TASSANAI YANUBOL, DESIGN DIRECTOR OF THE EMBASSY OF DESIGN TERRITORY TELLS US THAT THE CONCEPTION OF THE DESIGN STUDIO IS TO LOOK AT THEIR WORK NOT AS A ‘JOB,’ BUT AS SOMETHING THAT IGNITES IDEAS, PRACTICE, CREATIVITY AND EXCITEMENT.
Tassanai Yanubol, Design Director of The Embassy of Design Territory tells us that the conception of the design studio whose creative domain of spatial design encompasses everything from interiors and exhibitions all the way to stage designs and installations was based on the perspective being taken toward each project that looks at the work not as a ‘job,’ but as something that ignites ideas, practice, creativity and excitement.
Image courtesy of The Embassy of Design Territory
For over 12 years, The Embassy of Design Territory proposes, through their projects, new aspects of design, serving up not just a solution but also as a storyteller who communicates new ideas demonstrating a variety of issues to viewers. Nevertheless, what Tassanai views as a major obstacle of such approach toward design is how most of the time, the demands and understanding of the clients perceive design as a ready-made product that does not require that much time and effort, consequentially making ‘time’ a significant factor that affects a work’s final outcome.
Image courtesy of The Embassy of Design Territory
Image courtesy of The Embassy of Design Territory
The Embassy of Design Territory’s portfolio is comprised of exhibitions, music festivals, pavilions and installations including product launching events and conceptual design for real-estate projects. The collaboration between Embassy and Siam Discovery taking place in the middle of the year is considered a prominent milestone of the studio. The scope of the work encompasses the pre-event period, which includes the press conference held to introduce the shopping mall’s concept ‘The Exporatorium’ where, through simulation and design, guests and members of the press are brought into a state of experimentation. The event period kicked off with the official opening of the new Siam Discovery while, for the post event; Embassy will take part in the design of the storytelling of the Social Discovery section that features exhibitions and the use of other interactive media as a part of the formation of viewers’ experiences. The project also offers a chance to work with designers from various disciplines of design, making the project a memorable and thought provoking experience for the studio.
WHEN THERE’S A GREAT DIVERSITY IN THE PROJECTS YOU WORK WITH, IT FORCES YOU TO DEVELOP MORE DIVERSE KNOWLEDGE AND SETS OF SKILLS.
The Embassy of Design Territory, Photo by Ketsiree Wongwan
Image courtesy of The Embassy of Design Territory
Image courtesy of The Embassy of Design Territory
IT MAY SEEM LIKE A WEAK POINT BUT WE SEE IT AS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO COLLABORATE WITH DESIGNERS FROM OTHER DISCIPLINES OF DESIGN WITH DIFFERENT SETS OF KNOWLEDGE AND PROFICIENCIES.
One of the challenges that Embassy (and possibly other small and medium-sized design studios) has to come across is the shortage of staff. But for Embassy, that issue is never really a problem. “When there’s a great diversity in the projects you work with, it forces you to develop more diverse knowledge and sets of skills. With the size of the studio and the limited number of designers that we have, it’s difficult for us to employ personnel with such all-encompassing knowledge and expertise. It may seem like a weak point but we see it as an opportunity for us to collaborate with designers from other disciplines of design with different sets of knowledge and proficiencies.”
Image courtesy of The Embassy of Design Territory
When asked about the future of spatial design in Thailand, Tassanai sees the world getting smaller with continually developing technology where everyone and everything are connected at their fingertips. The impact of such change will force design studios in Thailand and around the world to try and find their own identity and the expertise that they possess. This individual quality, in Tassanai’s view, will bring about more productive and constructive collaborations between designers and experts from other disciplines. He ends the conversation with an interesting insight about how Thailand will get to see more works from foreign design studios while Thai designers will be creating more projects abroad as a result of such ever-growing connection.
Image courtesy of The Embassy of Design Territory
The Embassy of Design Territory, Photo by Ketsiree Wongwan
TEXT: NAPAT CHARITBUTRA AND PAPHOP KERDSUP
www.embassy.co.th