Kokum is a design trust based in Goa. It is founded on the premise of placing design within the larger context of real-world issues and to present critical tools that evolve as a methodology and means for social impact.
Social problems are often design problems, yet design is rarely called in to be part of problem-solving efforts.
With its potential unseen, design continues to be used for surface skills alone and has not had an impact on public life that it should have had. Much effort is still wasted on ill-defined problems and ineffective application of broad-spectrum solutions.
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Despite this, social design, or efforts of socio-environmental improvement have been informally active across a wide demographic in India. It is time to engage with and celebrate these efforts by bringing it into the mainstream narrative through a festival.
‘a Social Design Festival’ seeks to seed, incubate and showcase socio-environment design successes; it will reach out to government agencies, the design fraternity and active citizens/groups who will network to take this further.
Kokum seeks to connect government, designers and active citizens, while highlighting inspiring stories for a better India.
Because the GOVERNMENT is the biggest implementer of design in the public domain.
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Because DESIGN needs to be trans-disciplinary; real-world problems are too complex for singular design disciplines to address.
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Because ACTIVE CITIZENS understand their immediate challenges and have the passion to drive change.
Kokum Team
DEAN D'CRUZ
Architect, Planner, Active Citizen
One of the influential architects leading Green Movement of Architecture in India, Dean has more than 400 projects to his name. Currently heading the architectural section of the design practice Mozaic, his ventures reflect his concern for the environment. He has been the Design Chair with the Goa College of Architecture, Director of the Goa Foundation environmental group and member of the State Level Committee for preparing the Regional Plan for Goa 2021.
AVIK SARKAR
Industrial Designer, Education Reformist
Reforming design learning through his practice Thinkering in Goa, Avik is an Industrial Designer from NID, Ahmedabad. He founded Ethos, a furniture design and manufacturing business in 1997, gaining expertise and insight in the field of education and design. He worked as consultant to Delhi Public School, Educomp, New Delhi Municipal Corporation and ILFS.
RAHUL BASU
IIM Alumni, Consultant, Active Citizen
Having completed his studies in economics and management at IIM Ahmedabad, he worked for ICICI Bank and as CFO for FirstSource Solutions before founding Ajadé, a consulting firm for startups and small companies. Rahul is involved with various public interest efforts such as the Goa Foundation, the Goenchi Mati Movement, the India Network for Basic Income, and The Future We Need.
REBONI SAHA
Industrial Designer, Active Citizen
After training in Germany, she co-founded Mozaic Design in 2001. She has designed products for companies such as IFB Industries, Crompton, Taj Hotels, including the drivers' cab and interiors of coaches for Indian Railways. Her involvement with socio-environmental issues started with active involvement in planning for Goa at the time of the Goa Bachao Abhiyan movement in 2006, helping inform citizens and Panchayats about participative planning in the build-up to the Regional Plan 2021. In terms of social design interventions, successful projects include a moving school for migrant children, eco-friendly dinnerware and a crowd-sourcing app for tracking real-time land-related development in Goa.
RUTURAJ PARIKH
Architect, Writer, Editor
His experience covers Directorship of the Charles Correa Foundation, an editorial position at IA&B Magazine and teaching experience at CEPT Ahmedabad. Ruturaj co-founded Matter, an architecture and curatorial practice based in Goa. Through his practice, he has initiated and curated FRAME 2019, a biennial architecture conference and The Merit List, to recognize architecture projects of critical relevance. Further to this, his wide-ranging interests have had him curate [IN]SIDE Journal on Architecture in India and ‘Works & Continuities’: a monograph of Brinda Somaya’s practice amongst other content initiatives
TUSHITA VARMA
Design Researcher and Programme Coordinator
She is an architect, designer and researcher. Working with Kokum since 2017, she has developed and executed Goa Urban Lab, ActforGoa, Citizen's Map Portal, a Social Design Festival and a Social Design Library.