The emergence of design as a major point on the global agenda for sustainability and responsible growth has brought attention to contemporary design practice in India. The output of the country’s creative minds is keenly watched by a global audience, eager to know their responses to an ever-changing power balance between West and East.

The recently concluded New Indian Designscape exhibition held at Milan’s Triennale Design Museum was one such effort to delineate the values that drive Indian practitioners. The exhibition was part of a series concerned with international design, held in the premises of MINI and Triennale CreativeSet. Curated by Simona Romano in collaboration with Avnish Mehta, the exhibition featured the work of noted talent such as furniture designers Garima Aggarwal and Sandeep Sangaru, textile designer Aneeth Arora, graphic designer Geetika Alok and product designer Sandip Paul. Works by senior designers Ranjit Makkuni and MP Ranjan were also part of the show.

As part of an ongoing inquiry into the international representation of Indian design practice, I spoke with curator Avnish Mehta about the project. We discussed some of the complex terrain that this exhibition navigates, the influences he sees in the work on display and some of the rather challenging questions it presents the viewer.

Ruchita Madhok: How did the idea of New Indian Designscape come about for you?

Avnish Mehta: After graduation in India, I was sure I wanted to change the scale of my work and move from architecture to objects. I made a decision to move to Italy, but realized that, as a designer in the current context of shifting power relations in the world, I could only rely on design to communicate my understanding of the world. Given that I was in Italy – a world design capital – I thought that there was an opportunity to tell the story of India through design.

Thus, an exhibition on contemporary Indian design became a subject with which I approached the Triennale Design Museum in Milan to create a show on India. The words ‘Italy’ and ‘design’ are commonly associated with one another. I wanted to if it was possible that through the ideas of  ‘India’ and ‘design’, an interesting story could be told.

RM: What were some of the questions that lead you to develop this show?

AM: A major anxiety hovers with the question of what Indian design is now, and where it seems to be heading. There is a constant search for a connecting dialogue between Indians and global society that seeks to address the question of what India can contribute to the world in the field of design.

When I started the project, there were no pre-cursors to get a complete idea on the design scene in India. No single source that was focused on this objective. There were discrete events occurring all together and failing to make a story.

I was also curious to know if there are some traits in Indian design vis-à-vis the idea of  ‘trends’ as an approach taken by Western design critics. An insight into these could help one get an idea on the question of India’s design future.

RM: So would you say that design in India differs from elsewhere?

AM: Design in India is not yet a recognized force. It is neither seen as a differential value addition factor in industrial production or local manufacturing, nor does it exist within the construct of the public imagination that it is meant to simplify or to elevate the daily experiences of doing things. Design exists within a very different concept in India as compared to the rest of the world.

In the industrial sector, design is more understood as something that drives efficiency. This is a major trait of Indian design. It is approached from a scientific background but lacks a bit of arts. That would be the next step forward.

At more immediate scale, with individual designers, its self-production model is in vogue and many designers play only with graphic design and not tangibles!

RM: What, if any, do you think are the emerging trends for Indian design?

AM: I have always looked at India to be a source of an alternative vision against the present single definition to things in the world. In the material culture, bamboo is slowly being recognized as a material for experimentation to satisfy contextual needs. In the graphic culture is a lot that is similar to global trends, although still facing a ‘kitsch’ approach that I soon imagine will become more resounding and grounded over time.

There is still more room for re-interpretation of aged cultural objects which can be an area for exploration and experimentation. It is here that I feel there is much more to come before we get swept away with the global monotypes. I believe however, that the country still lacks a visionary approach to design.

RM: Given that this was the case, what were some of the challenges you faced in curating this show?

AM: I think that besides the systemic confines of an institution and working in a foreign context, it is a huge challenge to make people listen to your story; to bring unfamiliar perspectives and to make them believe in your story. It is a daunting task.

Cultural differences and perceptions always make you doubt your own story at times. They also force you to compromise with the fact that one will have to assume the reality of the situation wherein what you mean for the ‘content’ to be seen, and not just the ‘container’. It is usually a common concern for many curators!

RM: Tell us a little bit about the Triennale Design Museum. How does this exhibition dialogue with the museum at large?

AM: Triennale Design Museum as an institution of reverence and represents the pioneering efforts of the Italian masters of design. Being one amongst only a few Design Museums in the world, TDM plays an influential role in the Italian society at large and beyond, in forming opinions. After its focus on home front, it recently began its dialogue with new cultures such as China, Brazil and South Korea. I knew it would shift to India.

I believe that the idea of design from India has never been explored either by an Italian audience, or by Indians themselves! Clearly, there was no better place to showcase New Indian Designscape than at TDM: a place that could help read the ‘manifesto’ to a design-aware global audience. It’s thanks to Ms. Silvana Annicchiarico and her team at TDM that we were able to make it happen.

RM: Given that this is new territory then, what is the purpose of this project?

AM: I see this exhibition as a tool to announce a manifesto where a story as valid as global reality is being told. I believe the contribution of this exhibition should lead into bringing and allowing people to think of an alternative possibility amidst the thoughts and theories doing rounds of limited resources for the next phase of human growth. I believe there is enough human ingenuity in place to meet those challenges. The exhibition should, in some way, exude the idea of ‘hope’. It should allow a little relaxed and a less perplexed attitude towards emerging markets, assuring the global society that they will be able to tackle their own needs with their own solutions.

