Design excellence at the core of our mission

On a recent visit to Downtown Dubai, the urban mixed-use development that has come to define Dubai as a modern global city, I reflected on the fact that this is a place where you see many separate and unique pieces coming together to create a unified experience in a designed setting. Places to live and work, shop and dine, be awed and entertained. At its core, places that inspire people to simply gather and connect. It’s multi-dimensional and yet intentionally intertwined, fusing commerce with experience.

Design Excellence has been a core part of WATG and Wimberly Interiors throughout our history, and my decades of global travel have always inspired me to consider the definition of this term, but my recent observations in Dubai brought even more clarity. Design Excellence is not just about beautiful design from an aesthetic perspective – though that’s certainly part of it. Similarly, Design Excellence is not about a single artist with a brilliant idea, nor about an imaginative sketch that’s quickly and spontaneously drawn on a cocktail napkin. Design Excellence is about a team-driven, collaborative design process; a collection of artists, ideas and sketches. Like the places that are created when Design Excellence is achieved, it’s multi-dimensional. It requires a balance of many attributes including beauty, functionality, profitability, sustainability, resilience and human experience. Design Excellence is the magic that comes from the successful combination of all of those qualities. It’s a process that takes time, effort and teamwork, guided by a clearly defined mission.

Design Excellence is about a team-driven, collaborative design process; a collection of artists, ideas and sketches.

When our WATG and Wimberly Interiors teams kick off a new project, we gather multiple disciplines and perspectives and try to think beyond traditional, individual roles or hierarchies. Each project has its own unique set of challenges and solutions and must be approached uniquely, so we just let the ideas flow from the start without inhibition. This approach creates an esprit de corps and a “we’re all in this together” ethos where everyone collaborates to develop creative new ideas and solutions for our clients. We’re bonded together by this shared mission, while our cultural diversity ensures that we are equipped to consider each of a project’s attributes and helps us achieve that magical balance of all of them.

Sustainability and resilience are especially critical attributes to consider, now more than ever as we face a turning point in our global climate crisis. Design cannot be truly exceptional unless it considers the short- and long-term impact it has on people and planet. This is one of WATG’s guiding principles. We must create spaces and places that improve the experience of individuals and whole communities and do our part to support their longevity. Whether a specific space is designed to endure or whether it will flex and evolve over time, it will leave a legacy, and the people who experience that space deserve the opportunity to thrive. The way a property inhabits the land and utilizes natural resources can shape the future of massive regional ecosystems. Similarly, employees must be considered and cared for, so they’re inspired to play a positive role in their communities, and motivated to pass on a positive experience to visitors and guests. In a luxury resort, for example, the seamless functionality of the back-of-house is just as critical a part of the design process as is the elegant aesthetic that guests encounter. The details matter and ultimately make a huge difference in the long-term resiliency of a project.

Design cannot be truly exceptional unless it considers the short- and long-term impact it has on people and planet.

Design Excellence is about taking the time to develop a deep understanding of those details. With understanding we can achieve trust. And with trust – being open to new and different perspectives and not being afraid to fail – we can reach true innovation. Our collaborative, team-driven design process empowers us to find knowledge and inspiration at the fringes and intersections of different disciplines and subject matters. The design process needs leadership, vision, awareness and conviction, and above all requires collective purpose. The way a team is structured is essential to success in establishing or transforming a brand, a building, or a whole city. Done right, the result is magic.