We recently had the opportunity to interview Ofri Danon and Maya Shelef, the Co-Founders and designers at OMY Design. As the core figures behind the business, both Ofri and Maya share a passion for interior design and have been playing a crucial role in uplifting it.
As the founders of OMY Design, Ofri Danon and Maya Shelef lead a team of talented designers and offer exclusive design experiences. In this insightful interview, Ofri and Maya share their professional journey, offering unique services and encouraging collaboration with different designers.
Spark Behind The Journey
We started the interview by asking, “What ignited your passion and led you to embark on your professional journey in this field?”
Ofri and Maya shared, “Both of us have always had sensors for experiences, most of which were associated with being consumers. It might be anything, not necessarily a proper interior design experience. Our common denominator was that we observed similarities in how we experience places and spaces. We could walk into a space and feel every layer. The time has passed, and we started to realize that this is the area of our passion.
We found our goal in commercial & hospitality interior design since that is where the experiences are rapidly changing and emerging from a set of values that we receive from the brand or branding company. We create visual experiences based on these values with a single goal: to excite the customer and improve and maximize their experience.”
Setting OMY Apart
We were curious to learn how Ofri Danon and Maya Shelef maintain a unique approach to their business. So, we asked, “Share more about your background and the unique story behind the inception of your business. What sets it apart in the market?”
They shared, “We are both 38 years old and met while studying interior design. We worked together in a commercial design office after graduation. Naturally, we began working together, with a blurred line between friendship and partnership and an enduring passion for our chosen career.
If we had to pick one advantage, it would be that we are two partners, each with her own set of qualities. Four hands allowed us to establish a healthy business quickly, which is how we manage our projects. We never follow trends, and our designs are constantly inspired by the brand and the creation of an innovative use for a specific material, frequently with a sense of humor and surprise.”
Bursting The Misconceptions
In every industry, certain myths have been prevailing among the masses. We asked Ofri Danon and Maya Shelef to break down certain misconceptions. Identify a prevalent misconception about your industry or role that needs clarification. How would you address and rectify this perception?
They respond, “An interior designer is a decorator. “Choosing a color for the wall, fabric for the pillow!”
In our industry, an interior designer is a business owner’s first point of contact with potential customers. The design is his primary tool to introduce them to the place’s content. We choose the walking path, the tempo, and the pace at which items are shown. Every instrument we have has a purpose. The experience must be precise to tug on the emotional chords so that the buyer connects with the brand and, of course, purchases. “
Adaptability Amidst Challenges
Every professional journey is filled with inevitable challenges. We asked, “Reflecting on your journey, what significant challenges have you encountered in your business, and how did you successfully navigate and overcome them?”
Ofri replied, “Our primary goal and most significant challenge is to expand beyond interior design and add more fields of view. We’ve learned throughout the years that there must be a synergy between interior design and the rest of the toolset to generate an optimum experience in the space.
The type of music, its placement, fragrance, the personnel’s outfits, the way they connect with the customer, integration of digital devices into the physical store, and other components, along with the interior design, create a complete experience. We formed a team that includes interior designers, an experience designer, a brand designer, a product designer, and a social expert.”
“Each member of such a team is another layer, and the more layers there are in a project, the higher the quality is. When a client hires us for a project, he understands that we create an experience with interior design as one of its layers. The idea is to establish credibility with the consumers by making them feel that all the layers function together. Collaboration and teamwork are integral to success.” Maya further added.
Fostering Collaboration
To ensure sustainable success as a business, it is paramount to encourage cooperation among the team. To learn more about the approaches adopted by Ofri Danon and Maya Shelef to foster teamwork, we asked, “Could you elaborate on the methods and practices you employ to foster a culture of collaboration within your organization or group?”
Maya Shelef replied, “Our partnership is the foundation of our studio. We have been designing in full collaboration for the past ten years, from the early concept creation phase to project delivery. All studio members get involved when we start working on a new design.
We believe that brainstorming is crucial and that waiting for input from others inhibits everyone’s ability to be creative. We started working on “DNA” – the Middle East’s longest bar three years ago. Our customer hired two design companies for the project, and we collaborated closely with one of them. When the project ended, we continually explored additional collaborative projects because our collaboration was honest and respectful.”
Ofri Danon further added, “A visitor spends an average of two hours in the restaurant. How many experiences does he have to endure in these two hours? Many! Therefore, the planning of a restaurant makes the project’s technical and emotional aspects very complex. We think a project will be more effective if several designers collaborate and you put aside your ego in the process.”
Envision The Future
We further asked, “How do you foresee the evolution of your industry or field over the next 5-10 years? Are there emerging trends or innovations you anticipate playing a pivotal role?”
They continued, “The most significant development in recent years has been the spread of AI into architecture and design. The foresight is to use this fantastic instrument to its full potential without allowing it to take over the creative process. In college for design 15 years ago, we were encouraged to keep our manual talents while learning visualization and drawing software.
In the first academic year, only manual tools were taught, with no reference to computer programming, because good ideas could only come from the hand. We work with manual models to develop the first concepts. With manual sketches to understand technical connection details.
AI technology is feasible as long as it is used as an additional tool and not as the end goal.
Many simulations on the web can be identified in seconds as having been made with the assistance of AI, and we believe that it is essential to be cautious about this to retain our individuality, identity, and handwriting as designers.”
Suggestions For Beginners, we asked Ofri Danon and Maya Shelef
Starting in a similar field, I will find it inspiring to hear from experts like Ofri Danon and Maya Shelef. So, we asked, “Drawing from your experience, what valuable advice would you offer to individuals embarking on their journey in this industry? What key lessons have shaped your professional perspective?”
They shared, “We would devise aspiring designers to focus solely on one area of interest and to take their career in that subject very seriously. It is easy to waste our energy from the start by taking on another project. Small business owners know that life is getting more demanding and intense and that our companies need to ‘justify’ this.”
“We, therefore, need to pick a field that interests us and wake up every morning “to create” instead of “to work.” Aside from that, the experience gathered from previous projects of the same type is precious. It results in defined work disciplines, long-term professionals, and professional knowledge, which is the one thing that cannot be OUTSOURSED.
When we deny initiatives in the private sector, we are proud to say no to a project that someone else could execute better than us, and we enjoy the creative process less.” Ofri and Maya concluded.
Follow Ofri Danon and Maya Shelef on LinkedIn.
Find OMY Design on LinkedIn and visit here to learn more.
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