Elements of Design

January 23rd, 2012

Everything around us is a composition. From the leaves of a tree to a building, it all made up of few basic elements. These elements are line, shape, texture and color. Elements of design is one of the very important subjects covered in the foundation programme at all design colleges. Its relevance is to make students see the basics behind everything as it is the vocabulary through which a designer can communicate with the viewer.

One of  the first exercise that students work are with DOTS. One can explore compositions consisting of dots followed by explorations on lines and shapes. A point or dot is the most basic element in design. The line which is the track between two points can take different forms such as straight line or curve. It can represent motion and mood. Shapes define space and it helps establishing balance between negative and positive.

Gestalt’s laws is another topic that helps to understand the principles of design. Also termed as the design rules they help a designer guide his expressions. This covers proximity, similarity, closure and continuity. Its basically how we perceive a composition with the help of the four laws. Figure and ground also is a major part of perceiving an object. It helps us distinguish an object from another in a composition. Rhythm and balance are also crucial.

Texture is the feel of the object. It can be both visual texture or physical texture. The exercises could include to create textures on paper through various methods including making impressions through different material and texture through salt, bleach, wax etc.

Color is a major part of the whole design process. Color decides the mood and gives life to the composition. First year studies in design schools include the primary, secondary and tertiary colors, tints and shades, textures through colors and pixilation. Right from mixing colors to  color application. One really interesting exercise is the mood board in which one could pick a color and make a collage through visuals that describes the color.  You would also be doing various color schemes.

One needs to pay attention to this subject as it is a core subject and is evaluated almost on a daily basis, also it develops in us a sense of a better design which excels in all areas and communicates on a higher  level with the viewer.  All great designs had the simplest ideas behind them, so basics are the way to go.

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NIFT campus life: Fresher’s Week

October 19th, 2011

So, after a month of hard labor and no sleep, the new students at NIFT New Delhi campus finally caught  the sight of NIFT fresher’s week. It is a big deal in the campus as it is the time for the junior-senior interaction. Juniors exhibit their talents through various events organized for them and in the end Mr. and Miss fresher is selected based on their performances in these events.

The theme for the first day was superheroes. One could see the all sorts of superheroes coming alive from comic books, movies and what not. Hulk, Superman, Batman, Wonderwoman, Catwoman, fantastic fours etc roamed around the campus in an amazing spree.

The second theme was Circus which had a lot of participants. Clowns, jugglers, ballerinas, ringmasters, dwarfs etc made the day really colorful. The whole college looked like some kinda fair and was only missing on the big rides and circus tents. The event started 6:00PM onwards where they were supposed to perform which was judged by the seniors.

After that came the big day of the fresher’s party. This day also witnessed the HT fresh face by Hindustan times that happened in the campus. There were a lot of quizzes and the winner of the fresh face was decided based on that. There were a lot of participants in this too who gave amazing performances. From mimicry to balancing a guitar on the chin, various talents were recognized.

Everyone also got free refreshment coupons from the canteen. The official fresher’s party was inside the college premises. There was awesome music and everybody danced their shoes off. Some of the teachers also joined in. it was all great. After the official party got over some people also went for the after party happening in the Hotel Ashoka. Not many people went because of a little expensive entry tickets and late timings.

On the whole the fresher’s week was a total blast. Everybody refreshed them selves after four hectic weeks. It was  definitely worth remembering.

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Fashion consultancy

October 10th, 2011

Fashion consultancy deals with offering expertise on more than just clothing. Fashion consultants help clients to choose appropriate clothes for various occasions, while also helping them with the colours their wardrobe should have and the kind of make-up they should wear.

Fashion consultants, differentiates between fashion consultancy and wardrobe consultancy. Fashion consultancy is about grooming, make-up, jewellery, footwear, eye-wear for the day or specific occasions. Wardrobe consultancy, on the other hand, deals with managing or updating one’s personal wardrobe. The industry offers immense scope as fashion is no longer restricted to the upper echelons of society.

People now realise that fashion is not just about making a style statement but also about dressing well and feeling confident as your dressing adds to your personality. With a rising disposable income, the Indian middle class is today looking to work with fashion houses or even as independent consultants.

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The orientation for freshers at NIFT Campus

October 3rd, 2011

Here I am, in NIFT Delhi. Feels like a dream come true. We entered the gates, all excited about our “orientation program”. It was fun to see new faces . The teachers also looked non- monstrous which was a good thing.

