AI takes the design world by storm
Realty Plus, an architecture and design company founded by publisher extraordinaire Anurag Batra, recently hosted the AADF (Architecture and Design Festival) to great acclaim. I was honoured to be a keynote speaker, presenting on "Collaterals of Design: New Approach to the Business of Design," and to serve on the jury.
Initially, I felt trepidatious about discussing AI and digitisation, however, the aspect of addressing social media's role in expanding one's reach is more familiar. The design world is increasingly AI-enabled, with AI and digitalisation expected to revolutionise adjacent and other fields as well. I am eager to learn more about this rapidly evolving landscape. The reach afforded by social media today was unimaginable just decades ago. The talk was a great success, with an engaged audience participating in an invigorating interaction.
A high point of my day, was also, my meeting James Law, an iconic Hong Kong architect with an exceptional sense of design (and humour). His futuristic presentation on architecture significantly showcased the future of design -- anti-gravitational sky structures, which was exhilarating to all present. I would be enchanted to see more of his work, especially considering his renowned philosophy of Cybertecture.
Belated birthday celebration
Life often surprises one with delightful moments. My birthday is on May 2, but a friend, who had been travelling at that time, gave me a belated birthday celebration on July 22. Sangeeta, a partner at the new blue-themed restaurant La Mar, hosted the event. Despite a red alert for torrential rain, I found our close friends thronged to the venue for the cake-cutting and Thai feast that continued well into a tea party.
A life of skills
Speaking of parties, I have observed at these recent social gatherings, conversations seem obsessively revolving around brands! Handbags especially take the highlight with Mini Kelly, Prada Galleria, Birkin, and Lady Dior being bandied around in conversational orbits. It seems that courtesy, manners, etiquette, with an emphasis on basic communication skills and conversation and punctuality and other etiquette hallmarks like even personal hygiene, seem more in existence by their absence. They have given way to crass material obsessions.
Serendipitously, I was invited on two occasions this week by The Shastrika Foundation and The Rajasthani Mahila Mandal to speak on these life skills and Social Etiquette. The enthusiasm of the audience and their eagerness to hear what I was saying was indeed a delight. There's a growing sentiment among educators that, given the easy access to information in the digital age, schools should focus more on instilling values in children, such as courtesy, politeness, and proper conversation skills.
In fact, through my visits to Switzerland, I have observed an interesting educational approach: their young children are first taught the ABCs of right behaviour — towards parents, society, and peers — before they learn the alphabet. This emphasis on foundational life skills is something we might consider adopting more widely.
