Today we’d like to introduce you to Haik Tokatlyan.
Haik, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I started my career at the young age of 14, working as an apprentice in my father’s antique and art restoration studio. During that time, I worked on art and furniture objects that spanned from the 14 Century to the current one. This experience gave me a respect and understanding for art and the creative process.
Beyond that, it allowed me to gain practice in the craft of making things with my hands. This training also opened my eyes to both man-made and natural materials, and how the two can interact throughout the life of a given object.
At the age of 19, my love for automobiles leads me to pursue experience in that field. I was able to get a job at a local automotive restoration shop. There, I honed my skills and expanded my knowledge of materials and process. Though the objects I was working on were different, I found many similarities in the work.
I’m very thankful for these experiences as they allowed me to spend many hours with people that taught me the little nuances of craftsmanship one can only acquire through countless hours of experience and practice.
At 23, I made the decision to further my knowledge and apply to the Industrial Design Program at Wentworth Institute of Technology. This experience was a game changer for me as it opened my eyes to current and even future technologies in the process of making things.
CNC Machines and 3D printers were not yet part of my practice. Along with this, it gave me a thorough experience in the basics of design. Balance, proportion, hierarchy were all things I eluded to naturally but training my mind to see them more clearly was very beneficial to my growth as a maker.
After graduating college, I worked at a small architecture and design firm in the Boston area. I focused on furthering my skills as a professional and learning even more about digital fabrication processes.
After about 2 years, I set out to do what I had always dreamed of which was to own my own practice. I partnered up with Steve Listwon to create Jaywalk Studio. Jaywalk is a design and fabrication consultancy. We work with companies large and small to help them achieve unique goals that require the production of physical objects.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
The road has not been smooth. That said, we never expected it to be. I think it’s important to challenge yourself in order to grow and learn. I’m finding business ownership to be the most challenging endeavor yet. Balancing the business end of things with the creative end is not easy.
Especially in the beginning, as a first-time business owner. Every step forward requires new knowledge and new experience. As things move along though, you become more efficient as a professional and find ways to make it all happen. It often requires late nights and long hours.
The exciting part of entrepreneurship is the growth and progress. As you move along the journey, you get better at it. You become more efficient in your decision making and thought process. We’re nearly four years from now and luckily, we’ve had a great start. We’ve worked hard to build and foster relationships that have proven to be fruitful for both us and our clients.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Jaywalk Studio story. Tell us more about the business.
Jaywalk doesn’t necessarily specialize in anything. I like to say that we make things for people. We’ve worked on projects that span from medical simulators to large-scale art installations in commercial spaces. The thought process behind the creation of Jaywalk was that Steve and I possess a certain skill set and knowledge base that could be valuable to many people and companies.
This combined with our ability to communicate clearly and execute on our ideas has built our reputation organically. I think that companies often frame themselves and limit their potential in the process. For us, it was a matter of setting up a space to work in and letting people know where we are and what we could help them with. So far, it’s working for us.
Our current capabilities can be summed up in design and fabrication of physical objects. We enjoy collaborating with other designers very much. Often, we are approached by other design outfits that need assistance with bringing their designs to life.
Our experience with fabrication processes and materials combined with our 3D modeling skills allows us to guide in the realization of designs. The design practice today is very much based in the digital world. CAD software allows us to design things that are quite complex in a fairly efficient manner.
This often creates a problem when it comes time to bring them into the physical world. Designers often hit budget and deadline constraints at this point and Jaywalk has found success stepping in at this juncture. We get involved to help build the designs while retaining budget constraints, keeping within completion time expectations, and most importantly retaining the integrity of the initial design.
A second tier to Jaywalk is our efforts in self-initiated product development. Though we have not done as much as we’d like in this branch, we will incrementally build this portion of our business. Our infrastructure continues to expand, and so does our ability to devote more time to these ventures. Eventually, we’d like to support and grow our business through this pursuit.
What has been the proudest moment of your career so far?
Anytime we complete a project is a proud moment. In this industry, the end result is often blurry through the phases of development. However, the vision is not. When we reach completion and see the fruits of our labor, it’s really something to be proud of.
Moreover, I’d say that the proudest moments have been seeing my family, friends, and mentors come to Jaywalk to see our space and what we’re working on. It’s been particularly meaningful sharing our progress with my dad. It’s important for me to know that he knows that everything he has taught me in business, craft, and life has allowed me to build something that I’m proud of.
Contact Info:
- Address: 10T Roessler rd Woburn MA. 01801
- Website: Jaywalkstudio.com
- Phone: 7814918347
- Email: info@jaywalkstudio.com
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