My project led me to create a contemporary range of craft based products at Design laboratory for retailing in lifestyle stores across India and abroad.
I wanted to work on a new, experimental and challenging project, which would give me a different experience of learning and a chance to implement my knowledge gained at NID. I wanted to do a project, which I had not done as part of my academic curriculum and industrial training. When I came across the work of Design Laboratory Pvt. Ltd., a design studio that works with traditional Indian crafts in a contemporary context, I liked the diversity of the areas they were into and their initiative to start designing products based on crafts present in nearby places in Karnataka.
The project was about understanding craft and its contemporary application through simple products of everyday use, or could be used for gifting. It started with the study of lifestyle stores and target consumers. Then analysis led to the untapped needs of these consumers and the store.
Later, with ideation and conceptualization process, a few product ideas were selected for further detailing and then for mock-ups in suitable materials. Selected refined mock-ups with product specifications and technical drawings were sent for prototyping to specific craftsmen, followed by supervision of the products at Design Laboratory for retailing in lifestyle stores.
I tried to understand bidri and wooden lacquered work in detail by visiting those villages, and tried to implement them so that people could use them in their day-to-day lives. I believe that, as designers, it is our duty to keep all our crafts alive in an authentic way; they are part of our rich cultural legacy after all.