RM: This narrative that you describe appears to manifest quite strongly in its layout and scheme. What kind of experience did you imagine for the visitor?

AM: The main goal as I believe should be to present an overview of the Indian design landscape; then to understand the lesson of the story and become convinced that there is enough to be happy about and become partners in this approach.

Speaking in terms of the experience for the visitor, the exhibition layout was designed by Ms. Kavita Singh Kale where she intended to portray the fragile nature of Indian urbanity as a ‘work in progress’ and as differently interpreted by my Italian co-curator Ms. Simona Romano, where she pictures the whole exhibition contents as a result of trans-cultural approach with Indian designers.

I hope that the exhibition – with all these myriad interpretations – will bring about sensibility over sensitivity for the audience when they visit the exhibition.

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New India Designscape was held at the Triennale Design Museum, Milan between 14 December, 2012 and 24 February, 2013. Visit www.triennale.it/en for more information.

This interview was first published in Kyoorius 15 Magazine, May 2013

This past March, Mumbai hosted the second India Design Forum. A gathering of the who’s who of the design world, the two-day event was a packed schedule of speakers and panels, all against the backdrop of a city-wide design week. A number of local studios and design entrepreneurs participated in the daily events leading up to the forum and were all centered around the theme of “Design Matters”.

Here is a selection of sketchnotes tweeted drawn and tweeted live from the NCPA over the course of these two days. We’re quite late in posting these to the website. Nonetheless, we hope they provide a snapshot of the day’s conversations in light of certain themes that emerged in the course of the forum.

The opening note of the second India Design Forum was lead by the charismatic designer-philosopher Rajeev Sethi. A champion of Indian arts and crafts, his passioned address asked a pivotal question about contemporary design practice which, instead of building on the skills and strengths of the craftsman, relies on mechanical means of design production that create unemployment for the country’s creatively skilled makers.

Presenting as one half of design duo Doshi-Levien, Nipa Doshi offered a rare peak into the studio’s process with sketches and prototypes that lead into final products. Known for an approach that blends European and Indian motifs, she spoke of their collaborations with international brands emphasizing the draw of Indian skills in working by hand.

Luxury, however, is clearly the domain of Anoushka Hempel Design. The elegant creator of this eponymous brand of architecture, interiors, retail, residential spaces and yachts, spoke of the inspirations in her work, her love for life and her demanding attention to detail.

“If you’re going to do something,” she said, “just do it properly.”

While to some the idea of luxury lies in process and to others in the sensory experience, to master shoe designer Christian Louboutin described his fascination with the way a pair of shoes can transform someone’s personality. Being in contact with a beautiful object can be a psychological experience as well. As the creator of some of the world’s most coveted footwear, I imagine he knows a thing or two about it.

But luxury is a rather different concept when it comes to fashion designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee. For over a decade now, he has challenged borrowed notions of high fashion with his unique take on traditional Indian silhouettes, fabrics and surfaces. In some ways, he offers an answer to the challenge posed by Rajeev Sethi: of design that brings traditional knowledge into the present, embracing it and making it a part of the process.

One of the themes of IDF was also the relationship between design, innovation and business. The panel included Param Venkataraman from Indian School of Business…

…and Nick Talbot, Head of Design and Innovation at Tata Elexsi both of whom suggested the need for designers to understand the needs of the corporate world, and to learn its language.

On the topic of Building Design Institutions, former rector of the Royal College of Art, Sir Christopher Frayling pointed out the need for the creative industries to make a solid case for design to policymakers.

It was a delight to hear architect Thomas Heatherwick present his work again. The multi-disciplinary nature of his studio‘s work is a testimony to the power of design to create new approaches for government-led projects. From installations for the International Expo to public transport and the Olympics, the studio seems to have little trouble in pushing bureaucratic boundaries on a regular basis.

One of the most interesting sessions was British Council’s Dream A Design Museum panel discussion. V&A curator for Design Word and Image, Abraham Thomas felt that a possible design museum for India should emphasize the process of design, not just the end product…

…while designer and former director of the National Institute of Design Vikas Satwalekar felt that creating awareness about design ought to be the first mandate for such an institution.

At the same time, Deyan Sudjic, Director of the Design Museum in London talked of the challenges of representing design in a museum environment, particularly when design is often narrowly understood in an object-centric way. To me this highlights a curious intersection of institutions, government, business, luxury markets and the creative process and the way in which these mechanisms are understood vis-a-vis the industry of design.

Coming soon after the conversation about museums, artist Subodh Gupta spoke candidly of his Bihari identity and his quest to create art as a form of contemporary heritage. It would have been interesting to have the design museum discussion tackle the notion of design as heritage as well as the complex questions about Indian identity.

“Identity” in the end was an important aspect of architect Rahul Mehrotra’s presentation – by far the highlight of IDF.

He introduced his idea of the Kinetic City – of Mumbai as an ever changing, evolving centre for urban development. In a remarkably rare gesture, he shared his practice’s recent projects spanning a range of forms, answering both broad questions and minute details. But the journey of an architect or a designer is a difficult one, fraught with challenges.

“Sometimes even architects have to ride elephants,” he said, “to understand how to house them”.

