Who the hell is Aja Abrahams?

We’re chatting with members of the DixonBaxi studio about what makes them who they are. From the professional to the personal, nothing is off limits here. We caught up with Aja Abrahams, our production co-ordinator, about graduating during COVID, being curious about everything and Drake’s new album. Here’s the rest of that conversation:

Who are you and what do you do?
So, I’m Aja Abrahams and I’m the new production co-ordinator for DixonBaxi. I help the production team with their day-to-day tasks and make sure they have everything they need. I’m there to assist them, enable project flow and just make sure the process runs smoothly.

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What’s your story?
I studied film and TV production at University of Greenwich and graduated in 2019. I came out and was like, ‘well, let me try and look for a job’, and then COVID hit. I was looking for set jobs initially but, because of COVID, they didn’t really exist. So then I was like ‘right, you’re creative. What other career fields could you go into?’ And that’s when I stumbled across DixonBaxi. I saw that they were looking for a production assistant and thought, ‘let me give it a go.’

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What are you working on right now?
At the moment I’m assisting with a short film with a gallery. It’s kind of about the design of football, showing behind the scenes and making it engaging for people who are interested in the sport and people who aren’t. I think it’s quite interesting because the designers  and the motion team are having to put themselves into an everyday person’s mindset, thinking about what they know and what they don’t.

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“I think good design makes someone feel something. They look at it and they feel empowered or they feel a bit warm inside or it makes them smile. Good design has a positive impact.”

Describe your working style in 3 words.
Music. I have to listen to music, it helps me get in the zone. I would say I’m quite pedantic and also organised.

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Tell us about some of your interests – what are you into?
I can find interest in pretty much anything and it changes week to week. One week I could be interested in working with clay and doing arts and crafts, then the next week I might be binge-watching Cake Boss. I’m into clothing a lot, I would definitely say I’m a shopaholic. I’m interested in things that are visually pleasing: films, TV, any form of media.

I’m definitely into photography. I want to get into doing it on the side but I’m creatively pretty shy – I’m a perfectionist so I don’t want to put anything out there that I’m not proud of. I’ve gotten, like, five film cameras in the past year and am always looking for new photographers. I just really like seeing people that can do things differently.

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Do you think design can change the world? How?
I don’t think design can change the world because it already is such a big part of it. I think design is everywhere you look. I’m always amazed, especially when I travel, by how perfectly the world is designed. Things just work. There’s design in everything you do.

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If you could change one thing about the world, what would it be?
Everyone just needs to be a lot nicer and a lot less selfish. I have that hippie mentality where I’m like, ‘I just want everyone to get along and be kind to each other.’ Don’t get me wrong, there’s a lot going on in individuals’ lives, but I feel like people kind of forget that we’re on this planet together.

What’s the last song you listened to?
IMY2 from the last Drake album, the one with Kid Cudi.

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Why do you do what you do? What motivates you?
Personally, when I’m having a shitty day, creativity is what helps me. I could be feeling really horrible about something but then I watch a film or a show, look at a piece of art or an advertising campaign, and whether it’s just for a second or a whole hour, I’m not thinking about anything outside of that. I want to contribute to that for other people, to help create something that gives people a break.

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What’s your definition of good design?
I think good design makes someone feel something. They look at it and they feel empowered or they feel a bit warm inside or it makes them smile. Good design has a positive impact.