We started with a video of some fashion show which concluded with the note,” that’s the only glamour you’ll see for another four years!!”. Now, that was surprising for some because a fashion college without glamour is like a cake without cream. Maybe they were just trying to scare us.

So, while we waited for the next sessions, I thought what orientation programme is all about. Was it just a simple interaction session or a game where we were given a compass and asked to find directions(orient). But it was more like introducing us to NIFT in the NIFT way.

At first the college Dean  introduced us to very basics of fashion world. Then there were a few guest lectures. All really great people. There was a lecture by famous designer Pankaj , a NIFT faculty, who owns the fashion label “Pankaj & Nidhi”.

Now the best part came. It was a session with a guy named “Surya” who worked for “Confluence” , an institution for personality development. He made us wear name tags. The advantage this had was that everybody started addressing each other with their names and not just “hey” and “hello”. Then we were made to play a lot of games which helped us develop team working skills. He also gave us examples by videos of how we should not stick to permanent partnership and try to make as many friends as possible. He gave us many tips that could actually be used to be successful in any field.

After this there was a session regarding examination pattern and evaluation methods in NIFT. It was very important for us to know how the marking system was. Later, we lined up to collect our goodies from our respective departments. As NIFT is celebrating its silver jubilee this year we got a goody bag , a diary and a pen as a souvenir. The goody bag also carried an academic calendar and phone numbers of all the important faculties. This is the one thing I really like about NIFT, the student-teacher interaction is given a lot of importance and is considered to be very crucial in the learning process.

We also had a special lunch organized by the college which was really awesome. By this time we made a lot of friends and learned everybody’s respective department. We also got in touch with this really important man, “ Laxman Ji” who is like the ears and eyes of the place and has been working in NIFT for almost 25 years now. If anything goes wrong be it the fan in the classroom or late submissions , he is the the man to contact.

So, basically the point of this whole orientation program was to make us compatible with the environment here and to mould ourselves accordingly. I personally found it very interesting and beneficial as we got a chance to see what our life  is going to be like for another four years. Hectic like crazy but a lot of fun. I hope to have a great time here. Will be back with latest updates soon. Till then. Ciao.

Neha Singh (The author is an AFDian who is currently in the first year in NIFT, New Delhi)

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NIFT situation test – how I conquered it !!!

September 23rd, 2011

After the written test for NIFT is over, a few lucky aspirants are called for the practical exam, alias Situation test. I remember my imagination going berserk that time. I envisioned myself alone in a glass room, subjected to creepy noises and insanely bright lights and a panel of judges viewing my reaction to the situation. But in reality, we are just given a set of materials like paper, clay, ice-cream sticks, glue, etc and asked to make a prototype of a model on a given theme. So, nothing to be afraid of.

Sneha Singh (nift - 2011)

I had loads of  time to prepare as there was a 3-4 month gap after the written test. I started by coming up with a list of obvious topics like, environment, social causes, awareness, etc. I skimmed through a lot of articles on craft ideas, paper folding techniques, theme based designs, origami, material manipulation, design integrity and color schemes. This refined my rough ideas to sophisticated concepts. Then I put myself to test with previous years questions. Apart from that, I observed things around me to develop a better sense of perception.

The big day came. We were handed the materials and the question paper. There was a choice between a simple and a complicated question. As we just had 2 hours to design, implement and write, I decided to keep it sweet and simple. I chose “children’s park”!

The first thing that came to my mind was TARGET CUSTOMER – KIDS. Now what would I want if I were a kid? I thought. After that I just let the creative juices flow. I thought of a colorful environment and soft curved shapes, cartoon creatures, giant candy bars, tire swings, sand castles etc. I checked the materials and found pastel colored sheets, ice-cream sticks, glossy paper, colored clay, straws, ribbons, perfect for the theme! After 15 minutes of ideating, I came up with a decent sketch and a few keynotes:

  • Colorful
  • Swings and playthings
  • Greenery
  • Fictional creatures(optional)
  • Out of the box idea!

After this started an hour long process of cutting and pasting and simultaneously thinking about the next step. Here’s what I did:

  1. Cut the green pastel sheet in a curvy fashion and pasted it on the boundary of the mount board, imitating green bushes.
  2. Cut out an inverted “U” shape which served as an entrance to the park.
  3. Used straws to make a swing and a see-saw, wrapped red ribbon around the straws that made them look like candy! Yum!
  4. Curved a black plastic spring to form a circular ring and used it as a tire swing.
  5. Used brown paper to make a sand box.

