DesignUp 2024 - A magical journey into the Design Wonderland

I am penning this text to describe my journey at DesignUp Conference 2024; an event I would describe as a whirlwind of inspiration, knowledge, and connection. More than three days of immersion into this rich, multifaceted landscape of design-doing: studio visits, workshops, masterclasses, panel discussions and awe-inspiring talks. It was a feast for the curious mind, it was a playground for the designer's soul, and an opportunity to see how far this domain could reach in both imagination and in influence.

Studio Visits

For me, it all started from the warmth of the studio of NetBramha - Global UX Design Studio , where Aashish Solanki hosted a journey through design projects for "Bharat" As the team at NetBramha unraveled the layers of their design thinking, I felt the heartbeat of India in their solutions. Crafting for a nation with diverse needs was no less than a stellar effort. Aashish, it was heart-warming to see the body of work you guys have accomplished.

One superb workshop there "108% Indian - a Creativity Deep Dive using Indian metaphors" was conducted by Neelacantan (Neel) and Charusmitha Rao , inviting us to dive into the Indian way of design thinking. Super practical, rich in culture & heritage, and wrapped with ingenuity in sharing fantastic work from Coolture Designs where Indian heritage infused each and every product they touched; I left with a sense of pride and newfound appreciation for how deep design can resonate with culture. Looking forward to talking more in the coming days, Neel.

Then, I was whisked away to the Varnam Craft Collective , where @Karthik Vaidyanathan took me on a nostalgic ride to childhood memories. Here were the wooden toys of Channapattana - the artisans' fervor and passion finding an expression as they worked. There was something almost magical watching that heritage art form come alive; one knew it wasn't just making things, but paving a way of life. It was a good reminder that -

Design is far more than pixels and prototypes; it's about people and their stories.

Workshops & Masterclasses

Choosing among workshops and masterclasses were a hard choice, but the two I attended were nothing short of transformative. Josh Clark and Veronika Kindred from Big Medium , the dynamic father-daughter duo, brought the future into focus with their session on crafting AI-powered experiences. Sentient Design was no longer that vague idea, but had finally taken on a kind of concreteness, something we could all begin to peel into our work. Their energy is infectious and I just couldn't wait to get my hands on their upcoming book on the topic.

This was followed by Taapsi Ramchandani (Dr. T) and her "Personas with a Punch" workshop. Well, in most design industries overran by look-alike personas, the framework from Taapsi felt like just the right breath of fresh air. So clear, structured, and really insightful, it easily resonated not only with designers but also with product managers. Taapsi's approach had me excited to dive deeper into "Impact Personas" and rethink how we frame the humans behind the designs.

Conference Days

And then, of course, the conference days. That is if I had to describe it in short:

It was a festival! ??

From the Drum Jam, which made each of us to fall in rhythm with one another, and keynote sessions that all sort of seemed as waves of excitement to share, it all boiled down to the celebration of design in every aspect. Loved Suresh Venkat 's "Model Business Business Model" theory! ??

Pablo Stanley 's session on AI for designers held the audience cheering and clapping in sync. The energy he exuded was electric, and as he unfolded the landscape of UX patterns for AI design, it became clear – this was not some trend but is in fact the future.

Simon Roberts ' session, "Models of Enchantment," was pure brilliance. He took the audience into the nitty-gritty of organizing complexity through models, showing how they will help enchant technology with simplicity. One of those sessions that leave your mind humming long after.

Dr. Raoof Mir's talk was like a run through the tunnel from millennia ago to technology soaring today. It was everything about religion, technology, and the way of ideas being communicated - from Gutenberg's printing press to shaping today's landscape by algorithms. It was stunning to see how much design was intertwined in perception and ideology propaganda across centuries.

The session by Titiksha Vashist was more like a punch for "Deceptive Design". The seriousness and subtleness of dark patterns became more evident; how important values should be the center of a design. Deceptive practices of design are not just sneaky but damaging too, and her session left me feeling deeply responsible. Missed Dhanyashri Kamalakannan on the stage.

Equally thought-provoking were panel discussions as "Human Relearning in the Age of Machine Learning" with Anijo Mathew , Arin Bhowmick , Nandita Abraham , A Balasubramaniam . I saw this entire conversation around how to learn, how AI is re-imposing structures upon us, as simply mind-expanding.

Preachers need to practice.

Learning how to learn is key.

These continued staying in my mind as a call to action for designers everywhere.

I would say that "The Magic of Design and the Design of Magic" by Krishan Jagota lightened the situation with some humor but reminded us once again that all this is about power.

Pooja Saxena went ahead to give a really fast-yet-in-depth presentation about how one could manage logotypes in various languages. Her insights were priceless.

1. You Reap what you sow
2. Make it same same, but different
3. Choose your influences wisely
4. Don't be eager to recreate history

Ben Sauer 's "Always Be Creating Clarity" made me think about the evolving nature of storytelling within design. He did an amazing job of keeping me focused and interested throughout, and keeping an audience rapt with attention was no small feat. Metaphorical way of communicating was a very essential take away. I will always be reminded about "Underpants" whenever I prepare for storytelling.

Ben Sauer , thank you for giving me a copy of your book and signing it for me.

