India Kitchen Congress presents Masterclasses for design professionals, on April 4 at Taj Yashwantpur, Bengaluru.
Led by subject experts and industry leaders, these unique masterclasses enable practicing professionals to upskill and enhance their design practice. REGISTER HERE TO ATTEND
TOPICS
1. Design Strategies for Kitchen Experience Centres – Customer-Centricity & Engagement (60 mins)
This masterclass takes attendees through a deep dive into the process of ideation and designing kitchen experience centres.
Experience centres are the new retail format that brands are investing in to come up and close with their customers. Customer-centricity, co-creation, storytelling and community building are the key considerations for conceptualising and designing these interactive retail spaces.
The objective of this masterclass is to enable design professionals to understand the strategies for creating experience centres using customer-centric design and engagement techniques.
Target Group (TG)
- Interior designers
- Design consultants
- Retail design consultants
- Brand custodians/managers
Methodology
- Presentation
- Case study
- Practical exercises
FACULTY
Surender Gnanaolivu, RDI, Chief Strategy and Development – 4Dimensions retail design
Juhi Santani, RDI, Principal Designer & Founding Partner – Retale Design Solutions
2. The Interior Designer’s Sales Blueprint – Mastering the Art of Selling Design (60 mins)
This masterclass delves into the essential strategies, tools, and techniques required by interior designers to sell their design services successfully.
From building client relationships and generating quality leads to closing deals and managing client satisfaction throughout the entire design process, this session equips designers with the knowledge to boost their sales and grow their business.
Participants will gain insights into understanding client needs, managing budgets, handling objections, and navigating professional negotiations.
This masterclass also explains how to build long-term client relationships for future projects and effectively manage the post-project phase for gaining referrals and retention.
The program will provide practical, actionable tools and templates that designers can immediately apply to streamline their sales process, close more projects, and ultimately increase profitability. Through case studies, role plays, and hands-on activities, attendees will learn how to position themselves as trusted consultants rather than salespeople, ensuring clients’ needs are met while achieving business success.
Target Audience
This masterclass is ideal for:
- Interior designers (freelancers and those working in design firms)
- Aspiring interior designers looking to build their client base
- Design consultants aiming to refine their sales approach
- Design professionals wanting to expand their business by mastering client relationship management and sales
Methodology
The session will be highly interactive and structured, with a combination of:
- Presentation: A structured presentation introducing each sales stage from lead generation to post-project follow-up, with supporting visuals.
- Case Studies: Real-life scenarios to analyse and discuss practical applications in sales strategies.
- Role-Playing: Participants will engage in mock client meetings to practice effective communication, active listening, and handling objections.
- Tools & Templates: Introduction of useful sales aids such as lead qualification checklists, client persona templates, design presentation formats, and client feedback forms.
- Q&A Sessions: Open forum for attendees to ask questions and discuss personal challenges with expert guidance.
- Group Discussions: Collaborative exploration of ideas and strategies for building trust, positioning oneself as a design consultant, and overcoming common sales obstacles.
FACULTY: Gopal Dwivedi, Chief of Design – Global, Livspace
3. The ABCs of Indian Kitchen Design (60 mins)
Bringing Behavioural Design and Cultural Storytelling to Indian Kitchen Design
In India, cooking is an emotion. Kitchens are sanctum sanctorum – a cultural showcase for many, a place of worship for some, and a creative studio for everyone. Every kitchen is as unique as the people who use it. No two people use the kitchen similarly. They have different needs and serve various purposes. It differs with individual needs, preferences, philosophies, motivations, behaviours, and cultural and lifestyle influences.
In the era of mass urban migration and culture-agnostic consumerism, how can we celebrate the culture of cooking and preserve the craft of kitchen design? This masterclass focuses on the people and culture-centricity of kitchen design, bringing the craft back to the modular and human to the industrial.
The session focuses on the ABC – Activities, Behaviors & Cultures – of kitchen design and discusses the growing importance it has in modern urban consumer sensibilities. In the short session, we attempt to establish the need, introduce the idea, and guide architects and interior designers to bring Behavioural Design and Cultural Storytelling into their design solutions.
Why is it Relevant?
In the era of modular kitchens and catalogued creative solutions, the architect and designer bring in very little value addition. The idea behind this session is to bring genuine value for designers (influencers), and a competitive edge for solution providers (design & build services).
Key Takeaways
- Soft, deep study of the home design customers
- Develop nuanced creative briefs for kitchen designs
- Behavioural design interventions for kitchen
- Value-added design opportunities
- Cultural understanding as a service
Target Audience
- Architects & Interior Designers
- Design & Build Service Providers
- Modular Kitchen Product Designers
Methodology
- Presentation
- Interaction
- Light Exercises
FACULTY: Manu Neelakandhan, Director, IdeaCulture India
MASTERCLASS SCHEDULE: 1.30 pm – 5.30 pm
VENUE: Harmony Hall, Taj Yeshwantpur, Bengaluru
Check out the other speakers and details about India Kitchen Congress here.