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Interview with Hari Nallan |
Home > Designer Interviews > Hari Nallan |
Editor Frank Scott (FS) from DesignPRWire has interviewed designer Hari Nallan (HN) for A’ Design Award and Competition. You can access the full profile of Hari Nallan by clicking here.
FS: Could you please tell us more about your art and design background? What made you become an artist/designer? Have you always wanted to be a designer?
HN: I graduated in Architecture and majored in Industrial Design in 2002. Ever since I was 10 years old, I wanted to become a designer. I was always fascinated by geometry and used to explore various material to give shape to my dreams... some of those materials include sand, frozen water, wax, paper pulp etc., While I was studying Architecture, I was drawn towards Industrial Design and longed to become one. I really felt I belonged there while I was studying Industrial Design and enjoyed every single moment at the University. There has been no looking back ever since.
FS: Can you tell us more about your company / design studio?
HN: Since 2004, Think Design has powered mission critical initiatives of few of the most renowned companies and brands; creating impact across 9 key sectors and millions of users. With a team of 100 people across 5 offices in India and USA, Think Design is among the largest design innovation consultancies in this world. Think Design's work is at the intersection of strategic, creative and technical thinking; and its methods have been put to use to create digital innovations in the space where customers interact with businesses to consume information, carryout daily tasks, make decisions or buy things.
FS: What is "design" for you?
HN: Design for me, is a way of doing things. Its a method, an organisation of elements, people, ideas and techniques in a way, vision is realised.
FS: What kinds of works do you like designing most?
HN: At the moment, I like designing methods of design. I love organising thinking models and frameworks that make innovation happen. Apart from intangibles like methods and processes, I also do enjoy hands-on design of interfaces and interactions.
FS: What is your most favorite design, could you please tell more about it?
HN: I like modularity. My most favourite design is Lego toys. I would choose to call it a system where modular blocks come handy in giving shape to imagination.
FS: What was the first thing you designed for a company?
HN: I designed luxury electrical accessories for India's largest electric company. The accessories are meant to be exclusively installed in office rooms of top management of businesses.
FS: What is your favorite material / platform / technology?
HN: My favourite material remains sand since my childhood. I find it very soothing, stress busting and I can do anything with it when I add moisture to it.
FS: When do you feel the most creative?
HN: I feel most creative when I am alone. I need space and time to introspect, reflect and imagine.
FS: Which aspects of a design do you focus more during designing?
HN: I focus on the aspect of touch. Even though most of what my company creates is virtual, I still see material in them. I see a beautiful pattern emerging while I'm typing this and I feel the keyboard working for me, delivering exactly what I'm thinking. I see this beauty in coordination and my focus is on this kind of coordination between the user and the product he is using.
FS: What kind of emotions do you feel when you design?
HN: I feel multiple emotions: Curiosity, Empathy, Frustration, Joy, Vigour and Enthusiasm.
FS: What kind of emotions do you feel when your designs are realized?
HN: I feel like I just had a baby!
FS: What makes a design successful?
HN: A design is successful when it is oriented to its users, has unmatched quality among peers and when it keeps its promise. We often come across designs that raise our expectations through their appearance and fail to deliver even half way. A successful design will balance its promise with its outcome.
FS: When judging a design as good or bad, which aspects do you consider first?
HN: Functionality always comes first.
FS: From your point of view, what are the responsibilities of a designer for society and environment?
HN: A designer needs to be sensitive to environment and society in the same order. S/he needs to take responsibility for sustainability and longevity of ecology and society. I do not advocate disruption through design; I'd rather advocate inclusive design.
FS: How do you think the "design field" is evolving? What is the future of design?
HN: There has always been an interesting relationship between technology and design, with one superseding the other. With technology rapidly evolving, design is going to be much more important; so much so that design would be a mainstream profession.
FS: Where does the design inspiration for your works come from? How do you feed your creativity? What are your sources of inspirations?
HN: I find inspiration and creativity from within. Going by an old sanskrit sentence, "Aham Bramhasmi", meaning I am the infinite reality, I feel creativity is best nurtured within. Inspirations come and go; and they are transitory.
FS: How would you describe your design style? What made you explore more this style and what are the main characteristics of your style? What's your approach to design?
HN: I do not box my imagination to a specific style or a generic approach. I am more interesting in designing methods of design that help produce outcome based on the present and future need of my creation.
FS: Where do you live? Do you feel the cultural heritage of your country affects your designs? What are the pros and cons during designing as a result of living in your country?
HN: I live in New Delhi, India. Yes, cultural heritage does have its influences on me. Once of the biggest pros is, being from a price sensitive economy, I always search for the ultimate value for money spent from the perspective of the users. Due to this mindset, I try to find functional values for my users in my creation. The biggest con of being influenced by my culture is, inability to see value in luxury.
FS: How do you work with companies?
HN: I work with companies in consulting model. I start off with customer challenges and find ways of mitigating them through design.
FS: What are your suggestions to companies for working with a designer? How can companies select a good designer?
HN: Companies should select a good designer not by his skills, but by his character of empathy. I would suggest companies to spend good deal of time selecting an empathetic designer, but after that, trust them and give freedom to create.
FS: What are your future plans? What is next for you?
HN: I want to see my company in atleast 20 countries as world's most widely networked design consultancy.
FS: Do you work as a team, or do you develop your designs yourself?
HN: I am totally a team person. Energy is multiplied when I work with people rather than work alone.
FS: How can people contact you?
HN: People can contact me through my email ID: hari@think.design
FS: Thank you for providing us with this opportunity to interview you.
A’ Design Award and Competitions grants rights to press members and bloggers to use parts of this interview. This interview is provided as it is; DesignPRWire and A' Design Award and Competitions cannot be held responsible for the answers given by participating designers.
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