About Savio Mukachirayil
Biography
Savio joined the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2023 as a Post-Graduate Researcher in the Industrial Design department at The School of Art & Design. Savio has designed works globally, specifically, London, Dubai, Essen, Chennai and Singapore. His works are sometimes speculative in nature and finds them inspiring for innovative thinking and reflection.
Savio has travelled to South Korea annually since 2022, curating and managing a workshop on Speculative Design for students at Samsung Art & Design Institute; Technology University Korea; and Seoul Women’s University. He has curated and led a few international exchanges also, first between his peers at the RCA and design department at the Maharashtra Institute of Technology in Pune and the second with Uravu Bamboo Art and Craft centre in Kerala.
Savio holds an MA in Global Innovation Design from The Royal College of Art and an MSc in Global Innovation Design from Imperial College London. He holds a BA in Industrial Design & Technology from Loughborough University. He has also participated in international exchanges at both Tsinghua University and Nanyang Technology University.
Education
Royal College of Art, Global Innovation Design MA (2021-2023)
Imperial College London, Global Innovation Design MSc (2021-2023)
Tsinghua University, Beijing | International exchanges (2022)
Nanyang Technology University, Singapore | International exchange (2022)
Loughborough University, Industrial Design & Technology BA (2017-2021)
Research and publications
Ongoing and upcoming research
Fields of Interest
Savio’s works touch a variety of different fields, the underlying thread behind his investigations is the pursuit of meaningful connection between the person and the product (physical or digital) – designing to feel poetic. Extreme consumerism has created a “throw-away” culture which is unsustainable for the planet and for human beings, and a way to respond to this is for the creation of products which has the capacity to carry meaning for the user without hindering its ability to function. You can see some of his investigations on his website.
Some of his current interests includes, intelligent wearable technology, collective intelligence, genealogies, biopolymer for medical products, direct sound printing. So, if you are interested or working in any of these areas, reach out by email.
Teaching and advising
Classes taught
- ARTD 201 - Industrial Design I (Fall 23)
Introduction to the creative process and methods involved in industrial design; research, modelling, form giving, prototyping and communication with emphasis on user-centred design. Projects of escalating scale and complexity complemented by lectures and demonstrations. - ARTD 228 - Computer Applications (Spring 24)
Concepts, methods and applications of computer softwares to aid the design of products for manufacture as well as utilising rendering, lighting and layout techniques to communicate products visually. - ARTD 225 - Design Drawing (Fall 24)
Introduction to rapid drawing methods and tools used by designers. Focuses on theory and application of orthographic and perspective drawing for communication of design ideas. Additional fees may apply. See Class Schedule. Prerequisite: Industrial Design majors must have completed the First-Year Curriculum in Art & Design. - ARTD 326 - Sustainability & Manufacturing (Fall 24, Spring 25)
Exploration of environmental origins, theory and practice of sustainable product design. Environmentally-responsive design methodologies and topics such as industrial ecology, dematerialization, design for disassembly, design for recycling and life-cycle assessment.