Hi, all:
I have been asked to write an overview on the state of and trends in design research & practice in the country today, with a view towards evolving a funding policy & guidelines to support design innovation and excellence. I confess I know very little about what's really going on in the field, and so I thought I would put this question to all on the mailing list: designers, faculty, students, others…
The question is: "Nominate five examples of design exploration/ research/ practice that you are personally aware of, which according to you manifest design excellence. Please explain very briefly what makes them special."
Just to get you started, here are my own nominations - but remember, you can choose and articulate your own nomination in your own way:
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The "Design for Community & Self" course being developed by my senior colleague at Srishti, Poonam Bir Kasturi. This 3-year "non-specialization" programme attempts to find a new "specialist" paradigm for designers of the future that is rooted in the context rather than any narrow skill-set.
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The tremendous work done by MP Ranjan & team in the area of "Bamboo & Cane Product Design". I'm afraid I don't have specific or up-to-date information on the project, but the publication itself was a fantstic achievement.
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The book "Thinking Design" by S Balaram. The book fills a huge void on contemporary and critical writing on design in India.
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New housing designs being developed by the Kutch Navnirman Abhiyan as part of the post-earthquake rehabilitation efforts. The designs, whilst being "quake-safe", also attempt to address the cultural, environmental and community aspects of human habitat.
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The work done by KB Jinan and the "Kumbham" team bringing a new and exciting dimension to a near-defunct tradition & skills. In my view, the designs that have emerged from the group rival the best in contemporary ceramic murals anywhere.
It would serve the wider public interest to post your "nominations" on the discussion board with a cc to me at emailarvind@..., but if you prefer, you may send me your nominations direct. Of course, you may also nominate your own efforts/projects in your list!
It would also be useful if you signed off your nomination with a one-line intro of yourself, something like:
"Arvind Lodaya, Dip in ID from NID, graduated 1988, currently faculty at Srishti, Bangalore".
"Arvind Lodaya, Dip in ID from NID, graduated 1988, currently faculty at Srishti, Bangalore".
If you have any views on policies for funding and other forms of support, I'd be delighted to hear from you.
Finally, do ensure you delete the text of this email in your reply, to optimise the length of your emails on the board!
Thanks & looking forward to a tremendous learning/sharing opportunity,
Arvind Lodaya
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