Nikon Basu 's was sheer creativity madness, in the best sense possible. His work, his thinking, his direction – it all has me thinking just how far creativity could go.

I shook his hand and told him after the session - "Your work is as crazy and cool as your name!".

I realized I need to think about how to think... after his session.

A huge fan of his work already - "The Hunt for Veerappan", "IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack", "Delhi Crime 2", "Tanaav" and more, it was a true theatre experience viewing not only his work output, but also the way he thinks and creates what he calls - "I don't know... I just like it".

No creative constipation... Just let it flow. - Nikon Basu

Suresh Eriyat 's "Stories are by Design" pulled into his world, making me feel that Suresh's mind is a story book, a theatre, and an imagination box.

The small technical glitch on stage leading to videos not playing for a few minutes, was something I thought I'd be disappointed about. Even that could not stop the audience from enjoying your candid presentations. Suresh, you were so engaging!

I think I can't NOT assign a brown number now, when I meet someone!

Suresh's "Nurturing a Seed" movie was the one that made me realize the depth of hard work that goes into a project!

The ability he has to weave stories from everyday life, making them brilliant pieces of art, took my breath away. Big shout out to STUDIO EEKSAURUS PRODUCTIONS PVT. LTD. for their outstanding work!

Honored to have met you. Looking forward to more conversations in the coming days.

Anijo Mathew was crystal clear in thought, and his insights were profoundly placed in the space that cuts across AI and the humanities. He reminded us that in the age of machines, it is our human touch that will set us apart. His session was a good reminder that good design does not just solve problems, but also asks the right questions.

In the age of AI, humanities will be the differentiator.

How design educators today stick to only Syntax, but not Etymology or Semantics will stay as a constant reminder in my mind, when I speak to any student in my life.

Looking forward to the next chapter of conversations with Rasagy Sharma and Anijo Mathew on Education of Design.

Thomas Küber & Andreas Wegner , you guys are so cool. It was wonderful catching up with you guys finally in person. Enjoyed the process of your design thinking, crafting solutions with the framework you presented. Can't forget "Discipline", "Collapse", "Transform" and "Growth" scenarios. I am looking forward to exploring and understanding more of these in the conversations in the coming days.

Kashvi Bansal - Your lens of data was very delightful! The presentation was filled with clarity and the frameworks you shared were awe-inspiring. Changed my thinking towards Indian Cinema.

Sudeep Chaudhuri - The hard work in your journey shows in your work. Very inspiring, very clear articulation and beautifully depicted "Contradiction" in the world of Design.

1. Bittersweet
2. Same Difference
3. Final Draft
4. Artificial Intelligence
5. Deafening Silence

Shiva Viswanathan 's "Truth Bombs" session was a pleasant surprise! I haven't seen someone present on stage with such clarity. Beautiful slides, wonderfully articulated, perfect process, very relatable journey with AI from discovery to cynicism, excitement, pride and back to reality. Can't forget -

Practitioners must teach and Teachers practise.

Ai Yat Goh - So kind of her to have given me a signed copy of her pleasant book "The S.T.A.R. System" that will definitely help tickle my visual-brain. Looking forward to more conversations around visual thinking for Designers. Ai Yat, thanks for handing me a copy of your book and signing it for me.

Ankur Sardana , you are very cool man! I had wonderful conversations over breakfast and late in the evening. I really missed your session but hoping to catch up on a lengthier conversation and debate on Improv for Designers.

Gurman Bhatia , thoroughly enjoyed talking about Data Visualisation. Wonderful insights and direction to explore more of it and looking forward to more conversations.?I didn't want our day 2 conversation to end!

Shout out to all the delightful people I met and shared awesome conversations with - Roshni Chinubhai Anupriy Kanti Bhakti Dudhara Anmol Ohri Nupur Tevatiya Krishnam Raju Akula Darshan Suthar Sanjay Raval Rajat L Harihar Arjyo Dutta Animesh Mandal Jigna Shah Oza Pankaj Parihar Krunal Rasik Patel Ashoor Nasser Aaqil Jamal Mohammed Zabeeh Ur Rahman Ayushi Bhatt Satyajit D.

I thank Jay Dutta , Shiva Viswanathan , Gaurav Sharma , Hemant Suthar , Soo Basu , Esha Mookerjee Dutta , Mohana Das , Tanisha Mukhopadhay , Bhavna Nagpal , Akta Paneri and the great DesignUp Conference team for putting together an event that was nothing short of spectacular. Also, awesome meeting the very cool & energetic Zubair Ahmed . Can't get enough of the improv-lightning-talks Katja Forbes !

And as the festival came to a close, there was no way not to be profoundly thankful. Not only for the knowledge and inspiration but for the sense of community that DesignUp instills. It's a reminder that, even after all these years in the world of design, there is always more to learn, more to create, and more to connect over.

Whether on data visualization, nuances of AI, or contradictions in design, every conversation did something magical with the experience. From insightful talks to impromptu breakfast chats, every moment of DesignUp felt like a discovery. I left feeling rejuvenated, my creative spark reignited, and my mind bursting with possibilities.

Thanks,

Hemanth Sharma

www.hemanthsharma.com

www.designbrained.studio