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These sketches were created live at the India Design Forum 2013 using the Paper app on an iPad.

All sketches, text and material are © Ruchita Madhok, 2013 except where indicated otherwise. Please do not distribute in any form or medium without written permission.

With regularising familiarity, the new calendar year is coming to signify the advent of design events around the country. Starting with the Pune Design Festival moving on to UnBox, India Design ID (a.k.a. Elle Decor), the India Design Forum and Fashion Week, the stretch between January and March unleashes an avalanche of new ideas, brave propositions, exhibitions, talks and nearly endless roundtable discussions. The events can seem passive. One can end up wandering around them either as a tired spectator or an inspired design junkie, high on the adrenaline of gorgeous viewings. What a relief then to find a festival that cuts through the clutter and refuses to accept mere spectators.

UnBox 2013 turned out to be a festival that delivered on the promise of true participatory celebration. For 3 days, it flowed rich with the spirit of “hands on, minds, on, hearts on” with a dense programme of workshops, labs and performances. It created so many opportunities for people to make, do, see, think, explore and discover, that it’s hard to describe the energy of the Festival. So for a change, I won’t.

I had the chance to be part of a unique lab at UnBox called the Zine Press. Mentored by legendary Teal Triggs, the zine team was tasked with documenting the Festival through all our varied media and bringing it all together into a single publication. It was a hectic job and took all of our skills as writers, illustrators and designers, but we delivered the zine in 3 days flat. With its fold-outs and little interactive pages hidden inside, the printed edition is a pretty nifty piece of work, but if you can’t get your hands on one, here’s a digital version to share the spirit of UnBox 2013.

Enjoy!

The Zine Press blog is available online along with details about the team. Do check it out for entries by participants of the Writing for Design workshop held over 2 days of the Festival.

The talented team behind behnd India’s first visual arts zine 100%zine invited me to be a part of an exclusive issue for Kyoorius 14.

Titled 100%Yatra it invited other artists and designers to reflect on the word “yatra/journey”

My sketches from Kyoorius Designyatra 2012 formed a collage in the zine.

My digital sketchbook is a travelogue through different conversation about design.

Many thanks to the team behind 100% Zine. They’re doing a great job of bringing together artists from different backgrounds on the same platform and we’re very happy to share our work with them.

100% zine can be bought online or at design stores like Filter and Bombay Electric.

December 2nd saw the third edition of TEDxGateway hosted in Mumbai. An independently organised version of the now famous TED talks, the day brought together 21 speakers from 17 different countries for the largest event of its kind in the city.

Vikram Patel’s organisation Sangath works to expand mental health services in low-resource communities by training social workers to deliver basic psychiatric services to the millions who do not have access to medical professionals.

Rosemary Nalden’s *Buskaid provides musical education and training to hundreds of young musicians in South Africa’s poorest townships. Buskaid’s work brings music to the lives of children, giving them focus and opportunities that they would otherwise never be able to afford. Many of their students have gone on to become world renowned string musicians.

Several talks during the day dealt with different approaches to solving crises of water, sanitation and education. Anthropologist Cynthia Koenig’s Wello project looks to “re-frame the water crisis into an opportunity”. This was a demonstration of her Wello drum that can be used to carry water across long distances, thus relieving rural women the burden of carrying the family’s entire supply on their heads.

We also had the chance to re-acquaint ourselves with Arunanchalam Muruganantham’s story, the challenges he faced in creating cheap, safe solutions for women’s hygiene products and how his determination prevailed to become a widely replicated business model for women’s self-employment.

Another inventor Matt Johnson of Bare Conductive presented his conductive “paint” material that can be applied to any surface to create a circuit. This fascinating material opens up the possibilities for electronic developed intuitively using very simple principles. Their website has a great section on the work and explorations of people who have used their products to a wide range of inventive and expressive applications.

The $300 House Challenge started out as a competition by Christian Sarkar and Vijay Govindarajan as an inquiry to whether a safe, sustainable, functional house could be built with limited resources for the poor. The challenge attracted entrepreneurs, designers, architects, engineers and problem solvers from all walks of life in all parts of the world. While the competition may have ended, trials to implement some of the proposals are now underway in Ethiopia, Haiti and India. Could the results provide shelter to the millions who need it most? Well the teams leading pilot projects are certainly not giving up until they’ve given it a try.

One of those horrible moments that occur in the life of a graphic designer who insists on his or her choice of font on a project is when a client asks “what difference is a font going to make”. The next time I get the question (we get it a lot at Kahani), I’m going to point them to the subtle and life-changing work of Abbie Gonzalez. Faced with the trials and tribulations of “managing” dyslexia himself, Gonzalez looked for fonts that would making simple tasks like reading and writing easier. When he found that the available fonts were too expensive or impossible for individuals to purchase, he decide to create one. Taking it further, he decided to give it away. For free. The result is Open Dyslexic, an open source font that can be downloaded to most computers and is slowly being adopted for e-readers and tablets. This font has changed the way people deal with dyslexia and live normal, anxiety-free lives. How much difference can a font make? Plenty.

Rohini Nilekani, the founder of NGO Pratham Books spoke of their work in publishing books for Indian children and promoting the love of reading among children whose first language is neither Hindi nor English. They commission and translate original books into more than 10 Indian languages.

