Ami Vadi
Published 1st February 2022
INTRODUCTION
Ami Vadi is a multidisciplinary designer from London, who explores and creates different forms of design: digital, analogue, motion and interactive.
Ami brings her experiences, ideologies and personality to life through her work to create a conversation.
Whilst Ami started studying Graphic Design she has had her work shared by the likes of Saatchi Gallery, MTV, Creative Debuts, BrownGirlGang, It’s Nice That, Campaign & POCC.
Hey Ami! First off, thanks so much for getting involved as a mentor for The Arena last year! How have you found the experience?
Thank you for creating such an amazing scheme! I have really enjoyed getting to talk to some lovely women who are starting out in the creative industry. It’s so important to be able to have these kinds of conversations about self confidence and how to promote yourself and your work.
© Ami Vadi
Taking it back a little...Have you always wanted to be a designer?
I haven’t always wanted to be a designer but from a very young age I’ve always loved being creative. In college I studied Fine Art, Graphic Design and Film Studies and still wasn’t sure what I wanted to do for University. I went to UCA to study a foundations course; that’s where I realised I loved the problem solving aspect to Graphic Design.
“I have really enjoyed getting to talk to some lovely women who are starting out in the creative industry.”
Your term studying abroad in Hong Kong sounded AMAZING. Would you recommend it to anyone currently on the fence about studying in a new country?
I would highly recommend it! I was very lucky to have had this opportunity, worked to save up for it and loved every moment when I got there. It’s a great learning experience not only for your discipline but also for yourself and your independence. If you do ever have the opportunity to do so, go!
© Ami Vadi
How did your experience in Hong Kong compare to studying design at Leeds Arts University?
There was definitely a culture shock studying in Hong Kong. Their courses were very objective and precise whereas Leeds Arts University was very subjective and open to challenging design and experimenting; which I preferred.
© Ami Vadi
I think many of us struggle with the pressure to ‘specialise’, designers in particular, but why is it important to you to keep exploring and experimenting?
I would always think I needed to specialise in “a style” to become a successful designer, but when working as a freelancer I realised exploring and experimenting opened up more varied and exciting design opportunities for me. I think it’s important to not rush the process you are in when finding your niche, stay open to different specialities you enjoy and let it naturally stick.
“...when working as a freelancer I realised exploring and experimenting opened up more varied and exciting design opportunities for me.”
© Ami Vadi
How does music influence and inspire your creative process?
I grew up in a household that always played music. My dad would (and still does) play the best music. When listening together we would talk about the design of the album artwork or how the song would be best portrayed in a music video; from this it naturally became fused with my creative thought process. Now I love to design music EP’s or visualise songs and films through poster designs in my spare time. A recent design I created was of Joy Crookes music video ‘Trouble’.
© Ami Vadi - Joy Crookes concept artwork
Could you tell us about your first mural project at Gaia’s Garden. How did it come about and what was your favourite part of it?
One of my favourite pieces I’ve created to date! The lovely Jamel (@firstsonofsoil) who is the Community Manager of the space called me to ask if I was interested, and with zero experience of painting a mural I was like “YES!”.
The theme of the mural was Sustainability, Community and Creativity and it made me want to revisit an old design piece I created. The mural is called ‘Be More Than A Black Square’, a reminder that Black Lives Matter isn't a trend where you post a black square and think that's good enough; we need to keep sustaining the conversation.
“Black Lives Matter isn’t a trend where you post a black square and think that’s good enough; we need to keep sustaining the conversation.”
The sustainable aspect of this mural was that I used everything that I had at home: old magazines for wheatpasting, spray paints and other mixed media from my university days. My favourite part that represented the community was seeing everyone that was there filling in the mural with messages they wanted to hear about Black Lives Matter. I loved how it made us learn from each other.
© Ami Vadi - Gaia’s Garden Mural
What’s your relationship with Instagram like? And do you have any advice for anyone who’s struggling to share their creative work?
My relationship with Instagram used to be quite unhealthy, I would constantly compare how many likes I got to others and stress that I needed to post everyday. Now I post work just for me, in my own time and people liking it is the added bonus. That would be the advice I’d give - post work for you and not for others, don’t stress about having to post every day. Also be confident in the work you make and the things you do, share it! Let everyone know what you’re achieving; it will make you feel good and also inspire others!
“Post work for you and not for others, don’t stress about having to post every day.”
© Ami Vadi - Converse
What’s one skill you don’t currently have, but would love to learn?
One skill I have always wanted to learn is how to code! I would love to see what I could make combining my design skills and coding to create something interactive.
Recommended reading
Oh Sh*t What Now? by Craig Oldham
Recommended listening
Joy Crookes
Recommended follow
Nathan Bennet
Recent interviews
