Architect, designer and illustrator, Aashti Miller’s work is a beautiful blend of her love for the worlds of architecture and design. Having grown up with an architect father and a fine artist mother in Mumbai, India; Aashti was a natural to study Architecture at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. After graduating, she went on to work for Pickard Chilton and within two years became a licensed architect. It wasn’t until 2019, when she moved back to India that she decided to launch her graphic design and illustration studio, MillerInk Graphics. Aashti’s interest in architectural forms shines through in her work which is intricately decorative in nature, has an astonishing level of detail and well-balanced layouts. She always aims for ‘unique ways to unite my two seemingly disparate, and yet inextricably linked ‘worlds’.’
During her early career at Pickard Chilton, Aashti spent most of her weekends exploring her passion for visual art and design. Her structured and often geometric illustrations are usually inspired by ‘spaces, places and faces’. Since starting her studio, she has worked on a wide variety of unique and interesting projects, her favourite being one of her most recent works—designing special edition medals for marathons in India: ‘it was the perfect amalgamation of architecture, graphics, product design, and illustration. I especially enjoyed the process because the concept was based on humanity rising beyond the odds in these challenging times we are all collectively facing.’
As a woman of colour, Aashti has encountered barriers throughout her career, but she has used these to refocus her efforts and find opportunities that have been the right fit for her, ‘Continuing to work with Pickard Chilton and starting MillerInk have empowered me to believe that there is a different path for women in design and I am proud of what I have been able to accomplish in spite of being told many times that I would not be successful.’ She believes it is important while celebrating each milestone and success however small, to remind yourself of how far you’ve come as sometimes it’s easy as a creative to be overwhelmed by self-doubt.
We chatted with Aashti to find out more about her design journey, developing a visual style and her thoughts on diversity and inclusion within the creative industries.
Hey Aashti! Where did it all begin… how did you first become interested in working in the creative industries?
I was always interested in art and design. Growing up with an architect father and an artist mother meant that I was always surrounded by creative thinking. What attracted me to architecture was the idea that I could unite my passion for science and art. I don’t think architecture is either of these disciplines, but it borrows the spirit of both in a unique way. What surprised (and delighted me) when I started my course was that so many students pursuing the major did not have a specific idea of what they wanted to do in life. Much like me, they came in with an inkling of what they liked and were using their time in school to figure out the best path forward. I tried to maximise my time in that learning environment, to learn how to see the world through a completely different lens and how to represent it on paper in a unique way. Oddly enough, 8 years later andstill working in the field of architecture – while dabbling in graphic design on the side with MillerInk – I still view my choice to pursue design as an ongoing experiment. I am always looking for unique ways to unite my two seemingly disparate, and yet inextricably linked ‘worlds’.
Can you tell us about your career path and how you got to where you are now?
After graduating from architecture school, I started working at Pickard Chilton (New Haven, CT) as an architectural designer. I was lucky enough to find a workplace that encouraged me to simultaneously pursue my specific passions within design (graphics and illustration) and broaden my architectural education. My mentors and colleagues were encouraging, warm and familial, which created a very open learning environment. This was especially important for me being so far away from home. Thanks to this work culture, I received my license to practice architecture in the US within 2 years of joining the firm. At the same time, I spent most of my weekends drawing for design competitions, creating wild and speculative illustrations that trod the fine line between architecture and graphics. Although overwhelmed at times, I was never uninspired or creatively stagnant. When I moved back to India in 2019, I wanted to pursue my exploration even further and so I started MillerInk. Within just a few months it has grown beyond my wildest expectations. I have had the opportunity to work with some amazing clients on some of the most interesting projects. I also still work with Pickard Chilton as an independent consultant, continuing to focus on graphics and presentation design.
How have you developed your visual style throughout your career and have there been any pivotal moments?
I have spent so much time contemplating whether or not I have a style. I never stick to the same colour palette or the same drawing technique, but I have been told there is a consistency to my work – it’s hard for me to pin down what this is myself! I do think my work has certainly evolved significantly from when I started,and I often look back to pick out small consistencies. I think I am just starting to get comfortable with my style (or my lack of one). To do this, I remind myself to stay true to my unique academic and professional background. I think a pivotal moment for me was my collaboration with the Conrad Hotel. They reached out to me to create a piece of art based on photographs of their hotel and restaurant. It was my first tie up with a large company and the first time I attempted to really push the envelope to create something unique and true to myself. Till this point, most of my work was a little aimless and reliant on cues from my social media following and followers.
Your style is unique.Where do you get your inspiration from and how do you approach a new project?
This is the question I get asked the most and is the hardest one for me to answer, primarily because it’s so difficult for me to start new projects. I have definitely got better at this over time, but I am almost always so unsure of the outcome and like many, this deters me from diving right in. At some point, I just have to start drawing and keep my fingers crossed that the piece will end up where I want it to. I am usually inspired by spaces, places, and faces so there is usually a bit of each of these in everything I create. Being at home during lockdown has limited everyone’s inspiration a bit so I am looking forward to the day when we can interact with and learn from our environments more safely. I wish I was better at thinking through sketching. I know this helps most designers sift through their ideas and focus on what stands out and inspires them the most at a given moment. It truly is a skill in its own right and one that I hope to pick up in the future.
Tell us about a favourite project that you’ve worked on and why it’s important to you.
