The AUA Entrepreneurs Series aims to highlight innovative and creative startups created by AUA students and alumni. It also showcases the University’s impact as an academic institution that empowers and supports students and alumni throughout their professional journeys.
YEREVAN, Armenia — The American University of Armenia (AUA) alumnus Davit Avetisyan (MSE ’16) is the co-founder of Gazzar Studio, a brand and design consultancy company offering graphic design, UI and UX solutions across various fields. Avetisyan says the company came to life with a friend who had experience and knowledge in creative design, and Avetisyan offered his business expertise. “I was preparing the business part, researching the market, preparing the classes we teach here, and at the beginning of 2018, we opened the office and started working,” he said.
Avetisyan says the company’s intention was to develop the design market in Armenia because there was a lack of specialization. “We had this objective to help people not just study, and we planned to make a hub to teach how to approach design,” he remarked. He says the company’s emphasis is on solving problems, maintaining trust with the clients they cooperate with, and adds that they put a lot of thought and effort into their work.
Along with achievements, Avetisyan says the key to overcoming obstacles is adaptability. For some time, Avetisyan found himself handling all the company responsibilities and says his success came from his flexibility. “What you plan and what the result is, differ, so I was ready. I was already prepared to be flexible, and if you are not flexible, you stick to the idea that you had from the beginning, and you fail because of what you planned,” he said. He advises those who are launching their business to prepare to take on different roles, and to have the ability to come up with solutions on their own.
For Avetisyan, one of the milestones that he takes pride in is his cooperation with AUA and says that during his studies, he gained many valuable skills from the Economics courses he took that he implemented into Gazzar. “It gave me a lot of knowledge about business, about economy, about how things work,” he remarked.
He says his hopes for the future are for the company to continue to advance, make progress, and take on bigger projects to make a lasting impact on the design field.
Founded in 1991, the American University of Armenia (AUA) is a private, independent university located in Yerevan, Armenia, affiliated with the University of California, and accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC) in the United States. AUA provides local and international students with Western-style education through top-quality undergraduate and graduate degree and certificate programs, promotes research and innovation, encourages civic engagement and community service, and fosters democratic values.