In the tech centric world that we live in, design is more of a necessity rather than a luxury, as it has the ability to penetrate into the deeper levels of society, create positive transformation, and provide future-proof solutions.
Shyam Kumar, our next pathbreaker, works as Multidisciplinary Designer at Desionics, a manufacturing-focused start-up based out of Kochi.
Shyam talks to Shyam Krishnamurthy from The Interview Portal about his most memorable project that involved the development of a low-cost fracture recovery 3D printed kit for dogs and cats.
For students, in this era of rapid progress, there needs to be constant research and development to make sure that the future is green and healthy for our upcoming generations.
Shyam, Your background?
Hello, I am Shyam Kumar, and I am an industrial product designer. I was born and brought up in Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu. My mother is a nursing tutor, and my father is an accounts assistant at a private firm. My family moved to Chennai when I was 16, and that is where I finished my secondary schooling. Growing up, I had a very keen interest in learning about how things work and was highly fascinated by the mechanical aspect of things. My father is an avid automobile enthusiast, and my mom likes to draw. I started to share those interests myself and took them as my hobby. I loved to read books a lot and was usually spending a lot of time in my village library. Seeing the day-to-day activities of the people of my village and spending time on the paddy fields shaped me to be a keen observer. The shift to an urban city was a huge culture shock for me. But that also opened up my view of the world and made me search for newpossibilities.
What did you do for graduation/post graduation?
I completed my bachelors in industrial design from the MIT Institute of Design, Pune. I chose this specific college as it had a syllabus that provided a perfect blend of technical knowledge and artistic development.
Can you talk about some of the influences that led you to such an offbeat, unconventional, and unique career?
I was planning to enter mechanical engineering after my higher secondary education. But my 12th board exam score was too low for me to get the exact college I wanted. Luckily, my neighbor at the time mentioned a new field called design and empowered me to pursue it after seeing my creative skills and artistic abilities. But as this course was offered in only a few selected colleges across India, I had to convince my parents to enroll me in this course, which was very alien to them. My sister was monumental in helping me choose the course and in convincing my parents to let me join a college that was outside my home state.
Tell us about your career path
My main requirement from myself before I was about to start a career was that I should not feel bored about what I do. I did not want to be in a career which is single phased or sedentary. And I was looking for an enthusiastic team of people who shared the same thought process and were willing to go further in their career and grow brighter.
During the second year of my college, I wanted to explore where the tag of a designer would take me. I started to find out multiple opportunities for internship. The first one I chose was an industrial sized Iron forging factory that wanted to automate and update their archaic working systems. As a designer, I was able to reference world class manufacturing hubs and give aesthetic and ergonomic inputs. In exchange, I was able to learn about the workings of a manufacturer and also how system design works.
After this internship, I did multiple internships varying from being a footwear designer for a localized manufacturer, working in a sustainable society (Auroville) to creating organic dyed handmade fabric accessories for export, and working with an international leather goods giant (Stanley) for the creation of an Automotive fine leather lineup. Besides this, I freelanced for a while and worked on the domains of electronics and furniture.
I got my first job when I was contacting the founder of the company to help me in solving an issue I was then facing with my grad project. This rapport helped me understand further into the work culture of the company and eventually helped me land a job in the startup.
Every step I chose in my career was with a short term goal in mind. I decided on what I wanted to work towards, and then what I would be learning in the duration of my tenure. This made the process of choosing careers easy and clear. Also I had an open mind to entertain any wild card job offers which are not deemed to be a conventional career path.
How did you get your first break?
I got my first break after I patented my Grad project. I worked with my classmate to design and develop a fracture recovery bone plate for small animals. This plate can be 3D printed and surgically placed on the broken bone and it dissolves inside the body and also cures the bone in the process. This project gave me good recognition and helped me reach and connect with great people. This is the project through which I landed my first job.
I got my first big break when my current company came across a project for the Kerala government. It was to design multiple bridges across Alleppey, and I was assigned the project. There was a lot of collaboration between different fields, and finally I got to present it in front of the IAS officer. And I was delighted to hear that the concept was selected and is being pushed forward towards execution.
What were some of the challenges you faced? How did you address them?
My challenges were on multiple levels. As I am working in a different state, communication and conveying my ideas are huge hindrances. As my job requires me to be involved with people from different backgrounds, I had to learn new topics on a daily basis, ranging from engineering, construction, and city planning all the way to fishing and farming. As I was the youngest person in the entire office, I had to gain the trust of others by building up confidence, overcoming my social anxiety, and developing my communication skills.
Where do you work now? What problems do you solve?
I work at Desionics Kochi. My role is that of a Multidisciplinary designer.
Desionics Project Designs (P) Ltd is a construction giant working across multiple domains such as infrastructure projects, large scale commercial constructions, interior design for public spaces and has multiple sister companies that work on different sectors such as furniture design, Industrial design consultancy, system design for Indian government and restoration of heritage monuments.
I specifically worked with the Ifurno wing which specializes in Industrial design consultancy and product manufacturing. But my projects are not limited to Ifurno.
I work on multiple projects ranging from interiors, electronics, city planning, furniture, government schemes, and much more. As a designer, my role is to solve problems and develop products and solutions for each case. I also look at how the market responds to our products.
What skills are required for your role? How did you acquire the skills?
The main skill needed for the job is creativity. The ability to quickly learn and unlearn is also crucial. But on top of all that, a bright passion for design is all you need. A little bit of drawing and painting skills goes a long way.
What’s a typical day like?
My typical day starts with a group ideating session where my team sits together and sketches out different ideas for the product we are designing. This involves a lot of thoughts and friendly quarrels. Later, we visualize the idea in a 3D digital form, followed by prototyping with multiple materials and 3D printers. Later, the finalized product is sent to the engineering team for further discussion in terms of manufacturing.
The most favorite part of my job is the level of creative freedom I get in exploring my ideas and vision. As a designer, I am encouraged not to be bound by conventional ideals of a work culture, and we are free to express ourselves in the job and in our lives.
How does your work benefit society?
Design as a skill set has the ability to penetrate into the deeper levels of society, create positive transformations, and provide future-proof solutions. As a designer, I am happy to be a contributor to the growing nation of India and also create products to solve crucial problems in the fields of medicine, aerospace, sustainability, and much more.
Tell us an example of a specific memorable work you did that is very close to you!
The work that is closest to my heart is the development of a low-cost fracture recovery kit for dogs and cats. The developed products were ten times cheaper than the existing market products and were a huge success in terms of efficiency. As a pet lover, this product brings me joy and also gives me hope as a designer that I can have a positive impact on the world.
Your advice to students based on your experience?
Whatever direction you choose to proceed in your career, if you have passion for it, there is always going to be a bright side. There are a lot of ways to have fun and a lot of things to explore. Be curious.
Future Plans?
I am interested in moving towards sustainability and low-cost 3D-printed homes in the future. In this era of rapid development, there needs to be constant research and development to make sure that the future is green and healthy for our upcoming generations.