National Institute Of Design NID

National Institute Of Design NID is a leading institution for design education and research in India. Established in 1961, National Institute Of Design NID is one of the oldest design schools in the country. The institute has a rich history of producing some of the finest designers, artists, and thought leaders in India.

National Institute Of Design NID is also known for its rigorous curriculum and its focus on developing the creative process and innovative thinking. Over the years, NID has been instrumental in providing design education to aspiring design professionals from all over India. National Institute Of Design NID is known for its industry-integrated education, close ties with the corporate world, and National Institute Of Design NID’s commitment to social impact design.

The establishment of NID was a result of several forces, both global and local. The late 1950s saw a confluence of these forces, and this time would be a significant one for Indian culture and education. This was a time of reappraisal and reconstruction in a newly independent India. A young nation was confronted with the mammoth task of nation-building, of balancing age-old traditions with modern technology and ideas. The Modern Movement, the philosophy of Machine Aesthetics, and revolutionary experimentation in the arts, architecture, and design were all taking place at the same time. There was a search for the Indian identity across all aspects of life.

In 1955 Pupul Jayaker, the noted writer on Indian craft traditions and the founder of the Indian Handlooms and Handicrafts Export Council (HHEC) met the renowned American designer Charles Eames at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. The Museum organized a unique exhibition titled The Textiles and Ornamental Arts of India. This would be the beginning of a lifelong dialogue between these two eminent individuals.

At the same time, the Government of India was considering establishing an institute of design, under the advice of Pupul Jayaker and other like-minded people. The 1950s were a decade of rapid industrialization in India and clearly, the need for such an institute grew stronger. In 1957 the Government of India requested the Ford Foundation to invite Charles and Ray Eames to visit India. Charles and Ray Eames traveled to all parts of the country, meeting and talking to writers, craftspeople, architects, scientists, industrialists, educators, and philosophers. They took hundreds of photographs of their travels.

On April 7, 1958, the Eameses presented the India Report to the Government of India. The Eames Report defined the underlying spirit that would lead to the founding of NID and the beginning of design education in India. The Report recommended a problem-solving design consciousness that linked learning with experience and suggested that the designer could be a bridge between tradition and modernity. The Report called upon future designers to re-examine the alternatives of growth available to the country at that time.