My name is Julio Orduña Sánchez and I am one of the three co-founders of Oladesign. At Ola, we create high-quality 3D graphics mainly for the use of architecture. Things have been going great with the company: in 2018 we got featured as one of the top creative studios in Finland by the Scan Magazine. We’ve also been hired by our clients to do several architectural competitions in which many of them have had very good results.
Our company’s story started in a small bar in Merihaka, this sort of a grungy area in Kallio. We’ve just played a match of badminton and we’re having victory beers. We three started talking about having a company and how great it would be. During that time, in 2012, we were all working together doing graphics at an architect’s office. I think it was that familiarity with each other and the field that gave us our confidence to open our own company. We also strived for more freedom in our work lives.
It’s an awesome feeling creating something valuable from scratch, be it a company itself or a smaller project.
In the seven years that the company has been running, we have encountered a lot of inconveniences. I think the biggest challenges have been strict deadlines – making a really great image takes a lot of time and dedication. The key to avoiding problems is to communicate early and effectively from early on what a client can expect from us. Once the client understands how the image-making process works and feels like being a part of this important process, I think they also want us to put in that dedication and time for the project.
Entrepreneurship is a very rewarding career choice. Every time a client is satisfied with your product, you can give yourself a small pat on the back. It’s an awesome feeling creating something valuable from scratch, be it a company itself or a smaller project.
These rewards sometimes come with costs. As an entrepreneur, you often work more than a “regular employee” in some companies. While you can be more flexible with your timetable, you won’t have that complete freedom.
I think the role of entrepreneurs is very big in society.
I think the role of entrepreneurs is very big in society. This work not only gives me income but also represents my identity and lifestyle. Running a company also gives us an opportunity to have a role in building the Finnish welfare system. The taxes we pay refund free and good education, healthcare and many other important things for everyone.
In that sense, I think it’s important that companies should be committed to developing humanistic ways of blending everyone. We are very glad that we’ve built a healthy organization in Finland, where also our clients are satisfied with our work.
Learn more: oladesign.fi and @Oladesignfi
