Visual
Communication Design

Mr. Milindo Taid is a former faculty in Communication Design at the National Institute of Design (NID), Ahmedabad and former head of New Media, NID. He is also one of the founding faculty members of the Communication Design programme at the MIT Institute of Design, Pune. He has taught in various design, communication, and media education organisations across India and abroad, and several student projects that he has guided, have had national as well as international recognition. He is the recipient of the prestigious Erasmus Mundus European Union scholarship in conducting his doctoral research in the ethics of communication practices at the Universitat Politecnica de Valencia, Spain. He has also been variously associated with the Sarojini Naidu School of Arts & Communication, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad; School of Communication, Manipal University, Manipal; DAIICT, Gandhinagar; Annapurna International School of Film and Media, Hyderabad; and the North Eastern Hill University, Shillong. His students have gone on to establish independent design studios, consultancies, production houses, as well as take up design intervention and communication related roles in reputed companies and organisations, both national and global.

Ms. Devyani Arya hails from a background in information technology. She went on to receive a master's degree in New Media Design from the National Institute of Design (NID), Ahmedabad. With a zealous intent to stay away from run-of-the-mill work, her take on most subjects is refreshingly quirky and borderline oddball. Her work collaborations include but are not limited to, the Mumbai Film Festival, Habitat for Humanity International, Naandi Foundation, Grandmother India, the Ranthambore Festival, Nariyal Paani. With over thirteen years of experience in Branding, Graphic Design, UI/UX design - her focus lies in edgy storytelling through design. Her future projects include a children's book, a collaborative art project and research on Indian Art and tribal jewelry.Fueled by a fierce passion for the Arts, at the Whistling Woods International, she teaches various subjects related to Art, such as Art and Aesthetics, Classical Indian Art, Western and Oriental Art.

Believing in 'Explore to Create' is what Sneha's creative mind follows. An aspiring designer with core experience in Branding and Packaging, Sneha has to her credit, worked with many agencies and brand houses. Her keen interest in Typography and its cultural legacy as an area of practice, and as an agent of societal change, is what made her pursue a Master's degree in Typography and venture into teaching. She envisions a future of both teaching and learning, nurturing the next generation of creative minds.

Master's in Industrial Design From School of Planning and architecture, 2004 batch. Hailing from Mumbai, Architect Alpi Jain is a practicing researcher, designer & educator. She has a portfolio of variety of projects in Interior - Corporate offices, residences, retail, furniture design and exhibitions. She has worked on a variety of Luxury retail stores, residence design, furniture design and office projects. Flagship stores of Christian Dior, Emporio Armani, Salvatore Ferragamo, Phillips, Bharti Realty office etc are few of them. As an instructional designer she has created engaging training content used for up-skilling school dropout students & craftsmen from economically weaker section in collaboration with organisations like IGNOU & Labournet respectively. As a researcher she conducts a user centric study for national & international clients like Wolterkluwers etc. She wrote books on 'Ballia ki Virasat' & 'Benaras ki Virasat' where rural built & unbuilt heritage are listed, a project for Uttar Pradesh Government by ITRHD. She has served as an academic at many top architecture & design schools like Ansal University in New Delhi, ARCH - Jaipur, SVVV- Indore, IICD- Jaipur, Whistling Woods International - Mumbai, IIT Kanpur etc.

Anirban Dutta Gupta is a visual communication designer, documentary filmmaker, conservationist with a keen interest in ethnography. He is based out of Mumbai and works on both public and private commissions ranging from ethnographic and wildlife films, websites and graphic design, design for the digital spaces, strategic design amongst others. Clients range from Central and State Governments agencies, international and national corporates and NGO's. Also active as a visiting faculty conducting advanced courses in video, multimedia, photography and graphics at various national institutes of higher learning. Recipient of multiple awards, including the prestigious The Scientific Exploration Society Neville Shulman Film Award 2017, the 'Green Oscar' Panda Award for natural history documentary at Wildscreen 2012, the Conservation Leadership Award 2008 & 2010 and British Film Institute (BAFTA) Award (Documentary Category) in 2006 [As part of production team]. He has also been nominated for the Omega Resilience Award in 2023.

