PROFILE OF THE WEEK
For industrial designer Subinay Malhotra, ‘design is logic supported by science and aesthetic’. A recent graduate from Arts Centre College of Design, Pasadena, California, Subinay graduated with a Master’s in Science degree in Industrial Design. Back in 2010 while studying engineering in mechanical studies he under- stood that learning design is as important as working on procedures and details. ‘Locating problems, making observations and gaining insights from problems related to various issues in society, brought me to understand that developing smart solutions was the goal. From a toothbrush— smartphone to a car, we need a human centered approach in understanding the essence of people’s needs and then executing a solution for making their lives simpler. This has always been my aim. Design is what we are, how we look at things and how we use them. Everything comes down to your own needs, desires and aspirations. Understanding people is the key. There can be a million new solutions, but the one that is implemented in a holistic manner wins.
Having recently worked with the cross-disciplinary smartphone design team of Samsung Electronics, Subinay was involved in all phases of design and development and was part of the complete research and design cycle of Samsung Galaxy smartphone design. He contributed as an avid Rhinoceros CAD modeler and KeyShot rendering professional. Together with the trends team at Samsung they worked to find insights and opportunities through various generative tools designed and developed to bring out qualitative and quantitative research and combined them to find colors for the future electronic products. ‘Learning from various cultures and immersing one’s self in different spaces helps you to explore and open up your mind to design. Design can’t be done alone—it needs a team. It needs different perspectives, approaches and discussions followed by great execution and business strategies. As human observation is advancing with technology, people look for solutions to their problems for the betterment of their lives—to fulfill their desires and needs. And following that goal enhances my design thinking process and sensibility to explore and find things that can be changed for the good, keeping sustainability and our environment into consideration.’
One of the most ambitious and functional products that Subinay conceptualized has been a three-dimensional joinery system - Surface - which was developed to create modular units adapting to a range of products from furniture to architectural supports. ‘Altering, designing and finishing metal forms into generative meshes, uniquely inspired by nature, incorporating material reduction and supporting sustainability. Surface’s finishings transform the product and make it more adapt- able and create a comprehensive system. Characterizing the biomorphic forms & understanding the surface overlay and material behaviors—light, shadows, adapts and creates a system.’
An integral part of Subinay’s design process is to use environment friendly tools. ‘Creating design strategies that could help us reduce the use of unwanted natural materials can really help save our environment.’
Text Samiksha Sharma
