In the vibrant city of Budapest, Hungary, a new creative force has emerged. Bayaga Design Creative Studio, established in 2022 by Krisztina Krausz and Barbara Csatlós, brings together a wealth of expertise in sales and commercial ventures, fine arts, graphic design, and 3D design. The founders’ state, “We have based our Studio on the experience and knowledge we have got through the past decades.”
Below are highlights of the interview conducted between World’s Leaders and Krausz and Barbara Csatlós:
Describe your background and what did you do before you started/joined the company?
Krisztina: I graduated as a shop assistant in 1992 in Budapest, but after finishing school, I immediately felt that I wanted more. I worked in a promotion and then in an accounting office, where I was a secretary and a marketing assistant. I continued my education, and in 2006 I graduated as an event organizer.
I am a creative, constantly busy, energetic, positive-thinking person. My glass is always half full, and I strive for a solution in every situation.
I have been working in the construction industry since 2007, and I am currently the managing director and part owner of a playground design and construction company. I love my job, every day is a fantastic opportunity to create something special for children.
Barbara: My whole childhood was an inner journey, a daydream full of drawing. Art is so much mine that I feel I am the true essence of my soul when I can create. Art provides me with a creative, God-like experience: objects, people, feelings, and connections are reborn through my works. Through my creative eye, moments and movements are put under a magnifying glass, and extraordinary creations are put into a different formulation. My activity is characterized by an extremely fine, detail oriented, sensual style, and my image creation is systematic, clean, and sometimes astonishing. Thanks to the equal functioning of the right and left cerebral hemispheres, I play in space, creating new forms.
Tell us about the inception of the company. How did it all start?
Krisztina: I wasn’t always entrepreneurial, but I always wanted to start my own enterprise. When I decided to create unique wall decorations, I knew right away that I needed a partner who was familiar with the fine art world and who had the fire and passion to be able to express what I wanted to represent. I’ve known Barbara for years, but we never talked before about work or our own plans, although I knew she was a very talented visual artist who is sensitive, special, and a perfectionist. A year ago, we sat down over coffee, and I outlined my unique wall decoration ideas to her. I showed her the material I wanted to work with, told her about my ideas, and said that I was looking for a partner to develop the ideas. After about 15 minutes, we were already sketching the concrete plans, considering options, and seeing in front of ourselves what they would look like in reality. An incredible sense of energy surrounded us, and I felt I had found the perfect business partner.
What has made you successful? What do you value?
One of the cornerstones of our success is that both Barbara and I, with decades of experience behind us, know exactly what we are capable of and what we do best. The process of creating is a workflow that requires creative collaboration and thinking together, releasing energies, and evoking different feelings and memories. Creating something new and different from the ordinary is inspiring and endlessly exciting. Original ideas, unwavering belief, the ability to work independently to an outstanding standard, and loyalty are highly valued at our studio.
Which are the major services of the company and how do the company to get ahead in the competition? What value-added services does the company provide?
We open new dimensions in space planning, the main goal is to decorate large wall surfaces and spacious spaces in a different way. We believe what we are doing is singular and exceptional. The studio offers iconic and thematic works that are unique and stand out from the crowd. At the same time, we can say that the finished designs are stylish, minimal creations in every detail. From ideas through planning to execution, we offer a complete service to our partners. We do not involve any third parties in the work process, and projects are entirely created in our studio’s workshop, guaranteeing our clients the happy ownership of a perfect end result.
What are the most important aspects of a company’s culture? What principles do you believe in and how do you build this culture?
It is very important for us to be able to freely exchange arguments and opinions. We like to discuss problems, and we think it is important to find solutions together. We use democratic means, we value respect and appreciation for each other, we recognize the work and skills of our staff, and we place great importance on a positive, creative energy in the studio. We share success together, because everyone is an important cog in the machine.
What is the significance of innovative ideas in the company?
Our studio is based on innovative ideas, which is why it is the basis for the work we do every day. Barbara and I both have unique, individual visions, we look at the world differently and see things differently than the average person. We have a vision, and we know and see how we want to realize it and make it visible to others.
We offer unique and special wall decorations made from our ™Mangalawn wall covering, available in 15 vibrant colors. It can be used to quickly and easily transform existing wall coverings or wall decorations, or to create thematic or iconic decorations for high wall surfaces, such as apartments, hotels, office buildings, museums, sports halls, event halls, exhibition spaces, etc.
Give us your opinion on; do organizations rely heavily on individual heroics or team processes?
We both believe in the power of teamwork; we started this venture together. We work together to strengthen and inspire each other. Our energies are multiplied when we come together and plan the vision for each of our ideas.
What are your responsibilities as the Founder/CEO of the company? What is the happiest part of your daily routine?
As the head of the studio, Krisztina’s main job is to run and promote our company and find potential customers and clients. In addition to this, she is responsible for communicating the studio’s mission to interested parties and outlining our vision, the main objective of which is to decorate large walls and spacious spaces in a DIFFERENT WAY. My favorite times of day are mornings and coffee times. It is always a great pleasure to stop for a short time and, while having a good coffee, think about the next projects and plans we would like to realize.
What advice would you give someone going into a leadership position for the first time?
Being a leader is a very complex thing. You need to have an overview and understand many areas in order to manage the whole company. I believe that a good leader is one who has come up through the ranks and has solid professional knowledge and experience in the area he is leading. Each colleague and division is part of the company, each unit is part of the whole; and a company is only successful if its work processes are well thought out, interdependent, supportive, and complementary. And a good manager must be able to see the whole picture and intervene where necessary. Last but not least, it is important for a leader to show respect for others, to be empathetic, socially sensitive, and humane, and to set a good example for his or her staff.