With more than a decade of experience in product, interaction & visual design, Caran has worked on creative strategies & innovation across varied industries. He is a post-graduate in Product Design from the National Institute of Design (NID), Ahmedabad. Over the years, he has worked extensively on design for consumers in the areas of bicycles, luggage & banking transaction products. Apart from serial entrepreneurship, he currently leads his design consultancy 'Two People Company' in Branding, Packaging & UI/UX Design. At Whistling Woods, he conducts the elective Interaction Design for Visual Communication students in their 3rd year.

Darshan Gandhi is Global Head - Design, Godrej Consumer Products Limited (GCPL).Darshan believes in inclusive design principles; that all good design should be accessible. She joined Godrej & Boyce's Interio division in 2006, where she was a catalyst in introducing design thinking, by creating and showcasing a diverse range of products under one platform, with a unique design philosophy. This led her to work for Godrej Industries in 2008, where she was assigned to design SPACE, a prototype office to create a young work culture that inspired the exchange of ideas, innovation and change at Godrej. This was the start of design driven thinking at GCPL.She formed the GCPLDesignLab in 2009, and was instrumental in applying design led thinking to transform brands with delightful product offerings (in a Godrej way) for a rapidly evolving Indian market. This created a great impact and value for consumers across categories, with reinvigorated brands like Expert, aer, Cinthol, Goodknight and BBLUNT. By leveraging the design tools of need based user-centric segmentation, prototyping and product mapping, Darshan led the development of a unique collaborative approach in line with GCPL's overall objectives. Today, she and her team of highly skilled designers have extended the same approach to GCPL's brands and categories across Africa and Indonesia. The recent 'designification' of Africa's leading hair extensions brand, Darling, marks a milestone in GCPLDesignLab's journey of inclusive design thinking practices as a leading in-house design studio. GCPLDesignLab was awarded 'India's Best Design Studio Award 2017' and 'India's Best Product Design Award 2019' .Darshan is a post graduate from the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad, and an alumna of the Harvard Business School's executive education General Management Programme.

Himanshu has been an Origami practitioner since 1989 and he has set 5 records for large Origami installations. His Origami sculptures have been displayed at art shows and events in India and around the world including UAE (Sharjah and Dubai), Italy, Germany, UK, Japan, Korea, Poland and The Netherlands. Besides conceptual Origami Art Installations, he has designed bespoke Origami sculptures to tell brand stories with paper art. He has passionately shared his understanding of Origami with thousands of enthusiasts over two decades, interacting with all ages, special interest groups, the convalescing and, even the terminal. Teaching Origami is a fulfilling activity for him. It has taught him to be compassionate and patient. Each session is a new opportunity to light a spark. From folding paper in isolation to folding with a global community; from folding palm-sized models in a small room to folding a 105 ft dinosaur in an airplane hangar, it's been a long, eventful and thoroughly enjoyable journey for him, with Origami.

Kartik Mistry is a software engineer passionate about Localization, Internationalization, Open Source, and Free Software Development. With the experience of over 18 years of working with various companies and places, he is currently working with Wikimedia Foundation as Staff Software Engineer. He likes to explore places by running and cycling. He also loves editing and collaborating with the Gujarati Wikipedia community in his free time.

Kruti Saraiya is a graphic designer/ typographer based in Mumbai. The focus of her practice has been to allow a contemporary Indian design narrative to emerge to fill the gap between streetside kitsch and traditional Indian crafts. As a typographer, she sees her role in infusing context into letters and bringing the written word alive. Her strengths lie in working with scripts of Indian languages to create an equal space for them alongside English in urban India. Her commercial and experimental work celebrates the Indian aesthetic in a fusion of east and west. 'The key', she says, 'is to change our mindset from an either-or to an AND.'

