Wari
Watai believes that quality design service is a critical enabler for any
strategic long term corporate/institutional goal. Good design understands the
context and objective of communication; the treatment and the tone of the
message and the ideas and concepts that makes content accessible, engaging and
meaningful.
In today’s visually stimulated sensorial world, conception of a holistic
experience spanning many media platforms (print, web, digital, exhibition;
intimate understanding of material, scale, spatial context, installations etc)
is an integral part of communication.
Wari
Watai is uniquely positioned not only to successfully communicate concepts in
the 2D print world but also participates in the articulation of
targeted concepts and experiences in physical spaces. Good
design, we believe, is at the heart of all meaningful and memorable experiences.
Our Team
Ram Sinam
Founder / Creative Lead
Prior to establishing Wari Watai, Ram had successully run Trapeze, a multidisciplinary design studio in Bangalore, as its co-founder.
He is a graduate in Visual Communication from the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad, India. He counts SOAK, Mumbai in an Estuary (book and exhibition design) as one of his most memorable projects with Trapeze. He is the creative director for ColourNext Installations, the annual colour forecasting event for Asian Paints and also heads Lab Nilaya, the design lab for the wallpaper division of Asian Paints. Ram has worked as a Design Consultant for various prestigious projects, including the Khalsa Heritage Complex in Anandpur Sahib by Design Habit. His interests lie in blurring the boundaries of various visual mediums, materials and practices that fuel the multidisciplinary approach of his design solutions. He was invited to be a member of the jury for D&AD, London in 2013, and the Kyoorius Design Awards in 2014. Ram was awarded the CAG “Designer of the Year ” in 1998 (Communication Arts Guild, Mumbai).
Founder / Creative Lead
Prior to establishing Wari Watai, Ram had successully run Trapeze, a multidisciplinary design studio in Bangalore, as its co-founder.
He is a graduate in Visual Communication from the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad, India. He counts SOAK, Mumbai in an Estuary (book and exhibition design) as one of his most memorable projects with Trapeze. He is the creative director for ColourNext Installations, the annual colour forecasting event for Asian Paints and also heads Lab Nilaya, the design lab for the wallpaper division of Asian Paints. Ram has worked as a Design Consultant for various prestigious projects, including the Khalsa Heritage Complex in Anandpur Sahib by Design Habit. His interests lie in blurring the boundaries of various visual mediums, materials and practices that fuel the multidisciplinary approach of his design solutions. He was invited to be a member of the jury for D&AD, London in 2013, and the Kyoorius Design Awards in 2014. Ram was awarded the CAG “Designer of the Year ” in 1998 (Communication Arts Guild, Mumbai).
Priyanka Borana
Junior Partner / Design Lead
Priyanka has been a key member of the Wari Watai team since its inception . A graduate in Exhibition Design from the National Institute of Design, she first started working with Ram in 2012 as part of the design team at Trapeze. At Wari Watai, she contributes to various projects with her thought and sensibility, and an eye for detail – from the macro level spatial planning of complex and layered experiences to designing narrative installations, products, objects, and decor styling. Her strength has been a blend of conceptual thinking and hands-on experience in a range of artistic mediums and production methods. Priyanka has a keen interest in traditional print making processes, graphics, and furniture design. She enjoys playing badminton and spending time with pets.
Junior Partner / Design Lead
Priyanka has been a key member of the Wari Watai team since its inception . A graduate in Exhibition Design from the National Institute of Design, she first started working with Ram in 2012 as part of the design team at Trapeze. At Wari Watai, she contributes to various projects with her thought and sensibility, and an eye for detail – from the macro level spatial planning of complex and layered experiences to designing narrative installations, products, objects, and decor styling. Her strength has been a blend of conceptual thinking and hands-on experience in a range of artistic mediums and production methods. Priyanka has a keen interest in traditional print making processes, graphics, and furniture design. She enjoys playing badminton and spending time with pets.
Rajvi Mehta
Senior Textile Designer, Lab Nilaya
Rajvi Mehta, a graduate from National Institute of Design, has been a part of project Lab Nilaya since its inception. She experiments with printmaking and creates wallpapers. Before joining Wari Watai, she worked in the home linen and fashion industry in Mumbai, Delhi and Pune. Her interest lies in exploring textile traditions across cultures, and enjoys engaging in their processes. She is curious about ceramic design, and hopes to learn more! She has two cats, binges on books, and can be found making and writing postcards.
Malini Aikat Copywriter
Malini Aikat, a graduate of St Xaviers College, Kolkata has been a copywriter for over 20 years working on a varied range of brands. She enjoys design and has created spaces for restaurants and private homes. Malini loves music, reading, history, architecture, travelling, cooking and exploring different cultures. She also enjoys creative writing in her spare time. A perfect day is one spent at home with her husband, two daughters and the family dog.
