Eat Work Art SPOTLIGHT: Studio Nari

Studio Nari is a creative practice and branding studio based at Netil House. Their mission? To bridge the gap between design and art, combining artistic practices with strategic and psychological branding theories.

We caught up with Caterina Bianchini, founder of NARI ('Not Always Right Ideas'), to have an eagerly anticipated studio tour and hear more about their humanistic approach to branding and design.

NARI are just one of the incredible design-led residents partaking in this year's London Design Festival. They'll be using the festival, and Netil House's dedicated LDF Open Studios, to showcase their work and run a series of design-focused workshops for festival attendees.

Could you tell us a bit about how Studio Nari started?

Studio NARI started with the ambition to create design that felt empathetic, expressive and pushed visual boundaries within commercial design. We want to create work that has a true graphic sensibility with a stylistic approach that allows it to be distinguished in a saturated landscape. That's what our name "Not Always Right Ideas" is all about, we try to draw the focus away from textbook graphic design and have a more human and artist approach to the work we create.

My background is in medium format and film photography which I think is what gave me such a strong sense for composition, I also worked within the music industry as a Creative Director, where I was working with Artists, Record Labels, events & festivals. Joe's background is in creative strategy & advertising, helping the likes of Apple, Nike, Ford, Unilever and Red Bull to uncover strategic solutions for their creative campaigns.

Where did you draw inspiration from for your studio design?

I collect art, so for me I wanted to have a space where I could show some of the pieces as part of my collection. My dad is an antique dealer so I have always had an obsession with interiors, furniture designers and styling.

I would say my main inspirations were from the 1920s - present day focused more on Italian industrial designers; Vico Magistretti, Mario Bellini, Massimo Vignelli, Gaetano Pesce, to name a few...

What's the best part of your job?

*Cringey answer* but, doing something I care about every single day :)

Do you have a favourite project you've worked on?

I would say our recent work for Lil Nas X is pretty special - although it hasn't been released yet.

Any advice on someone wanting to crack into your industry?

Work hard & enjoy what you're creating.

Click here to RSVP to Netil House's Open Studios in conjunction with London Design Festival.