Jogi Panghaal is a leader in bridging the gap between the traditional craft sector in India and the global, modern design sector, leveraging information technologies to enable communities and resource institutions to establish mutually useful relationships. His research interests are in the area of cultural identity and design, with particular attention to the preservation of the unique rhythms or 'beats' that people possess (both physically and in memory) and which are imbedded in the products and services they create or participate in.

Panghaal graduated in Product Design from the National Institute of Design (NID) in Ahmedabad, India in 1977. He has been a visiting teacher at NID, at Les Ateliers Paris and at the School of Planning and Architecture, Delhi, and has delivered lectures and workshops the world over.

Drawing from his life experience in both traditional settings and the modern education sector, Panghaal applies a rich mix of persepectives and methodologies to a variety of design challenges. He is co-founder of Lifetools in New Delhi which provides product design and communication design services to Indian communities, both rural and urban. These projects include: work with women in rural areas on issues of literacies, health and income generation; design of special aids (mobility, educational, play, income generation) for disabled groups; communication design work in the areas of health and HIV/AIDS; and assisting rural artisans in using their traditional skills to find new markets for their old/new products.

Jogi Panghaal web >

read Jogi's talk 'Body, Movement and Joy' >