Design as a Lifestyle: My Path to Innovation

A few years ago, I began my first job in Ahmedabad. After about a year and a half, my boss started praising me and comparing my work to that of my colleagues. They noticed how I consistently came up with great ideas and experimented with design. My coworkers, feeling disheartened by the constant comparisons, asked me how I managed to be so innovative.

I realized that for them, the design was just a job — they worked from 11 to 7 before going home to pursue their personal interests. For me, however, the design was a lifestyle. Every day at 7, I would check Instagram for new designs and follow designers on social media platforms like Facebook or Pinterest. My entire life revolved around design; while others worked eight hours per day on it, I dedicated at least sixteen.

This mindset allowed me to excel in the field since it wasn’t merely a job but rather an integral part of who I am as a person. This idea resurfaced when I recently read that designers should not only use software but also watch movies and read books related to design and architecture — all these activities contribute to developing one’s taste in art.