Interview with Nardin Sabounchi

Design is a way to express our minds and emotions; it is a tool to make a tangible change in the lives of others. It is the act of creation from a raw material or form. Think of it like cooking: everyone can have access to the exact same tools and ingredients, but everyone will get a completely different result because their approach is different. That unique approach is what makes life fun and makes observing others' journeys so beautiful.

Objects and spaces that people can touch, interact with, and express themselves through things they can get a genuine, positive impact out of. For me, a project doesn't end when the design or production phase finishes. It truly ends when I see the live reaction and interaction of the users and clients.

Even though it was my very first design when I entered the industry back in 2018, it is the Iran Ring for Taj Dorsa. The initial client request was a simple 3D model of an existing building, but I chose to inject story, meaning, emotion, and a timeless approach by integrating various historical monuments from different cities across Iran.

The Iran Ring for Taj Dorsa. It is still being sold today and has been featured on billboards across Iran. I actually met someone randomly in Paris recently and noticed she was wearing it. When I told her I was the designer, she didn't believe me at first! Once I proved it, she was shocked and shared a beautiful story with me: she explained how difficult immigration is, forcing you to fit your whole life into just one piece of luggage. But with this ring which was a parting gift from her friends she feels like she is always carrying a piece of Iran with her.

I love exploring all materials and I never limit myself. When it comes to technology, I am a quick adopter. I find it fascinating how new tools can elevate both the final design and the creative process itself. Right now, experimenting with AI is my new hobby and tool. While it isn't quite ready for advanced 3D modeling yet, it immensely enhances the early ideation phase.

If a project is actively in motion and I am actively solving obstacles, I find it impossible to stop myself from creating more variations or adding new layers. Discovering art and seeing other people's designs also heavily inspires me. Because of that, working in a group environment with people easily fuels my creativity.

Being unexpected and refusing to let a design be defined by its constraints. I will gladly spend the majority of my time focusing on the exact part of a project that sounds like a limitation, purely to find a creative solution to overcome it. Limits do not get to define my design.

Pure joy and liveliness. It gives meaning to my life, it's a sense of pure, unfiltered happiness, like being a kid again.

I get incredibly motivated when my designs come to life and get noticed. At the end of the day, we are designing for clients, users, and the public not for ourselves. When I see people actively using and interacting with a space or object, that is when I know the design has been truly recognized.

The longevity and actual use of the design. Sometimes, certain designs are far ahead of their time; no one notices them right away, but later on, people understand their value and the change they created. I view that long-term impact as a truly successful design, far beyond just commercial success.

Creativity, thinking out of the box, and the element of the unexpected.

I live in Paris and work as the Pop-Up and Event Design Manager at Berluti (LVMH Maison). In this role, I strictly follow the brand’s specific DNA and heritage, which is separate from my personal culture. That said, my background and culture fundamentally formed my overall approach to design. So while it definitely exists under the surface, defining its exact presence on the final design isn't always easy.

Being a designer gives you the power to shape experiences, but the disadvantage is that the creative process especially in big companies is often taken for granted. Very few people truly recognize or respect the immense time and effort hidden behind the scenes. Many times, outsiders mistakenly think it is the software doing the designing, rather than the designer.

The sky is the limit.

Beyond having natural creativity, tracking industry trends, and understanding history, the ability to present your design is absolutely crucial in today’s oversaturated world.

"How did you manage to come up with this idea?" or "What does your thinking process look like to achieve this result?"

Always as a team. I can safely say that it is almost impossible in the modern design field to design something from 1 to 100 entirely by yourself. For example, all the designs at ela.store are the beautiful result of teamwork alongside Nilufar Salehi, Sadaf Shafie, and the many talented others who are always credited in the work.

I am currently working on the Paris Design Week press event design for Berluti here in Paris. For the upcoming 2027 collection, the core inspiration and philosophy was drawn from Le Petit Prince (The Little Prince), and the final result is going to be amazing.

Instagram: @nnardinn or email :)