In the meanwhile Ralph Simon from the Mobilium Group shared some of the unique ways in which mobile phone technology is being adapted to suit local and social needs in Asia.

Artist Neil Harbisson was born without the ability to detect colour and sees the world in greyscale. This cyborg however “hears” colour using a device that transforms the spectrum of light (visual and invisible) into sound frequencies that he can hear. His Cyborg Foundation encourages others to expand and explore their senses, using technology to challenge the way we perceive the world.

The soft spoken Mittal Patel founded the Vicharata Samuday Samarthan Manch to work for the rights of the nomadic and de-notified tribes of her homeland in Gujarat. Their efforts bring recognition to communities that have been marginalised since they were deemed “criminal” under 19th century British laws.

Brazilian product designer João Lammoglia develops objects, tools and devices that are environmentally responsible. While many of his projects are at a conceptual level, those like the Aire Concept convert the force runners’ breathing into electricity that can charge mobile phones.

Daniel Kish, President of World Access for the Blind talked about his experiences as a blind person (including an unsavoury encounter with an Indian customs official). He introduced his technique of echo-location which enables people to “see” the world around them by the reflections of sound from surfaces in their environment.

..but a simple piece of encouragement for the disabled who want to lead independent, normal lives came from his former student: Yes, you can.

While the TEDxGateway met its organisers’ objective of sharing “unique ideas from India and all around the globe” it lacked a definition of purpose or the finesse of a curatorial narrative. Many of the presentations were made by very accomplished individuals but provided little opportunity for the larger community of gathered Mumbaikars to apply lessons to their own lives. Perhaps if the singular stories had had more relevance to the city or its concerns, the event could have proved to be a catalyst for conversations rather than comments. An entertaining Sunday nevertheless, but not always an engaging one.

*

These sketches were created live at the TEDxGateway using the Paper app on an iPad.

All sketches, text and material are © Ruchita Madhok, 2012 except where indicated otherwise. Please do not distribute in any form or medium without written permission.

The Design Public Conclave is a platform to enable conversations between thinkers, opinion makers and doers that looks to transform India into an innovation society. Initiated by the Centre for Knowledge Studies the fourth edition concluded in Mumbai last week.

These are my sketchnotes from the 30th of November, 2012.

CKS Founder and CEO Dr. Aditya Dev Sood inaugurated the proceedings with reflections from the previous editions of Design Public. A key concern of the forum is to look at possibilities for public-private-government partnerships, examine prevalent attitudes and discover new approaches.

Keynote speaker JC Diehl from TU Delft shared his experiences from the field. He highlighted the role of innovation in providing for the basic needs of the “middle of the pyramid” – people that fall outside of the scope of most design activity. Importantly, his case studies made clear that a a structured design process supported by research and collaboration with all stakeholders can yield significant results.

The first panel for the day explored the current state of conversation about innovation in India and design thinker Prof. MP Ranjan expressed concerns that the commonspeak of “innovation” seemed to undermine the value of rigorous design processes and approaches. While fellow panelist Ranjan Banerjee agreed with this observation, Divya Datta of Bihar Innovation Lab suggested that perhaps the idea of “design” itself is un-defined and possibly confusing to the champions of “innovation”.

…but Banerjee also warned that “design thinking” needs to be defined and practised in an Indian context.

In the absence of cross disciplinary platforms, Divya Datta noted that different sectors use innovation opportunities in varying ways, often to short-term ends rather than holistic objectives. How might they all be brought together into a single conversation?

Can design be the catalyst to bring disciplines together?

On a panel to discuss teaching, training and doing innovation in India, fimmaker and educator Anajali Monteiro pointed out that entire systems need to be opened out to encourage innovation within education. That said, can innovation be taught, or is it the result of a particular attitude to problem-solving?

Of course, an innovation society would require not just innovative services and products, but “intellectual innovation” as pointed out by Manjeet Kripalani of foreign policy think tank, Gateway House. Isn’t ‘design thinking’ a form of intellectual innovation, I wanted to ask…

…and the thought was echoed by a member of the audience.

The final panel for the day looked at the challenges of building an innovation society in India. A number of valuable insights were shared by members of the panel moderated by writer Aparna Piramal Raje, who also collated a list of likely factors that would influence the growth of such a society.Manju George of innovation consultancy Intellecap commented on the importance of networks to stay focussed and motivated.

Anant Shah from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation also shared his experience of working with state governments in India to acheive shared goals in a collaborative way. With Bihar as a case in point, their experiment of drawing up a Memorandum of Collaboration rather than a legal contract has proved beneficial in establishing frameworks for cooperation.

Preeti Vyas of creative consultancy VGC also championed the value of effective communication and advocacy to build awareness in society at large.

So how do we build an innovation society? These are some of the sectors we need to address in order to acheive a rounded approach to the task. At first glance, it’s a short list but every one of these areas has the scope for the involvement of a wide range of thinkers, doers and opinion makers. Perhaps the next Design Public Conclave will begin to address the possibilities offered here.

