Thinking Design

Thinking Design looks at `design' in its broadest sens and shows how design originates in `human need' which is not only physical but also psychological, socio-cultural, ecological and spiritual. The book calls for broad-based, socially integrated designs with a large global vision that offer creative solutions to a variety of subject rather than providing multiplicity of objects. Exploring the course taken by design during the time of Gandhi and in the following era, the author advocates the need for service or process-oriented designs in contrast to product-oriented designs.

The book explores the history of traditional design and its evolution. On one hand it takes the leader through the cultural-roots of design, and, on the other, it explores new technologies and their applications in design.

A remarkable feature of the book is the way its narrative is enlivened with case studies detailing design inventions, interspersed with tales of Mullah Nasiruddin that provide a tongue-in-cheek take on aspects of design.

This book will be an insightful reference for design professionals, academics and students in institutes conducting research on design and for those in the industrial/technical design departments of Engineering colleges.

S. Balaram is an industrial designer and presently Dean, D.J. Academy of Design, Coimbatore. He is former Chairman of Education at the National Institute of Design (NID), Ahmedabad.