I designed special edition medals for the marathons held in 4 major cities in India in 2020-21. This project was my first chance to work on a design with such national impact and exposure. I feel that it was the perfect amalgamation of architecture, graphics, product design, and illustration. I especially enjoyed the process because the concept was based on humanity rising despite the odds in these challenging times that we are all collectively facing. Inspired by the Indian symbol of the ‘Ashoka Chakra’, the medal serves as a symbol of hope, faith, and perseverance. The design consists of 2 interlocked rings of spokes which are mathematically increased and decreased to create a mobius strip like form, further reinforcing the concept of unity and non-duality.
How would you describe yourself as an illustrator and designer?
I think one thing I can say for certain about my style is that it is very detail-oriented. I have spent over an hour drawing a single plate of food or a plant that is visually about 2% of the total composition. Focusing on the detail in this way may seem fruitless to some, but I believe it is what defines the little style and/or aesthetic I do have. I like to believe that I am detail dis-oriented. This is what many architects are like (and how they should be in my opinion) and so it’s very interesting for me to see how much my professional and academic backgrounds impact my approach to my vocation.
How has being a woman impacted your career?
When I was interviewing for jobs in my final year of college, I remember some recruiters not even giving me a chance because I was a woman of colour. Their bias was never overt, but I would be quite certain by the end of our interactions that I would not be asked to interview with them again, and it was not because of the quality of my portfolio or performance in school. This was of course, immensely disheartening, but helped me refine my job search more. I began to focus my efforts on firms who were primarily concerned about the fit of their candidates and that’s how I ended up at Pickard Chilton. Although I grew up here, returning to India was difficult for me. 7+ years spent in the US had changed how I perceived society and the workplace. In the US, there is an expectation of equality (which may or may not be the reality). In India, there is the expectation and reality of inequality. Continuing to work with Pickard Chilton and starting MillerInk have empowered me to believe that there is a different path from women in design and I am proud of what I have been able to accomplish in spite of being told by many that I would not be successful.
“In the US, there is an expectation of equality (which may or may not be the reality). In India, there is the expectation and reality of inequality. Continuing to work with Pickard Chilton and starting MillerInk have empowered me to believe that there is a different path from women in design and I am proud of what I have been able to accomplish in spite of being told by many that I would not be successful.”
How do you think we can encourage greater diversity and inclusion across the creative industries?
Internal transparency about issues like pay gap, overtime, maternity/paternity leave, discrimination etc. is the first step to encourage greater inclusion, diversity, and equity across creative industries. Talking about these issues with colleagues is always awkward or uncomfortable but these are conversations that must be had. I feel that when these topics become normalized, more people will have the agency to participate in change. At every stage, the objective of this transparency should be productive and not destructive – it is hard to tell the difference between these sometimes. These conversations are not necessarily a guarantee of inclusion,but they are a pivotal first step towards making change at a small level. I wish I knew what step two is. I will keep you posted when I get there!
“Talking about these issues with colleagues is always awkward or uncomfortable but these are conversations that must be had. I feel that when these topics become normalized, more people will have the agency to participate in change.”
Have you experienced imposter syndrome and self-doubt? If so, how do you deal with it?
Every. Single. Day. I think a lot of Asian creatives face this because we grew up in environments where perfection was not just an expectation, but a requirement, and achievement does not always correlate with validation. I have only recently come to realize how much I struggle with this. When my friends in non-creative fields ask me if I am proud my work and how far I have come, I usually shrug it off and say I should probably be doing better. I think the only way to deal with this is mindfulness and self-affirmation. It is important for me to take time out of my day to celebrate who I am and what I have accomplished that day, week, month, and year. It is much harder to do than it sounds and it is not a one-size-fits-all kind of solution. Other small things that have helped me include surrounding myself with friends and family, spending time with my dog, treating myself to a good meal, and taking time off to watch a good bad movie.
If you could go back to the beginning and start your career again what would tell your younger self?
I would tell myself to appreciate incremental successes. It is easy to get so caught up in your bigger, wider ambitions, that you forget to celebrate something small that happens that might eventually help you achieve your goals. As creatives, our dreams are often unattainable (“I wanted to be the best illustrator in the world”) and often rely on the approval of others (“I want a million likes on everything I post”) so recalibrating our metrics of success is so important to feeling fulfilled and requires consistent mental perseverance and strength. I would tell myself to keep a journal to note down these milestones so that I can look back at any point and see how far I have come. I think I might start doing that right now!
Do you have any words of advice for women considering a career in the design industry today?
It is so important to grab every single opportunity you can whenever it presents itself. I remember being asked if I could work on a specific task during my first week at Pickard Chilton. I had no clue where to begin, but I was eager to please, so I said yes. I stayed late every night that week figuring out how I could get it done and I succeeded in completing it just in the nick of time. Retrospectively, it was important for me to push past my self-doubt to prove to myself and my colleagues that I was willing to learn, not necessarily that I already had every skill in the book. This small experience changed how people saw me at the firm, and more importantly, how I perceived myself. I always think back to that moment and wonder what would have happened if I had said that I couldn’t do it. You can never quite know where a small opportunity might lead.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years time?
My answer to this is short and simple – working only on projects that I am passionate about and not for the likes, shares, follows, compliments or money.
Finally can you name 3 other female creatives currently working in the industry who you find inspiring:
- Pranita Kocharekar @pranitart
- Sanjana Chatlani @bombaylettering
- Julia Gamolina @julia.gamolina @madamearchitect
To see more of Aashti’s beautiful work follow:
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Article by Helen Tong
Shillington graduate Helen Tong is one of our amazing DesignbyWomen collaborators. This article forms part of series of features, written by Helen, focused on celebrating the work created by creative women of colour.