After the obvious was done, it was time for my  OUT OF THE BOX  idea!  I thought of “hovering clouds”, something that amazed me when I was a child. I cut out big and small cloud-like shapes from the blue pastel sheets and glued them on ice-cream sticks that were later taped to the green bushes. And bang!! I got hovering clouds. I also installed a rainbow at the back of these clouds. Next was the giant snowman that I made out of cotton. Added a hat and a red scarf to complete the look.

It was time for the write up. It started with a mood line followed by step by step explanation of “what and why” . When I finished writing,I still had 10 minutes to spare that I utilized to give a final touch to the model. I made small clay dustbins to let the judges know I was concerned about the cleanliness and the environment too. Then I cleaned up the clutter and put my write-up next to my model. All done!!

This is the 2D sketch of the model I did for the situation test in April, 2011

When I was coming out of the hall I looked at other models. Some of them left me flabbergasted, totally pro! But I was quite satisfied with my model as it totally personified my vision. I don’t want to sound like a nerd but my hard work really paid off and I did get a call for counselling later. So Cheers!

The author Ms.Sneha Singh is an AFDian and ranked 69 in general category

Academy of Fashion & Design

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What does it take to be a Great Designer ?

August 30th, 2011

A few years of study at a design institute, coupled with craft and industry exposure can make one a good designer. Though this is a prerequisite, it is often not enough. With time as a design professional and a mentor, one realizes that the key to being a great designer comes not just from qualifications or experience; it springs from the vision and the passion to create something that is useful and desirable. It is about making a change happen. From hands-on fashion design to a virtual designer working on the Web, successful designers have a shared set of qualities that help them create the best designs and satisfy the most discriminating clients. These qualities are must haves that are needed to transform you from a good designer to a great designer and these are the qualities that design institutes look for in their students.

Here are some design attitudes, which top my list on how to be a great designer. Some of these attitudes would be inherently present in us, others we would have to cultivate through years of patience and practice.

Creativity: Designers need to constantly think out of the box to come up with new ideas for projects, drawing inspiration from different sources and using different methods. There are two kinds of creativity – one is being aesthetically creative and other is being practically creative. A great designer blends an equal amount of aesthetics and practicality in his/her design to make it successful.

Artistic Skills: Anyone interested in going into a design career should have some innate artistic ability that enables them to learn the latest art techniques to present their ideas better. They also need to have an Eye for Color, Texture and materials. Whether you’re working with textiles, interiors or graphics, a designer must have an eye for color and detail. You must be aware of the extensive variety of materials available and understand what works well in particular projects.

Vision: This is perhaps the most important qualities of a great designer. You have to be able to visualize the end result and set a clear goal to achieve it. A great designer demonstrates imagination. Even when the inspiration stems from history, the idea needs to be for the future.

Risk Taking: A good designer is willing to take calculated risks and stretches the boundaries. This risk may be in terms of conception, material choice, execution or even just the outlook or the way of looking at it.

Communication Skills: A great designer needs excellent communication skills. They need to be good observers and good listeners to know what a client is expecting. They need to present their ideas and concepts very clearly so that the client/boss understands what is being proposed. They should be able to engage in meaningful conversations with clients to ensure both parties are in agreement of the work that is being done.

Flexibility: Great designers are also humble, able to accept criticism and ready to give clients what they want even when it differs from their own personal taste. Sometimes what they sell may not be exactly up to their liking, but still they need to put their 100% in it to make sure that it is perfect for the client. They must read the audience and customize their work to meet the client’s wants and needs.

Willingness to learn: Designers need to be constantly on the go reading, travelling, experimenting and toying for new ideas. Constant up gradation of skills is very necessary in this field. They should also have a penchant for the use of technology that would help them design better.

Team Player: Often the work of a designer does not end with just sketching or presenting an idea. He/she needs to work with other people to get the actual product made. Hence it is very important for a designer to be a team player. If one can harmoniously work well with other designers or executors in the team then that is a very big asset.

Problem Solving Skills: A great designer has an ability to take on the spot decisions and solve problems on the go. A successful designer also knows when to stop experimenting with an idea (one of the perils of being over creative is not knowing when and how to stop) and start executing it to achieve deadlines. They must be able to deliver both quality and quantity within the time given.