Neha has completed her education in bachelors from Sir. J. J. School of Art, Mumbai, and her Master's in Ceramic and Glass Design from the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad, India. She is the founder of YellowSpiders Pottery (est. 2009,) a pottery studio of eminence. The talented staff at the studio work extremely hardworking to help nurture & cultivate the inner artist in all the students and guests who come into the studio. The YellowSpiders community serves as an educational branch and support system for all artists, a unique place where their creative juices flow freely. The studio is committed to success and developing the skills of artists and young talents. It is the studio's mission to ensure that the arts remain a strong influence, and to offer classes to students of all levels - introducing newcomers to art and creativity and refining the techniques of even the most veteran artists.

Nivedita Deshmukh is a design educator, independent design consultant and a happy mother from Mumbai, India. After graduating from Sir J.J.Institute of Applied Art, she spent her early professional years navigating advertising at reputed ad agencies in India. As a student and professional, her work has won several national and international awards - the Cannes lion (silver), Spikes Asia (silver) and Government Gold Medal (for her student work) to name a few.She has completed her Masters degree in Design and is a certified storyteller and library educator. In 2019, she co-founded the children's library and storytelling initiative - Anek Chidiya. She is also engaged with an NGO named LeTS (Learn Through Stories) where she conducts workshops for both teachers and children. She investigates the dual nature of design for children and design by children through her workshops, research and design projects.While storytelling for brands and children has a strong appeal for Nivedita, she has found her true passion in teaching and has engaged as a visiting faculty for various design institutes and conducted several workshops through brands, NGOs, schools and art festivals.

Alumnus of the Sir J. J. Institute of Applied Art, Mumbai, Noopur is the Co-founder, Type Designer at EK TYPE. Ek Type is a collaborative type design studio focused on designing typefaces for Indian Scripts. Designs fonts in Bengali, Gurmukhi, Gujarati, Devanagari and Latin Scripts. Previously she was Consultant, Type and Graphic Designer with WHITECROW where she designed custom typefaces in Hindi and Bangla for Star TV for their Regional Indian television channels Life Ok & Star Jalsa. She also did custom typography for Coca Cola, South-East Asia, Barista, Flipkart and Mother Dairy. She was also Graphic Designer with GRANDMOTHER INDIA, where she did Brand Identity Design and collaterals for clients like Asian Paints, Taj Group of hotels, Game4u, Blue Frog, CBC etc.

Nupur is an Artist, Animation Director & Creative Director living her dream of telling stories & creating art for the past 17 years.She is an alumnus of National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad, where she did Animation Film Design. She has created many award winning & nominated Promos & Animations during her stint at MTV, India. For the past 14 years, she is the Co-Founder & Director of Invisible Rabbit, an award winning boutique animation studio in the heart of Mumbai. The only Director in India who has designed & Directed three feature film songs in stop-motion. Her work is an unique eclectic array of styles, themes & animation mediums for the biggest brands, OTT platforms & Film studios of India. She is also an artist & owner of OoeeMa! A Quirky Home decor & merchandise Brand. She loves Stop-motion, caricatures and all forms of storytelling. She also enjoys teaching & encourages Original Glocal thinking.

Pooja is a Visual artist and printmaker. She received her BFA from Sir J.J. School of Art, Mumbai University in 2016, with a gold medal and MFA in 2018. She received a Scholarship to Young Artist in the field of Visual Arts. Ministry of Culture, Govt. of India (June 2018-June2020.) She specializes in printmaking, etching techniques. where she creates prints with contemporary techniques, approaches, and imagery focusing on the constantly changing urban landscapes and nature in Mumbai and how they incorporate with each other these years. Her prints have been shown extensively nationally and internationally in both invitational and competitive juried exhibitions. Some works have been published, won awards, and are in permanent and private collections. She continues to uphold an active and engaged studio art practice by creating/exhibiting prints, completing artist residencies, and conducting workshops, giving demonstrations and lectures about her art practices.

