Maintaining a small, passionate team of carefully chosen professionals allows us to custom tailor projects. We involve the expertise of our team members into each project individually. This results in a service that perfectly meets our clients’ needs and attention. The amount of detail and the quality of service we provide goes beyond the expectations of our clients.
Our expertise focuses on designing brand identities to websites.
Can you briefly tell us about your project workflow? How are your projects organized and run from ideation through delivery?
I’m a firm believer in our process of work. We are still working on standardizing our processes, but it has proven to build results that are in alignment with our client's expectations, as well as impact on their business/community/audience.
Each project starts with 1) Creative Discovery: helping us to learn all needed details about the company/organization we work with. 2) Stylescapes (this is our strong side): exploring different creative directions with a goal of finding a ‘common’ visual language between us, the client and their audience. 3) Design: this is where the magic happens, everything we have discovered in 1 & 2 is put into action.
What does the software stack look like at Alphamark?
We rely heavily on Figma as a team when it comes to design operations for both branding and website projects. For internal operations we use Asana for project management and Slack for communication. One thing we are very proud of is our solution for delivering brand guidelines. We’ve built a custom solution where teams can go to a specific web page (password-protected) where they can find each brand asset online. This is specifically helpful for small and medium-sized teams so they can ensure continued brand consistency.
Is Alphamark in-office, remote or hybrid? What are your thoughts on in-person vs remote work?
Alphamark initially started with a 100% in-office setup. Currently, for employees living far from the office, we offer a hybrid work program (usually 3 days in-office, 2 days remote). As a small team currently building its culture, I believe all employees must stay connected, utilizing mutual ideas and collective chemistry.
Where do you currently draw inspiration from?
My inspiration comes from what I see and consume in my daily life — from architectural details on buildings, to the balance of harmony vs rawness in nature. I see architecture as closely related to graphic and digital design, as both fields share principles like balance, structure and aesthetics, which is a major source of inspiration for me.
What are your must-have, personal productivity or business apps?
For me, the number one application for personal productivity and business is Notion. Notion can cover a lot, from daily to-do lists to advanced database relations, calculations, etc.
How do you personally reset and re-charge when work feels overwhelming?
Nature and sports, or even better, when they are both combined! I love running, skiing and going to the gym — I just like to keep myself active. Leading a small design studio comes with a lot of responsibilities, making it incredibly challenging to maintain a work-life balance. Engaging in sports requires a special amount of focus, which helps me detach from work and contributes to a feeling of mental relaxation and recharging.
How do you navigate prejudices and stigma of being a company outside of a major business hub?
Starting a global business in a small country like ours, it’s very challenging at the beginning. Naturally, companies in a major business hub will better trust local partners instead of global players. But I think this dynamic is slowly changing, especially after Covid.
How would you describe the creative community in Macedonia?
The creative community in Macedonia, despite being small, is rich with talented individuals. I believe we have the potential to grow and develop an even richer visual culture. Currently, there aren't many firms offering specialized design services to inspire new/potential employees. But I think the times are changing and people are getting more and more into the creative world here.
The creative community in Macedonia, despite being small, is rich with talented individuals. I believe we have the potential to grow and develop an even richer visual culture.
What do you look for when hiring new talent?
We don't focus heavily on technical requirements, CVs, or degrees. What stands out to us is 1) your portfolio and 2) the drive and motivation for achievement – it's a challenging trait to measure, but incredibly important.
What is your advice to someone just starting out in design that wants to follow this career path?
I would mention 3 topics on a very high level: dedication, discipline and patience.
For someone just starting out, it's crucial to understand that big success doesn't come from big actions. On the contrary, it is the tiny improvements, consistently made with dedication, discipline and patience, that leads to incredible results. Focus on making small, incremental progress each day, and over time, these efforts will compound into significant achievements.
What problem is Alphamark good at solving? Who should reach out for your services?
Companies that are in need of having a professional visual identity and online presence that clearly communicates who they are and what they do — this directly contributes to building a strong and enduring brand. When we receive an inquiry for a new identity or website, there is an underlying business issue that motivates this request. Our design solutions are developed precisely from this starting point, addressing those issues with a results-oriented approach through our expertise and specialized services.
"Working with Antonio and the Alphamark team was incredible — the whole process, starting from value proposition and culture, through ideation and design execution was both meaningful and visually captivating. If you need a premium brand or website refresh and want to move away from predictable, tiled websites, you are in good hands with Alphamark."
- Dennis Shin | Rival Futures
Alphamark
