Course General Description

The future of ‘how things are made’ is rapidly changing with new technologies and possibilities emerging every day. What does this mean for the designer of the future? Today there is a wide gap between design and manufacture and design is more about the user than the maker. World over there is in an increasing move towards the idea of engaging directly with materials, tools and emerging technologies like 3D printers is making this think-able and do-able, easier and simpler. We are probably on the brink of a material revolution, much like the ‘internet’ revolution. In the near future, production will come back to smaller and more local units and it will be possible to produce smaller numbers, cheaper. In India we already have the frameworks for these changes and it is up to us to use this to our collective benefit. Design is about connecting all the dots – how things are made, who makes them, how things are used, who uses them and what happens to these things when they are thrown away. Design is a way of thinking of better futures while taking forward the best of our past. The Industrial Arts and Design Practice course is based on the idea of “making” as a way of thinking. We believe that making is the connection between the head and the heart. Hands-on making leads to an enduring understanding of design and art processes, and allows us to learn with intuition and sensitivity. As practitioners each of us can find our unique position in the maker space, be it amongst contemporary hand crafted artefacts or adding value to mass-produced objects of every day use.

School General Description

Srishti Institute of Art, Design & Technology (Srishti) is a design school established in 1996 by the Ujwal Trust in Bangalore, India. It offers design education in Digital Video Production, Film, Visual Communication, Experimental Media Arts, Design in Education, Textile Design, Animation and Visual Effects, Interaction Design, Product and Interface Design, Furniture and Spatial Design, Business Systems and Design and much more. Srishti has a number of centers and labs that offer practice- and research-based environments for students and faculty from a multitude of disciplines. These include (in alphabetical order): BHSI – Bangalore Human Sciences Initiative CEMA – Center for Experimental Media Arts CERTAD – Centre for Education, Research, Training and Development CPH – Centre for Public History GRIDs – Grassroots Innovation Design Studio Kabir Project[5] LEDLAB – Law+Environment+Design Laboratory Srishti Films Srishti Labs DesignEARTH Lab Natural Fibres Lab Pandimonium Lab SUI-Srishti Collaborative Blank Noise Srishti's culture encourages thinking, questioning and experimenting to harness the artistic and intellectual potential of each individual and place the institution at the leading edge of contemporary art and design discourse. A multi-disciplinary approach inculcates self-initiated learning and independent thinking and expands perceptual perspectives. Regular interaction with design studios, production and distribution centers, community projects, retail establishments and industry forms a vital bridge between Srishti and the world.