An alumnus of the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad, Prosenjit has served as Director of Special Projects, with Toonz Animation India (2002- 2009) creating award-winning animation properties for international broadcasters. His short films have been showcased at prestigious film festivals in over 15 countries, winning several international awards and nominations. A regular speaker at prestigious festivals and forums that include, TEDx, Anifest India, Hamburg Film Festival, Asifa India amongst many others, he is also a visiting faculty at premier Film and Design Schools that include NIDs, IITs, SRFTI, Whistling Woods & CEPT University. An avid nature lover and traveller, his professional projects include Story & Screenwriting forAnimation Cinema and Television, Show Development for Studios, Concept Art, Illustration, Stop motion Animation, Short films and Voice direction. He also conducts story and design workshops for Children and Advanced Workshops for Students, Corporates and Creative professionals.

Raju Hittalamani has carved a niche in media, communications, film production, and documentary filmmaking. His academic background, which includes an MA in Media and Cultural Studies from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai, and a Visiting Fellowship in International Relations from Sciences-Po, Paris, provides a sturdy foundation for his practical engagements in cinema. As the co-founder of Kabes Media Private Limited, Raju has been instrumental in bringing film projects with profound global and cultural narratives to the fore. His foray into documentaries has yielded works such as "Breaking Chains", "Anicca", and "Kali-Kalisu", with "Breaking Chains" gaining notable recognition at the LAMPA Retrospective, United Nations, Geneva. Adding to his diverse portfolio, Raju is developing a documentary on the Holocaust.Over the years, Raju's professional journey has seen associations with reputable institutions like the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, the Public Health Foundation of India, and the Indian Institute for Human Settlements. He has collaborated with national and international organizations in these roles, broadening his horizons in program execution, media strategy, research, and content creation. His stint as a Media Lab Director and Fellow at the Cairo Institute of Liberal Arts and Sciences was marked by innovative course design and a focus on fostering cultural exchange. Raju's academic engagements have led him to share insights on film and documentary filmmaking at various platforms, including the United Nations, reflecting his dedication to storytelling and the medium's potential.Joining Whistling Woods International, Mumbai, as a visiting faculty in Cultural Studies (for Visual Communication Design,) Raju merges his extensive experience with a deep-rooted passion for the field. His pedagogical approach emphasizes the importance of cultural studies as a tool to comprehend the sources and contexts from which texts, media, and designs originate. Through this understanding, Raju aspires to cultivate a more conscious media practice across varied forms, enhancing the depth and awareness of the content.

Akshaya has been practising calligraphy for over 11 years and specialises in Roman calligraphy. Her calligraphy exhibition in 2017 at the Nehru Centre Art Gallery, Worli, was based on the development and modification of letters as design composition and presented it in a painting form. Her various experiments in the art led to the development and modification of her own variation of a style called 'Blackletter', which has a lot of variations internationally. She bases her creation on her sense of identity, space, design forms, and the grace of each letter. She has furthered the idea and presented it in wall paintings, chocolate engravings, and more. She is presently working on various other letters and styles with different perspectives to look forward towards calligraphy and take it to a new level.
A former student of the Achyut Palav school of Calligraphy, she is currently visiting faculty at Whistling Woods International (Visual Communication Design), I.E.S. College of Architecture, Rachna Sansad College of architecture, and MGM University. She also freelances as a Calligrapher and is associated with Artico Enterprises for designing projects. She has participated in representing India in various international exhibitions, and in 2021 she won The Excellence Award at the 18th Cheongju Jikji World Calligraphy Association, South Korea.

NID Design graduate with 10+ years of experience in Design thinking, Color and material trend forecasting, UX/UI Design working with India's and International leading organization. Committed to encouraging the design process through the development of young minds.

Samidha Gunjal is a comic artist from Ahmednagar, India who loves to draw and use wordless comics to express herself. Her work is inspired by the feminine form, nature, and everyday small-town life. She is a published children book illustrator and self-taught Linocut artist.

Mr Sheroy F. Katila currently works as an Innovation & Industrial Design consultant. He completed his dual master's degree in Innovation Design Engineering from the Royal College of Art & Imperial College, London. He has worked as an industrial/product designer both, in India and in the UK on a variety of projects ranging from new product development and furniture designs to unconventional larger than life metal sculptures. Apart from other accolades, Sheroy has also been the recipient of the prestigious Royal College of Art Innovation Scholarship Programme (2014-2016); which is the largest international scholarship in the creative postgraduate sector.

