The Crit #17: Nipa Doshi
How do designers look back on their own work? Which projects have stood the test of time, and which do they now have reservations about? The Crit, a podcast from Disegno, is here to reveal the truth!
Each fortnight, Disegno’s editor-in-chief Oli Stratford invites a leading designer to Kef Music Gallery to review their own work. Our guest reveals what worked best; what failed; what pushed their career to new heights; what feedback most shaped their practice; and what they feel needs to be redesigned.
At the end of each episode, to complete their crit, they’ll be asked to give themselves a grade for their career to date: fail, pass, commendation or distinction.
It’s a design-school crit, delivered every fortnight! Subscribe to the show here, or sign up wherever you get your podcasts from.
Our seventeenth guest on The Crit is Nipa Doshi of Doshi Levien, accompanied by show host Oli Stratford.
Episode #17: Nipa Doshi
Nipa Doshi is one half of Doshi Levien, a studio whose work across furniture, lighting and textiles has graced the collections of leading brands including Moroso, Hay and B&B Italia, as well as institutions including Galerie Kreo, Sèvres and Grand Hornu.
Initially trained at the National Institute of Design in Ahmedabad, India, Doshi later travelled to Europe where she completed an MA at London’s Royal College of Art in 1995. It was here where she met her future husband and partner Jonathan Levien, with the two establishing their studio that works across different design disciplines, and which saw the pair awarded MBEs for services to design in 2023.
Doshi Levien’s work has become known for its meticulous layering of different visuals, colours, craft techniques and narratives, as well as their capacity to translate cultural research into industrial objects. In this episode, Doshi visits the studio to talk about the importance of sketching, the challenges of moving between continents, the need for plural approaches and aesthetics in design, and the case for greater sensitivity in the design of healthcare.
Show Notes: Nipa Doshi
Best design: Charpoy for Moroso
Worst design: None (the importance of selectivity)
Most successful design: Colour system for Kettal and Quilton sofas for Hay
Most impactful feedback: “There's always a way to make a good idea.” —Jonathan Levien
Dream design: A hospital and mammogram machine
This episode of The Crit was recorded at KEF Music Gallery London.
The Crit’s graphics were created by Leonhard Rothmoser.
The Crit’s music was created by Yuri Suzuki and Team Suzuki.