Design Resource
The History of Product Design in India
Sketches in Time
by
Prof S. Nadkarni
The story of Product Design in India would have a major hole in the narrative if Prof Sudhakar Nadkarni were left out. This interview traces his journey from a boy in a Bombay chawl interested in hoarding paintings to HfG Ulm in Germany and back to India to help teach the first batches of the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad. It goes into the journey behind the origin of two other schools of design, one in IIT Bombay as the Industrial Design Centre and the Department of Design in IIT Guwahati.
This interview tries to capture the insights behind his design projects and experiences in design pedagogy. He also shares his experiences from engineering national and international exhibitions. As a man behind the drawing board, he gives his critical feedback on the state of design in India from a time when it was unheard of, up until now, when the field has become a catch phrase.
A strong proponent of designing for the everyday man, he concludes this interview by asking designers now and aspirants in the future to do intellectual design work and prevent banality from entering the field.
Interview of Prof S. Nadkarni
Prof S. Nadkarni Downloads:
Prof S. Nadkarni's write up - pdf
