The Technocraft

Product design concerns itself with the design of objects and systems that affect the way we live, work and play. Product designing is a combination of technology, art and craft. A product designer deals with aesthetics, understanding people and their needs,and understanding current and emerging technology. One occupies a unique space at the intersection of these three. He/She is not an expert in any of them but has to make the right connections. Product designers mainly work with or for manufacturing companies. Their work options range from their own design studios (or freelancing as an individual), design departments of manufacturing industries, small and medium scale industries, working on lifestyle products and promoting their own brand, non-governmental organisations and other crafts sectors. Their sphere of activity extends to software as well, which is a “virtual product” with buttons, etc. India is a growing economy and has a lot of potential for product design. However, design is a developing field in India, which poses challenges to domestic players to prove and establish themselves. One of the challenges for product design in India is complimentary support system from the R and D point of view, involving engineering support, model-making, CAD etc. Also with respect to society and the environment, one needs to look at the diverse Indian population with diverse cultures, languages, geography and products to cater to them. Environmental sustainability is another challenge. In this meaningful pursuit, a product designer teams up with professionals from other fields to make ideas walk. Product design thus requires strong group orientation.Designing is about logically making decisions at the right time under the right context when required. The ability to see, hear, understand, analyse, appreciate and criticise needs to be very strong for a designer. Interaction with people, observing and recording their behaviour in various situations, listening to them, talking to them is all important as they are the ones for whom designing is done.The other crucial skill is the ability to convey and translate ideas into a desired outcome. One should be able to communicate. The pay-off depends on the industry one joins. The starting salary of a beginner can be Rs.5 lakh to Rs.10 lakh a month. Further growth in the pay depends on performance. Skills required for the profession: . Loads of creativity . Excellent observation, visualisation and sketching skills . Strong team orientation . Technological bent of mind Qualifications: . After your Class XII, one can go for a graduate diploma or BDes programme. While NID doesn’t specify required subjects at the plus-two level, it says, “Competence in technical and related subjects will normally be considered an advantage.” . Take up science in senior school, followed by a degree in streams such as technology, engineering (such as mechanical), architecture, fine and applied arts, information technology, or computer science, and then studying design at the Master’s level Institutes to look for: . National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad, (Graduate and PG diplomas), www.nid.edu . Indian Institutes of Technology, Bombay and Delhi (MDes), iitb.ac.in, jee.iitd.ac.in Rahat Bano Source:click4college