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Profile 4

November 2006

Previous Interviews
12.2006 - Filip Blazek (CZE)
11.2006 - Tanya Gyani (ARE)
10.2006 - Debbie Millman (USA)
09.2006 - Neal Ashby (USA)
08.2006 - Andrew Sabatier (UK)

Archipelago Bar & Lounge

Born: Chandigarh, India
Current Residence: Dubai, United Arab Emirates
School: Florence Design Academy, Italy

Tanya Gyani’s life has been a melting pot of influences. Born in a small city in the foothills of the Himalayas and growing up in the garden city of Bangalore, Tanya’s budding creativity was nurtured by an artistic mother and lush natural surroundings. As a child, she created artwork from found objects (that childlike sense of discovery and playfulness continues to inspire her product design) and staged and directed home productions of Grimm’s fairy tales with cousins and friends.

Later she earned an undergraduate degree in Accessory Design from the National Institute of Fashion Technology in India and then a Master’s in Interior Design at the Florence Design Academy in Italy.

“I got to interact with creative students from different parts of the world, which is eye-opening and has led to many cherished friendships,” says Tanya of the Florence Design Academy. “The school gave me an Elite Award for my work there, which I treasure immensely. The school also helped me build on my understanding of art history.”

Her most lasting influences, Tanya contends, were living and studying in Florence and the South of France. “In France, I went to the Domaine de Boisbuchet for a workshop in Exhibition Design conducted by the Vitra Design Museum and Centre Georges Pompidou,” says Tanya, “which I recommend to anybody even remotely interested in heightening their creative senses, because both the location and course structure is highly conducive to conceptualizing and exploring new ideas.”

Being immersed in the history and culture of the birthplace of the Renaissance, surrounded by the Italian design aesthetic, has made an indelible impression on Tanya and her work. “I cannot turn and would not want to, into an Italian designer,” Tanya says, “but there are so many things to learn from their standards of quality and bench marking in design.”

Today Tanya is working on turnkey office interior and residential projects in Dubai, a rapidly growing city with a burgeoning reputation for architectural audacity. “Dubai does not have the luxury of rich art, architectural and a cultural heritage akin to most European cities,” says Tanya, “so to make up for this, every possible extension of architectural engineering is finding its way into Dubai real estate development. Dubai is amongst other things, home to 25% of the world’s cranes, which substantiates clearly, the pace at which the city is growing.”

She is also using the time to study the Middle East market for opportunities in fine art photography and related contemporary interiors.

In this interview, Tanya Gyani shares how excellent training, an entrepreneurial mindset and an inquisitive nature have put the young designer on a fast track to success.

Seating Design for the Archipelago Bar & Lounge in Florence, Italy.

When did you know you wanted to go into design and who or what played a role in choosing design as a career?

“I guess choosing a design career was a natural progression of sensibilities that I was encouraged to develop since childhood. For a small period of time I wanted to do Fine Art, because my mother is quite a good artist and has experimented with both traditional and contemporary art, which was a constant source of inspiration for me. I’m happy that I chose an undergraduate course in Accessory Design, because it gave me an overview of the vastness of this field and built a very strong base of understanding the process from concept to consumer.”

What was your first job out of college?

“My first project was in metal tableware design with the Michael Aram Studio, and it was part of the academic requirement of my design school. I did not realize it then, but in reflection I see how working in his studio taught me to appreciate the manufacturing processes that follow design and how these are essential to the development of the design itself. I also absorbed how Michael had built a brand out of metal ware, and objects of everyday use by applying style and an element of art that rendered them classic collectibles. I am still largely inspired by his work.

“In subsequent years I developed products for international retailers like Pottery Barn, Target department stores, Pier 1 imports, Bombay Company, Next, etc., and it was essentially a time for fast adaptation to global trends and consumer demands, which I enjoyed but found less fulfilling.”

Where do you find inspiration?

“I find inspiration in nature, in organic forms and aquatic elements.

“I am awed by the work of both contemporary and past designers/artists and musicians from all over the world and am often humbled by the talent hub that surrounds me, which I believe has a very positive influence on my own work.

“I draw inspiration from the paintings of Gustav Klimt and Hundertwasser, the architectural work of Antoni Gaudi and Jean Nouvel, the music of Yann Tiersen, the glassware of Gillies Jones and the fine art photography of Gregory Colbert and Zena Holloway.

“I also admire the design methodology, understanding of consumer behavior and sensibility in product application of Luigi Colani. I am inspired by the total synergy of ergonomics, functionality and aesthetic that he is able to create.”

What is one thing most people don't know about you?

“I have a passion for photography and am in the process of opening a Fine Art Photography Gallery in India and other visual hotspots of the world. The Gallery will help put Indian photographers on the world map.”

Island Kitchen Design for studio apartment.

Any advice for students or young design professionals starting out?

“Design cannot be isolated as an activity, in which one only spends time creating and conceptualizing. If this were so, we would not necessarily have access to the works of Karim Rashid, Philippe Starck or Marcel Wanders.

“In my experience, most design schools neglect the imperative of familiarizing students with entrepreneurial skills. It is vital for all creative people to have, in the very least, a basic understanding about marketing along with its pillars of strategic positioning, brand building, negotiating and the all-consuming blind spot: finance. Many creative people I know are faced with temporary stagnation from reaching the market because, even though they have brilliant ideas and products, they have little or no idea how to sell them, or of the different sources of funding available that support creative ventures. The UK government and some independent organizations are making great leaps in helping creative people effectively reach the market. Organizations like CIDA, NESTA and the British Council are great resources for independent designers and students who are looking for entrepreneurial assistance.

“It is true that designers should allocate most of their time to do what they are best at: create. It is equally true that we need to seek professional guidance from experts in areas we are not well versed like intellectual property rights, copyright laws, international patents, brand building or marketing, human resource management and daily business administration.”

In your interview with Commercial Interior Design magazine, you mentioned that you would like to educate/change the Dubai market on sustainability? What steps are you taking to do that?

“Dubai is a city developing at an unbeatable pace, and in the next decade will see the largest real estate development on the planet.

“The paradigm shift in this case is to educate the people of Dubai, the consumers, creators and investors to be more sensitive to what is being inflicted upon the environment because of the development. Sustainability is largely about making informed choices and, to this end, the products sold and imported into the UAE market should ideally come from companies that initiate a green effort.

“I work with and promote the products of companies that make concerted efforts to be environmentally friendly in their manufacturing processes. For instance, Interface Carpet tiles are a very popular flooring solution for offices and schools. The company is committed to eliminating waste and toxic emissions while operating facilities with renewable energies. Interface also redesigns manufacturing processes, to close the loop and use bio-based products while using resource efficient transportation to distribute and ship their products.

“I constantly endeavor to educate clients about the products they buy and the choices they can make in order to help the conservation effort. As more people become aware of recyclable products and renewable resources, their buying habits will reflect a change in mindset and perhaps even help overcome the existing laws and regulations that govern commerce.”

View Tanya Gyani's designerID portfolio.