I’m Akshara, a 12th grade student studying at Pramiti school in Bangalore, aiming to become a designer.

As a child, I had a lot of ideas but in communicating and displaying them, I struggled to realise their full potential. But as I grew older and worked on more projects, I realised that what was missing was the experience; it’s what people remember. With this realisation, tiny details became more noticeable; the crack in a book’s spine, the path the eyes follow when seeing a web page, the curve of a chair’s armrest. Noticing how these small things influence a person helped me understand the art of experience. This was when I started dissecting experience through other lenses, like science, art and business. That’s how I learnt to see design as a way to bridge this gap in what I imagine and what I can create. It gives me a more holistic view of this world, which helps me put my ideas in the way I intend them to be understood, providing a shape for it to grow into so people can step in, experience and understand. 

Now, I want to learn this art of experience further. The more I observe people’s nuanced interactions with the world, the more I realised there is to learn.

My creative process initially begins with researching my brief, and understanding its importance. For instance, one of my projects required a turnaround in the brief because it was actually hindering the goal. My research process was initially quite narrow; it would involve just a few iterations and then I’d draft my design principles. However, over the course of working on these projects, I explored different methods of research and conducted as many iterations required to thoroughly understand the problems before carrying on. Once the research phase concluded, I analysed the data I collected and wrote my insights and design principles. From there, I would go through multiple loops of ideation, each one an improvement from the last. 

I’m always looking for opportunities to learn, grow and create. I want to look at everything with curiosity, learn by making mistakes and explore different ways of thinking without being tethered to any one path. This curiosity, combined with my ability to see things from different perspectives and notice the smallest details, makes me a thoughtful designer.