A LITTLE ABOUT ME...
Nila is an Iranian-Australian designer, maker, and educator, with a strong focus on developing innovative physical products and experiences that leave a positive impact on society and the environment. She has worked across a diverse range of industries, from manufactured consumer goods, furniture design, sports equipment, and soft goods to environmental and spatial design, large-scale art installations, and interactive experiences, as well as material exploration and systems design. Nila’s primary goal is to design sustainable and regenerative solutions that not only fulfill utilitarian needs but also create delightful experiences that connect with users on an emotional level and leave a lasting positive impact.
In a world where people make thousands of product decisions per day and skim over millions of objects and platforms, how do we, as designers, create products that not only satisfy functional and aesthetic requirements but also uncover a meaningful experience? I believe that by placing the honest human experience at the core of a product's reasoning, we can create stronger outcomes that endure for a very long time; designing future-proof solutions.
“In my design practice, I consistently grapple with this challenge: How can we harness the design process to empower people to take action and construct new systems and resilience in a world prone to rapid and frequent change? This approach frequently entails simplification: organizing complex inputs, in a way that we can digest and learn from and to create outputs that ultimately feel intuitive and deliberate. I firmly believe that as designers, we possess the capacity to facilitate positive behavioral shifts, which can contribute to addressing today’s formidable challenges. My practice often involves extensive collaboration with diverse disciplines, including engineers, scientists, writers, craftspeople, developers, doctors, tradespeople, and many more. I am convinced that this collaborative approach is the way to tackle complex problems.”
Nila graduated from UNSW Art & Design, with a first class honours degree in object design. Her career started by joining one of Sydney’s leading product design consultancies, Vert Design Studio, an environmentally conscious design studio with an honest approach to design projects, and clients ranging from entrepreneurs, start-ups, boutique brands and multinational organizations, including transport for New South Wales, Nestle, Schneider electronics, Pernod Ricard, Saatchi & Saatchi, PWC and many more. Later, Nila took up the role of hardware design lead at ZOOMO, an Australian micro-mobility start-up, pursuing her passion of creating a more inclusive community and unlocking economic growth for the new wave of gig-economy workers by developing superior tools for trade. Currently, Nila is part of the international design consultancy Maynard Design, a multidisciplinary team of designers with a mission to improve people’s experiences of the built environment by bringing clarity to increasingly complex spaces and societies. Nila’s work has earned recognition from prestigious award bodies and has been showcased in various local and global presentations, exhibitions and public lectures.
To further pursue her passion of sharing knowledge and nurturing future designers, Nila joined UNSW Art & Design as a lecturer in both postgraduate and undergraduate levels, focusing on Sustainable Design, Design Professional Practice and integrated design studios. Her involvement as the Deputy-Chair of the Design Institute Australia (DIA) NSW council further amplifies her commitment to present the voice of industrial design within an Australia-wide multidisciplinary design community. Additionally, recognizing the need for a more cohesive industrial design community in Sydney, she co-founded Industrial Designers eXchange Sydney (IDX-SYD), facilitating socializing, networking, and knowledge exchange opportunities for industrial designers in Sydney.
Awards & Appointments
2023 - Good Design Award - Product Design (Automotive and Transport) - ZOOMO CARGO BOX
2022 - Design Institution of Australia (DIA) - Appointed Deputy Chair of NSW Council
2022 - Good Design Award - Best in Class Product Design (Consumer Electronics) - SLITE: THE WORLD’S MOST PORTABLE LIGHT FOR CREATORS
2023 - Good Design Award - Product Design (Automotive and Transport) - ZOOMO One E-Bike
2021 - Good Design Award - Product Design (Sport and Lifestyle) - Yenesthae Striking Cell
2020 - Good Design Award - Product Design (Furniture and Lighting) - Light Soy
2017 - DIA Graduate of the year award (GOTYA) - object design category
2016 - UNSW Dean’s List Award for Academic Excellence
2016 - The Lighting Society, LsiDA (Light Sculpture Installation Design Award) - shortlisted
2016 - Kudos Emerging Artist and Designer Award - Finalist
Exhibitions, Publications and Talks
2023 - 'Crafted Liberation: An Exhibition By Women of Iran' at Dutch Design Week 23’ - Eindhoven, Netherlands
2023 - 'Circular Sydney - Chapter on Circular Design’ Published By Re.Co - Sydney, Australia
2023 - 'Mindful Materiality' Panel as part of Sydney Design 2023 - Sydney, Australia
2022 - 'SHAPE Conference' at Powerhouse Museum - Sydney, Australia
2017 - 'Age of Man' at Ventura Lambrate, Milan Design Week - Italy
2016 - 'Designing Bright Futures' at Australian Design Centre - Sydney, Australia
2016 - 'Interactive Media Showcase' for Sydney Design 2016 - Australia
2016 - 'Kudos' Emerging Artist and Designer annual show - Australia
2016 - 'Exterminia', an interactive installation for Vivid Sydney - Australia
2016 - 'I Love You', an interactive installation for Vivid Sydney - Australia
2015 - 'Designed By', a curated show of student works at UNSW Art and Design - Australia