8 November 2024 · nIVA SHAH

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How has your cultural heritage and personal journey shaped the way you approach design? Were there specific moments or influences that led you to choose this field?

Personally, I really really love using color. Growing up in India, you just get so used to vibrant color patterns — on sarees, on packaging, on bags, the list goes on and on, and I believe that may have had some impact in my choice of making rather loud choices in my design. I’ve always liked drawing and painting and as someone that gets fixated on a hobby and loses interest eventually, the arts was the one thing I consistently pursued; apart from the fine arts, I was really crafty. I liked problem solving. I remember getting really creative with scraps — making a functioning ATM toy out of cardboard, building a mini house, etc. I watched a ton of anime and that really influenced me. It got me into languages and animation. Deep down I knew I wanted to be in a creative path down the line, but to be honest, there isn’t anybody in my family that is in such a career path, so I had no point of reference. It was a gamble for me. If I wasn’t pushed by my mom specifically to pursue what I liked, I may not be here today.

Who are some Asian creatives or designers you admire, and how have they influenced your style or approach?

Oh my god, so so many. As I mentioned, growing up, much of the media I consumed was animated. Today as well, I find myself going back to that comfort zone. I love Studio Ghibli, Hayao Miyazaki. I also love the Sket Dance series by Kenta Shinohara. Literally all of Taiyo Matsumoto’s work. Recently, I’ve been really following Korean photographer and creative director, Cho Giseok, to name one. I love the surreal quality of his work and his creative direction in XG’s music videos have really inspired me to delve into CGI and 3D modelling. I’m taking a class next semester, I’m so so excited.

Do you have any routines or creative practices that help you stay inspired? How do you balance traditional influences with fresh, innovative ideas?

I would like to say I am an idea bank. I think a lot and keep jotting down ideas when I can for future projects. I think something I like to do to get these ideas apart from introspection is people watching. I just go to cafes when I have the time and watch what people do and how they do. I am also a perpetual post-saver. If I see something cool online, it immediately goes on a board somewhere and I refer to it when I get a cool idea and think that that would inspire it. I’m grateful to live near some cute stationery and design book stores that also inspire me. For instance, I’m a regular at niconeko zakkaya on Ave A and 10th and MAST Books on the 5th.

Could you share your approach to choosing and integrating elements like materials, color, or technology into your work? How do you think these choices reflect your personal and cultural identity?

I love dynamic design of any kind. Animation is a big influence. With all my work, print or digital, I like playing with any aspect of motion and interactivity With print work, this often reflects through the form of using transparencies, paper texture of printing methods (such as the riso) in my work. Digitally, I use loud colors and movement to introduce this dynamism. I like to believe that each piece of work is a character. How do I give this character a personality? What is their identity? How does this identity reflect in its style?

How do you envision your work evolving in the coming years, and are there any design styles or concepts you’re excited to explore?

I’ve been recently really curious and delving into my interest in animation and motion graphics. In my sophomore year, I got the wonderful opportunity to take an Intro to animation course, and although it delved deeper into traditional animation, it was by far, personally, the best course I have taken. I’m taking a 3D modeling and CGI class next semester to further delve into this topic. I have also been exploring After Effects and some Digital Product Design. To sum it up, I can see myself intersecting these fields and follow a multi-disciplinary approach in my work.

What challenges have you encountered as an Asian designer, and how have you worked through them? Are there any common misconceptions about Asian creatives you hope to change?

I think there’s always been this divide, at least from my upbringing in a traditional Indian environment, between passion and work. There’s this mindset of “first get a job and then follow your passion”, where in most cases, by the time you’re bound in this cycle of “stability” a job offers, it’s harder to leave the comfort zone and follow passion. Also, the strict education system often fizzles out this passion in the first place. I was lucky enough to have a solid support system, but I know a lot of people don’t. It has been getting better though, I see a lot of my juniors in highschool following a creative path and having that outlet. I hope that trend continues and the education system can change to foster this creative spirit.

How has your identity impacted your journey in design school and the industry? What advice would you give other Asian creatives facing similar challenges?

Interestingly enough, I find myself talking about my cultural identity much more after coming to America as opposed to when I was in India (funny that I’m mentioning this in this interview, I know). It keeps me rooted and makes me think of home/nostalgia. Assimilating to a different culture also allows me to look at my own through a birds eye view, prompting me to talk about it more. And as a designer, this “talking” is done through my work. My home book represents this statement well.

