As a finale to the ADI Resurgence series, we’d like to address some of the most pertinent questions we’ve received from you. Over the last few webinars in April, we’ve received hundreds of questions about how the design industry is affected by Covid19, the consequences of the lockdown, and how to prepare for what’s to come.

We’ve made a note of your frequently asked questions. We’re bringing back some of our previous speakers and panellists, and adding on a few more experts. Together, we will attempt to answer all your questions.

The Speakers: Jay Dutta, Senior VP, Product Design, Make My Trip | Vinay Rao | Director, Bang Design | Ayush Kasliwal, CEO/ Creative Director, AKDPL | Ashwini Deshpande | Director, Elephant Design | Rashmi Ranade | Founder, Studio Coppre | Devika Krishnan | CEO, Vayati Weaves | Anushka Sani | Founder, Thought Over Design

The Crafts ecosystem in India is fragile, and one that has not been sufficiently mapped. A deep understanding of its structure is lacking. With crafts products becoming novel, the market has shrunk. While margins have increased, consumers are often unwilling to pay a premium for handcrafted work. The sharp decline in demand resulting from the viral outbreak, exacerbates this problem, while policies fail to affect positive change for this fragmented sector.

Today, there is an urgent need to provide craft communities with alternative avenues for income. What kind of expertise might designers lend to help craft communities become gainfully engaged at this time? What kinds of collaborative and organizational structures might this require?

In the long run, how might design help enable the crafts sector to remain relevant, even thrive in a fickle marketplace, by making innovation systemic? What objectives should policy be pursuing? The crafts sector is built around communities. How might economic and social benefits alike be pursued and measured?

How might we shape the resurgence of crafts in India?

The past few years have seen conflicting information about our economic health flood the public domain. Voices from all points and ends of the political spectrum, normally clamouring, competing for the citizen’s ear fall suddenly silent in the face of the spectre of the economic fallout of the Covid-19 outbreak. As nationwide lockdowns drive us closer to a state of economic emergency, we ought to ask – how well do we understand our economy? Its constitution, contours, and character? Moreover, how well do we understand the role the design industry plays in the great economic game? And when the dust starts to settle, what role might design play in the revival of our economy?