Hannes Unt is one of the most successful and, shall we say, adventurous Estonian designers sharing his time between Kuressaare and Bangkok. His latest venture is Shumi, high-tech mushroom elixire meant to elevate your mind and soothe your soul. We spoke to Unt about his life, career, rats and tigers.
What prompted you to leave Estonia?
Since high school, I’ve always wanted to explore the world and live abroad in different places. I also realised early on that I wanted to work with clients in various markets. Estonia can start to feel small and limited quite quickly, especially if you have interests in niche areas like hospitality branding. This realisation led me to seek more opportunities abroad, where I could engage with a wider range of projects and ideas.
Is Estonian design in good shape?
There are many talented people in Estonia who can produce world-class work in branding, graphic, and digital design. However, the physical product design scene often feels a bit too rustic and lacks finesse. I think it’s because there isn’t a strong manufacturing / production industry to support and drive innovation in this field. But I’m not as connected to the Estonian design scene as I once was, as I now visit more than reside there. So, my insights might not be entirely current.
Why did You choose Bangkok as your home base?
I moved to Bangkok two years ago to align more closely with my partners and team at Aether, who are primarily based in China. Previously, I was living in Portugal, but the 8-hour time difference with China proved too challenging during the early development stages of our brand. So Bangkok, my favorite city in Southeast Asia, was an obvious choice. Having lived there before, the move was pretty easy for me.
And as far as big city living goes – I still don’t know any other metropolis in the world that can quite match the high quality of life for what you pay. Bangkok has a unique blend of modernity and tradition, reminiscent of Blade Runner with its vibrant, bustling atmosphere. It can overwhelm you in the beginning but once you find your way and the right area that suits you, it actually becomes a very easy and enjoyable place to live.
Graphic design and brand building vs. product design and product development? How is the thought process and work process different here?
Product design and development tend to be longer and more complex compared to creating the essential elements of a visual brand universe. With product design, you often have an extensive R&D phase that runs parallel to the design development. This is followed by prototyping, sampling, and numerous rounds of revisions. Each of these steps can lead to significant iterations and, occasionally, the need to revisit earlier stages to find better solutions.
In contrast, brand strategy and brand identity development usually follows a more linear process. Once the brand strategy is defined, the creation of visual elements progresses in a straightforward manner with fewer iterative setbacks. The focus here is on establishing a cohesive visual language and narrative, which typically involves less back-and-forth compared to the iterative nature of product development.
Why did You feel the need to bring Shumi to life?
Bringing my first brand, Aether, to market was a transformative experience. It proved to me that creating and launching a brand was not only possible but within my reach. This realisation marked a significant shift in my mindset, especially coming from a client-service-business background. Before Aether, I had dreamed of creating my own brand for a long time, but seeing it come to life made me understand that I could do it again.
This experience also made me realise there are more things that I want to create, and Shumi emerged as the next opportunity. After some years of exploring and experimenting with mushroom supplements, I noticed a gap in the market. Despite its rapid growth, the market was flooded with products and brands making dubious claims with questionable product quality. We saw a chance to enter the high-end segment of this market, which was totally underdeveloped, by offering a truly excellent product. So the timing was just perfect.
How long did it take to develop the concept?
From the initial concept to launch, it took us just under two years.
How is Shumi different from other mushroom products on the market?
To explain Shumi's uniqueness, it's important to discuss bioavailability — the proportion of a substance that enters the bloodstream and has an active effect. In functional mushroom supplements, high bioavailability ensures that your body effectively absorbs and utilises the beneficial compounds, such as beta-glucans, triterpenoids, and antioxidants. Without optimised bioavailability, even potent extracts can be ineffective as the body struggles to access these essential nutrients.
Shumi stands out due to our advanced ultrasonic extraction technique, which maximises the bioavailability of our products. This innovative method uses high-frequency sound waves to break down the tough cell walls of mushrooms, releasing bioactive compounds in a form that your body can easily absorb. As a result, our liquid extracts are up to 90% bioavailable, compared to the 7-10% bioavailability typically seen with mushroom powders and capsules. Furthermore, we source only wild-harvested or wood-grown organic mushrooms from Finland, ensuring the highest quality and purity.
Your thoughts on AI?
I think generative AI has introduced a suite of powerful tools that can significantly enhance a creative's potential output. If you're skilled in your field and open to learning and evolving, these tools won't replace you; rather, they'll provide more options and opportunities for exploration. It's simply the next phase in the evolution of our industry. Ultimately, the only constant is change, so my view is that it’s best to adapt and stay at the forefront of these developments.
What keeps you going?
It’s something about exploring where my limits are.
Do you ever feel bored?
I’d actually wish to be bored more often. In our overstimulated world, boredom is becoming something of a luxury.
Do You have a work/design routine? What tools You use developing new brand?
As few meetings as possible, all notifications off. I’ll try to strongly guard my focus when I’m at the intial creative stages of a project. While I used to enjoy working at night, I now find that the first part of the day gets better results — maybe I'm just getting older. In terms of tools, I rely on a mix of Adobe apps, Figma, MidJourney, and ChatGPT.
Favourite place on Earth?
Saaremaa during summer months.
Are there any designers or creatives You look up to?
Yes, but it’s a very long list from inspiring illustrators to 3D artists to architects and brands in different categories, so picking out only few favourites is a tough one. But here are some picks – SERVICES GÉNÉRAUX for their sharp art direction, Chelsie Craig for still life photography, Serifa for mastering AI art, PC Koublis for the most poetic landscape photography and Norm Architects for beautifully doing their timeless soft minimalism thing. Long story short, I follow way too many accounts on instagram :)
What You like about Estonia?
The people, the easy access to nature, the long summer nights. If you zoom out a bit, it’s important to recognise how fortunate we are and how well we’ve actually had it since the re-independence.
What You do not like about Estonia?
What inflation has done to the cost of living has become quite absurd. The lack of direct flights. And that we’re next to Mordor.
Would You like to live forever?
I tend to agree with Alan Watts that the beauty of life comes from its transience and impermanence. We might miss the point of existence if it goes on forever.
Are You good at team work?
Although I'm very hands-on with many aspects of my work, I truly enjoy collaborating with people who excel in their fields. Over the years, I've had the pleasure of working with highly talented people, leading both smaller and larger teams on various projects. As many of my collaboration partners are eager to work with me on future projects, I'd like to think I’m doing something right.
Would You prefer to fight one tiger or 100 rats?
I’d rather fight a tiger – it makes a better story, whether you live or die.
If You had to sing karaoke, what song would You choose?
Check out Hannes’ work on instagram: @aethereyewear @shumi.bio @untco