“Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.”

—Steve Jobs

I have often asked designers to define what good design means to them. It’s a simple question with a straightforward answer, don’t you think? We often approach a product, a structure, an object because of its visual appeal. Aesthetics might lure you to the object of interest, but it’s the experience that remains. Ultimately it is about how something feels and makes us feel. Recently, to my question, someone said, if the product makes you think, it’s not good design. True!

Concerned about the state of the world and his contribution to it as a designer, Dieter Rams, a German Industrial Designer expressed what he considered to be the 10 most important principles of good design. This was way back in the 80s’. But the principles he set down hold true even in this day and age. Good design is as little as possible was his 10th commandment. And here’s where I introduce you to our cover stars — Malavika Singh, Co-Founder, Gomaads and Aarti Aggarwal, Founder, Knock on Wood. Aarti’s finds poetry in wood, for Malavika, concrete is her muse. Their choice of material might be diverse, what binds them is their approach to design. Simple, unobtrusive, conscious and something that brings you joy.

This Issue, we bring to you some of the most gorgeously designed spaces — homes, offices, studios, museums — spaces that tempt you, intrigue you, make you swoon with their breathtaking beauty. Yet spaces that are thoughtfully designed to give you an experience that lasts with you forever. Noorein Kapoor’s artful exploration with materials and colours, Aamir and Hameeda’s dramatic and sculptural approach to design, and Sophie Dries’ subtle nuances, the Issue is a celebration of spaces that are designed to welcome you.

Read, absorb, get inspired, and tell us what you think.

Happy Reading!

(Seema Sreedharan) Editor