Dharine Surenthiran
Website: http://universaldesignstudio.com
Instagram: @dharine
Dharine is Head of Communications at Universal Design Studio and Map Project Office, both studios were founded by Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby and are now merged with AKQA as a pioneering multidisciplinary practice. She has been in design communications for a decade and has worked on creative strategies for brands such as Airbnb, Instagram, the London Design Festival and Vitra. Dharine was born and raised in London by Sri Lankan Tamil parents who emigrated in the late 1960s.
What is your idea of perfect happiness?: Pre-covid freedoms – seeing friends and family regularly, eating out elbow to elbow in busy restaurants, dimly lit London bars and travelling. In the words of Joni Mitchell and later Janet Jackson – you don’t know what you’ve got til it’s gone. (Side note: two very good songs).
What is your greatest extravagance?: In a normal year I would say travel, it’s a complete luxury to be able to do it and I can’t wait to do it again.
What is your current state of mind?: A balance of trying to avoid anxious pondering around Covid / Brexit / the US election alongside being blissfully happy about other things in my life. I've realised that if you’ve managed to weather the lockdown and current landscape, broadly speaking, you’re probably doing just fine.
Which words or phrases do you most overuse?: I had to really think about this one and then realised that I type ‘I hope all is well’ dozens of times a day in emails. Time to shake it up perhaps but I quite like niceties in emails, even if they are unnecessary.
Which talent would you most like to have?: I would love to have so many talents: musicality, being an enviable linguist and pottery to name a few. There are things my parents really encouraged me to do as a child that just didn’t compute at the time. Sticking with languages and playing an instrument are two of the things I regret not seeing through (or even trying in the first instance when it comes to playing music!). Languages in particular would be useful career-wise, sadly my basic Tamil has not been met with any Sri Lankan press requests, but I live in hope. I am also attempting to master (I say master very loosely) pottery. The lockdown halted this, but classes will resume shortly and I am hoping that I can at least make a bowl by Christmas – a spoiler alert for 2020s Christmas present gifting, wonky bowls all round.
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?: I wish I was taller. I’m an average height so I’m being selfish here, but I have a terrible addiction to heels and I think my knees in old age will not be thanking me for it. If I was taller surely I would have given this up by now?!
What do you consider your greatest achievement?: Learning to ride a bike properly as an adult. As devastating as the pandemic has been, this was a direct consequence of being stuck at home and I'm so glad I was forced to do it. Our summer holiday this year consisted of cycling along the Kentish Viking Coastal Trail and it was wonderful. I wish I’d known sooner how cathartic it can be.
Where would you most like to live?: As a born and bred Londoner it will always be this city. I can love and hate London in equal measures at times but whenever I am away, I always miss it.
What is your most treasured possession?: My father was an avid Sudoku player and after he passed away I found a Sudoku book he had been scribbling in. I tore a sheet out and keep it in my jewellery box. I find comfort in seeing his hand-writing whenever I open it.
Who are your favorite writers?: Zadie Smith and Bernardine Evaristo more recently for fiction. Stuart Heritage at the Guardian is possible the funniest man in British journalism and should probably be given a TV show.