Swati Chandak Sharma is the founder and director at Designmembrane, a graphic design studio in Mumbai. Her studio specialises in design for print publication, packaging, branding and illustration. She is a postgraduate from the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad 2006.

Tripti is the Founder and Principal Designer of Studio Trace, a lighting design firm, with a multidisciplinary focus.She is an award winning, internationally trained lighting designer, graduating with a Masters in Lighting Design from PARSONS, New York. A recipient of the EDIDA Award for her Origami Lamp, she has nurtured her interest in bespoke product design. The genesis of this was her material explorations at J.J. College of Architecture where she graduated with Honors and went on to work with multiple architects on high-end residential and commercial projects. Tripti has been the recipient of the Michael Kalil Grant for her work on light and human perception. Tripti balances creative thinking with technical expertise, helping spaces come alive by bringing out the richness of materials, exaggerating scale and enhancing geometry through modulations of light and shadow.

Mr. Vinay completed his bachelor's in multimedia at the International Academy of Computer Graphics in Hyderabad. At the beginning of his career, he held a variety of positions, such as audio/video editor, CG Generalist and Lead, to Managing Director, and has collaborated with numerous animation production studios around the world on both domestic and foreign projects. Thereafter, he founded Gratiaverse Animation & VFX. Through Gratiaverse, he collaborated with clients like Cadbury, and Netflix on numerous movies and web series. (Invisible Rabbit, Monkey on Hot Bricks, Mondelze, Switch Studio, NDW, Asian Paints Nilaya.) Along with running a studio, he mentors students studying animation and VFX and has spent the past two years helping Whistling Woods International students learn motion graphics.

Perrine is a graphic designer and art director based out of Normandy, France. In 2006 she founded her graphic design studio in Paris, with numerous multi-disciplinary projects both in France and abroad. She graduated in 2003 from Central St Martins London with an MA Communication Design. After working for Vogue Hommes International, she joined the Print Studio of the Architectural Association of London. Back in France her interest for Architecture and Urbanism is concretely built upon a close collaboration starting in 2005 with architect Yves Lion. (Equerre d'Argent, 2004 for the Beyrouth French Embassy,) In 2011 She conceived the graphic design and the exhibition - Quel St-Germain demain? - She won the 2010 competition for the visual identity of Le Labo de l'edition, launched by the City of Paris. Perrine Rousselet's projects are secular. In opposition to assembly line creations, her works favour and introduce to a direct physical touch to arts and crafts where requirements meet with quality. Passionate about pedagogy, she teaches regularly in Fonderie de l'image (Paris) as well as l'ECV in Paris.

Wasim is a creative professional working in the television industry for the past 15 years. He is alumnus of the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad, (Visual Communication - Animation Film Design.) He was Executive Producer, English Cluster at Star India Pvt. Ltd.(WALT DISNEY COMPANY,) where he headed the on-air promos team for the English movies business at Star India - Ideate and create brand campaigns; collaborate with the marketing team for stunts, new launches, campaigns and execute them; manage daily workflow of on-air promos, manage the OAP budgets and liaise with external production houses/animators/graphic artists/voice-over artists/music composers for promos. He is a passionate storyteller and visual communications buff.

Abhijeet Kini, founder of Kini Studios, is an award-winning illustrator, animator and independent comics publisher, known for his comic series and IPs such as "Angry Maushi", "Rhyme Fighters" and "Fanboys". Abhijeet has been a regular participant in all the Indian comic cons and has also participated in international editions. Having illustrated for magazines and newspapers for over 2 decades, he has been a regular illustrator with Tinkle comics since 2004. Abhijeet illustrates the Butterfingers book series for Penguin India. Kini Studios provide creative services such as comic design/production, merchandising, social media content, etc for various brands. Abhijeet has been conducting workshops across all age groups on ideation, creative writing and drawing and comic making and is a visiting faculty at various institutions.