Manner Studio — Seasonal Collections
Six years directing fine furniture collections from concept to production. Led a team of woodworkers, owned the full design process, and built the studio's reputation for precision and craft.
Design Director · Vancouver, BC
Mo
Shabani
2007 — 2026
London / Philadelphia / Vancouver
Nineteen years designing objects people live with — furniture, outdoor living, retail environments — across three countries. I lead design from brief to build, with the craft knowledge to know when something will actually work.
19
Years
practising
practising
6
Years directing
a studio
a studio
29+
Store openings
N. America & Europe
N. America & Europe
3
Countries
worked in
worked in
01
Selected work
Things I've made
Goodland — Outdoor Living
Market analysis and product design for premium wood-fired hot tubs and outdoor living equipment. End to end, from specification to production drawing.
Studio Cidra — Commissions
In-house collection development and bespoke commissions for residential and commercial clients. Presented at trade shows to architects and specifiers.
Urban Outfitters — European Stores
Retail environment design and new concept development across twelve store openings in Europe. Helped shape the spatial brand language for a Fortune 1000 lifestyle retailer, and trained the designers who carried it forward.
02
About
Craft first,
direction second
I came up through workshops and production floors before I ran studios. That matters: I know which joints hold, which tolerances are realistic, and how long something actually takes to make. The gap between what I draw and what gets built is small.
I've worked in London at global retail scale, in Philadelphia on high-end bespoke commissions, and in Vancouver directing seasonal collections and managing luxury residential builds from brief to handover. Each of those demanded a different mode of working. I've carried all of them forward.
Right now I'm interested in senior design leadership — in-house at a studio or brand building something physical and lasting, or as an embedded consultant for teams that need direction without a full-time hire.
Design
- Collection direction
- Furniture & product
- Retail & spatial
- Material specification
Leadership
- Team building
- Project management
- Client relationships
- Trade coordination
Tools
- Fusion 360
- Onshape
- Illustrator, Photoshop
- InDesign, Premiere
Making
- Joinery & production
- Design for manufacture
- Prototyping
- Residential construction
03
Consulting
Ways of working together
01
Fractional design director
Embedded creative leadership for teams that need director-level thinking without a full-time hire. I own the design function: brief through delivery, supplier relationships, product calendar, and the people doing the work.
For studios and brands
Monthly retainer
02
Product development
Project-based work taking a product from brief to production-ready. Ideation, CAD development, material and finish specification, prototype review, and a clean handoff to your manufacturer.
For outdoor & furniture brands
Fixed project fee
03
FF&E advisory
Furniture specification and custom piece design for architects, interior designers, and residential developers. I read construction drawings and know what happens on site after the spec is signed off.
For architects & developers
Day rate or % of budget
04
Experience
Where I've worked
2024 — Present
Goodland
Vancouver, BC
Senior Industrial Designer
- Market analysis across the premium outdoor living segment to inform product specifications and roadmap priorities.
- CAD development in Fusion 360 and Onshape, concept through production-ready drawings.
- Close collaboration with operations and manufacturing to meet quality, cost, and sustainability targets.
2018 — 2024
Manner Studio
Vancouver, BC
Furniture Design Director
- Directed all creative output across six years — seasonal collections from brief through production and delivery.
- Built and led a production team of woodworkers; owned scheduling, quality standards, and skill development.
- Primary creative contact for architects, interior designers, and private clients commissioning bespoke pieces.
2016 — 2018
Western Craft
Vancouver, BC
Project Manager
- End-to-end delivery of luxury residential builds — in-house teams, architects, and specialist trades from groundbreak to handover.
- Held timelines and budgets across multiple simultaneous projects while protecting design quality.
2014 — 2016
Studio Cidra
Philadelphia, PA
Furniture Designer
- Designed and developed an original in-house collection, presented at trade shows to architect and designer audiences.
- Ran the full design-to-delivery pipeline for bespoke commissions, concept through workshop production.
2010 — 2014
Urban Outfitters
London, UK
Retail Store Designer
- Developed retail environment concepts and supported twelve new store openings across Europe.
- Shaped the European spatial design language and trained incoming designers on visual standards.