Catering to individuality, pride

An interview with Rajeshwari Ayyar, Head - Design & Product Development, CARBON

HOW has the scope of jewellery designing as a profession changed over the years?

Earlier, designing was considered more of a vocation, a hobby but today it has gained immense value and is looked upon as a desirable profession. This is because design education is being given more importance now than ever before. Jewellery per se is getting a lot of importance because of the way the domestic market is expanding. Also there has been a shift in the consumer's perceptions. It is no longer just an investment; people are looking at it as a lifestyle accessory. They want something contemporary and in tune with the present environment. Like working women want to wear jewellery which complements their environment and is contemporary in design.

The jewellery market is vast, in terms of costume jewellery, silver jewellery, and traditional and branded jewellery. Other than the traditional jewelers, there are not enough players in other segments. So the shift in the consumer mindset is going to lead to a massive growth in the various other segments resulting in good potential for jewellery designers.

Can you tell us the specific markets wherein professionals can position themselves?

The potential is contained in various markets, like there is the export market as in Indians settled abroad who prefer traditional jewellery and foreign markets which are purely design oriented. There is demand for competent designers because every brand wants to have its own individual identity, which will be created in terms of the brand, product and design. You also have global opportunities with the advent of the Internet where you can work from here for international clients.

What are the chances for freelancers in this field?

There is much scope for freelance work, but I personally feel that to be a successful freelancer you should have worked in the industry at least for a few years. Experienced freelancers are always preferred because you need to understand your client, analyse the design brief given by them and understand the psyche of the consumer and all this can be gained only by working in the industry. Ultimately a designer has to be commercially successful, his artistic vision has to be commercially viable.

Brands like CARBON, would like to hire designers with USP in terms of understanding and catering to a specific market segment.

Can you tell us about the product development process that you follow in CARBON?

I have been with CARBON right since its inception. Primarily, we understand our consumers' psychographics and demographics from our extensive database and profile our buyers. We draw up a brief for every collection determining the target age group and the mindset so it becomes more consumer focused. We also have a product development strategy wherein we first work on the conceptual sketches, then go on to prototyping in the area of manufacturing techniques. We also present the product to our PR and marketing teams so that we get to know the feasibility of the product in the market.

The next step is to finalise the price of the product, so we decide on the `look value' of the product. The price has to relate to the `look value' of the product, and then we decide on the product merchandising visuals. Finally the literature that has to accompany the product and the kind of information to be communicated to the customers is also decided upon.

Our underlying principle is to take the `Concept to our Consumer'.

Does CARBON as an industry representative involve itself with the academic areas of this field?

We do undertake diploma and class room projects with NIFT's Accessory Designing program. We also offer an industry-sponsored project for interested students and employ them if their talent and competency match our expectations.

Can you throw some light on the process that goes on before the design is actually put down on paper?

Personally for me it all begins with an idea or a thought. A lot of research goes into the development of the idea and finally the designs start evolving and are drawn out. For the Sun Sign collection, I researched for two months refining the concept, going on to identify the designs for each zodiac sign to make it unique and to give the wearer a sense of individuality and even pride. So you see the demographic and the psychographic profile of the target is recognised even before the product starts taking shape.

Where do you draw your inspiration from for your designs?

My inspiration comes from geometric forms, ancient and modern architecture, ancient scriptures like Brahmi, Kharoshti, Devanagiri and hieroglyphs and calligraphy. Certain subject areas from ancient civilizations also fascinate me.

Can you enumerate the attributes that are necessary to carve out a niche for yourself in this profession?

You should be open to learning at each and every stage of your professional life. Wide-ranging exposure to different areas, as in working for a traditional jeweller, a design house, branded jewellery, jewellery export outfit, and even teaching will help you to establish yourself. Exposure to international scene will help one to gain a global perspective. My stint with a jewellery designing school in Germany, where I was an invitee student, helped me immensely.

A person has to make sure that he is up to date with the dynamics of the industry and should network with various professionals, and regulatory councils.

MALINI SURYANARAYANAN

malusn@hotmail.com