In this first issue of a brand new year, we look back at the road that led us here. Architecture and design are dynamic fields today; these are buzzwords that are garnering interest and debate because of the frenzied flux that now inhabits them. What were once murmurs of dissent are now hotly discussed issues on public forums, irreverence in design is moving on from existing for its own sake to being accepted as a legitimate expression of a spirited consumer. Our cover story, The History of Design in 50 Products & Spaces (pg 14) will give you a glimpse of the journey creative thought and market forces have taken to bring us to where we are today. My many thanks to Ayaz Basrai, Ashiesh Shah, Shabnam Gupta, Niels Schönfelder and Micheal Darling for selecting some such extraordinary ideas from our collective history that took hold and thus progressed the story of design. The Portfolio pages are super special too - we trace the design journeys of the world’s four most prolific and celebrated designers - Philippe Starck, Marc Newson, Doshi Levien and Oki Sato, through their products. Not comprehensive but they give a glimpse into the multifarious directions and forms an inspired idea can take. Stalwarts like Reza Kabul, Alfaz Miller, Prem Nath and Satish Gujral contribute their original sketches of landmark projects for the My View pages; a must-see. Peter D’Ascoli is this month’s guest columnist and he writes about the wonder of Indian aesthetic and how it forms the backbone of many global design styles. There is so much more inside the pages, I hope the exciting and nervous energy in the field of design will make itself evident to you through them. Have a great year. Cheers Preeti Singh