Is there a project or experience that stands out as particularly meaningful, and what made it so?

I think all my projects reflect parts of my identity in some way and they are all near and dear to my heart. Apart from my riso-printed home book that reflects my cultural and personal identity quite literally, a project that represents my interests quite well is my JQuery project for code, Diversify — a language database for spotify. I consider myself a polyglot and I enjoy the process of learning and engaging in language and culture. I find myself delving into that part of my identity through music and entertainment. I have weekly playlists of different (and often random) languages and found this project to be the perfect opportunity.. It uses colors and a tight grid along with some code to feed this data and visualize this data.

What message or emotion do you want your designs to convey, and how do you hope your work impacts others?

I feel a chill down my spine when I see something that really inspires me. I would like to deliver a similar feeling through my design. I want to create works that immerses the viewer in it; that inspires you to also want to pick up a pen or whatever to create something.

How do you see Asian culture and values shaping global design conversations? Are there specific areas where you see these influences growing?

As there is starting to be more representation of Asian culture on modern platforms, it not only creates inclusivity as people, but also diversifies the stories told, the profiles created. An example that comes to mind is, for instance, Elemental, directed by Peter Sohn. RRR also took over western media for a bit. I’m not too familiar with the fashion industry, but designers such as Gaurav Gupta, Rahul Mishra and Zuhair Murad are gaining traction in the west, which is so awesome.
A lot of these designers use cultural motifs to play with the form of the piece that informs a much more nuanced meaning to the work.It’s great to see these industries bringing Asian stories to life.

What’s a key lesson you wish you had known earlier in your studies? How has mentorship influenced your development, and what role do you think it plays in shaping new designers?

Something that has been ingrained in me since my highschool years of IB is the practice of research within work. Visually cool design is great for the eyes, but design with no substance is inherently shallow. Pulling in references of the body of work in the form, in the color, in the language creates so much necessary depth in the work and is key to immersing the reader in it.

How can design institutions better support diverse perspectives and promote inclusivity within their programs?

I started design school with little formal training in graphic design. I didn’t really understand what “good” graphic design was and would often find myself muddled in inspiration that didn’t work cohesively. As an individual that tends to look for visual inspiration and references from designers, I always wish for more representation in clubs / events apart from the curriculum in school. I’m so so grateful to AIGA TNS, DDAP and the Parsons CD Lectures (to name a few) for bringing a platform to various speakers and I hope this series continues in the future!

How do you see technology shaping the future of design, especially for Asian creatives? Are there any upcoming trends or shifts that you’re particularly excited about?

Although I do not support the unethical use of AI to steal art, I’ve seen some really cool ethical experimental projects using AI and AR/VR technologies lately. It’s interesting what these advancements are bringing forth to the table of design, and hope for it to be a tool creatives, Asian or not, use to create pieces of work that inspire.

Do you have any upcoming projects or concepts you’re working on that you’re excited to share?

My previous work “Behind the label”, engaged a lot in the cultural sphere by documenting cultural packaging and the stories it tells about immigrants and international students living in America in a maximalist aesthetic, so I’m excited to be working on a completely different project about modern dating and intimacy that follows a pretty minimalist style. Iw had a lot of fun interviewing people for that and am planning on converting it to an animated film. It’s my first time sequencing and storytelling through a motion graphic format so I’m super duper pumped about it!

What advice would you offer to young Asian creatives who are just starting in design? How can they stay authentic to their identity while navigating the demands of the industry?

I think being aware of your identity is the first step. I like to introspect a lot and often think of who I am and what my story is and what exactly my aim is in a certain thing. When you’re aware of your values, it is easier, in my opinion, to be able to talk about them in your work. It’s easy to get pressured to create more, to create “good”, but to that, as I also constantly remind myself, take your time, and quality over quantity, always.

Looking back, what advice would you give to your younger self as you started on this journey?

As a perfectionist, I tend to want to make each piece a final without making any “shitty” drafts beforehand. I think a lot of that experimental quality is lost if overthought. To my younger self, I would compel to try more, to experiment more and most importantly, to observe more. I would also tell her to be more patient with herself and not expect growth on the first try :)

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