Mooshir has a Master’s degree in Interactive Telecommunications from the Tisch School of Arts, New York University. His works have been displayed across many galleries in New York, Barcelona and Ireland. He is also passionate about teaching and contributes to the Interaction Design course at IDC School of Design, IIT Mumbai.

From a Bachelor’s in Computer Engineering to studying and building a career in the arts, yours has been an interesting journey. Can you tell us what drew you to design?

I have always been drawn towards creativity. The joy and the satisfaction of imagining something new, something that doesn’t exist in this world and then the pursuit to bring it to life is the most thrilling part of it. Be it an engineering project, a design exercise or an art installation, creativity lies at the heart of it. Design using a pinch of self-expression from art and the manufacturing processes from engineering allows us to combine all the three disciplines seamlessly.

What have been some of the most fulfilling projects of your career so far?

There are a few that come to mind.

Maximus (2009) - This was my thesis project at ITP, NYU. The idea here was to imagine a world where simple objects around us have a personality. The final result was a table lamp, which powered by 6 degrees of freedom through servo motors and controlled by an Arduino, behaved like your pet dog and would react to your interactions with it.

Maximus

Urban Tweeter Series (2012) – A set of Pitcher and glasses made in stoneware and teak wood. The Urban Tweeter series is an exercise in abstraction, inspired by the newfound habitat of birds in the city's high-rises. At the same time, it is also a comment on our new social construct, where we tweet instead of actually meeting, poke instead of actually embracing. The products invite us to chatter over a pitcher of sangria or a cup of tea.

The Urban Tweeter Series

Americano (2019) - A series of 27 tableware objects for Americano Bombay. Combining Stoneware, wood, brass, stone, glass and mild steel we developed a complete range of tableware objects for Americano Bombay. The collection consists of various plates, bowls, cups and pourers along with votives, salt & pepper shaker, bill holder and a sugar caddy. The aim of the project was to use simple, geometric forms to create an elegant collection that emphasizes the food that is served using them.

Americano Stoneware

Americano Stoneware

Can you share some helpful insights you’ve gleaned on your journey?

There is a thin line between knowing and not knowing something, and once you know it, you can apply that knowledge in myriad different ways.

Ideation and conceptualization is really important and fun, but unless it is executed, it only remains an idea. Especially when dealing with the real world, getting something to its final stage of production takes the most amount of work and provides the most satisfaction as well.

And finally, the most important thing I’ve realized over the years is, if there is something you truly want, you just have to go out and get it for yourself and not let anything stop you from it.

What is it like, teaching and interacting with the next generation of designers at IDC? How has the experience impacted you?

It’s always great to talk to younger folks. The energy and enthusiasm is contagious and reminds me of the time, when we were students ourselves. Every generation has its way of doing things and exploring with the world, and interacting with youngers folks always shows you ‘different’ ways of approaching things in life, which is what I enjoy the most.

What advice would you give to someone interested in design as a career? What are the qualities they should cultivate, and what are some of the things they should keep in mind?

I would say, be bold and take the leap…for design changes the way you think and approach life itself. For us it has blurred if not removed the boundary of work and life completely and we enjoy every bit of work that we do equally. Make sure to equip yourself with the skills required to translate your ideas and concepts into reality, whatever that might be and keep in mind that the journey or the process of making something is just as much fun as the end result. Always question everything and keep a curious mind about why things are the way they are. Lastly make sure to remember why you decided to be in a creative profession to begin with, because things can get tough at times, but it’s always fun to solve the most difficult problems.