If you're not familiar with Ritums's portfolio, he uses precise and hyperrealist depictions of reality and bright polychromatism. Working in his unique linear technique, he paints portraits and nudes on exceptionally large-scale canvases. Some of his work can be currently seen in Switzerland, Germany and of course, Latvia.
We recently spoke with Ritums to learn more about his artistic journey, his thoughts on the intersection of art and user interface, and how Voog has helped him present his work in a digital landscape.
Voog: You've been with us for quite a while. When was the first time you heard about our website-building tool?
Voog: Wow, so you're one of the true old-schoolers. Before reaching out to us, did you already have a website?
Ritums: Yes, I had about three or four website versions beforehand, which I ran on a private server. My friend handled the designs and created the websites for me. But then I became friends with you guys, and it made sense to do a project together—I really liked the idea of working with a smaller, independent company rather than joining a major platform.
Voog: What were the key requirements for designers while starting off with the development of your site?
Ritums: I liked the way you worked and the design you provided. For us, it was very important to have a simple platform that you guys would update as time went on and that we could easily add news items, pictures, and all the necessary texts to the website.
Voog: Were there any hesitations when you had to choose a relatively unknown tool next to giants like WordPress, Joomla, Squarespace, etc.?
Ritums: No, we're always happy to support local companies rather than major ones, and your team in Estonia, working together with the guys from Skype back in the day, seemed like somebody we could trust. So there wasn't even a discussion about looking elsewhere.
Voog: How did you like the upgrade to Voog?
Ritums: There were actually a few little roadblocks for us. We were on Edicy for quite a while, and then we received a new custom design that we wanted to publish. But to do that, we first had to work on some technical details before proceeding with the new platform. However, once we got the issues out of the way and the new website running, we were very happy with it.
Voog: Functionalities-wise, are you happy with the current tools?
Ritums: I'm happy and, sure, I'm always aiming for new, more specific functions as well, but the main thing is that the drag-and-drop function is working great. It's easy to add content to the site, and it doesn't take a lot of our time.