Mansi Thakkar
Senior Spatial Designer
Mansi Thakkar, a graduate of National Institute of Design works as a spatial and graphic designer at Wari Watai. Before joining Wari Watai she worked with NID as an associate designer for a period of 18 months. At Wari Watai, she works primarily on exhibition design projects and enjoys its storytelling aspects. With a keen interest in illustration, she enjoys working in the visual communication realm and dabbles in different mediums of art in her free time. She is also an avid listener of podcasts ranging from history to true crime.
Deval ManiarSenior Graphic Designer
Deval graduated from Srishti School of Art, Design & Technology with a specilization in Visual Communication. He has worked with various design firms as a Visual Designer before joining Wari Watai as our key Graphic Designer. He has a keen interest in experimental typography and printing techniques. In his free time he designs graphic posters and enjoys watching films. He is deeply intrigued by cinematography, storytelling and music.
Kanika AnandGraphic Designer, Lab Nilaya
Kanika is a visual communication designer, artist and botanical illustrator. She studied at the Srishti School of Art, Design & Technology, Bangalore and the Stamps School of Art & Design at University of Michigan. At Lab Nilaya, she works on brand communication which includes campaigns, print design, and occasionally paint decals - some of the many things they dip their hands in during explorations. Outside of the lab, the spillover from her brain finds a place in an on-going self-initiated project called Brain On Vacay inspired by travel, or the lack of it.
Easha Ranade Graphic Designer, Lab Nilaya
Easha graduated from the National Institute of Design in 2017 and works as part of the Nilaya team. She works primarily on brand communication for Nilaya, which consists mainly of understanding each new collection, its context and motivation and helping create print and digital campaigns for each. Working with Nilaya also consists of creating fun decals, working on exhibitions and ogling over beautiful wallpapers.
Yash SapaligaWeb Designer & Developer
A Commerce graduate from Mumbai University, Yash is a self-taught web developer. He gained experience by working with ad agencies including Ogilvy One Worldwide, afterwhich he joined Trapeze. He currently handles various aspects of web design and development at Wari Watai. He is a big fan of Apple and is very curious and up to date with latest tech gadgets. Yash is also passionate about photography and enjoys music and reading in his spare time.
Derick ArujahIndustrial Designer
Derick is an undergraduate of RBANMS First grade College . Before joining Wari Watai, he worked with Dovetail Furniture as a Senior Design Engineer for 15 years . At Wari Watai, he works primarily on furniture design and exhibition design projects . With a keen interest in product detailing, he enjoys working on new product developments. His free time is spent designing his own line of furniture as a hobby. He’s also passionate about sketching.
Uma Reddy Production & Studio Manager
A graduate in B.Com. from SV University, and one of the longest working members of Wari Watai (previously Trapeze), Uma plays several roles in the studio. From handling various kinds of production to documenting studio work, he has and continues to learn and master different techniques and skills on the go. Uma, our one-man-army also manages the studio and helps in day-to-day accounting. In his personal time, he likes to practice photography and explore nature.
Kalavati Murugesh Tailor
Kalavati didi has been with us for about a year. She is a master of all handwork related to textiles, from embroidery to crochet. She has valiantly supported us in our crazy requests while exploring different surface constructions. She is diligent, a keen learner, restless when we sit and think for too long on a design, and provides us with homemade snacks from time to time.
Manoranjan Muduli Tailor
Manoj Master is our guy for all things apparel— he is our pattern maker, cutting expert as well as an ace tailor, with an eye for detail. Before joining Wari Watai, he used to work with an export house that made garments for international brands. He is very organised and knows all the tricks of his trade, right down to the inner workings of all manner of sewing machinery.
BaidyanathHead Support Staff
‘Bodi’ as he is called lovingly, takes care of the studio and its people. Whether it’s feeding our hungry bellies at odd hours or rushing to the market to find that perfect coloured thread, Bodi does it all.
Arbudam Support Staff
Amma, under Bodi’s guidance keeps the studio spick and span and helps everyone be organized, all with a big smile.
Narendra Support Staff
Narendra, Bodi’s right hand, provides the studio with refreshing cups of coffee or anything else we might need to keep going.
Juno Stress-buster
The first to greet everyone, she helps the studio maintain work and play balance. Juno loves to laze around, and is often found sun-bathing or sleeping under our table. With her commendable hunting and fetching skills, she keeps the studio rat-free. Food is her biggest passion and she’ll do anything if you have a treat in your hand.