Bengaluru, KARNATAKA :

From designing cars to designing products for your home—Bengaluru-based Saif Faisal is fast becoming a name to reckon with

Product designer Saif Faisal who started his career designing cars has very successfully ventured into designing products for your home. Trained as an architect at Bengaluru’s RV College of Architecture, Faisal previously represented his college at Formula SAE, a student design competition, where he worked on driver safety and ergonomics. Now, Faisal’s eponymous studio has created a collection of home accessories with a markedly minimalist design. AD sat down with the designer to get a more intimate understanding of his design instincts and inspirations.

Architectural Digest (AD): Where did you learn wood working?
Saif Faisal (SF): It was more like collaborative learning with a couple of people in the trade to understand the craft. This helped a lot in the design and product development. With my earlier design and engineering work in Formula Student racing, this brought the two extremes of craft and high-tech together. For instance, our design, the Counterpoise lamp uses the dynamics of gravity but is made in a humble natural material: wood.

AD: Did you start the brand with the intention of specializing in table-top office accessories (like lamps, trays, clips, coasters, etc)?
SF: Actually it’s the contrary; initially we were more focussed on furniture. We have worked on a lot of furniture, the String Series for Godrej Design Lab, a book case, and a series of Roto-molded seating for indoor/outdoor use. The development process of larger projects take quite a while so we started doing smaller objects in between, which can be self-produced and completed quickly as well—again something which we didn’t favour much earlier. I have to admit it’s quite enjoyable doing smaller stuff.

AD: Will we see any other products—like kitchen or tableware for instance—from your brand?
SF: Maybe…in 2015 we ventured into jewelry and craft that was a surprise for us. Every new thing we do is an exploration and adventure.

AD: In its minimalism and simplicity, your products remind one of Scandinavian design. What/who is your design inspiration?
SF: You are right; they are reminiscent of Scandinavian design, and I suppose, of Japanese design too. I would say its Essentialism and not merely Minimalism, as we try to be more honest to the design essence with no frivolous decorative elements. If you see our Qaiser series in Bidriware, it has the Zillij pattern on it—that’s not minimal but essential. On that note, Essential Design can help the world become a better place, and it’s not just with the products…my observation is cultures with a better sense and appreciation of design have holistic politics and interactions.

AD: You mention ‘poetry’ and ‘harmony’ in design (in the notes on the products) several times. Why is this so important to you?
SF: It’s quite important that a design be poetic, to express to a user the object needs to communicate on a poetic level.

source: http://www.architecturaldigest.in / Architectural Digest – AD / Home> Perspective> Profile / by Leena Desai / February 24th, 2017