In summing up, I found myself echoing the concerns of Prof. M. P. Ranjan: is “innovation” some kind of doublespeak for what we call “design thinking” in design circles? If so, then is “innovation” a buzzword to cover up the possible insecurities of “design thinking”. It’s a hair-splitting thought, but the terminology that defines a problem also influences the participation of certain stakeholders in finding a solution. In my experience, designers are often wary of business parlance that appropriates the design process under the umbrella of “innovation”, using it to fuel bottom lines and targets rather than problems and needs. The common perception on the other hand remains, however, that design is essentially a beautifying, “value-added service” rather than a credible method of tackling questions. By the end of the day, I was caught in the fuzziness of justifying the jargon that played out in panel discussions and found it disconcerting that at an event called “Design Public”, the word ‘design’ was so rarely used.

Design Public is the kind of platform that ought to be initiated by bigger players in government and enterprise, but in the absence of political will, it is a truly commendable proactive effort from the team at CKS. I look forward to it’s next edition and would recommend their website to keep track of upcoming events.

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These sketches were created live at the Design Public Conclave using the Paper app on an iPad.

All sketches, text and material are © Ruchita Madhok, 2012 except where indicated otherwise. Please do not distribute in any form or medium without written permission.

Photograph of Sudhir at Typography Day 2012. (C) Pradeep Goswamy

Sudhir Sharma is a man of many facets: he is a designer, an entrepreneur, a teacher and a publisher. He is the founder and chairman of Indi Design, a rapidly growing brand and creative consultancy with offices in three countries and is best known for being a passionate spokesperson for design from India.

Back in 2002 when the Internet was infiltrating the Indian landscape, Sudhir had the foresight to set up an e-group that for design professionals and educators. Design India went on to become one of the primary platforms for the debate and development of contemporary design practice in the country and despite the onslaught of social media, continues to draw a dedicated audience. Not stopping there, Sudhir has since turned publisher with POOL magazine, one of the few forms of Indian design media recognised by the worldwide community.

In his avatar as a promoter of India’s design sector, Sudhir has been known to take a great deal of personal initiative, bringing his brand of persuasion to a wide variety of activities. At Perch we’re interested in knowing more about the man behind the persona, and the thoughts behind the actions that often leave the Indian design community deeply opinionated, but rarely indifferent.

Here we embark on a freewheeling chat with Sudhir on a range of topics from publishing to government and books.

***

PERCH: From being a designer to entrepreneur and now publisher of a leading design magazine, you’ve explored so many different facets of the design industry. Is there any one particular avatar that you’ve enjoyed more than others?

SUDHIR SHARMA: I don’t differentiate them nor, are they separate blocks for me: that’s me all rolled into one. I feel more and more confident of having more of these avatars and less bothered about setting success mark first. Also, there isn’t much difference between them. Being a designer is being entrepreneur anyway. I am enjoying these multiple roles now since they give me a larger grasp of what we are dealing with. Being publisher and editor of POOL has in no way taken away from me being a designer at Indi Design.

But I am Designer at first…other things I do to survive as a designer.

PERCH: You were one of the first people to realise the potential of the Internet to form a design community when you founded the Design India e-group back in the early 2000s. Back then, what made you do it?

SUDHIR: It always bothered me and still does today that designers are perhaps the most closed people, I must say Indian designers. It is also a fact that Design as industry is under developed. I could make this connection even then. We as industry will never grow if we don’t talk to each other and find solutions that are common. Every profession does that, but somehow Indian designers have extreme egos. They are not open and don’t really ask for help. When, in fact, they need it.

Other fact is that I was bored with life, and I wasn’t doing anything challenging when I hit upon the idea of connecting with unknown designers. That’s how the Yahoo group came about. Much later this got a name: social media. So I started connecting with people I knew and asked then to connect with people they knew. Simple. And it was fun

PERCH: Over the years you’ve expanded the platform to include a directory, online resources and even social media pages. Do you feel it’s achieved its objectives?

SUDHIR: Designindia has not become what it should, and many people talk about it. It could be much more but it needs time and resources. Best thing is I never had objectives for it, so it has been moulding itself. It became an ambassador of Design in India when we had conference in New York and a few conferences in India. It became a unifying mission when we supported and acted for the Design Policy in India, and recently it has been a job board. I have been open to the times and trends. It shouldn’t be something that gave you stress to act.

PERCH: When you did start the DesignIndia e-group very few designers were online and now practically everyone has Internet access in some way or the other. Do you think that technology has had a positive impact on the way members of the design community interact?

SUDHIR: Of course. In fact, technology is one thing that is bringing designers out in the open and making them react and interact. Earlier when I was building the group I used to invite fresh designers to join in. Now I leave it to them to find out and join. Technology has lowered boundaries and dimensions – people are seeing more and reacting more.

PERCH: You’ve played an active role in representing design from India on international platforms and importantly, on the India Design Council as well. What has been your experience?

SUDHIR: I feel the responsibility when I travel and meet people that they get the right picture of what and where design is in India. It is wrong for us to parade in design festivals as if design in India or europe or US is same. We have our own history, our own culture and in that sense we are very different. I have been an invitee on the India Design Council and my view is that the expectations of designers, IDC and government don’t match. There is a big need to harmonise the present level: we need everyone to come on board and understand where we are today and where we need to go. Designers expect the world and they should from the Design Council, because they have seen Design Councils in the world taking up that role. Design Council on other hand is a spin of Indian government in the hope that something can happen, so there is a name but not much else. All else depends on individuals. Individuals are there for many political reasons. So some work and some don’t. There are people who are pushing it to do what it can do and that’s the side I am very happy about. In India we are not open about these things, but I feel government needs to have more political will for design. That at present it doesn’t have.

