DESIGN SUTRA

The competition Design Sutra is a platform to encourage the NIFT students

to use traditional textiles and handicrafts in order to create products for
contemporary

customer.

Showcasing

the

winning

entries

and

sharing

knowledge with artisans and other stakeholders will provide tremendous

opportunities for growth to the sector.
1. Objectives
The competition is being held with the objective to attract the attention of
young talent for designing contemporary life-style and apparel products
which amalgamate the rich traditional crafts of India.
Craft is a medium of expression of the traditions of a country or a place.
Over the years industrialization has led to a decline in the number of
craftsmen practicing the tradition and also endangered certain craft
techniques which were not commercially feasible.
The competition aims at value addition to the existing craft techniques and
products,

evolving

afresh

visual

language

through

design

and

conceptualizing commercially viable ideas.

2. Product Categories
The competition is designed to encourage the designers in varied fields of
crafts and invite entries for developing concepts for a range of 5-6
ensembles or products and prototypes for the following categories:
1.

Handloom- Innovative Weaves and Product Development of a

Range (Apparel and home furnishings)

2.

Handicrafts- Product design concepts and prototypes of a range

using varied materials like terracotta, metal, textiles, wood etc.

3.

Poster Design- inviting all students to design posters to

highlight issues related to the crafts sector and for the promotion of
the craft in general public.
3. What to Submit?
The competition will be divided into two phases.
Phase 1:
Submit high-resolution, professionally prepared visuals of your ideas, crafts
work and designs along with the swatches of the techniques. The same
needs to be supported with a 200- 300 words concept note describing the
craft used and the USP of the design.
Phase 2:
The selected entries from the Phase 1 will be intimated and the students will
be required to develop prototypes of their designs as per the concepts
submitted in Phase 1. These entries will be judged by a panel of designers
on the day of the Design Sutra Event in March 2016.
4. ELIGIBILITY
The competition is open to all students of NIFT. Entries can be
submitted individually or jointly. Inter- departmental joint
entries are also allowed. Faculty can also submit their entries in
collaboration with students.
5. Jury Composition
6-8 experts from the craft sector, industry and the academia will judge the
entries of Phase 1 and Phase 2 for the craft skills and creative talent. The
Jury will comprise of both Academic and Professional participants
worldwide, such as chief executive officers or head designers of companies
and faculty heads or professors.

6. Awarding Criteria
There are different criteria for each category of the award. The award for
Handloom, the award for Handicraft and the award for Posters.
Preliminary Round
This phase will be judged primarily on four key aspects such as
uniqueness of the concept, craft techniques used, uniqueness of the
style, and presentation of the works.
Final Round
Design and craft oriented pieces will be selected according to form,
functional and idea execution of the works; the design oriented works
will be further considered for their degree of innovation, aesthetic
qualities, functionality and usefulness in addition to realization efficiency
and market requirements.
7. Exhibition and Fashion Show
Selected winning designs of products and posters will be physically
exhibited at the event of Design Sutra. The apparel will be showcased in
a fashion show during the event along with the collections of established
Indian designers working in the craft sectors.
8. Rewards
There will be 3 award categories in each sub category of the competition:
Design Sutra Handloom Award
Best Design Entry 1: Carrying a cash award of Rs. 25,000/- + Citation
Best Design Entry 2: Carrying a cash award of Rs. 15,000/- + Citation
Jury Special Award: Carrying a Cash award of Rs. 10,000/- + Citation

10 Consolation Awards: Carrying a Cash award of Rs. 5,000/- + Citation

Design Sutra Handicraft Award
Best Design Entry 1: Carrying a cash award of Rs. 25,000/- + Citation
Best Design Entry 2: Carrying a cash award of Rs. 15,000/- + Citation
Jury Special Award: Carrying a Cash award of Rs. 10,000/- + Citation
10 Consolation Awards: Carrying a Cash award of Rs. 5,000/- + Citation
Design Sutra Poster Award
Best Design Entry 1: Carrying a cash award of Rs. 25,000/- + Citation
Best Design Entry 2: Carrying a cash award of Rs. 15,000/- + Citation
Jury Special Award: Carrying a Cash award of Rs. 10,000/- + Citation
10 Consolation Awards: Carrying a Cash award of Rs. 5,000/- + Citation
The winners will be awarded during the event by the Chief Guest.
Furthermore, the winning entries along with the concept sheets and
swatches will appear on the NIFT Website till the next annual Design Sutra
event.
Important Dates:
Announcement of Competition: 11th January 2016
First phase Submission
Jury for first phase

: 27th January 2016

: 29th January 2016

Submission for Second Phase : 1st March 2016.