By Mayuri Nikumbh, Head of design, Conran Design Mumbai
My Cannes 2024 journey was an adventure before it even started — I almost missed being on the jury due to a missed confirmation email. Thankfully, a very persistent organiser reached out through social media, almost reprimanding me! In a way, this set the tone for the focus and diligence the task would require — combing through more than 300 entries over three months via three rounds alongside a very diverse and accomplished jury line-up.As a practicing designer and design leader, it is a constant endeavour to find inspiration and deliver meaningful yet differentiated work. Work that raises the bar not just within the team and for the company but also for the country. Being a part of the Design Lions jury, therefore, brought in immense anticipation and excitement to witness path-breaking work from all across the globe. And the experience delivered on the promise.Initially, I went in with a fair bit of assumption expecting a lot of tech and AI (artificial intelligence) prevalence. Happy to report, I was delightfully dumbstruck to witness design solutions that were impactful in the most humble and unexpected ways — moving as much towards a new kind of analogue as emotion-driven tech. Here is what I came back with and what will stay with me as fire and fodder to my inspiration:
Design you can taste: Food is becoming a new sensory dimension to fuel powerful design narratives. It is engaging consumers to bring them closer to culture, demystify myths, educate them towards environmental issues or simply bring joy. Design is transforming beyond the packaging — it has permeated inside and is using the contents to impact narratives.
Questioning with creativity: Design has always empowered political and social movements, but this year’s entries went further, questioning authority, mocking power, and even finding solutions to wicked social problems. It was unsettling to see a concept car for black people addressing racism, a website to combat inflation, and an installation highlighting the struggles of those with conviction histories.
Measurable impact: What happens when statistics and numbers start translating into actionable solutions? This year showcased the beauty of data visualisation in design, illustrating environmental impact via a dynamic brand identity that measured real-time declining planet health and even empowered children to make informed decisions to avoid mindless digital scrolling.
Increasing spectrum of inclusivity: Being inclusive is no more just about gender or colour — this year’s entries showed us, it is also about migrants, indigenous tribes and even addicts. A simple paper napkin provided migrants with the knowledge of their rights, wearable tech aided people with speech disorders, and a simple flag brought attention to increasing crime against the LGBTQ+ community.
Post judging days, I was invited to conduct a design tour for the festival attendees. As I revisited some of the most impactful work, I realised what moved and inspired a jury from 10 different countries, cultures and languages was not just honest simplicity but universal humanity.That is the power good design wields and I feel immense pride in representing an industry capable of transforming not just narratives but societies.I come back with a promise to myself to carry that torch and make the journey from the jury room to the stage — soon!
The author served as a juror for the Design category at the Cannes Lions 2024