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My project was a unique blend of textile design and visual communication disciplines. I worked with Studio B, a design studio based in Delhi. The brief was to develop prints for Home Linen for the European Market for Spring/Summer 2009-2010.
I started off with very detailed drawings but eventually simplified my sketches into outlines or silhouettes. I designed two themes- Natural and Urban.
Inspiration for both collections are from Indian paintings, architecture and street graphics. For the first collection, I looked at the Lotus, symbols of Indian cultural heritage, Indian miniature trees, and Sidi Sayed Jhail “Wisdom Tree”. The second collection was based on Delhi, its monuments, the traffic and the old buildings in Chandni Chowk.
I undertook market research and trend forecasting as well as a study of Heimtextil 2009 to gear my design concepts towards a focused clientele. I was fortunate to move beyond textile design aspects which involves working with fabrics and techniques. I blended visual communication aspects into my textile design and created illustrations that reflected both themes. Integrating a graphic approach helped me cultivate an alternate, radical, fresher outlook. The process was iterative and consequently, I developed patience and flexibility in my temperament.
The end products I designed were different lifestyle products such as cushion covers, table mats, coasters and then extending beyond the brief, stationary, notebooks, bags, t-shirts and even ceramic mugs.
The biggest learning I have acquired is that design cannot survive in isolation and it is important to balance all avenues, coordinate people and processes to make the design vision come together. |
