DesignUp has taken off ??: Highlights from the DUp Festival

The DesignUp Conference has officially taken off , and the DesignUp Festival 2024 kicked off in style over the weekend! Before we dive into the main event on 03 October 2024, I thought now was a good time to take a step back and reflect on some of the inspiring sessions I volunteered for and attended.

Day 1 of the festival started with ‘Introduction to Typeface Creation,’ led by Baisampayan Saha, Principal Design Manager at Microsoft. Typography has always been a fascinating world for me. As someone who has experimented with digital calligraphy and dabbled in basic font creation on my iPad, I thought I knew a thing or two about designing type. But this workshop refamiliarized me to a dimension of typography—one that seamlessly blends precision, creativity, and technical mastery in ways I hadn’t fully appreciated before. Baisampayan guided us through the intricate world of typefaces, focusing on details that can often be overlooked but have a profound impact on both the aesthetic and functionality of a font.

He shared valuable insights on spacing and proportions—elements that play a crucial role in determining whether a typeface will be visually harmonious or difficult to read. The workshop covered everything from how the length of terminals can alter a font’s stability, to how the height of ascenders and descenders affects both readability and style. These are things that, when done right, can often go unnoticed by people, but when done poorly, they create friction in the user experience.

The real appeal of the session lay in Baisam's humour, his teaching style, and the hands-on approach of the workshop. Alternative to just listening, participants got practical and made their own fundamental glyphs with the Glyphs app. Having attempted font development with little technical expertise in the past, I was very thrilled to see this. This hands-on experience is exactly what was needed for anyone to take their love for typography to the next level.

The energy of the first day persisted while participants made their way to a studio visit with Ranganath Krishnamani , Founder and Creative Director at Liquidink Design. Ranga's comfortable, plant-filled home studio is tucked away in the green alleys of J.P. Nagar, Bengaluru. It's a space that exudes creativity. The studio setup is something out of a dream, and it was easy to fall in love with the vibe. Warm smiles and refreshing fruit juice welcomed us, and the whole experience seemed like a natural continuation of the meaningful discussions that took place during the visit.

Ranga gave us a tour of Liquidink's history while telling us about the amazing work the studio has accomplished over the years. Right away, his amazing work ethic and humility were apparent. Instead of taking centre stage, he let his juniors to share their experiences on the projects they had worked on, giving credit where credit was due. It served as a welcome reminder that effective leadership involves raising the voices of people around you in addition to navigating the ship.

Learning a Figma trick for creating Lottie files was perhaps a more useful takeaway for those of us who might not always have motion designers on hand for our teams.

But what impressed me most was a story Ranga shared about how he secured a major design contract with a Bengaluru tech startup based on a 5-minute meeting. His pitch called for the founder to stop focusing on listing features or capabilities of the product and instead center the conversation on the ways in which the product can help users in authentic ways, and why they should care. It was a snappy masterclass in understanding the core value of what we, as designers, can offer: guiding businesses on how to approach creating meaningful experiences—from digital interfaces to brand communication—that resonate with their users. His story was a powerful reminder that in critical moments—whether pitching to clients or presenting to stakeholders—clear, concise communication that focuses on solving problems straight-on can be far more effective than exhaustive explanations.

Day 2 started with an insightful session about designing for Bharat at NetBramha, led by their founder, Aashish Solanki. The discussion highlighted how their work has impacted millions across India, focusing on crafting design solutions that cater to the unique needs of our diverse population.

This was followed by a thought-provoking introduction to 108% Indian by Coolture Designs, which explored how Indian quirks and cultural nuances can be used to help people think beyond the obvious. Unfortunately, I couldn’t join in for this session for the whole duration, as I needed some much-needed rest, but I’ve heard it was quite a journey into creative problem solving!

After soaking in the vibrancy of design thinking at NetBramha, our next stop brought us at Varnam Craft Collective . Just a short distance from our previous location, we continued our journey into Indian roots with a visit to this heartfelt brand founded by Karthik Vaidyanathan . Varnam is a story laden with emotion and purpose, built on Karthik’s mission to revive traditional Indian crafts with a modern twist while ensuring a sustainable livelihood for the artisans who work tirelessly behind the scenes.

Karthik shared his journey with the group, explaining that he’s not a designer by profession but stumbled into the field by accident—much like how Varnam itself was born out of his deep love and desire to revive the Southern Indian craft of Channapatna. Traditionally, Channapatna’s skilled artisans were known for creating small, colorful wooden toys. But Karthik sought to change that narrative and the challenges were immense—not only in logistics but also in breaking cultural barriers.

From encouraging women to work on the lathe, to overcoming language differences by learning Kannada, to designing products that challenged the artisans’ comfort zones, Karthik’s journey is nothing short of inspirational. The artisans themselves, who were present at the studio, gave a live demonstration of the intricate lathe work involved in creating these stunning pieces. They took the group through every step—from the wood seasoning process, to coloring with natural dyes, to the craftsmanship required to achieve truly non-toxic products and toys for children.

It was a masterclass not just in craft but in passion and dedication to keeping tradition alive. By the end of the session, everyone was left in awe—of the artistry and the tremendous cultural significance that craft holds in preserving Indian heritage. As much as I write here, it barely scratches the surface of Karthik’s and the artisans' relentless work, and the anecdotes he kindly shared with us. But perhaps that’s a story for another day.

Some may wonder why a craft collective like Varnam was part of a design and tech conference like DesignUp. Karthik's and our response? “Why not!?” As designers, it’s crucial for us to reflect on how we can incorporate Indian culture, craft, and our roots into our design sensibilities. His question lingers as an important reminder of the rich and diverse inspirations we have at our disposal if we choose to look closer to home.

Today, the brand continues to grow even beyond its Channapatna origins, expanding into other Indian crafts like the painting art forms of Gujarat, crochet knitting, and block printing. If you ever find yourself in or around Jayanagar in Bengaluru, Varnam is absolutely a must-visit. It’s not just a store—it’s a testament to the power of craft, culture, and community.

And this was just the start of DesignUp 2024. I’m eager to see how the next few days unfold, what other creative insights they will bring, and reconnecting with the design community over the next few days.

Cheers and See you there!

#DesignUp2024