Interviews with Shiva Pouryousef Khameneh

I have been in the field of design for more than a decade. My academic background turns back to the Oxford School of Architecture where I received BA in Interior Architecture from and Pratt Institute ranked number one nationally in the professional survey in Design Intelligence where I graduated with MSc in Interior Design. Currently, I am doing research on design studies at Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada. I am certified in more than ten intensive design and human environmental health courses accredited by IDCEC and Hanley Wood University in Washington D.C. and my last certificate is from Harvard Graduate School of Design in Architectural Imagination. I have worked with a wide range of clients, mainly executives of corporate commercial projects.

Considering mother earth, communities and accessibility have always been the core of my attention while designing. Technical drawings and conceptual ideas are two different sides of the same story so to translate on to another it is essential to use rendering software and physical prototypes to make sure the final result is going to reflect your thoughts. On the other hand time and deadline of every project is one of a kind so it is important to decide if the physical prototype is going to worth the time or not. In general, my decision on the style of designing depends on project cost, deadlines, and complexity of the design itself.

Excited! The design process is full of emotions, sometimes you get disappointed and at a certain moment, you find the solution and become over excited.

Do not fall in love with the initial ideas. Take random funny ideas seriously. Brainstorm with end-users and ask for their perfect product, design, and what they want from the design.

Entrepreneurship starts with illusion and complex ideas, one of those skills is to have an analytical mind and broad vision. But the key is no to pass and take “what if’s? ” serious. They need philosophical explorations, ethical responsibility, aesthetic expressions, and practical applications in line with professional standards.

I read articles, attend seminars and lectures. Continues education has always been a great part of my journey. Trends matter a lot because we want our products to follow the trend and become trendy so being acknowledged of what is out there is critical.

I ask what problem is it solving? How appropriate to the target market it is? How timeless is it?

Design is a never-ending process. you can go on and on again from scratch and design the same thing in many ways but there should be a certain moment to put your pencil down and for me, many circumstances cause this. Budget, deadlines, and standard restrictions, and clients are part of that. I always put addressing clients' needs as a priority and then design aesthetics. Therefore if the problem is solved and it looks as it should I will move on to the next project.

The headquarter office of NASCAR in Manhattan is one of my favorite projects I designed in 2016. My passion is for strategic design, more participatory, and co-working spaces now and I am doing research about it at Carleton University.

I trust random funny ideas and take them seriously to lead me towards innovative solutions. Good design comes from randomly highlighted problems by normal end-users so it is important to take society as a great part of the design process and design with them rather than designing for them. Design thought me to listen carefully, look for the problem and be creative to find emerging solutions throughout my life, I think I live design.

Our clients are our partners so, at the p-design studio, I have to imagine our client'ss life or business pattern and cycle very well which is fundamental in the design process. If I can experience their culture by their food, I would taste it. I listen to their memories, look at their appearance, favorite pictures and understand which decade their soul might belong to! My philosophy is to understand people so I call it observation, whatever it is, it comes from the identity of clients so the philosophy would be rich research and analyses, digging in dreams and emotions.

I believe the future is transdisciplinary. I have to confess that, as a designer and architect, I follow artists; in my opinion, they are the only community who understand the past very well with imagination and randomly right perspective of the future. each artist has their own taste of colors forms and subjects and I pick the art piece based on its possible connection to my project.

The fact that your design is going to be evaluated by amazing critiques would be a very huge step towards understanding your approach in design very well and test if you're on the right path or not. On the other hand, when you win, you establish a position for your touch and innovation in design among distinctive designers of the world.

Entrepreneurship starts with illusion and complex ideas, one of those skills is to have an analytical mind and broad vision. But the key is no to pass and take “what if’s? ” serious.

They need philosophical explorations, ethical responsibility, aesthetic expressions, and practical applications in line with professional standards.

The inspiration is adaptability. The design is based on minimizing energy, material usage & time for producing extra parts for this product when any space could address those needs. By maximizing the use of walls the usage of the material for creating components of shelf breaks off. Therefore one of the unique aspects of Lift is the fact of not being freestanding. Any wall could perform as its support.

Trusting random funny ideas and counting casual brainstormings as vital seminars! Believing that team works not individual and know the art of networking to accomplish with other business owners in a similar industry to hit the market.

The project started in May 2017 in New York. The technical drawings and prototype edition finished in July 2018. The final product got funded and produced in January 2019.

The type of research was experimental, based on analyzing all kinds of human body anatomy and disabilities. The objective is to avoid designing some of the necessary components but benefiting from the existing architectural elements to complete the design. The research methodology is based on case studies and observing the physical habits and interactions of end-users with similar products. As a result, Lift provides a simple shelving system in multiple height levels for any human height level with two presentation options, hang or stand. Adaptability is a unique part of its identity which adds value to the product as it adapts with multiple tastes and habits.

Design with clients not for them!

Primarily, the idea of the project formed by sketching and analyzing the average human size. Model making and form-finding are generated in Rhino. Production planning and shop drawings occurred by Auto CAD. Two wooden frames and the bottom tray are made out of 18 mm plywood and cut by a CNC machine. Yellow metal trays are made out of steel, cut by a CNC machine, and are bent by a bending machine. They ate then hand-painted carefully in 5 layers. For wooden book supports, beechwood is turned by hand and wooden profiles with a diameter of 25 mm are made. Finally, an 8 mm metal profile with the look of copper is used for making magazine holders. As an assembly item, it is created out of four kinds of components and three raw materials,%80 Wood and %20 Metal. The total weight is 23 Kg and it is easy to be carried by one person.

Lift exhibits books & magazines, the metal trays for standing books, and the cooper bars for hanging magazines. As a dependent product, it is created by the idea of tailoring furniture to spaces. The initial vision of this project is to avoid ornamentation and reducing the usage of components and make a product that could benefit from its surroundings to function. Therefore inspiration for Lift formed by gazing through dependent products, such as a ladder, that need a wall to function.

