Aaquib Wani: How a Self-Taught Dropout is Redefining Experiential Design for Adidas and Lollapalooza
In the world of high-end design, the path usually involves a prestigious degree from NID or NIFT. Aaquib Wani, Founder of Aaquib Wani Design, took a different route: he failed 11th grade twice, dropped out of college, and taught himself everything from logo design to spatial architecture. Today, he is a Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree and the creative mind behind the official Indian Cricket Team jersey, the Lollapalooza India main stage, and massive installations for brands like Adidas and Levi's. Aaquib is proving that when you "find something you love and let it kill you," formal rules matter far less than raw, obsessive creation.
Aaquib Wani’s journey is a masterclass in autodidacticism. Growing up in a household steeped in the intricate art of Kashmiri handicrafts (his father’s business), Aaquib inherited an eye for detail but rejected the traditional academic path. After a decade-long career that started with designing posters for his own band and evolved into senior art direction roles, he launched his namesake studio in 2018. Today, his firm is a premier experiential design house that blurs the lines between interiors, branding, fashion, and massive-scale music festivals.
The Art vs. Design Boundary
Aaquib draws a sharp line between being an "Artist" and a "Designer." "Art is about self-expression—it's for you. Design is about solving a problem for a client. If you try to be an artist in a client's work, you ignore the problem. You might make a box look beautiful, but if it doesn't communicate what the phone inside does, you've failed as a designer."
The Problem: The "Boxed-In" Creative Mentality
Most design studios specialize in a single niche: branding, interiors, or fashion. However, for global brands looking to launch a new product or a music festival looking to create an "underwater symphony" stage, they need an integrated experience. Traditional studios often lack the cross-disciplinary vocabulary to handle a brand's logo, its physical launch space, and its wearable merchandise simultaneously. This results in disjointed brand identities that fail to resonate with modern, experiential-hungry audiences.
"We don't believe in limits," Aaquib explains. "Whether it's a fancy jacket, a wedding set, or a stadium installation, it's all 'Design.' If someone says 'You haven't done this before,' that's the very reason we take it on. We use the knowledge from a music festival to design a home, and the detail of a watch strap to design a brand launch."
The Solution: The Aaquib Wani "Experiential" Vocabulary
Aaquib Wani Design acts as a full-service creative engine. By maintaining a small, high-impact team—including interior architects, 3D artists, and remote talent from Srinagar—the studio provides solutions that are as detailed as Kashmiri embroidery but as loud as a rock concert.
The Aaquib Wani Creative Workflow
- Problem Identification: Deep-diving into the client's brief to understand the core problem (not just the aesthetic).
- Cross-Disciplinary Brainstorming: Pulling inspiration from Aaquib's background in music, spatial design, and fashion.
- Detailed Prototyping: Using 3D artists and architects to create "stunningly detailed" intricate designs.
- Human-Centric Execution: Ensuring the audience perceives and relates to the final product, whether it's a logo or a music stage.
- The "Intimate" Polish: Going over every detail passionately until the end product is a "masterpiece."
The "Fail to Succeed" Journey: Failure as a Foundation
Aaquib is refreshingly honest about his academic failures. Failing 11th grade twice was a "blow," but it forced him to realize that his heart wasn't in textbooks—it was in creation. Whether it was dissecting LEGO toys, making paper planes, or playing guitar, Aaquib was always "building." This lack of formal education became his greatest strength; he never learned the "rules" of design, allowing him to create a unique style that isn't influenced by any specific school of thought.
"I had to build my own vocabulary," Aaquib reflects. "My peers had book knowledge, but I had 13 years of constant work. If you find something you love, it doesn't feel like a job. I'm loving the fact that I'm getting 'killed' by my lover—which is the work I do every day."
Aaquib Wani Design Impact
- Forbes 30 Under 30: Recognized for excellence in the Design category (2021).
- Indian Cricket Team Jersey: The creative mind behind the nation's most iconic sports apparel.
- Lollapalooza & Sunburn: Conceptualizing and designing main stages for global music festivals.
- 13+ Years Experience: Building a career through raw grit, from music magazines to a global design studio.
Lessons in Leadership: Energy and Ownership
Aaquib is known for his high-energy persona, but he shares the reality of the "low days." He manages stress by reaching out to a close circle of friends and family—the "good listeners." He believes that as a leader, you must balance the "fun" of a creative studio with the "stress points" of deadlines. For Aaquib, entrepreneurship is simply design at scale: from sales and marketing to accounting, it's all about finding the most efficient solution.
"Patience and Faith are the two things I'd tell my younger self," he advises. "Don't try to reach places before your time. That only puts you under unnecessary pressure. Have faith that if your heart and mind are in the right place, things will definitely work out."
Founder's Lesson: Don't Blame the Circumstances
Aaquib's core motto is radical ownership. "None of the excuses should come into the picture. If a certain thing happened, it's only because of me. Once you stop blaming others, you gain the power to fix the problem."
The Future: Designing Anything and Everything
Aaquib’s vision for the studio is to remain a "small but mighty" team that takes on anything challenging. From designing official Indian Olympic kits to transforming the Ambani weddings into "craft mela" bazaars, the firm is constantly evolving. For Aaquib, the goal isn't just to design a logo—it's to design the "Experience" of life itself. With a new studio building up and a growing roster of international projects, he is ensuring that for the future of design, there are truly no boundaries.
Aaquib Wani is proving that the next generation of creative titans won't be defined by their degrees, but by their ability to "figuring things out." By blending the intricacy of Kashmiri art with the scale of global pop culture, Aaquib Wani and his team are ensuring that for the modern brand, the world is finally beautiful by design.
About the Guest
Aaquib Wani is the Founder and Creative Director of Aaquib Wani Design. A self-taught art director and Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree, Aaquib is a pioneer in experiential design. Under his leadership, his studio has worked with global icons like Adidas, Levi's, Apple Beats, and Lollapalooza. He is famously recognized for designing the official jerseys for the Indian Cricket Team and creating massive-scale installations at major music festivals. He is a recognized thought leader in the creative industry and a vocal advocate for self-taught paths and radical ownership.
Aaquib Wani Design is a premier experiential design studio specializing in branding, spatial design, interiors, and installations. By combining a "nothing is impossible" attitude with an obsession for detail, the studio helps global brands and events create unforgettable, integrated experiences that resonate across physical and digital platforms.