KIA DESIGN MAGAZINE INTERVIEW
Q1 Hello. Please briefly introduce yourself.
My name is Pooja Maisheri. My journey with Kia Design India as a Senior Color Material Finish Designer started since Jan 2020. My fascination to observe and interpret the character of color in integration with materials, textures, patterns inspired me to enter this domain. Being an Industrial designer I believe that products, materials and surfaces speak a sensorial language which if well applied, communicates to the user. My role involves understanding the psychological and behavioral aspects of Indian consumers by predicting the future trends through research, ideation, development and analysis. I got to be a part of design research and ideation for a few projects. I want to continue to demystify the CMF design process and accelerate the learning curve.
Q2. You are currently working in Kia India. Could you share with us how you decided to pursue your career here?
CMF design is all about curating multiple trends, colors, patterns, textures and discovering tiny details. It cultivates the distinct style of Kia by intuition and anticipating about “What’s coming up next?” Color has emotion and defines ones voice that tells us the story. Kia brand created a huge buzz while making the debut in the Indian market as it was perceived to be a bold, confident & stylish brand. Interdisciplinary learning in various domains like furniture, lifestyle, sustainable products, 2 wheelers have empowered my knowledge to pursue a career in a brand like Kia. It allows me to design tactile and immersive experiences through CMF.
Q3. You are currently working in Kia India. Could you share with us how you decided to pursue your career here?
CMF design is all about curating multiple trends, colors, patterns, textures and discovering tiny details. It cultivates the distinct style of Kia by intuition and anticipating about “What’s coming up next?” Color has emotion and defines ones voice that tells us the story. Kia brand created a huge buzz while making the debut in the Indian market as it was perceived to be a bold, confident & stylish brand. Interdisciplinary learning in various domains like furniture, lifestyle, sustainable products, 2 wheelers have empowered my knowledge to pursue a career in a brand like Kia. It allows me to design tactile and immersive experiences through CMF.
Q4. Could you share your thoughts about Kia’s new design philosophy “Opposites United”(OU) when you first heard it in 2021?
“Opposites united” being the heart of Kia’s mobility drive reminds me of contrasting aesthetics in harmony which is a unexplored space and unique statement in itself. It reminds me of Spider silk which is highly flexible material, extremely stretchable, surpasses steel in strength, and most importantly, can be formed into a mesh that would stop a bullet. The visual appeal of this material is completely opposite to the nature it inhibits. The two discrete entities to be formed should be conceivable and revived through its properties. Interesting narratives can be developed to decode what’s going around us to make more intuitive and sensitive design.
Q5. How do you apply OU or 5 Pillars when you pursue your design project as a CMF designer?
Opposites United along with the 5 pillars have given me possibilities to be creative around the distinctive vision of the brand. Kia helps ideas to nurture to reality, the inspiration helps me redefine, recreate and touch upon the natural experiences. The 5 pillars reassure to draw inspiration at the same time provide more tailor made ideas for the diverse customer base. In the design process I try experimenting and manipulating materials which align to the philosophy. It may involve entities like sourcing performance fabrics, innovative smart materials, handmade aesthetics like embroidery on hard surfaces, contemporary tweaks in ethnic patterns, new finishes (e.g. stained copper, lit up chrome finish, changing transparency of opaque surfaces), color shifting abilities etc. To explore color palettes that embrace transitions and help the users associate closer to them. Considering the geography at the same time bringing the past essence with a progressive and modern mood. The brand and design cohabitate together to see the potential of the future and hence wish to look for more rewarding and innovative ideas.
Q6. When we think about “India” as a country, we usually relate it to a big territory, large population, long history, and diverse cultures within one country. How are these distinctive characteristics connected to creative activities such as “design” in India?
Rational behavior v/s irrational emergence of cultures over the time has widened the acceptance of people in terms of aesthetics be it forms of colors or functionality driven preferences. The incubated mindset of an Indian can cognitively perceive design. The ethnicity and diversification of cultures help us draw inspiration from the past.
• Hindustani Classical, Carnatic music and dance forms and their flowing silhouettes like Kathak, Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi or folk (regional) Bhangra, Garba, is filled with fundamental purity and almost intangible whispers of time.
• Architecture base Dravidian, Mauryan, Mongolian, Arabic, Portuguese, French to European, the exploratory narrative is set by division and the same exploration unites everything under one roof.
• The most fragmented geography and climate considering the Snow, Water, Sand, Forest capturing the essence of tranquility and nature.