But like everything else, I feel some brilliant individuals are doing a great job at India Design Council and you will see some results.

PERCH: As a professional designer, do you think that government organizations continue to represent the industry’s best interests?

SUDHIR: Which government organisations? I think the agenda’s of the departments is different. I am a designer and I really don’t know what I can expect from government agencies, how can we expect a younger fresh designer to know?

I think first the motives and motivations need to be made clear, then the process has to be prepared and then these departments should launch schemes. We do not have the culture of first investing time and resources and then launching programmes. After a programme is launched then the team has to go figure what to do and how to do it, so it’s really not by design.

PERCH: Given the ever increasingly visibility for design from India, what role do you think India has to play in the global design agenda?

SUDHIR: As of now, the world is fascinated by Indian crafts and design, because that is what design means to them in their culture: something that gives meaning to their culture. As Indian designers know that we have to go beyond craft: we still have to find our feet, before playing a role in global agenda.

Sudhir with senior graphic designer Vikas Satwalekar at Typography Day in 2012. Photograph (C) Pradeep Goswami.

PERCH: Do you think that design media will have a role to play in helping us find our feet? What does the scenario look like?

SUDHIR: There is hardly any media for Design in India, so it’s a green field. POOL is an investment into something that I love and hopefully it should work. Most design media is a dependent design media – sponsored, discounted, PR vehicles. It’s not professional yet, so we have time before we start calling a few blogs and few magazines a media. It is not surprising that a consistent effort can become a major player. But we have a long way to go before it establishes itself. I also feel it shouldn’t remain a trade media: it has to appeal to all and beyond designers. That’s where the challenge lies.

PERCH: Speaking of media, a lot of attempts at critical writing on design have been met with sharp scepticism and defensiveness. It’s been said that the Indian design industry doesn’t appreciate the difference between critical writing and criticism. Do you think that’s a fair assessment?

SUDHIR: I feel that Design is fairly a nascent Industry and it hasn’t matured to take any negatives as yet. Writing, on the other hand is very well developed so when people start writing about design they mostly ignore the context which is taken badly by designers. In Japan or Korea design has grown beyond contexts and can take critical writing in its stride. Anyway, we as Indians are touchy, we would rather hear anything than hear anything negative. You also start thinking about consequences and motivations. People have agendas and they are not always fair.

PERCH: You’ve recently announced the India Design Festival for 2013. What is your vision for it?

SUDHIR: The India Design Festival will be in 2014 and not 2013. Raman and I are still discussing what our vision should be or rather what should be the vision of India Design Festival. I am also discussing this our Festival partners in Europe and other countries. I am sure we want it to be exciting, inclusive and multi-locational. But I definitely want it to be working for Indian Designers, wherever they might be in the world. SO wait some more time and you will have all details coming on indiadesignfestival.com

PERCH: And what do you make of the recent explosion in design events across the country?

SUDHIR: That’s good. I think all noise is good at the moment. Some events are very good with a lot of creativity and inspiring enough to excite designers. Some are boring and serve no purpose. Most however, are aimed at Designers. So I don’t know what designers are supposed to take away from these conferences. I guess they land up learning how to make their language better or how to talk about culture and technology and design in one breath when they are actually struggling at home to get work. What’s needed is a wider range of the events, involvement of businesses, industry, government, media and normal people…that is a tough task and is missing. Even trade bodies are doing shows and awards with the aim of making money from designers…that’s a joke.

PERCH: You’re a designer, an entrepreneur but also a teacher. What would you say to a young person looking to be a designer?

SUDHIR: Design is perhaps the most fulfilling of carriers that you can have right now, it is challenging and it is rewarding. Design is also a very small global community. Don’t hesitate to ask for help and don’t think twice before helping someone to become a designer.

PERCH: What inspires you on a daily basis?

People. I am inspired by various people. People who lead companies, people who lead countries, people who do their job well and people who are totally into their work. Most people go about doing their work without bothering about tomorrow. Its how they do today’s work.

PERCH: A little bit of wishful thinking: if you could have designed one thing in history, what would that be?

I would have liked to redesign the temples/multiplex/shopping as an integrated traditional cultural place.

PERCH: And lastly: if you were marooned on a desert island, what is the one book you would take with you?

Ha ha ha..I love the idea..and I wouldn’t spoil it with a book..no way

On September 18th this year, Aditya and I were in London to attend the first ever Global Design Forum. Curated and delivered by the London Design Festival, the forum looks to provide a platform for important ideas about the future role of design around the world.

The forum proved to be an ambitious project by the London Design Festival which, having just completed its tenth edition, looks all set to cash in on its popularity as the world’s most popular design festival in the world’s most popular creative capital. Indeed, the Global Design Forum brought together the luminaries of the design world to debate some of the key questions affecting the design industry globally:

• How are the creative industries changing around the world?
• How is the business of design affected by the client-designer relationship?
• What is the impact of rapidly-advancing technology on the role of the designer as a professional?

