040: Member interview with Meg Krawielitzki

1. Tell us a little bit about yourself. Who are you, and what did you do before joining Village One?

Hey! Meg here 👋 I’m half English, half German, and in the words of Pip Jamieson, delightfully dyslexic.

I was lucky enough to grow up in a household where creativity was encouraged. I did a lot of ‘arts and crafts’ when I was little, cutting, sticking, pressing flowers, crafting miscellaneous clay ornaments. It was quite clear early on that I'd go down the creative route, in fact, I couldn't imagine myself doing anything else. Then computers became a household thing, and I would create digital portraits by tracing over photographs in Microsoft Paint. The beginning of my digital career? Maybe? Then in High School, I took a subject called ‘Digital Art’ which, looking back, was my first real shift from creating things physically to digitally.

Fast forward a few years… I completed my Graphic Design degree, moved to Bristol and started working at a digital marketing agency. It was my first proper introduction to designing for the web, and I was fortunate to be given a lot of trust and responsibility early on. I learnt a whole bunch of stuff during that time, and quickly realised that designing digitally was my comfort zone. Some of my favourite projects are still from that period — like the Aardman website!

But over time, I recognised that marketing wasn’t quite where I wanted to be. I wanted more creative freedom and to work on projects that felt more in tune with my own beliefs and values. So I joined a small design studio as a digital designer. I got to work on some great projects, but by this point, I had already grown quite critical of the design industry in general and its glaring diversity issue. On top of that, I was feeling pretty bummed about Brexit, which was quite fresh at the time. So, feeling disconnected from both the industry I was working in and the country I was living in (but blessed with dual nationality), I decided to quit my job, start freelancing, and move to Berlin to pursue an MA in Visual and Experience Design. It gave me the space to rediscover the more artistic side of my practice that I felt I’d lost a little along the way. It also opened the door to the world of TouchDesigner (a node-based visual programming tool) and the incredible community of artists around it. I got to try my hand at interactive, audio-visual installation design, and even had the chance to exhibit as an artist for the first time - totally surreal!

2. What motivated you to join the Village One Co-op?

After freelancing, I was quite hesitant to jump back into agency life. I love the energy that comes from collaboration, how different perspectives and bouncing ideas around can expand your own way of thinking. It was something I really missed whilst working independently. But at the same time, I wasn’t keen on traditional rigid structures, fake urgency, or office politics. That’s when Village One caught my eye.

When the role came up, I spent a lot of time digesting the website. It was the first time I'd come across a cooperative, worker-owned creative agency, and I wanted to know more. Democratic decision-making? Flexible working? Radical transparency? Erm, hell yes! But even beyond that, I could sense a genuine commitment to creating ethical, value-driven work. No smoke and mirrors, just honest people, and I knew I wanted to be a part of it. We even have a block list, and I’m so here for it! Thankfully, three rounds of interviews and two coffees later, they said yes 🥹

3. How does your work day usually look like?

I like to ease into the day, taking a little time for myself in the mornings. I start off with my absolute favourite meal of the day: a decent-sized cooked breakfast, then squeezing in a quick walk around the block before settling in at my desk around 10 am.

Some mornings can be tricky to cut through the noise since that's usually when the bulk of notifications and updates come through. Once that’s out of the way, my real focus time kicks in later in the afternoon or even in the evenings. I really appreciate how Village One’s self-organised approach gives me the freedom to structure my workflow in a way that suits my natural rhythm. When I'm deep in a design challenge, it can be hard to switch off, and my brain can still be whirling around long after I’ve logged off. Sometimes ideas just click as I’m lying in bed. That said, I always prioritise a full night's sleep - that is a must for me!

4. What do you do when you're not sitting in front of a computer screen?

Cooking is like meditation for me—I’m not thinking about anything else in that moment other than the process and the outcome. I see it as another form of creativity. I actually find so much joy in it that I’m the kind of person who breaks into song and dance whenever I eat something good. I also just hit a decade of veganism! 💚 I love trying new foods and discovering new ingredients (the stranger the better), so if you have a recommendation, I want to hear about it!

I also like to walk a lot. Since I’m at my desk most of the week, I try to balance this out by getting my steps in on the weekend. Even better when those steps are done out of the city!

As a visual person, it’s no surprise you’ll often find me at galleries and exhibitions. I also try to stay connected with the TouchDesigner community here in Berlin. It's a humbling space full of incredibly talented people doing incredibly talented things, so I like to stay connected by attending meetups, events and exhibitions whenever I can.

5. Anything else you would like to share?

My favourite condiment is LAO GAN MA Peanuts in Chili Oil in case you were wondering.

You can also find Meg here: LinkedIn, Instagram, website

Or send her an email: meg@village.one