As a firm believer that good design becomes great when it has purpose behind it, Radhika wholeheartedly embraces the challenge of creating with intention. Her green thumb for storytelling is rooted in her openness to the unexpected, her trust in her intuition, and her ability to layer those elements together through rock-solid design fundamentals.
Welcoming the unexpected
Radhika works by the improv credo of “yes and…”. Not only is she open to experimenting and exploring with her process, but she welcomes the emergence of unexpected elements that stretch her thinking. When she paints, she starts with a stroke and lets that element guide her journey from there. When she designs, she uses client feedback to expand her understanding and shift her point of view. Radhika appreciates fresh perspectives and enjoys trying on ideas to see where they lead.
Designing by intuition
Outside the office, Radhika feeds her creativity by experimenting with film photography, drawing, painting, collaging—she’s even a serial beginning salsa dancer (it’s a thing…more on that later). These different pursuits help her learn to trust her own process and to follow her intuition. Slipping into the zone can be meditative, heart racing, even frustrating for her. But, above all else, it allows her brain a safe place to unwind an idea while she’s obsessing over the smallest curve or following a stroke into its scene.
Building on the fundamentals
This past fall, Radhika completed her fourth salsa class for beginners in her fourth city. While she has more than acquired the skills to advance to an intermediate class, she’s not in a rush. All of her teachers, from New York to Seattle and in between, seem to agree that you can’t practice the basics too much. In the same way, Radhika relies on her solid grasp of design fundamentals and her rich variety of experiences to help her weave together the unexpected with the new ideas.
Wondering what intentional and intuitive design looks like in action? See for yourself how Radhika’s green thumb makes stories bloom!