• Rich Textiles (Ikkat, Ajrakh, Khadi etc) and Handcrafted traditions evolving with different sensibilities like embroideries, carvings, stitching patterns forecast a fresh frame of newer ideas and thoughts. Manifesting these choices in a modern light gives a deeper context to design and technology.
Q7. If we think about OU or 5 Pillars through the lens of Indian culture, what kind of different interpretations can we imagine? Could you share some of your ideas?
Opposites United through the lens of Indian culture might appeal through multiple derivations. The example that comes to my mind is Ardhanareeswara, a concept that is so dwelled in Indian origin citizen especially from a Hindu realm. The blend of masculine and feminine life forms establishes the whole of nature’s intent by showing each of their own ways of power, energy, as one single entity. Similarly the heritage crafts, beliefs, scripts diffuse a certain character and style. Integration of these thoughts through CMF can capture the authenticity. These visual details and tactile experiences can be studied and transformed to be more future driven and contemporary.
Q8.“Sustainability” is an important keyword in all kinds of fields at the moment. We are curious about your thoughts and perspective on sustainability as a CMF designer. How do you approach this keyword?
Sustainability was always a coexisting parallel in the design world. Innovations being ethical was always a key factor. Sustainability era came into limelight as soon as we all got a pause from our lives during the pandemic. Even though this was not the primary domain to focus on the shift kind of led to multiple inventions around reduce, reuse and recycled phenomena. These drivers led to conscious decision making. When I started procuring materials for CMF, I became more sensitive towards material longevity which helps me broaden the knowledge spectrum in terms of sourcing, understanding the manufacturing processes, wastage reduction, consumer usage and awareness. The multiple layers fascinate me around this idea where I even want to implement a sustainable message through these material choices like using textiles in its raw state for easy recycle beyond personal use, or innovations around surfaces that show raw aesthetics of wastage, undyed, unbleached, bio paints, and innovations around natural pigments.
Q9. Do you think we can find an idea of sustainability in Indian culture? If so, could you share it with us?
Indian culture always revolved around sustainable innovations. All the old ideas need restoration and inclination towards our earlier practices. The new optimists are rebelling against the negativity and catastrophism to have a vivacious appetite of joy. People are unconsciously looking forward for holistic wellbeing and adaptive design. This gives a sense of achievement to them that they were able to contribute for protecting the environment or reduce wastage. The multipurpose mindset was already existing as it offers practicality, efficiency and they look forward to be offered quality driven and longevity in products. There can be a lot to extract from natural pigments, Ayurveda, plant extracts (coconut, coffee, cocoa, sugarcane), repurposed textiles etc to come up with innovations revolving around circular design for India.
Q10. How do you get your inspiration? Do you have your know-how in expanding and applying your inspirations to design projects?
Inspiration defines the statement of our future. It comes through various intuitive experiences. Embracing nature and surrounding our senses around various disciplines both natural and manmade. Food design gives colors that are exciting yet inviting enough to make them look edible, fashion sets direction and the skewed inclination that we may attain to stand out at present before becoming a conscious choice in future, architects set aspirational value, the facades provide people’s look out and choice of material combinations while the interiors give away our tangible behaviors with respect to spaces and interaction. Even though the design process remains constant one always finds the source of inspiration in any domain to kick-off. It acts as a driving tool to bring in the character in your project.
Q11. We are curious about your own perspective and attitude about “design”.
Design has always been powerful trigger for innovation. It defines potential of the future with confidence by building an authentic expression. I feel it is something in the eyes of who’s watching. Holistic collaboration and articulation of ideas have helped me evolve to have an open mind and versatile approach. Exploring my instincts and experiences to identify gaps in the environment has elated my curiosity. I think solution is about finding the right balance between “beauty and purpose” so that the end outcome seamlessly blends in the end users life. Design process for me is to go beyond users expectations to create something unimaginable, ethical, immersive yet simple. Its an evolving dressing process where all the key factors like strategy, research, ideation, implementation, refinement help in creating a fine experience.
Q12. Have you ever imagined what you would be doing after ten years? We would like to know your thoughts about this.
I see myself evolving as a versatile designer who thinks beyond experiences and having a dialogue. I have always been fascinated by the magic of colors, their sensation, new materials, textures, culture, patterns. I would like to take up CMF design as my niche and keep exploring the various domains of Industrial design to create meaningful design. I also see myself having a foot in the field of education by mentoring the young minds and learn smart tools. I want to travel, explore cultures, exhibits to be smart trend curator and understand the mystical effect of colors and materials on our lives.