In this second episode of the Resilient Designers podcast, hosts Brooke and Leon continue exploring the ten principles of resilient design through a conversation with Itika Gupta, the co-founder and CEO of Studio Carbon. Building on the foundational concepts introduced by Dr. Rebecca Price in the first episode.
Itika’s journey embodies the transformative potential discussed in the series’ opening episode. With an unconventional path from engineering through an experimental liberal arts program in her native India, she discovered design as a field that could satisfy her innate curiosity and connect multiple disciplines.
At the heart of Itika’s philosophy is her view of design as “all the ways things are connected,” emphasising that it’s not just spiritual but practical. This perspective, combined with her experience in design systems and the realisation that “what we do here as students of design does not make us employable,” led her to co-establish Studio Carbon. The studio carved its own path by gradually building its client base while working on their own projects, presenting design work that implemented experimentation and deep diving into assignments beyond the deliverables. This innovative approach helped clients understand the value of design and led them to seek out projects that were previously unfamiliar to them.
Itika’s perspective on design as a discipline that defies single frameworks perfectly illustrates the principle of embracing pluralism. She emphasises that design approaches can be either reactive or deeply personal and intuitive, highlighting the beauty of how each designer develops their unique relationship with the field. As design encompasses numerous topics and stakeholders, everything can be cast into a space of interconnectedness.
Her work particularly demonstrates how embracing the messiness of pluralism can strengthen design practice. Itika acknowledges that while it can be overwhelming to position oneself within this bigger picture, designers must embrace ambiguity. As she notes, there is no ultimate right answer – the moment you begin to look from another person’s perspective, you realize there can be multiple solutions. Her story reflects the heart of what resilient design means today: finding strength in multiplicity of viewpoints rather than seeking to simplify the inherently complex nature of design.
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