Sneha Nayak - MA Graphic Design and Art Direction
Ornamental Design Systems
This project, Ornamental Grids, is a synthesis of research, theory, and visual experimentation that repositions ornamentation as a structural and cultural system rather than decorative excess. Beginning with the theory of intercultural transfer and evolving into intercultural design, the work challenges the “one-size-fits-all” approach of modernist minimalism by drawing from traditional Indian practices - textiles, architecture, and folk art, that embed rhythm, proportion, and meaning within their grids.
My design process was shaped by deconstruction, breaking apart ingrained defaults, questioning universal systems, and reconstructing them through intercultural and ornamental perspectives. The outcome reflects not only a theoretical contribution but also a personal transformation: a shift from working within rigid briefs to creating design as a cultural connector.
This project positions ornamentation as an innovative design system capable of conveying meaning, fostering a sense of belonging, and informing inclusive design futures. It invites designers, educators, and cultural practitioners to see grids not as neutral structures, but as dynamic, intercultural frameworks that merge tradition and modernity.
The outcome is a zine that documents the theory while visually testing these ideas through posters and layouts. By bringing together modernist design principles and traditional ornamental structures, the project proposes a new visual language that is both systematic and culturally expressive, a connector across audiences, and a catalyst for more inclusive visual systems.
As a multidisciplinary visual designer, I use design as a bridge to explore cultural intersections, merging tradition and modernity to create communication systems that are both meaningful and functional.
