Meet Vinita V. Pugal | Founder, Designodal, Inc. – Storyteller, Experiential Designer, Master Planner & Landscape Architect

We had the good fortune of connecting with Vinita V. Pugal and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Vinita, where are your from? We’d love to hear about how your background has played a role in who you are today?

A story of an immigrant is multigenerational, shaped by different cultures and historical events.

I was born in Gujarat, India, a border state, during a war between two countries, India & Pakistan, in the ’70s. The uncertainty of the times shaped my family’s destiny. My father was a Dental Surgeon, Captain in the Military, and my mother was a civilian Doctor. After the war, my parents decided to live & work together. They moved to Goa, a Portuguese colony for almost 450 years that gained independence in the ’60s. We are the first generation of Indians growing up in a democratic country amalgamating Eastern and Western cultures.

My ancient culture’s folklores, design, colors, textures, and patterns inspire me as a designer. I saw my grandparents & parents creating art inspired by their roots. Traditionally, my family also has a long history of handloom & textile design, growing up in a tropical paradise in Kerala, India. As a trading port established in early 3000 BCE connecting East to the West, our collective stories & who we are today trace back to the crossroads of trade routes followed by colonization of the past era.

I started my first design consultancy business in South Asia when I was 27. We were a young, spirited, and ambitious team. As a professional educated in Architecture, Planning, and Landscape Architecture, I worked with various communities worldwide before moving to the United States. Back in Asia, I spent my weekends with monks in the Himalayas, the Royal families, and important dignitaries, traveled through terrorist-infested lands and spent the weekdays working in design offices & construction sites with local building contractors. The resilience, tenacity & wisdom of the people I met along the way shaped me into who I am today.

My journey brought me to the United States, a country at the forefront of innovation. I had the opportunity to work on the design & construction of various prestigious projects in the United States & abroad. While working on the projects, I observed how waves of immigration to the United States fueled the innovative spirit by cross-pollinating diverse cultures and ideas. California is a melting pot of different cultures, yet we lack space to celebrate the legacy and tell the story of the people. The growing development has erased the history of the land and the diverse native vegetation creating – a lack of spirit. How do we bridge the gap to connect people, tell stories, celebrate art and culture, and support local communities?

The search for an answer led to the founding of Designodal, where we work with the exceptionally talented creative community in Los Angeles that pioneers experiential design globally. We believe storytelling can create engaging public spaces, help convey the story of the people, and hopefully bridge the gap to create an inclusive society.

Mission: We are a collaborative forum to connect people, transform the world through design, and catalyze change by leveraging our skills & network – Designodal, Inc.

Photography by: Brittany Del Soldato, Lucky in Lush.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.

Designodal serves as a collaborative forum of designers – a ‘node’ or meeting point. Designers come together to imagine, share and explore creative solutions for projects. We welcome designers to initiate projects, collaborate, and lead the group using Designodal as a platform.

We collaborate to create an immersive experience for public spaces. We engage in design projects related to the public realm, master planning, landscape architecture, outdoor event design & permitting, experiential design, guest experience, and visitor attraction.

The art of storytelling inspires us as a medium of expression for planning and design. We establish a bold project vision statement and concepts for design projects – big or small.

Designodal works closely with industry leaders in experiential design in themed entertainment, movie studios, and architecture offices to explore design ideation.

A core principle of Designodal is to catalyze positive social and environmental changes by empowering design professionals to collaborate, participate, and support nonprofits working with the local community.

Was it easy? How did you overcome challenges?
It was not easy. It took years of experience understanding the design principles that work or don’t work. It was challenging to determine the type of business entity that illustrates the vision for Designodal as a ‘collaborative platform’ and a ‘catalyst for supporting local communities & nonprofits’.

Funding the process is also critical in keeping the vision alive and thriving. I didn’t want to burden anyone or take a loan to execute the idea, so I decided to save from my day job to finance the vision. I am grateful that many of my friends and collaborators joined the journey to explore, especially my friend & our Project Director – Teresa Cuba.

What have you learned along the way?
I would recommend anyone with an idea to explore it to make it a reality. There is no failure in trying. Understanding the fact that the vision is constantly evolving is a critical part of the process of setting up a business. As an immigrant, no one knows you, and every relationship has to be built based on trust and skills. It is even more challenging for a woman to find a balance between family & business networking. I am a cheerleader for all women who aspire to accomplish their dream!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Southern California’s natural beauty encompasses beaches, mountains, and deserts. But as a design professional, I would recommend The Getty Centre, The Walt Disney Concert Hall, the Griffith Observatory, the Getty Museum, the Pacific Design Center, and the Los Angeles County Museum of Arts, to name a few landmarks. Visiting Olivera Street, China Town, Little Tokyo, and many other diverse cultural hubs showcases the rich cultural history and legacy of Los Angeles.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?

Confucius once said, “Study the past if you would define the future”. Access to books as a child was like having a vehicle to time travel between the past, present, and future and help understand different cultures. And a salute to the highly competitive yet affordable education system in India.

I am grateful to my parents & sister, who sowed the seed of my curiosity to learn & grow. Thanks to my family, friends, collaborators at Designodal, and our clients from the creative industry for helping Designodal accomplish its mission. Thanks to Esther Margulies, Terry Palmer, and friend Teresa Cuba for paving the path for an immigrant’s journey.

I want to acknowledge designers, artists, writers, performers, innovators, and creative professionals who make our world beautiful! I would also like to recognize my fellow board members and staff at ‘Sustainable Claremont’ – a nonprofit working with the community to create a greener planet. A special Shoutout to ‘Arts for LA’- a voice for the arts in Greater Los Angeles, where I was recently part of the ACTIVATE Delegate Cohort for 2022. Shoutout to the SoCal American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) for supporting the professional development of the profession of landscape architecture.

Thanks to brilliant photography by Brittany Del Soldato, Lucky in Lush.

Website: www.designodal.com

Instagram: @designodal

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vinita-vijayan-pugal-2735aa14/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Designodal

Image Credits
Photography by: Brittany Del Soldato, Lucky in Lush.