Blending function & form

Anjali Shah’s childhood curiosity about what made things work took her on a journey that evolved from product design to furniture design to kitchen design

What does it take to create designs that stand out?

AS: A good design takes care of the user’s needs, and is pleasing to interact with. What makes it stand out is its ability to fill a gap, a need that is not identified at the first instance. The product should evoke an emotion in its user – a feeling of nostalgia or a sense of familiarity, or something that makes you feel comfortable and cared for. A good design is just like an appealing tinder date! How one presents oneself makes the date happen, but then it is the real, tangible, personal qualities that move things forward! Form and function are the yin and yang – both are equally important.

How did your foray into kitchen design begin?

AS: After graduation, while working with a leading design studio in Ahmedabad on KITCHEN DESIGN varied projects from healthcare to furniture and FMCG, I realized that as designers, we can conceptualize and design but eventually it must pass the test of manufacturing and production constraints. Hence, I decided to join a manufacturing industry near Pune and worked under Ar. Snehal Vasani, the pioneer who introduced modular kitchens in India way back in 1988. Under his guidance I got exposure to the manufacturing sector and technicalities of furniture and kitchen design.

Which have been your most memorable projects?

AS: One of the most memorable projects was in Powai (Mumbai), where the client wanted me to convince her husband to invest in a kitchen versus buying a car! It was a family of seven, and I had to cater to everyone’s requirements, right from the grandmother who wanted a Vastu compliant kitchen, to the wife who dreamt of every possible appliance in her compact kitchen, and the kids who wanted an all-black kitchen. To cater to all their needs and interact with all of them was a most memorable experience.