Design Lives in Time
In olden times, design would conjure up an image of intricate carvings on temple pillars in remote India or a mechanism that would serve people's basic needs like gharats to grind grain or a red postbox at every corner of the street. But the term itself has evolved over the years to cover every aspect of life, especially among youth.
Idols, Peers, Cricket are Design Influencers
In a city like Mumbai where Cricket and Bollywood is worshipped, the choices or perception of design of the younger age group is driven by these industries. A celebrity endorsing a particular product would perhaps see more takers as compared to a non-celebrity endorsed product with better features and looks.
Simoni Shah, 27-year old, customised gift designer, said, “Youngsters only live on design trends. This is based on my experience with younger cousins who are 15 to 17 year old. Their decision is majorly influenced by friends or celebrities, be it clothes or stationery, they look at what their friends have and desire it.”
The perception of design could be mainstream, but at the same time, youngsters would also like to keep themselves updated with the latest designs or cool stuff, a decision influenced by peers, friends, TV, online, etc.
Coolness = Newness + Functionality
Jonathan Sreekumaran, who considers himself high on the cool quotient and works for a new age digital media firm, said, “I would define cool as something new, something that stands out from what 'was' new. A cool product, design, dish or anything could also operate and manifest itself in an extremely innovative way to be perceived as cool. I often visit thecoolhunter.net website to get my dose of what's cool. Besides, I also like my design to be functional. That could be interpreted differently and is subjective. For instance, a door bell could has a cool design and is functional, I would like good looking functional designs to be a part of my daily life, a remote control for example,” he continued.
Go Geeky, Go Futuristic
Gadgets would stir some interest in students or young working professionals, who like to purchase the latest product in the market like cell phones, MP3 players, computer accessories etc. The look and feel is important to youngsters, even if it is at the cost of the functions the product has to offer.
Yes to Design that Comforts Life
Other aspects like colour, purpose and experience play a role in making their choices. Mark Fernandes, an aspiring pilot, explained, “Design based only on looks is temporary, because its based on trends. Trends change often, hence a product that solely looks good has a short life span. The comfort level is more important than the design, I choose products that make me feel comfortable with their working, no matter how ugly it is.”
Simoni further added, “Sometimes a design appeals because of the colour combination, while at times its the intricacy or depth of the design itself. Whereas in terms of function I would like my design to be user friendly.”
There is always a minority in any set/group of people, across students and working professionals, who believe in unconventional way of living and for them design should symbolise their way of thinking, intricacy in an object, or an aesthetically designed object/product. This choice can be part of their daily consumption like a wooden mirror or bamboo chairs.