Balaram is a veteran industrial designer and educator. He was among the first batch of trainees at the National Institute of design. Later he served as a senior faculty and Chairman of Education at the NID. After retiring from NID, he served as a Dean at DJ Academy of Design, Coimbatore. He also helped in the formation of the Craft Development Institute in J&K. Currently, he is the Director of SASI Creative Colleges, Coimbatore. Apart from his contribution to design education in India, he has practiced industrial design for objects/products critical to Indian masses - like a Bicycle, Bullock Cart, Stone-top, Bamboo Duster, Tongue Cleaner etc. He has also published a book compiling his thoughts and academic papers named ‘Thinking Design’. On this episode, we talk about his surreal childhood, the history of Design in India and his love for designing critical ordinary objects that affect the masses.RELEVANT LINKS & INFOS. Balaram’s blog - balaram43.blogspot.comNID - nid.eduDJAD - djad.inJ&K Craft Development Institute - cdisgr.orgSasi Creative Inst. of Design - scid.ac.inKashayam - Crushed Mixture in AyurvedaGunnathotavalasa & Bobili - https://goo.gl/maps/NfVR58STgyqFcTUi8Visakhapatnam - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VisakhapatnamKolam - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KolamDatun (Balaram used it to make brush) - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teeth-cleaning_twigTholu bommalata - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tholu_bommalataSari - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SariTelugu - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TeluguProjector Slides - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slide_projectorBapu - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bapu_(director)Rabindranath Tagore - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rabindranath_TagoreSarat Chandra Chattopadhyay - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarat_Chandra_ChattopadhyayPremchand - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PremchandSardarji (Sikh Man) - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SikhismShantiniketan - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ShantiniketanKumar Vyas - indianexpress.com/article/india/design-fraternity-mourns-demise-of-nid-faculty-h-kumar-vyas-4585703/Dashrat Patel - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dashrath_PatelJawaharlal Nehru - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jawaharlal_NehruSarabhai family - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarabhai_familyCharles Eames - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_EamesPupul Jayakar - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pupul_JayakarThe India Report - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_India_ReportLota (vessel) - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lota_(vessel)Calico Mills - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calico_MillsLe Corbusier - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Le_CorbusierBob Gill - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Gill_(artist)Mahendra Patel - designedthisway.com (3rd episode)George Nakashima - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_NakashimaSoul of a Tree - nakashimawoodworkers.com/accessory/the-soul-of-a-tree/Henri Matisse - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henri_MatisseBruce Archer - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L._Bruce_ArcherShiva Nallaperumal - shiva-n.comKalamkari - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KalamkariNarasimha - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NarasimhaLaurie Baker - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laurie_BakerPadmanabhapuram Palace - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Padmanabhapuram_PalaceIndian Oil Corporation - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Oil_CorporationVimana - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VimanaOxygenator - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OxygenatorSree Chitra Tirunal Institute - sctimst.ac.inDhimant Panchal - www.mitid.edu.in/Dhimant-Panchal.htmlV. S. Naipaul - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V._S._NaipaulArundhati Roy - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arundhati_RoyParimal Parmar - parimalparmar.inLangar - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Langar_(Sikhism)Thinking Design (there’s another edition with NID)- www.amazon.com/Thinking-Design-S-Balaram-ebook/dp/B01L1UX5FEIrma Boom - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irma_BoomBarefoot doctor - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barefoot_doctor