The challenge was to find the right angle to stand safely without gliding.

My academic background turns back to Oxford School of Architecture where I received BA Interior Architecture from and Pratt Institute ranked number one nationally in the professional survey in Design Intelligence where I graduated with MSc Interior Design. I am certified in more than ten intensive design and human environmental health courses accredited by IDCEC and Hanley Wood University in Washington D.C. and my last certificate is from Harvard Graduate School of Design in Architectural Imagination.

Solving problems and the design team

Absolutely my choice

My passion is for strategic design, more participatory and co-working spaces

First, think outside the box but do not fall in love with the initial idea and be aware that evolution and adaptability are inseparable from any successful business. Instead of doing a massive business like a “dinosaur” that can’t move, think of many small models.

The great designer develops ideas for communities.

It's when the end-user is involved and it's simple and earth-friendly.

Four season hotel, New York branch!

Entrepreneurship starts with illusion and complex ideas, one of those skills is to have an analytical mind and broad vision. But the key is no to pass and take “what if’s? ” serious.

They need philosophical explorations, ethical responsibility, aesthetic expressions, and practical applications in line with professional standards.

Trusting random funny ideas and counting casual brainstormings as vital seminar! Believing that team works not individual and know the art of networking to accomplish with other business owners in a similar industry to hit the market.

To me, interior design is a tool to create an experience and permission to understand people in real life. How they engage with their families and blend into social life. That’s why my business is my identity + Design Studio. We design a trial if it’s either a mind shift or strategizing a business model.

Complicated presentations are not sexy! The presentation has to be as simple as a kid could understand it.

Design with clients not for them!

My academic background turns back to Oxford School of Architecture where I received BA Interior Architecture from and Pratt Institute ranked number one nationally in the professional survey in Design Intelligence where I graduated with MSc Interior Design. I am certified in more than ten intensive design and human environmental health courses accredited by IDCEC and Hanley Wood University in Washington D.C. and my last certificate is from Harvard Graduate School of Design in Architectural Imagination.

I do not make boundaries for my company, our clients are our partners. The first step of entrepreneurship is being optimistic and setting up multiple businesses, taking on risks and chasing profit. My description of what risk is and what advantage is not international and anyone should get their answers. Hierarchy is what I’m afraid to have in my business; everyone has a voice as long as they know how to define their ideas. The only rule is resilience.

To me, the design is a tool to explore untold dreams in real life. We design to create an experience and a trial if it’s either a mind shift or strategizing a business model.

Strategizing spaces, corporate commercial projects, and residentials but in general projects with limitations are my favorites regardless of their size, location, budget, and subject. Maybe the challenge is what I seek while designing.

Designing the headquarter office of NASCAR in Manhattan while I was a designer at TMA. It started with their corporate identity and developed into a special project. What makes it special for me is the fine connection between interior architectural elements and branding of the space and client’s brand identity that became tangible and visible in every material, form, and technology.

It is funny! I was asked to design a logo for a Japanese restaurant. I ended up presenting over 40 pages of concept from how space should feel like and how the food should get served but the logo.

Anything futuristic, interactive, and smart! I randomly follow the laboratory for design technologies at Harvard University to learn about future technologies in the design discipline.

When facing limitations or if the problem is not relevant to my profession.

Concept to be told by a cohesive story in all elements of the result, no matter if it is a space or small product.

I feel unbelievably excited like a child on the way to wonderland. Design for designers is like a gift that they are excited to open and at the same time, they are sure it is definitely a great gift!

Delighted and astonished! I think there is always a better version of every design and if my work is out and it is realized by other professionals, it is the time to celebrate.

Happy client!

I start with client analyses to understand “what is the matter?”. Their relationship, lifestyle, work habits, business and profit matters to me. The design is a successful process which never ends. My projects are always alive in my head in an evolutionary process. My design methodology forms with design philosophies and creating design principles and techniques accordingly. Research is detachable from the design process, and in easy words, if the initial idea and the final result of any project are the same, it means there was no process; therefore, it is invaluable in any field design.

If the need is answered and the problem is solved as well as if the concept is visible and eye-catching.

Considering the effects of our project on our environment and the habits that it adds to our society is deeply the moral and ethical part of our job and I believe that designers including myself are responsible for the effects and side-effects of what we produce.

Design is a young topic, and it is moving forward from the “result” based major to a “process”. That is why the relationship between designers and their audience is bold. Design trains designers to understand their clients. It equips designers to read their client’s dreams and analyze appearances. As a designer we have to see people as they are, every person has a character, fears darkness as well as many habits and dreams. They vision themselves in spaces and positions that we may be able to illuminate and create. According to many designers and my experience, people seek for their childhood dreams, and they are afraid of their bad memories. I believe that the future of design is when people and designers design together and this has a direct relation with understanding our society and their needs, it is fundamental to provide for them and make them trust us without convincing them.

In Summer 2015 at Haworth inc in Chicago and the next one seems to be the A Design Award 2020!

Trusting random funny ideas and counting casual brainstormings as vital seminar! Believing that team works not individual and know the art of networking to accomplish with other business owners in a similar industry to hit the market.

We start with client analyses to understand “what is the matter?”. Their relationship, lifestyle, work habits, business, and profit matters to us.

The design is a successful process that never ends. My projects are always alive in my head in an evolutionary process. Our design methodology forms with design philosophies and creating design principles and techniques accordingly. Research is detachable from the design process, and in easy words, if the initial idea and the final result of any project are the same, it means there was no process; therefore, it is invaluable in any field design.

I am a team-oriented person but I also enjoy developing design alone too.

Email is the best!