Gems and Jewellery Council of India has been organizing the IIJS Mumbai show for sometime now. Students from NID were approached to be a part of the project. My work involved designing the entire show from stalls, branding, strategies and the overall experience.
During my search for a diploma project, I was looking at projects which could make for an overall learning in terms of conceptualizing, design, and production. I was open to any kind of project at that point of time. When I was introduced to the IIJS Goa project, I found that the project would give me an opportunity to complete the design process from conceptualizing on paper to prototyping and also concept testing. Contextualizing a product in a certain space was exciting. It involved designing an overall experience along with the tangible elements.
We, as students, had participated in the show showcasing the jewellery we designed during our academic module. The show has a respectable position in the jewellery industry globally. IIJS was planning to have an exclusive export promotion jewellery show which Integrated Design Services (NID) was pitching for.
I took up the opportunity of designing the lounge space in the cafeteria for the IIJS, Signature Goa Show. My role was to design a space that was relaxing and rejuvenating for the visitors of the show. During the 7 months of the project, I learned and unlearned a lot of things, which would help me become a professional.
During the project, a lot of emphasis was laid on creating a different and unique experience for the user. The user’s lifestyle was studied to analyze and design a space in which he would be most comfortable. “Indian” as a concept was studied and depicted through the theme of the lounge.
