Edited transcript of the conversation with Dinesh Vyas.
The practice of architecture and interior design deals with spatial, and functional requirements. It is a unique discipline, assimilating multiple other disciplines – engineering, construction, building codes, safety, cost, art, culture, aspirations and environmental impacts. As an architect, you work hard to optimize the experiences of the users through the structure you create, and while doing so, you deal with numerous materials – concrete, wood, steel, plastic, glass, fabric, stone, various synthetic and organic materials.
The material enables the design to take a physical form. When we look deeper, we see that the tangibility of material is used to satisfy the ultimate objective of the design space, which is intangible; emotions and feelings.
Concrete is used to connect with rawness, wood with warmth and comfort, or metal with coldness. Material transforms the way space makes us feel. In other words, the materiality controls the most crucial, but intangible aspect of your design. I represent one of the most versatile materials; tiles.
Talking about intangible deliverables of this tangible material, modern-day high-tech tiles can evoke the associated intangible feelings of multiple materials, whether it is the brutality of concrete, or the sophistication of fabric, or the cosiness of wood. This is not limited to the appearance or graphic printing alone. The differentiation can go much deeper – the tactility, mechanical strength of the body, robustness of the surface, level of slip resistance, and many other performance parameters, apart from appearance.
Ceramic tiles, being a wonderful and versatile material, can qualify in most of these parameters. It has lesser impact on the environment, and of course, associated economy.
The established convention is to call for samples, and select from off-the-shelf available choices that come from tens of sources, and thousands of options. You continuously reject options till you settle down on some off-the-shelf available product, for a project which you wanted to be unique. As a designer, you conceived the finished space with a unique idea. It could have been an ancient or historical structure, culture, or it could just be a tiny drop of water which falls from the sky on the lake to create ripples.
That scene and feeling, becomes the stimulus to your design, and that makes the project unique. In such a scenario, the off-the-shelf product may not do justice to this unique idea.
This is where I see the possibility to create special products, and not just for its tactile or visual appearance.
It’s unfortunate, that the tile selection is predominantly based on look and feel. I am not ignoring the aesthetics, but taking into consideration the other parameters of performance as well. Aesthetics that also has a longevity, and functionality that is not just a formality to refer to the factory gate values of quality parameters. An architect defines the purpose and desired emotions, while me and my team of designers, ceramists, and production professionals, ensure that your unique project obtains that specially crafted product.
Today, I am happy to say that we have done multiple projects through co-creation. You can understand the joy that both partners had in this process. I’m sure, as we progress, we will be in a position to do similar projects with more architects.
The journey of co-creation has just begun, and soon it will capture a much larger ground. The industry for my set of products, is dealing with creative people who believe in uniqueness⊗
Dinesh Vyas heads Marketing at H & R Johnson (India) where he leads brand and marketing initiatives across all product verticals. With over 25 years of experience in the industry, he has worked with Ambuja Cement, Larsen & Toubro and Shell, apart from his long engagement with H & R Johnson. Dinesh has led retail, brand and marketing initiatives including some of the company’s landmark product development initiatives. He holds an M.Tech and an MBA degree, being recognised amongst the ’50 most talented brand leaders in India’ by World Brand Congress.
