Design pervades the very essence of our existence. The cities we cohabitate, the houses we reside in, the cars we drive the buses we ride in, the chairs we sit on, the pens we write with or the font of the words which you are reading at the moment; all are the outcome of design. As simple as the idea is, it cannot be truer that design is as complicated as Aristotelian philosophy.
From newer perceptions that design plays an intrinsic role in ?grassroots innovation? to being viewed as ?the only solution to our complex urban problems?, the idea of design permeates its own clique of all known definitions in a global village of ever-changing technology. But where is India in this crucible of creative phenomenon? A rich repository of strong design tradition?in architecture, paintings, sculpture, handicrafts? India?s design legacy faces a danger of losing its aesthetic hold to our sleeping Indian consciousness. It is in our hands to re-weave the Indian design tapestry.
The recently concluded India Design Forum (IDF) made a laudable effort to coalesce the critical connection between artists, consumers and the larger purpose of living. It provided a thriving and healthy platform where the Indian design coterie engaged with some of the biggest names in the international design community. Touted to be the country?s first and most influential international design platform, IDF was conceptualised as a catalyst to promote innovative design thinking and create a high level of consciousness for the power of design. Rajshree Pathy, founder of IDF and chairperson and managing director of the Rajshree Group of Companies, says, ?I was always interested in design, acutely aware of how design could be improved for India. I felt it wasn?t being given the priority it was due, considering India is one of the largest consumers of design, be it automobiles, textiles, industrial or product design, real estate, fashion or luxury.?
Held in the capital, the event comprised a week of workshops, screenings and exhibitions, and a forum of two intense days of talks by experts. It provided a much required platform to disseminate and propound new and existing ideas; predict future fashion trends, repudiate existing ones; discuss why and how design matters in solving societal problems; intriguing sessions treading on the possibility of joining science and design bringing about a paradigm shift and talks on the very pertinent issue of urban planning and building modern cities.
Things are not so good in India when the quality of urban life comes in the interplay of a discourse. Urban planning is inherently imperfect and almost a defunct process in our country. However, in the recent past, there have been efforts by governments to curb urban atrophy. Amitabh Kant, CEO and MD of the Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor Development Corporation is of the view that affordable housing must be the first plank of urban development. If not, large numbers of people will come in and create slums. Rajshree Pathy agrees, ?The city has to grow, provide and support the influx of people. Our ancestors had more city building sense than we have. Therefore, Lodi Gardens still stands but we hear about buildings collapsing in Mehrauli. We need to find an Indian design identity, contemporary with character.?
IDF also set a precedent of Chandigarh, one of India?s most significant and successful urban planning experiments, to highlight the necessity of proper care and maintenance of a city. Considered to be one of the world?s greatest architectural treasures and the crowning work of Le Corbusier, this historical site, the forum emphasised, is in need for living space, lest it become a dead city. The question which looms large is, why are Indians disconnected with their own rich traditional past? Why is there no sense of urgency to preserve and protect? That is something to ponder upon.
India has made a name for itself in the world of craft and textiles, but a country which has produced beautiful monuments like the Taj Mahal and Red Fort remains relatively unknown for its design and architecture. Ambrish Arora, the director and founder of Lotus Design Services, believes it is because of the way design and architecture is seen today. He argues that for Indian design to find its footing, designers themselves must become more inclusive. ?We come from a tradition of collective repositories. How can we claim ownership of anything? I don?t believe any one of us is free of the generations of collective wisdom, of collective skill, so let?s add to it,? he says.
The clairvoyant of the design world and one of the world?s most renowned trend forecasters, Lidewij Edelkoort not just predicts a future with no tee shirts but also a world with a lighter mood?the mood of gracious survivors after a tumultuous five years of politics, business, banking, financial markets making a truce with the times. Hence, the new resolve would reflect in what she called the gift of light spirit: whites, simple tailoring, no zips, subtle colours mixed with whites now and then. But most importantly, according to Edelkoort the world today is moving away from the age of the individual. ?For the first time in the history of society, people want to be together in groups, but they want to be together in groups without giving up their individual selves ?Today, I can announce the end of the individualistic period.?
One of the many reasons why good design is being relegated to the periphery of Indian consciousness can be attributed to the snug noose of elitist tag it carries. However, Karim Rashid one of the world?s most prolific and celebrated industrial designers says, ?One cannot look at design as expensive, elitist or luxurious. That would be missing the point completely. Design is about ease, about comfort. It needs to seduce not with its glamour or style but its comfort quotient.?
Here, the bigger question is, why do we lack Indian designers who can create affordable products for mass consumption? When will we have a Philippe Starck or a Karim Rashid who can create high quality products for the many, rather than the select few?
According to Rajshree Pathy, the bigger problem lies with India?s struggle to find a design identity and a design language. ?We have no respect for our own ?Made in India? tag because we are so used to not being known for high quality production.? But, if designers from the West and Europe can create products using Indian craftsmanship, what is hindering Indian designers from making use of our traditional art? ?We have no funds, no spaces. We do not have adequate design education, we do not encourage originality and we have lost our creative ability,? says Pathy. ?Why is Indian-born designer Satyendra Pakhal?, who ranks among the most interesting young designers, based in Amsterdam and not India? Amsterdam gave him the required infrastructure and space.?