Intro: From fashion to home décor, design schools now embrace Indian art, redefining creativity and enhancing its relevance in everyday life. Kasturi Pathak delves into the modern design world.
In a world where design—whether it is fashion, home, work presentations, or anything that needs a showcase—has become synonymous to the lifestyle an individual leads, design transcends mere aesthetics, intertwining tradition, and modernity. While design offers a space to experiment with the raw material and turn that into an artistic piece, it also provides a beautiful blend of old and the new – marrying the conventional and the modern. Moreover, educational institutes are pivotal in redefining how designs and creativity on clothes and walls are perceived.
“The design schools are now focusing on Indian art. The Western culture in the design field no longer rules. Design education is more relevant to Indian culture and art forms,” says Geetha Narayanan, founder of Srishti School of Art, Design, and Technology.
Designing isn’t just about creating something visually appealing; it’s about solving problems and communicating ideas in a way that resonate with people.”
Although the field of design is not widely recognized as medicine, law, engineering, or finance, or has been reserved for the elite few; people are yet to understand the relevance of design. As Narayanan puts it, “Without design, there would’ve been no fire; there would’ve been no invention of the wheel.”
From Royal Heritage to Modern Mastery
Design is no longer a secondary occupation; designers have existed long before most occupations came into existence. For instance, before the noted fashion designer Manish Malhotra designed the chiffon saris for Urmila Matondkar in Rangeela and Karisma Kapoor in Raja Hindustani, the formerly queens of India brought chiffon saris to India from France. Similarly, much before the “famous Bollywood wives” made home decor and jewelry designs popular in India, royal palaces and forts of the country inspired the opulent home décor style for generations.
“Visual design is integrated with almost all design practices. The beauty of design is in going interdisciplinary,” says Jacob Mathew, President of the Association of Designers of India (ADI). He also stresses that the boundaries between different design categories are blurring every day.
For centuries, all art forms have drawn inspiration from nature and the world around them. Designers, even today, continue to take inspiration from everyday life; they thrive on experiences. They celebrate seasons and build stories to explain through their craft. Designers are unafraid to mix and match experiences, opinions, social circles, and any other exposure and make their opinions shine through their work.
Beyond aesthetics
While designers are mostly perceived to sew clothes, do carpentry in a house, or make pretty posters, their work goes much beyond that. It is one of the primary reasons that designing education is expensive. Moreover, it is not only education; developing an eye for design and creativity is equally challenging. Thinking differently and making your work of art stand out among the crowd is not a cakewalk. “Designing isn’t just about creating something visually appealing; it’s about solving problems and communicating ideas in a way that resonates with people. Every project is a new challenge, a chance to innovate, and an opportunity to make an impact,” says Pallavi Sethi, a fashion designer in Jaipur.
Better prospects
This is also reflected in the job prospects of a typical designer: while some may get placed in corporates in their design teams or smaller design studios with hefty pay packages, some navigate the job market on their own. In any case, the designer needs to breathe life into someone’s raw vision. Murli Krishna Menon, Associate Dean, Information Arts and Design Practices, SMI, says, “Design has a broad definition, and it is up to the designer to interpret what its purpose is and who is being designed for. Some approach design through a problem-solving lens, some look at it as a method to satisfy user desires or even create a new need in the market, and some may use it as a methodology to navigate complex problems like poverty or climate change.”
