Ervins at the office showing a self-designated flowerpot.Photo: Dai Ya
Story
By Dai Ya
"I didn't succeed and that's why I don't have that much to tell" - warned Ervins Gorelovs at the beginning of the interview.
However, even a single sentence cannot cover all of Ervins' achievements. He is a professional architect, graphic designer, ecology activist, entrepreneur, (co-) founder of four companies, Salsa instructor, videographer, polyglot, or just a crazy adventurer from Ludza, eastern Latvia. There are likely many other experiences Ervins modestly omitted to save time.
While listening to the Ervins' story, I could not help being curious: why this young and accomplished entrepreneur left behind his accomplishments and embarked on a new journey, setting up a company in Hangzhou? Except for the fact that Hangzhou is his favourite city in China, there turned out to be other insightful reasons.
In 2020, Ervins established two brands in Hangzhou: Hangzhou Ouwen Landou Tech (HOLT), a design company, and Smart Pet, a tech start-up aiming at improving pet care. However, after facing various struggles caused by the pandemic, he had to close down Smart Pet, where he had been investing 60-70% of his time over 2.5 years. It was a challenging period that could have led Ervins to consider it a failure and return to Latvia, where he had several well-established companies, connections, a reputation, and a support network of family and friends. However, Ervins' motivation to set up a company in China went beyond mere financial success or fame.
Even in his early ventures as an entrepreneur in Latvia, Ervins was driven by an enthusiasm to fulfill social responsibilities and make a positive impact. While studying as an architecture sophomore at RISEBA University of Business, he co-founded his first NGO called Aka Latvia. The NGO successfully tackled the recycling of plastic cups from large festivals, finding innovative ways to give plastic a second life and promote recycling. This start-up won competitions, and it was just one of the many business ideas Ervins pursued at the time. Additionally, he designed astonishing modern stages for theatres, opera houses, and exhibitions.
Back in 2017, driven purely by an adventurous spirit and a thirst for education, Ervins seized a "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to become a better person" – a chance to pursue a master's Program in Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Global Leadership (PIEGL) at Zhejiang University in China.
As Ervins immersed himself in the Chinese culture and life, he gradually realised that he possessed enough skills and unique perspectives that could contribute to the rapidly developing country, where more and more local professionals are willing to develop and improve their business design. Although the closure of Smart Pet posed setbacks, Ervins was determined to stay in Hangzhou. His focus shifted to Ouwen Landou, where he predominantly serves local clients in the domestic market, providing design services.
"Design is a language that can be used to communicate the values", says Ervins. He implies this new concept to the Chinese market perspective on design in his works, aiming at creating a unique and meaningful visual experience for each of his clients. The way how Ervins works with the customers is also not that common among the local design companies. First, he strives to understand the brand owner's perspective and motives to create a clear brand-owner connection. Second, he considers the products' lifespan trying to make the product as sustainable as possible and to improve the user experience. Such an approach is a few steps further than just a compliment of graphic designing.
I had a chance to visit Ouwen Landou office, where Ervins and Anastasiia Battalova, another co-founder of the company, work. When showing me around, Ervins took out a handful of meticulously crafted small beige boxes adorned with images of bottles and minimalist ornaments. Immediately, my mind associated the design with something natural, pure, and clean. Ervins explained that those were 3D mini-models of boxes designed for a water company. To improve the design and construction of that product, he spent several days in Anhui province at the location where the spring water was gathered.
Ervins emphasised that as a foreigner in China, he has a great opportunity to bring a fresh perspective, allowing him to see things from a different angle and create unexpected layers in the design.
It is this exciting opportunity to provide new perspectives and contribute to the development of the Chinese market as well as a challenge to find a key to the hearts of the locals through the language of design that truly fascinates Ervins.
He acknowledges that he could always return to Latvia and enjoy his life there, but he remains in China because he genuinely values the experiences he is gaining in the present by pursuing his passion in China.