A marketing pro with an eye for all things design
Based in Sweden, Ákos Zsiga connected with me on LinkedIn recently and joined the Vegan Business Tribe, which I’ve been a member of for almost 2 years. I’ll be honest, when it comes to graphic design a lot of folks tend to blend in with each other, but not Ákos—he’s got a very distinct brand, and his passion comes across every time I’ve seen him online. (He even supplied me with a graphic for this post, which I appreciate!)
Let’s get to know Ákos!
When and how did you go vegan?
In 2020, I watched a video about cognitive dissonance. It compared how Facebook commenters reacted to two posts: one about teenagers stomping on a swan’s egg, which sparked outrage, and another promoting a KFC ad, which they celebrated.
That was the moment I realized I was a massive hypocrite throughout my whole life. I felt I had two choices: continue living in contradiction or align my actions with my beliefs. From that point on, going vegan was incredibly easy.
How did you get into marketing, and what kind of marketing do you do now?
I started as a graphic designer around 4–5 years ago and also got a Bachelors degree in Marketing Management. It really helped me understand the value of visual communication and the role of design.
Nowadays I work as a freelance graphic designer with branding, marketing materials, and website design. Although I recently discovered my love for book cover and editorial designs so my attention is going towards that area.
I realized that with all my experience I could help authors and publishers with designing book covers and interiors along with marketing websites that can boost sales and recognition. Starting in 2025, this will become my main area of focus.
What kind of work fires you up right now?
There are two things put a wide smile on my face when it comes to work:
- Working with vegan and ethical businesses
- Working on books
(Me too!)
Share your best marketing win, and one marketing horror story.
Win: My biggest win is recent and ties to my answer before. I just wrapped up the book cover and interior design of the world’s first vegan dictionary! Another thing that made this feel like a huge win is that the author, Rory Cockshaw (founder of This Is Not A Game) reached out to me specifically because he loved my daily poster design project, where I create a poster in under 21 minutes (for the past 2.5 years).
This project is entirely self-motivated, and I never intended to gain anything from it besides overcoming my fear of running out of ideas. So having it lead to such an amazing opportunity feels amazing.
Horror Story: Early in my career, I worked on a branding project for a client who asked for three extra rounds of revisions after we’d finalized the design. They made changes based on their wife’s preferences, insisted on communicating via Instagram DMs, and ghosted me just as we were wrapping up the project. Since then, I’ve learned the importance of contracts and setting clear expectations from the start.
Who or what vegan company do you think is crushing in marketing right now?
Dirty Vegan, a Swedish pop-up junk food restaurant, is doing incredible work. They’ve moved away from the typical “green and yoga mom” aesthetic and have built a bold, unique brand. It’s brilliant and worth learning from!
Check out Ákos’s work at akosdesign.com.
