A seminar on ‘Good Design’ is scheduled at the PSG Institute of Medical Sciences and Research on Friday.

Organised by the India Design Council, this event, according to Rajshree Pathy, Founder, India Design Forum, will communicate the role of design in creating innovation and building sustainable competitive advantage for businesses.

“The Council has the conviction that design, innovation and growth are linked towards making ‘Designed in India, Made for the World’, she added.

Highlighting the importance and relevance of design in every aspect of life, Pathy said "design will create value, reduce waste and enhance functionality. The next wave of growth is expected to come from the creative industry."

Hrridaysh Deshpande, Consultant Advisor, India Design Council, said design awareness is catching up in India.

"Around 240 products bear the I-Mark certification; many more are expected to be certified during the upcoming edition. We still have a long way to go considering that Japan leads in G-Mark certified products numbering over 33,000.”

“India has a creative legacy spread over several centuries but many traditional skills are fast diminishing. Discussions on how design interventions can transform traditional craft into contemporary functional products, application of technology, innovation and design practices for faster social and economic change are the key focus areas for the forum.”

By partnering with the Confederation of Indian Industry, Ministry of Industry and Commerce, the forum engages with key influencers, organises workshops and expos to motivate, inspire and enable businesses to use design to create value, said Pathy.

The earlier editions of IDF conferences and Design Weeks have been held mostly in New Delhi and Mumbai. This is the first time that the forum has proposed to convene the seminar and exhibition in Coimbatore.

“Coimbatore, besides being identified as a textile hub, is home to several creative products. This seminar and the sensitisation workshops and exhibitions planned on February 18 and 19 at the PSG Institute of Management could be an eye-opener for engineering students, the industry, product developers and many others,” Pathy said.