In Conversation: Ami Vadi

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We’re back with another In Conversation feature! We’re super excited to be able to feature Ami Vadi, who’s a multidisciplinary designer, currently based in London. Having been featured on the likes of It’s Nice That, POCC and so many more, we were keen to learn more about Ami and her practice.

Find Ami’s work at instagram.com/ami.vadi

Hello! Introduce yourself, who are you? What do you do?

Hey there! My name is Amritha Vadi (aka Ami). I’m a 24 year old multidisciplinary designer. I graduated in 2019 with a BA Hons in Graphic Design and currently work in London. I explore and create different forms of design; digital, analogue, motion and interactive. I love to visualise my experiences, ideologies and personality through design to create a conversation.

You're from London, are you currently based there? If not, where? How's the creative scene looking at the moment? 

I’m just on the outskirts of London in a town called Woking. I was so close to making that jump and moving into London last year but Covid had other plans. There was a knock back for many creatives last year, including myself; but the creative scene was always there and it’s coming back better than ever.

You describe yourself as a Multidisciplinary Designer. Tell us more about the styles you've worked on! What forms of design do you enjoy the most? 

I’ve been very lucky to be able to expand and experiment with different styles the last couple of years. I’ve gone from set production and art directing event spaces for the likes of Krept & Konan and Doja Cat, to designing books, EP’s, and national campaigns. At the moment I’m really enjoying combining illustration and motion design. A couple of illustrative pieces I made during lockdown were shown on billboards around London and selected by It’s Nice That and Converse for a competition.

Have there been any recent projects you've been proud of? 

I got to work on my first project as a Converse All Star this year, and I was teamed up with three awesome creatives from around the world. We were given the task to create a visual response to ‘Breaking the Barriers of Racial Inequality’. One zoom call and five days later we all combined our skills to create a really powerful piece. I loved editing all our work together and exploring spoken word through the narration of the video. I was so proud of the outcome.

Who have been your most notable inspirations from the design world? Why? 

Being a multidisciplinary designer I take inspiration from so many creatives, the list is endless. Some notable ones would be designers like Aries Moross, Banksy, David Carson, Karan Singh and Takashi Murakami. Their work constantly inspires me to think of new ways of exploring design, medium and colour. It also goes without saying that my design friends from University and the creatives I’ve been able to meet and work with since graduating are huge inspirations for me as well. The design world isn’t an easy one, their success and support spur me on!

You've studied at some wonderful institutes, notably, Farnham University of Creative Arts, Hong Kong Polytechnic University & Leeds Arts University. What were your experiences like as a student? Did you feel like you knew where your career was heading during that time or did it feel like you were still exploring your paths? 

I was definitely exploring my paths. I didn’t know whether I wanted to go into Fine Art or Graphic Design after my A-Levels and studied at Farnham UCA on a Foundation course to help find out what suited me best. I realised I loved the problem solving aspect of Design and how versatile it was.

This was something I definitely got to explore in Leeds Art University. Studying in Leeds equipped me with the fundamentals of being a designer, collaborating with others, executing design briefs whilst communicating with clients. I loved living in Leeds. It has a community that continues to grow creatively. Studying in Hong Kong was amazing! I was able to gain another perspective of design, whilst absorbing the colours and flavours of another country. It had its challenging moments but I got to learn about the more objective side of design there.

Give us three bits of advice that every creative might want to hear at the minute. 

1) Try not to compare yourself to other creatives, It’s easier said than done but we all take different paths to get to the same destination, keep doing what you’re doing! 

2) Don’t mistake giving yourself time to rest or recharge as something unproductive. Your mental health and wellbeing is a priority. 

3) That thing you are thinking of doing, DO IT! If it’s that piece you want to create, that collaboration you want to do or an email you want to send, do it! What have you got to lose? 

What's next for you? What are you looking forward to the most? 

I recently started a new job where I’m already learning so much from working with many well known brands. WFH has its perks but I can’t wait to start going into the office and to just be surrounded by people again. I’m really looking forward to using my personal time to start passion projects and collaborations. It’s a very exciting chapter.

Make sure you check out Ami‘s work here: instagram.com/ami.vadi

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Image credits: Ami Vadi