DRAWING DIALOGUES Calibration and Celebration of Drawing in Design NID Gandhinagar Campus
October 30 & 31 (Friday & Saturday), 2026
Drawing is a dialogue between the inner and outer worlds, where the humble act of mark-making becomes a witness to moments of perception and reception in both. The Indian philosophical concepts of drishti (seeing) and anubhava (experience) can be appreciated and evaluated in the context of creative design practices. ‘Drawing Dialogue: Calibration and Celebration of Drawing’ aims to explore and examine drawing as a fundamental basis of perception, thinking, and creation in design, mediating between the self and the world—shaping ideas, relationships, and the design journey through reflection, intuition, and embodied knowledge.
Drawing remains central to design pedagogy across disciplines at NID. This conference aims to create a platform for discussing, practising, and rethinking drawing as a means of generating and visualising knowledge. It aims to bring together educators, practitioners, researchers, and students to reflect on the indispensable role of drawing in design education in the age of artificial reproductions.
Objectives
- To explore the diverse functions that drawing serves in the design process—cognitive, expressive, communicative, analytical, and speculative.
- To investigate the scope of Drawing across traditional and emerging media, including analogue, digital, and hybrid forms.
- To explore how drawing improves basic visual thinking, idea development, and meaning creation in modern design teaching.
- To establish a platform for sharing pedagogical approaches, studio practices, and research related to Drawing.
- To celebrate Drawing as a dynamic and evolving language that bridges intuition and intellect, observation and imagination
Presentation Themes
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- Pedagogy of Drawing in Design Education
- Drawing Research
- Traditions of Drawing
- Drawing Practice (Case Studies and Industry Experience)
- Drawing Futures
The conference will span two days, comprising Keynote Talks & Panel Discussions, Hands-on workshops, Presentations, and a Drawing Exhibition.
Expected Outcomes
- A deeper understanding of how drawing can be redefined and repositioned within contemporary design education and academic practice.
- Post-symposium documentation (compilation of keynotes and presentations) and dissemination of insights from the symposium.
- Enhancing dialogue and collaboration among design institutions, faculty, students, and practitioners centred on drawing-based practices.
An abstract of 300-400 words for the proposed presentation at the symposium must be submitted by 20 May 2026. Selected abstracts will be invited to the presentation.
Please fill out the Google form for submission.
Google form address: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe79vwp4kkoq23a3DICav6klww2J9DtJI0rXi9xJNsyqlBjDg/viewform?usp=sharing&ouid=114112139224454309746
Email address: drawingdialogues@nid.edu
Website:https://nid.edu/getNewsevents/drawing-dialogues
Important Dates
- 27 April – Call for Proposals open
- 14 June – Abstract Submission deadline
- 15 July – Selection committee review
- 30 July – Selection announcements
- 30 & 31 October – Symposium