Designing outdoor systems for public spaces with specific focus on garbage disposal, illumination systems such as street lights and seating systems with special attention on sustainability, were the objectives of my project. The project, at the start, was vague in nature, and so it became my responsibility to not only suggest the brand names but also the products themselves. Opportunity areas were decided based on functional need, business opportunity, competitive scenario and manufacturing feasibility.
Public systems are becoming increasingly significant in the Indian scenario as we move on to infrastructure developments and better public environments. Not only functionality but forms also play an important role. A mass of population comes across public system products, and this creates fantastic opportunities for the designer to make an impact in the minds of people through these products.
At first, many fresh areas were considered for business opportunities with the booming retail and mall trends, or tie-ups with government and private infrastructure projects. The target was to deliver cost-effective, comfortable to use, and attractive design solutions that did not create much botheration for service issues to the manufacturer’s competence. Products such as bins, seating, street-lights, and planters were concluded to be taken forward for design rounds and prototype experiments. Customized kiosks and roofing systems formed the next range of products in line.
There is a big difference between the experience at a design studio and a live project with due interaction with the industry. Hence, this project led to learning that consisted of confident decisions, quick responses, and engineering assistance at Foley Designs, and Prabha Engineering. From my first product, a ‘public space bin’ (which had been realized till the manufacturing stage) to other designs (realized till the design approval stage) all rounded up my project as a wholesome experience.
