We have designed
so many things people don't realize are by us, but that's
OK. It's just part of our clients' strategy and we have to
honor that.
That keyboard you're typing on and the tub in the fridge
with your leftover mac and cheese? There's a chance they
were designed by Ziba Design Studio, one of Portland's quietest
success stories. Fortune 500 companies and hungry start-ups
alike seek out Ziba to make their products sleek and simple.
Last month, the Portland-based company brought home four
awards, including a coveted gold medal, from this year's
Industrial Design Excellence Awards, making it one of just
four design firms to win more than a pair of medals. And,
almost as impressive, Ziba's recycling bin was touted last
week in WW's "Best of Portland" issue.
The driving force behind Ziba is Sohrab Vossoughi. Born
in Tehran, Vossoughi immigrated to San Jose in 1970 at age
14. He came to Portland to work for Hewlett Packard as a
designer in 1980 and founded Ziba--which means "beautiful"
in Farsi--four years later. While his company certainly
thrives on the edge of technology, Vossoughi attributes
its success to good old-fashioned hard work.
Willamette Week: Who are Ziba's clients?
Sohrab Vossoughi: Our clients have become very diverse.
We might be working on a coffee maker in one corner of the
building and designing a new retail space for Federal Express
or developing e-commerce products in another.
Do a lot of consumers assume your clients are designing
their own products?
Absolutely. We have designed so many things people don't
realize are by us, but that's OK. It's just part of our
clients' strategy and we have to honor that. They want to
make a name for themselves, not for Ziba. One of the Ziba
values is about checking your ego at the door. We're doing
this to help our clients. It's about making them successful.
Name some familiar products Ziba has designed.
The natural keyboard we did for Microsoft is a good example.
We also work for the Rubbermaids of the world and design
garbage cans and squeegees, other things that are very low-tech.
We did smoke detectors for Coleman.
What's your favorite Ziba-designed product?
I don't have a favorite. If I ever fall in love with a
product it will mean that I'm no longer a designer, because
then I've stopped trying to tinker with something and make
it better.
What is the Ziba design style?
Simplicity is our biggest design philosophy: to make the
complex clear. If the first person off the street can use
it without looking at a manual, you've got a winner.
Which is more important, form or function?
I don't see how you could split the two, although plenty
of people in design firms do just that. In our product designing
philosophy, you design the whole experience.
There's a common notion--some would say stereotype--that
women and gay men possess more refined design sensibilities.
Do you believe this is true?
Actually I do believe there is a difference that comes
from gender and sexual orientation. Sometimes men tend to
be more analytical, while women have very good intuition.
I also think both women and homosexuals are more sensitive
to what I call "touchy-feely" stuff--color, detail...and
a lot of design has to do with that.
How is that belief reflected
in your company?
At Ziba we try to have a balance of different people and
backgrounds, not only because it's fair but also because
it serves us well from a design standpoint. And we definitely
have all types of people here.
Do you apply your designer's sensibilities to the rest
of your life--such as your home?
Design is a way of thinking, framing issues and then solving
them. I use that in all aspects of my life. My home, for
example, is very much my philosophy: It's simple, clean,
functional, uncluttered--although with kids that has become
tougher.
What is the best-designed thing
in Portland?
What I really like is the city itself: the design of the
city is marvelous. People who have put this city together
are long-term thinkers, and they've made a city with a lot
of humanity, they've made a great connection between the
city and the people. I put Portland way ahead of Seattle
and pretty much all of the American cities I've seen.
Who is your greatest inspiration?
When I came to this country, I watched my uncle. He had
come here from Iran before me, and when he got here he didn't
even know any English. But my uncle had what I call the
"immigrant syndrome": He was able to achieve a lot through
working hard, and now he's a very successful businessman.
It made me realize that you've got to work hard and you've
got to just keep moving forward. That means never being
satisfied with what I've done.
What have you taken from Iranian culture?
A lot of Eastern philosophy has helped me in business,
particularly the concept of long-term thinking and the idea
of being humble.
Have you faced much discrimination here?
The stereotypes are always there, and the media doesn't
do anything to help it. During the hostage crisis I was
worried. My uncle in the Bay Area got bomb threats at his
business. But that went away. These days, things are wonderful.
What do you like most about what you do?
I love to come to work--even on weekends. What excites
me? Everything. Every challenge, every project at Ziba.
Every time there's a problem it's a challenge, and solving
that gets me excited. Life would be boring without a challenge.
I would be just bored to death. I say create a challenge
for yourself and go out and solve it. That's the way for
me.
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