These were just some of the questions discussed by not just the speakers, but delegates as well, all of whom were invited to poll on some of the key points raised by moderator Brendan Walker. Together, the day’s objective was to “set the global agenda for design”. These are my sketchnotes from the day:

Kvadrat is a textile company known that collaborates extensively with a range of creative professionals. Working to develop ever more ambitious materials, they have supported some landmark projects around the world. Anders Byriel as CEO of Kvadrat and Chair of the Danish Design Council spoke of how corporations can take the lead in creating more rewarding life experiences where governments often hesitate or fail to deliver.

Anab Jain of London and Ahmedabad based Superflux made a fascinating presentation on the development of open-source, 3D printing technology and how it’s changing the designed landscape of the future. Commenting on how digital technology is rapidly democratising the way making and manufacture of essential products, she observed that in a world where people make what they require, design is no longer a sole power broker between the haves and have-nots.

Ellen Kiss, Director of Brazilian Association of design companies ABEDESIGN, meanwhile examined the way in which trends and information flow between neighbourhoods, regions and nations. She made the interesting observation that cities in different parts of the world often have more in common than villages near cities and that perhaps the idea of “local” should be re-interpreted to take these virtual distances into account.

Alberto Alessi of legendary brand Alessi addressed a fundamental question of identity in the global-local context. He estimated that even globally renowned post-modern and contemporary designers who have created products for the company, have still brought their own individual/local sensibilities to the process. “It is difficult to leave yourself behind,” he surmised.

Thomas Heatherwick was, by far, the star attraction for us. Hearing the multi-disciplinary designer talk of his love for making things, his passion for material and his attitude towards the client-designer relationship was both moving and inspiring.

Providing a counter-point to Anab Jain’s presentation, product designer Tom Dixon elaborated on the challenges of being ahead in a field where their products are instantly copied, faked and plagiarised. Keeping abreast of technology by constantly adapting the design process is one way in which his company has taken on the challenges of the marketplace.

Continuing with the theme of Digital/Design, Ben Terret, Head of Design for Govt. Digital Services made a case for design that fosters better relationships between government and citizens. Soon to launch is a simpler, clearer, faster version of the UK government’s digital services platform at http://www.gov.uk which will be a single portal for everything from tax payments to travel information. Read their design principles here.

Mathew D. Siskin spoke of the instinct which drives people to create human digital selves whether as personal websites, blogs or social media avataars.

And while Charles Leadbeater cautioned us all to think of how we relate to technology, embracing it, is the only way to move forward into a confident future, he said.

Jane ni Dhulchaointigh, inventor and CEO of Sugru, explained how their business model is founded on straightforward principles to encourage people to alter, adapt, modify and mend everyday objects instead of discarding broken or unsuitable items. To my mind, hacking objects like this is a lot like jugaad.

Frank Stephenson, Head of Design at McLaren spoke of another way in which businesses can be built upon design: through the relentless pursuit of quality though cars that are as beautiful as they are functional.

In the face of blatant consumerism though, Artek – the manufacturers of Aalvar Aalto’s signature furniture – advocate the “less is more” principle: if you buy one good chair, that chair is enough: there is no need for product diversification if you already have a great product with great design values embedded in it.

Mat Hunter (*correction), presented some of the UK Design Council‘s more inspired design projects for the elderly, sick and differently abled…

…while Richard Seymour of SeymourPowell Product Design called for radical approaches to the creative process that anticipate the future rather than simply catering to the present.

Yves Behar of fuseproject on the other hand, reminded us that designers, by their impulse to solve problems for other people, are generous in their pursuits. It is important to understand this as design and business come closer and closer together.

“Placemaker” Morag Myerscough presented her work and practice in using design to foster a sense of community in shared spaces…

…and Tom Hulme from collaborative platform OpenIdeo ennumerated the qualities of a collaborative system.

The grand finale consisted of an interview of architect Zaha Hadid by Joseph Grima, the editor of Domus magazine. I guess this quote sums up the source of a lot of the controversy around her path-breaking and radical vision for architecture.

To sum up, some of the themes that emerged in the course of the day reflected the anxieties that are common to designers everywhere: how to be authentic and genuine, yet original and future forward. While the Global Design Forum may or may not have set a global agenda for design, it certainly highlighted that the concerns of the of few are quickly becoming the concerns of many and vice versa. How and when we respond to those concerns here in India, is a matter that only time will tell.

*

These sketches were created live at the Global Design Forum 2012 using the Paper app on an iPad.

All sketches, text and material are © Ruchita Madhok, 2012 except where indicated otherwise. Please do not distribute without permission

© Ruchita Madhok, 2012

In 2002 a quiet revolution occurred in Indian design: the ‘Design in India’ Yahoo e-group was born. It was the original online community for Indian designers and academicians and the first time that people across generations and geography could interact in a single space. A decade later and email seems old-fashioned when the options to interact are endless: blogs, micro-publishing platforms, social networks and social sharing tools make it easier than ever before to reach out to your compadres and clients. Despite the convenience of cyber connections however, Indian designers are doing one curious thing in 2012 than they have ever done before: they’re travelling long distances to meet each other in person.

