Shiksha Forum

I think, you should start by honing your observational skills. Start looking around and noticing things in great detail, whether it is how things look, or how they function. Get into details of material, color, construction (or manufacture) of things around you. A lot of the questions in the NID entrance are nothing but a test of your aptitude to de-code and deconstruct the world around you. Also, because Design is a visual field, it is important to be able to present your thoughts, ideas, analysis in a visual form, so a good grip of being able to communicate through drawing (not necessarily 'sketching' ) is also a useful skill to have for the NID exam.

To become a Fashion Designer, it is important you choose a good course in Fashion Designing as your starting point. Many institutes in India offer Fashion Design programmes like NIFT, IIAD, Pearl Academy etc. Starting salaries can vary depending upon which industry sector you choose to work in. You could go into the corporate sector by joining industries like Madurai Garments (Aditya Birla Group), Levis, Zara etc. Or you could choose to work for a renowned Design Studio of any Designer like Tarun Tahiliani, Rajesh Pratap Singh, Ritu Kumar etc. The corporate sector starts with a better package but then the experienced gained by working under a known Designer is also a compensation that cannot be measured in terms of salary alone. You can talk to some fresh graduates to get a better picture. Eventually it depends on you as to what you make of your career. You could even be an entrepreneur and start your own venture, where the money is no consideration at all.

That is a very interesting query, because most people tend to concentrate on Fashion Design. What people forget that India has glorious tradition of a textiles which is far, far older than fashion. India has always been a world leader in textiles from almost the time of Harappan Civilisation. Even today, India is very well placed in export markets because of its textile manufacturing and design capacities. Government policies are also very conscious of the importance of Textiles to our exports, GDP as well livelihoods and we have a full-fledged Ministry of Textiles (Minister Smriti Irani) and a textile handicrafts commission as well. So, all this might have helped you understand the importance of textiles in the Indian scenario. If you pursue a course in textile design from a reputed institute (like NID), the career prospects are immense and very satisfying. You can work in the export sector (e. g : Shyam Ahuja, Arvind Mills etc. ). Or the handloom sector, of which India is a treasure trove (e. g Woman Weave Handloom, Maheshwar and Varanasi Silk Weaving Atelier, Varanasi etc.). Depending on your preferences. You can also choose to be a studio based Textile designer or artist if you are more interested in experimental work (e. g. : Ganga Maki Studio, Ashdeen Lilaowala, Nancy Parker, London etc.).

Yes, IIAD (Indian Institute of Art and Design) offers multiple scholarships to deserving students. These scholarships are primarily merit based and at the entry level (First Year) are offered to student's basis their class XII-th performance. That said, IIAD is one of the very few institutes which offers a continuing scholarship in the subsequent years as well, called the Sir Edward Newton Scholarships, to meritorious students basis their overall performance (academic and all round) in their preceding year of study. For more details and individual consoling and guidance please log on to https://www.iiad.edu.in and get in touch with our counsellors.

In India, with an increasingly young population who has a global exposure and aspirations, the demand for accessories is only going to increase. However, be aware that this is a highly specialized course which is very closely associated with the fashion industry. Internationally too, accessories will be always in demand, although their markets are very specialized with in depth courses for footwear and leather goods as separate programmes. Many institutes in India offer Accessory Design courses which also incorporate Lifestyle Accessories, but I personally feel that it is better to take a focused course if you are interested in accessory design specifically and not dilute it with doing interior products and lifestyle accessories. This might need some research and you will have to look at a course that takes care of this.

At IIAD, we are looking for students who have a creative and visual aptitude and are passionate about solving problems and innovation solutions for our increasingly complex world, using Design Skills and Design Thinking. A portfolio is not the mandatory or only criteria for admission. However, if you do have a portfolio or have started making one, the following are some points that you should keep in mind:
1. A portfolio is a sum total of your creative output over the years and should reflect that. What it means is that your portfolio is not just about what you have created in the last six months or three months but goes back as far as you can remember. It may be a drawing you made in Class IV or a model or project you made in Class IX or a card you made for your parents/family/anyone anytime.
2. Secondly, a portfolio is not only about drawing and sketching, but any interesting work that you may want to share with us. It could be a photograph you have taken, a dance that you may have performed or choreographed, a story or an essay that you may have written etc. Or anything else for that matter that reflects you as a person.
3. A portfolio can be in the form of a bounded book or folio, a Digital film, a PowerPoint presentation or a photo album or anything that truly reflects who you are.
4. We look at a portfolio to understand you as a person and not to rate your drawing and sketching skills. I hope these help, and if you can get in touch with us @IIAD, we have individual counselling as well as Webinars that we regularly host that will help you understand the concept of a 'portfolio' even better. Do connect with us at the Indian Institute of Art And Design at https://www.iiad.edu.in.