Hello!
I’m Karishma and I run a multidisciplinary design studio - Karishma’s World. I founded my studio in 2014 and after initially focusing on print and accessories design, my practice has expanded to being truly multi-disciplinary - including digital design and podcasting - and through my work I’ve had the chance to meet and work with lots of brilliant individuals and companies.
My work falls into 3 main areas: Design, Podcasts & Education:
Design
As well as devising new products and services, I love supporting businesses to develop new concepts in a wide range of design specialisms. Recent projects I’ve worked on have been in the areas of outdoor fashion, farming, re-imagining spaces and modern museums.
Podcasts
I’ve co-created, hosted and released podcasts on entrepreneurship, creative industries and sustainability across 8 series and reviewed over 450 podcasts to date for BBC Radio Ulster’s The Ticket. I’ve co-developed and co-hosted workshops and courses on podcast making.
Education
Since 2011, I’ve worked with people to skill-up and build their confidence through design, entrepreneurship and creativity. I’ve delivered sessions remotely and in person with attendees in informal settings as well as with further and higher education spaces and with local and global companies.
If you’d like to discuss a project, please get in touch!
A selection of client and commissioned work:
The Tyrone Crafted Glass Experience
Client: Tyrone Crafted Glass, The National Lottery Heritage Fund
Brief: To develop and design an educational storytelling experience for visitors to Tyrone Crafted Glass.
Working closely with business owners Gary and Ciara Currie, I recorded and designed various printed, digital and audio elements for their visitor experience in Dungannon. Our aim was to showcase the skill and heritage of glassmaking in the area but most importantly, engage local and international visitors.
Special commissions by: Native Ivy photography & Rhea Hanlon illustration
Conversation beneath the trees
Client: The Irish Agroforestry Forum
Brief: To develop and design a podcast exploring sustainable farming and agroforestry through a series of conversations with researchers and growers. Hosted by Catherine Cleary (Pocket Forests,The Irish Times) and Ray Ó Foghlú (HomeTree).
The podcast has peaked at #1 in the Nature & Science categories in Ireland and #16 in the Nature category in the UK and we are currently developing the second season with experts across Ireland and beyond.
Inclusive Global Histories
Client: National Museums NI, Ulster Museum
Brief: A multi-disciplinary visual project for a new exhibition to better understand the context of museum objects and their origins. Co-developing the project with museum co-ordinators and specialists and their partner organisations from across the world to ensure the exhibition was culturally thoughtful and the stories authentically told.
Pop-Up Design Museum
Client: DfC + Belfast City Council & FutureScreens NI
Brief: This project through Belfast Design Week involved design in-person (2019) & socially distanced (2020) pop-up design museums to appear in venues across Belfast city centre showcasing the work of local designers and design companies.
Venues included: BTS Concept Store, The Grand Central Hotel, The Black Box, Blue Hairdressing, OH! Donuts & Mike’s Fancy Cheese.
Designers included: Trish Belford & Duncan Neil, Alex Synge, Elham Hemmat, UsFolk, Sixteen South, Wendy Ward Ceramics & Pauline Clancy.
The World Turned Upside Down
Commissioner: FutureScreens NI (through Small Town Big Dreams)
Brief: To co-develop a podcast and toolkit documenting and sharing the experiences of creative industries businesses and organisations during Covid-19. Understanding the challenges, the pivots, potential future opportunities for businesses and the impact of the pandemic on business owners’ lives.
Guests included: Maven, Hypixel Studios, Sister Ghost, David Moody & Forever Social.
Womenfolk
Client: Blick Shared Studios
Brief Part 1 - To develop an identity and platform to showcase and celebrate women entrepreneurs’ stories.
Brief Part 2 - To develop designs to support the Dig Deep entrepreneurs programme including a diary journal for entrepreneurial activity.
The Pop-Up Design Museum
Photo: Joe Laverty
THE POP-UP DESIGN MUSEUM MAP
Photo: Soul & Rise
Womenfolk logo
Womenfolk platform
Inclusive Global Histories
Photo: Ulster Museum
The World Turned Upside Down artwork
A selection of features:
Living the Dream
“It’s a melting pot of creativity, featuring interviews with people from worlds as diverse as comedy, architecture, jewellery making, virtual reality, design, music and events, where freelancers and entrepreneurs share the secrets of their success.”
SUNDAY LIFE
In the making
“Designer, podcaster and co-founder of Belfast Design Week are just a few of Karishma Kusurkar’s many hats. A range of experiences early on in her career and a willingness to step outside of her comfort zone have resulted in a truly multidisciplinary and collaborative approach.”
100 ARCHIVE
Let’s talk about living progress
"Based in Belfast, Kusurkar runs a design studio, which tackles a wide range of projects at every stage “from ideation and design thinking to product and storytelling”"
THE SUNDAY TIMES
24 Hours in Belfast
“If you know Karishma, you’ll know she loves finding out what’s going on in her home city and that she talks to a lot of local creatives, movers and shakers. Karishma welcomes you to Belfast with a curated list of how to spend your time."