The Crit #28: Spandana Gopal
Welcome to The Crit, a podcast from Disegno in which designers stand in judgment over their own careers.
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 twenty-eight guest on The Crit is Spandana Gopal, accompanied by show host Oli Stratford.
Episode #28: Spandana Gopal
Spandana Gopal is the founder and creative director of Tiipoi, a design studio and brand based between Bangalore and London that spotlights Indian design traditions and their relevance to contemporary design, production and social impact.
Trained at Central Saint Martins and Sotheby's Institute of Art, Gopal founded Tiipoi in 2013 as a brand devoted to the creation of functional, everyday objects and homeware in India. Across cookware, decorative objects and textiles, Gopal’s work is dedicated to reject the exoticised tropes and false narratives that have surrounded Indian design in the global north, and instead provide a more nuanced, realistic interpretation of the country’s complex relationship with design, utility and craft.
During her crit, Gopal explored the need for design brands to prioritise ethical, community-focused production, and reject the allure of growth for growth’s sake. She also explored the challenges of translating global sales of local craft into a thriving domestic market, as well as the importance of product development that remains true to a brand’s founding direction.
Show Notes: Spandana Gopal
Best design: General Items
Worst design: “Silly candles”
Most successful design: Tiipoi, thriving as a business and abiding by its principles
Most impactful feedback: Mentorship by Simon Alderson, cofounder of twentytwentyone
Dream design: Rice cooking equipment for Alessi
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.