Social Empathy: Designers need to be sensitive to the changes happening around them. They need to be aware of the moral and ethical implications of a design before proposing/ executing it. They need to be aware of ongoing societal issues and see if they can make things better with their creativity and problem solving skills.

Self Belief: Finally designers need to believe in themselves that they can be a pioneer of change and work consistently with discipline to make it happen. They should not be bogged down with initial failure and continue working with persistence to achieve what they want.

Academy of Fashion & Design

www.afdinda.com

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What’s a career in fashion forecasting ?

July 18th, 2011

For most of us, ‘fashion forecasting’ jobs have an aura surrounding them. Forecasting of fashion trends is crucial and can make or break the destiny of the garment — whether or not the consumer will actually purchase it.

Fashion forecasting involves calculation of mood, behaviour, and buying habits of the consumer. It is not as much about classifying customers by age, geography, or income, than looking into how and why they buy, their moods, beliefs, and the occasion. From street fashion to red carpets, fashion trend consultants search high and low for innovations.

Fashion forecasters carry out research to inform designers about trends so that they can ensure their products are suited for the purpose. The area is growing, owing to the escalating number of consumer sub-groups that companies want to target — from teens to silver-surfers. Each area of the fashion forecasting industry holds a wide range of career choices.  From searching the streets for trends to reading and interpreting those trends as actual fashion products, to writing about, photographing and further interpreting  those trends, there are ample choices.

Unlike common perception, fashion forecasting is a bit more scientific than crystalball gazing, although intuition does play a part. A trend forecaster’s work covers a range of areas such as product design, interiors and technology. The day-to-day job involves carrying out research with consumers, designers, and architects, visiting trade fairs and exhibitions and trawling the media. For those seeking a competitive, fast-paced, and rewarding career in the fashion industry, trend forecasting could be one of the career options. The first step is to study fashion and its history.  Getting an internship or working with a company in the field would be a great place to start.

To succeed one needs to be creative and act like a sponge, soaking up everything.  It involves using findings of research as well as an intuition to predict the upcoming trends, in addition to possessing analytical skills to be able to assimilate them and explain what it would mean for the end consumer.

Fashion forecasters conduct research to inform designers about trends to ensure their products are suited for the purpose

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NIFT 2011 counselling session – review by an AFDian

July 13th, 2011

No more sleepless nights.  I finally got the pressure off me as I got Textile Design in NIFT, Delhi.  My experience was a bittersweet one though. I remember going through hundreds of articles on how to choose your stream and center, but it was a very unusual encounter altogether.

The NIFT counselling is a big issue for design students after the ranks are declared. Its always scheduled in June which is the hottest time of the year in Delhi when people would burst into flames if they were to stand in the sun for more than 30 minutes. Then of course the traffic makes it worse. I took advice from my friends inhabiting in Delhi and used the Metro as my basic transport. Its economical, convenient and fast.

On 22nd June, I took the Metro from Old Delhi railway station and headed towards Green Park, the nearest station to NIFT. I walked a good 100 yards to find a very well laid campus and one would instantly know why is it called the most prestigious and reputed fashion institution in the country, it has that feel to it.

The thing started at 2:00 PM  in the I. G hall. Students were accompanied by their parents. The seats offered were displayed on a screen. Every face in the room looked tensed, except for a few people which I guess were the first 15 rank holders. A lady from the Fashion Design department came in and gave a brief introduction about all the streams, job prospects and about the institution’s evaluation process. She kept reminding us, “FIRST COURSE THEN CENTER” and she had a point because our course obviously decides our career .

Hierarchy is strictly maintained. First ranker goes in first. The first stage is where we get our documents verified and wait for the second call. The second is when we get to decide the stream and center. As soon as the first ranker came out the screen showed 15-1= 14 in FD, Delhi. That’s how the screen works.

At first it was going smooth and everyone came out quite happy. But after the first 15 ranks were over the weirdness crept in. Eyes were glued to the screen and I heard collective sighs whenever a seat got filled. Some people who went in looked blank and came out all surprised. Anxiety + tension= weird look on your face!!

We had to be quick with our decision of course and center and that had a bad effect on us . People kept fidgeting as the calls were made. There were a lot of people who were confused between there 1st and 2nd preferences. I was amused by this guy who flipped a coin but then again I sympathized. Everyone was freaking out. It was an absolute mayhem.

Rank 69 was called and I went in. I told the faculty ,TD DELHI!!. I nearly shouted it out loud. Heads turned but that’s how nervous I was. Then documents were collected and I was handed a receipt that confirmed my admission. I came out wide eyed and smiling, almost looking creepy but I was glad that it was finally over.