The last year has seen an explosive growth in the number of design conferences being organised in India and an equally explosive growth in the number of people attending them. The big daddy of them all, Kyoorius Designyatra has close to 1300 delegates attending this year and is one of the largest design gatherings in the world. The Unbox Festival and India Design Forum in early 2012 saw considerable participation across a range of city-wide events in New Delhi while more modest conferences like the Pune Design Festival reached out to design students in India’s largest university city. Professionals, design academics, students and aficionados, all of whom could easily connect over digital media have made an effort to be a part of the developing conference scene. So what is it that brings them out to Goa to an event like Kyoorius Designyatra?

These days – or so the saying goes – all you need to be a designer, is a desk and a computer. While cyber platforms allow designers the chance to explore new work and initiate exchange, they can isolate people from simple human contact. Pooja Jagdeesh, Design Director at The Brand Union, Bangalore says that the reason she attends the “Yatra” every year is “to meet people”. I ask her if the destination is a draw but she says, ” you know, you can spend years working as a designer at your desk, and never meet anyone. At some point, you have to get out and just meet other people…it could be anywhere.”

Indeed, Designyatra is a social event and often occupies a key spot on a designer’s agenda. It’s well known for its networking events and parties and many people make the trip to meet each other in a relaxed environment, away from deadlines and clients. Parties though, aren’t enough reason for the ever under-appreciated designer to spend ten or twenty thousand rupees on a conference fee, so I asked Rajesh Kejriwal about how, as the man behind Designyatra, he gets brings the crowds in year after year. “We have to call in the star designers – the celebrities,” he says frankly. “If we don’t call them, we won’t get the confirmations. Without the confirmations, we can’t book anything.” Rohit Iyer, a television producer and first time delegate validates Kejriwal’s sentiment, ” One of the reasons I’m here is to listen to some of the speakers. I was curious about Designyatra and why everyone makes such a fuss about it, but everyone always talks about the amazing speakers here.”

Festivals like Designyatra and Unbox go to great lengths to programme their events around a specific idea or theme and the speakers’ list is the keystone that holds the doorway open. To a great extent the kind of audience that participates in each event responds specifically to the agenda at hand and there are many designers who would attend one and not the other. For them, the deal breaker is usually the theme. A senior designer whom I spoke to earlier at the Pune Design Festival in March was quite clear, ” I’m not a Designyatra kind of person. I prefer the more serious and honest discussion here in Pune. People here want to talk about stuff that matters.”

Whether people attend design conferences to socialise, meet their heroes or participate in wider conversations about design, it’s plain to see that the Internet does not provide an alternative to personal interaction. If anything, social media and online publishing have encouraged designers to seek each other out in more meaningful ways, to cut through the clutter of work and discover the people behind the portfolios. Sure, you could watch an online video of a design legend deliver a talk, but where else can you share a cup of chai afterwards? For the real stuff, theres nothing to beat actually being there.

* This essay was written as part of the Design Writing workshop hosted by Kyoorius and British Council India at Designyatra 2012 in Goa.

Karl Heiselman, CEO Wolff Olins at Kyoorius Designyatra 2012

“What is your superpower?” Karl Heiselman was on stage at the Kyoorius Designyatra in Goa. Speaking about how he became the CEO of Wolff Olins, he echoed the experiences of many speakers and delegates present there, he talked about a unique quality that helps designers find solutions to the problems they are presented with everyday. The theme for this year’s Designyatra was ‘The Divide’ and the first day was devoted exclusively to digital design. Continuing a conversation that started at last year’s conference, it centered around the question of why designers in India are so uncomfortable in exploiting digital technology?

The internet and the mobile phone have revolutionized communication in India and are changing the cultural landscape of the country, but only for those who have access to technology and can afford it. Technology, or rather, the access to technology, remains one of the big issues in developing economies such as India. Those who have access to it have a clear advantage. Those who donʼt, are left out of mainstream conversations. They become invisible. In many ways new technology that builds on older ideas and heirarchies, simply reinforcing the divide between the haves and have-nots, rather than bridging it. Digital technology and the internet have empowered designers in ways unimaginable even ten years ago, but all too often this is taken for granted. Ironic then, that designers in India are not using these new digital tools to greater effect.

Speaking to fellow delegates after the first round of speakers on the Digital Day, I was left with a sense that people were impressed with the work and ideas on display but they felt it lacked substance. Robert Wong, Chief Creative Officer at Google Creative Lab was the opening speaker and his presentation was used as an example of this divide between style (or ʻchromeʼ) and substance. Those who have access to technology tend to see this chrome as its real value and take the rest for granted. This issue of access to technology was brilliantly brought forward by Arunachalam Muruganantham and Mansukhbhai Prajapati, two rural entrepreneurs who have challenged the establishment and indeed challenged the idea of what this divide is. Their message for designers is simple but important: if you want to create a bridge over the ʻdivideʼ you need to step out of the bubble that access to technology provides you. You have to look at new ways to use existing ideas and tools.

If there is one lesson then, that has come out of this yearʼs Designyatra its that designers are that bridge. Since designers are good at collaborating with people from different fields, by the very nature of what they do and how they work, they are well placed to make the unlikely connections that can create solutions for the most impossible of problems. Collaborations which help accelerate innovation were a common thread in presentations and conversations at Designyatra.

Coming back to Karlʼs question, “What is your superpower?”. For a designer it’s the power to make connections: to connect the dots between technology, ideas, people and places; and to build bridges where others would see just another impossible divide.