17 years experience

Hi, my name is Torgny Hylén and this is my one man (one webpage) digital design agency. I've designed for all media channels in my 17 year career with the exception of Radio & TV.
I started in newspapers in '94, moving to graphic and book design within the decade. Since '97 however, the majority of my career has been spent designing for digital channels.

I think originality, technique, craftmanship (the last 10% being as important as the first 90%) and typography are critical to design success, but are strategically useless unless the first question: "What business problem does the design solution need to achieve?", is asked. Often the hardest part of the job is correctly stating the business problem.

My digital work is based on user experience design principles; the user is the centre of the design process and all solutions must keep him principally in mind.

I've worked on some of the biggest brands in South Africa and have learnt a tremendous amount in my 7 and half years at Ogilvy about through-the-line (and below-the-line) multi-channel (and pure digital) communication campaigns. I've led a team as large as 20 people at the height of Ogilvy Interactive's success during my time there; managing and leading a team of designers, developers, copywriters and project managers. I became a board member at Ogilvy Cape Town for my last year and a half there and while it gave me many insights to the running of a large successful advertising agency, it identified the need in me to be more hands on.

Applications are the tools of the modern man, and it pays to know them well. I am very skilled in nearly all the Adobe creative suite of products with special mention going to Photoshop and Flash. I don't do 3D and have experimental knowledge in After Effects and Final Cut Pro. I have been around since Photoshop 2.5.1, when Aldus owned Freehand and when FutureWave first released FutureSplash (which became Flash) – so I relish learning new applications.

Brands I have worked on

American Express, Audi, BP, British American Tobacco, Carling Black Label, Castle Lager, Castrol Lubricants, Dove, Hansa Pilsner, Investec, Melrose, MNET (pay TV channel), MWEB (ISP), Old Mutual, Parmalat, Peter Stuyvesant, Pilsner Urquelle, South African Breweries, Toyota, Volkswagen, World Wildlife Fund.

Awards & Achievements

2008 Gold Loerie Audi A5 microsite.
The FWA Site of the Day Audi A5 microsite.

2007 Merit Award One Show for Audi TT microsite.
Gold Under Construction Award for Audi TT microsite.
Merit Cannes Lions for Audi TT microsite.
Merit LIA for Audi TT microsite.

2006 First Place at the Ogilvy's South Africa Training Programme.
Bronze Loerie Melrose M-Wedge Patrol Microsite.

2005 Silver Loerie for 9644 Audio Visual.
Bronze Loerie for 9644 city microsite.

2004 Gold Loerie for Audi S4 microsite.
Bronze Loerie for Audi S4 electric game.

1998 Périgueux Award 1998 for best regional wine book:
"Wines & Brandies of the Cape of Good Hope"

1997 12 awards for gif animation (the then height of online wizardry), most notably First Place for the First Annual Animation Festival for "The Mine Car Chase".

1996 The youngest Technical Director (21 at the time) for a provincial newspaper in the country. It was a monthly, tabloid
64-page newspaper called the Northern Cape Gazette.