I remember the guard giving me some friendly advice when I coming out. He asked me my stream and exclaimed, “Textile accha hai!”. Also, “attendance ka boht panga hai yahan!”  and I chuckled. So no bunking business here. To my surprise he knew a lot about the place. He also gave me advice on apartment hunting as NIFT doesn’t provide accommodation to the students. I thanked him for his help and wondered if  the faculty was as nice as the security. Fingers crossed!

When I came back home, I never got off the phone. A lot of relatives(when I say a lot, I mean Everybody!)  called and congratulated me. My parents were happy in particular because I was the first one in my family to choose a different field. They acknowledged my potential and were highly understanding and supportive. The funny thing was my grandmother who already handed me the list of stuff I had to design for her. The evening was followed by a small celebration party with friends,  lets be honest, they demanded it. Also ,I got a call from my cousin who is preparing for the NIFT exam and I guided her. I have been inspired by a lot of people but inspiring somebody was a completely unusual feeling. It was overwhelming.

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Design School with a vision

July 3rd, 2011

Sushant School of Design, the new sister school of Sushant School of Art and Architecture, recently, ended it’s first year with its’ Foundation Year exhibition. The exhibition touches upon process, discovery and rediscovery – studio work from spatial design, fine art, ceramics and weaving are installed in a single space, setting up
interesting juxtapositions.
The School currently runs a dynamic Foundation in Design – 1 year and a Diploma in Interior Design – 3 year and will soon be establishing programs in visual communications and product design.
The innovative interior design program takes students on a discovery of aesthetics, developing the skills and sensibility needed to be a designer that will make change in the world – be it local or global. Much of the ethos and teaching practice of the school comes from a studio approach to learning which is ‘hands-on’, where each student is developed as a maker and a thinker. SSD’s faculties are the backbone of the school and it’s program, through their international work and education they bring together a powerful understanding of creativity from contexts and concepts that cross the globe. Their mission is to develop young designers thatwho can apply this knowledge to the context of India.
SSD’s ambitions are high and studio life requires not only a full time commitment but the ability to remain open to new ideas and processes. For anyone who is considering a career in design, the Foundation in Design is an experience that opens minds and grounds students in self belief. For those wanting to pursue interior design, SSD provides a unique learning environment that encompasses a breadth of subjects that include weaving, product design, ceramics and fine art.  Collectively they open up the world of interior design.

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What exactly is instructional design? What qualifications does it require?

May 26th, 2011

The global need for customised e-learning packages has opened up a host of exciting new career opportunities for instructional designers. With instructional designing (ID) services being farmed out from UK and US, instructional designing is emerging as one of the fastest growing fields in India. 
 

Instructional designers draft the blueprint for a whole multimedia project — from determining the educational design and content of the project to deciding how to present it.   As an instructional designer, you will work closely with subject matter experts to organise information in such a way that a learner can easily comprehend it.

Be prepared for extensive brain storming sessions on pre-design activities such as content design, analysis of context, content and learner needs. While teaching and training skills are desirable attributes, it goes without saying that you need excellent communication skills in English with a good understanding of web-based training.

As a trainee instructional designer, your main responsibility will be to implement design specifications. You can also work as an integrator, animation, graphic artist or visualiser. Today, the need for instructional designers is being felt in corporate training institutes, in the public sector as well as in educational institutes.   

Earlier, the role of an instructional designer was restricted to designing curricula for instructional books or manuals. Now instructional designers are much more tech savvy and offer consultation in fields ranging from educational TV, computer-based teaching, instructional video, business training and multimedia to print media and classroom design.    

Starting out as a trainee instructional designer, you could rise to the level of e-learning project manager and eventually to a consultant. Although there are a number of formal courses in ID, many courses are actually run by e-learning companies. As lots of global e-learning projects are outsourced to India, companies have their own in-house learning departments as they feel the need to constantly hone their designers’ skills.

Refer to the following webisites for more information:

 http://www.elearningguild.com

http://www.articulate.com/rapid-elearning

http://www.elearningguru.ie/Home.html

 http://www.clarktraining.com 

Training to be an instructional designer is not easy. Over and above your core training, it could take anywhere from six months to two years to get a clear understanding. And even then, there is no end to learning in this field. You need to upgrade your skills and keep abreast of new developments in the field.

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