Designed: Showcasing Indian Design and Ideas to a Global Audience

Editor's Note

Inception of India's foremost design institute, the National Institute of Design (NID), was with an aspiration that it would forge new directions adding dimensions to the meaning and role of design. The pursuit has been to investigate the role of design as a catalyst and as a sustainable strategic tool for change. Comprehensive socio-cultural development and inculcating new ideas for developing strategic competitiveness of Indian industry were prioritized for this change. The experience has been exhilarating and the rewards have been rich. Over these decades, the institute has not only expounded the notions of 'Design' but has gone beyond devising unique philosophical ideas and diverse conceptual frameworks-an understanding and approach that has no parallels till date.

The institute in a very careful and conscious manner preferred to build on the socio-economic and cultural diversity of India. Seed farm approach towards education and value based professional practice has created the paradigms where modernity meets traditions in a seamless manner. The value of Indian Design is reflected through the spectrum of characteristic challenges and opportunities it has been addressing. What one doesn't realize is how so ever much we perceive it as a term glued with glitter and sequins, it inevitably ranges from something as plain as designing a simple product to something as complex as an age-old socio-cultural issue.

This issue of design is an attempt to break the myth that has attached a stereotypical image to the word 'design'. The aim is to showcase ideas and approaches of Indian Design to the global audience. This time we have tried to thread together various areas in which design is put to practice, right from textiles to architecture, fashion to automobile design, and interior design to museology. Every page of this issue has been constructed to reflect the diversity characteristic to this country and its people. It is a humble effort to string together numerous efforts made by Indian designers and institutions at various levels to complement the jigsaw called "Indian design".

Introduction

DESIGNED is young. Our attempts are incremental. We present to you the second and final issue of this volume with a conviction to be able to bring in evermore prolific and diverse experiences in future. The making of this issue was indeed a challenge-as if taking a deep plunge into the realms of design in search of pearls. As we traversed farther from NID, we found the cooperation from various other design schools and institutes bracing our hesitant moon steps. So this issue, presents variety in design approaches in the form of voices from varied design schools and institutes like CEPT, NIFT, COFA, Xplora Design Skool, to name a few, besides NID.

The cover story presents the vision of Ashoke Chatterjee, a former director of NID, for the future of design. A knotty tale of braiding and a man who has dedicated his life to the art unfolds as the spotlight falls on Errol Pires, Co-ordinator of Textile Design at NID, and his growing passion for braiding. With people such as the eminent artist Haku Shah, Prof. Ronald Jones from Konstfack University, Sweden, and rising stars on the horizon such as Gurjeet Singh Matharoo and Sandeep Sangaru, sharing space in this issue, the magazine has already moved to a new and refreshing flavour (and of course many more pages) that would hopefully, tantalize your senses.

Do write back to us with suggestions to lead us towards further improvement or comments to grace our initiative.

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