Design History in India

Section 1: Concepts of Modern Design and Design Education in a Newborn Nation with an
Ancient Culture.

Description: Discusses the founding of the National Institute of Design (NID) in India in 1962
and its goal to equip students with design knowledge and skills to address problems in newly
independent India while still drawing from ancient cultural traditions.

- NID founded in 1962 in Ahmedabad, India to teach design (p.1)

- Goal was to address design problems in newly independent India while still honoring ancient
cultural traditions (p.1)
- Vyas was involved in faculty training and formulating curriculum and course content for
undergraduate program (p.1)
- Discussed what design history meant in Indian context and how it should be taught differently
than traditional lecture style (p.1)
- Two developments that helped define modern design in India: Chandigarh as new capital of
Punjab in 1952 bringing international modern design and NID founded based on proposal from
Charles and Ray Eames (p.2)

Section 2: Design and History: A Search for Equivalence

Description: Discusses the concept of coexistence between modern design concepts introduced
to coincide with traditional design ethos and idioms in India.

- Concept of modern design being introduced to coexist with traditional Indian design ethos and
idioms (p.2)
- On one side were ideals and conventions of traditional practice and learning, on other was
modern design introduced through Chandigarh and NID (p.2)
- Parallel between mechanizing craft production methods to function with traditional methods
and concept of modern design introduced to coexist with traditional design (p.2)

Section 3: Part 2: Design and History: A Search for Equivalence

Description: Continues discussion of finding equivalence between modern design concepts and
traditional Indian design

- Will provide further evidence of concept of coexistence between modern and traditional design
(p.2) Traditional Indian Design Thinking

Concept of Kalaa:
- Kalaa suggests a unity among all human arts, skills, sciences, and techniques (28)
- Originated from the Atharva Veda, one of the four Vedas, which discusses sthapatya (the
science of construction) and developments of objects using different materials and methods (28)
- Sense of universality and integration that lasted until British introduced separation of art and
craft (28)
- Kalaa originally meant all plastic arts but now mostly refers to just plastic arts due to British
influence (28)

Comparison to European Concepts:

- Traditional design thinking in India is rooted in concept of Kalaa (28)
- Europe introduced separation of art and crafts and debates on distinction between fine arts vs
crafts and craft objects vs machine made objects (28)

Influence of Industrialization:
- Mechanized industrial production began in 19th century India but accelerated after
independence (27)
- Traditional design thinking and idioms have still functioned and lived on alongside
industrialization processes (27)

Indian Concept of History (Itihas):

- Itihas translates to history but refers specifically to contents of Ramayana and Mahabharata
epics (29)
- Epics profess living life according to dharma/cosmic order more than cold records of past (29)
- Majority of Indians lives directly or indirectly influenced by epics (29)
- Debating authenticity/chronology of epics seen as meaningless exercise (29)
- Epics seen as helping individuals/society reach goal of dharma more than records (29)

Section 2: Evidence of Design in Post-Epic Periods of India

- There is recorded evidence from periods after major Indian epics that people continually
referred to (7)
- However, this evidence was not seen as important and was not preserved as meticulously as in
European or Chinese cultures
- Means there are likely historical design influences that are missing from the records due to lack
of preservation

Section 3: Universal Aspects of Design History

- Design history should not be confined only to modernity and modern movements
- Must consider design from a viewpoint of human history and evolution
- Origins of design stem from basic human needs like tools and shelter for survival (7)
- Early language was a form of design that enabled powerful communication
- Humans began modifying the natural environment to create manmade environments
- Around 10,000 years ago humans began settling in one place and establishing civilizations
- These civilizations developed built spaces, transportation, production, languages, scripts, and
symbol systems
- All stemmed from the human instinct for survival and innovation to perpetuate the species
- Therefore, the processes used to develop environments throughout civilizations can be
considered an "evolved design process" (7) Section 1: The Evolved Design Process
Description: The evolved design process is an organic process that occurs over a long period of
time through collective contributions from many anonymous designers over several generations.
- Precisely because of the extended time frame involved, this design process naturally can not be
perceived in any separate, well-defined stages. (paragraph 2)

- Examining devices from any point in human history can tell a "design story" and illustrate the
process if the right questions are asked. The Eameses illustrated this through examining the
Indian pot-form Lota. (paragraph 2)

- It is an organic process that is seldom employed self-consciously, making it impossible to learn

in a structured educational environment. (paragraph 3)

- It is the result of contributions from many anonymous designers over several generations.
(paragraph 3)

- The design solution would involuntarily accumulate the aspirations and concerns of each
generation, most sensitively expressed through the multiplicity of physical, psychological, socio-
cultural, and even spiritual functions. (paragraph 4)

- It has been speaking to us through the best craftwork in parts of the world through a disguised
legacy of "kalaa" (Indian term for creative spirit) in craft production situations, still alive in India
and other countries with living craft traditions. (paragraph 4)

Section 2: The Learned Design Process

Description: The learned design process is a comparatively new process that is consciously
employed by modern practitioners of design.

- It is self-consciously acquired by an individual design aspirant within a well-defined time

frame, making it deliberate and methodical. (paragraph 5)

- Unlike the evolved process that can straddle generations, the learned process is time-telescoped
and encapsulated. (paragraph 5)

- For obvious reasons, it abhors anonymity. (paragraph 5)

Section 3: Importance of Including Design Process History

- The history of design cannot afford to exclude the history of the design process as an integral
part. (paragraph 6)

Section 4: Conventional Design History Courses

Description: Conventional design history courses take a chronological approach but often leave
out important aspects.

- They take a linear chronological account of design styles, movements, and schools of thought
exemplified by works of designers throughout history. (paragraph 7)
- One would not expect them to discuss designers' problem-solving processes and their historical
development. (paragraph 7)

- Nor would they dwell upon the history of design education and pedagogy, such issues often
being thought too specialist and left out. (paragraph 7) Design History Learning Methods

Conventional vs Alternative Approaches

- Conventional method is chronological account of design events and works which puts
developments in temporal perspective (good way to learn)

- However, this misses exploring topics like perception of history in a culture, design concepts in
traditional cultures, innovation as survival instinct, design processes

- An alternative, unconventional method is needed according to the passage (Giedion)

Typological Approach

- Proposed by Siegfried Giedion in his 1948 book Mechanization Takes Command (10-11)

- Instead of immediately exploring styles and personalities, students investigate history of a

"type"

- "Type" is a design solution that exists and functions in the environment, either an
object/system, built space, communication/transportation device, elements designers generally
deal with

- Examine each type from origin to changes in style over time as subjected to technologies and
social conditions

Applying the Typological Approach

- Inspired by Giedion, author devised exercises then course to study typological approach

- Offered to students at NID in late 1980s

- Revised format offered regularly at CEPT Ahmedabad School of Interior Design since 1992

- Course begins with unstructured discussions on topics directly relating to theme:

- Perception of history in a culture (India here)

- Conceptual equivalence to design in traditional Indian culture

- Innovation as survival instinct analogy to modern design

- Evolved, learned design processes

- Need for alternative method to learn design history (typological approach)

- These discussions build conceptual basis for major assignment in second half of course