Reimagining the Vernacular - TOI 1

Vernacular can be stated as ‘for the people, by the people.’ In this studio, the context of vernacular is textile crafts and local cultural practices across Gujarat. This studio unit intends to involve the students with various textile-based craft practices, designers and organisations across India and Europe to expand their understanding of the subject. Through the process of craft-design collaboration, the larger purpose is to create interactive educational games and graphic novels based on the narratives of these practices through in-depth research and field visits. These interactive materials will be generated through the amalgamation of interdisciplinary fields like game design, graphic design, storytelling, and textile and narrative crafts. This unit is part of a four-year-long project - Threads of Innovation (TOI), an international academic collaboration between the Faculty of Design, CEPT University and the Department of Architecture and Technology NTNU, Norway spearheaded by project coordinator Jay Thakkar. The unit will draw references from the research conducted over the years by the tutor and his research team at Design Innovation and Craft Resource Centre (DICRC). As part of this project, around 5 students will be selected to go to Norway during the SWS program.