We were lucky to catch up with Dev Makker recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Dev, thanks for joining us today. Do you think your parents have had a meaningful impact on you and your journey?

A phrase keeps ringing in the back of my head everytime I try to answer this question (this is my sixth attempt) – “Show me you’re passionate.” For a large part of my early to mid teens, my father would ask and remind me of this idea of ‘passion’ as I was stepping up to making decisions about what I wanted to do in life, as a career and a goal. Making decisions about your career this early on is not uncommon for a thirteen year old growing up in India and I was as confused and overwhelmed as any. I knew I had a keen strength in Economics, Math & Art as subjects in school and knew I wanted to pursue something in the Finance & Investment banking world, as I saw it as a conventional and safe choice for myself at the time. 

And then there was that phrase again, which I really tried to step up to and prove to myself that I had this burning curiosity for the fields I was going to pursue, and I got quite far too. With that also came the acceptance that art & design would live on the 

sidelines as a hobby that I could indulge in every now and then to destress later in my career, when I’d be settled in the finance world. 

However, sometime after highschool, something started to slide within me – a calling, magnetism or just “fate” – that allowed me to see myself pursuing design as a career. The more I let myself sway in those fantasies the more I knew that I was willing to swap the safe convention out for a ‘hobby’ I loved. 

Before I go on about finding my way to design, a little bit about my parents to contextualize my upbringing, my mother was a teacher, a job she loved but had to give it up when I was born. While she was teaching, she taught kids from K to grade 5, always involved in crafty and creative activities. After being a homemaker full time for over 15 years, she started her own fine stationery business where she produces and designs her own products. My father is a pilot, it is his ‘passion’ and a source for his eternal joy. During his formative years, aviation wasn’t seen in the best light as it had brought a lot of sorrow to his family due to losing family members and close relatives to the wars. Yet, in the face of those adversities, his father, my grandfather, pushed for him to pursue aviation because it was my father’s passion.

Everytime I see him getting ready for a flight in his uniform, his face lights up like it’s Diwali. That decision his father made, all those years back, has allowed him the privilege to live his best life and for him to pass that torch on to me. 

My parents instilled in me a deep appreciation for creativity and a strong work ethic from an early age. I believe my mother opened the doors to my creativity and my father’s constant encouragement helped fan that flame for me to see it to the fullest. Growing up in Mumbai, where the intersection of diverse cultures and artistic influences is abundant, my parents encouraged my curiosity and nurtured my passion for design. They provided unwavering support for my educational pursuits and supported me to explore anything that peaked my interest to the fullest, a privilege I am lucky to have. Even now when I get cloudy about it at times, they are the ones that help me bounce back and set me back on track. Supporting me to go all the way to New York to the Parsons School of Design to study what I love, showed me that they recognized the value of investing in my creative and academic growth. 

By exposing me to a variety of tools to aid my process like learning the guitar, performing live, going for runs, and even encouraging me to start freelancing at the age of 14. I keep that promise of making sure my passion for design and every other thing that excites me is always burning the brightest. 

There are times when I can only talk to them about things going on in my life, design or non-design and even in the rare case they don’t have an answer, I can always rest a little in the knowledge that they want me to take care of their son.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I’m Dev, a multi-disciplinary designer from Mumbai, India based in New York, NY as a junior at the Parsons School of Design, majoring in Communication Design. Ever since my school projects in Mumbai required designing scrap books and presentations, I have loved the idea of assessing, optimizing and innovating the way information is consumed. My skills span across branding, motion, 3D, print, strategy with expertise in digital product design and identity design.

My past experience working with start-ups, music collectives, local fashion brands as well as socially productive projects has given me valuable information on how differently people learn from and interact with different mediums. In my time working in freelance, I have designed & implemented unique visual identities for over 15 companies, brands, musicians and labels through creative marketing, web development, album cover designs and live stage visualisers. I have also led projects with music groups & companies like Citimall & Sony Music Entertainment. 

My time freelancing has been an invaluable learning experience, shaping me into a professional with a unique set of skills. Being predominantly self-taught, my inherent curiosity has been a driving force, propelling me to acquire and master various technical design skills. The freelance environment has nurtured my self-driven nature, requiring me to navigate projects independently and make the most of limited resources. One of the key lessons has been the ability to thrive under pressure, honing my skills in decision-making and problem-solving in high-stakes situations. Self-awareness and a penchant for reflection have been instrumental in my growth, allowing me to continuously refine my approach and adapt to evolving challenges. Overall, my freelance journey has not only equipped me with technical design knowledge but has also cultivated a resilient, adaptable, and self-aware mindset that is crucial for success in the dynamic world of design. 

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

I had to unlearn two fundamental principles when transitioning into a different design setting, which happened to be academic, where I had to most importantly, allow myself to be open to being taught. Initially, my view was rather myopic and pompous, thinking I could never make a bad piece of work, with a focus solely on making things look aesthetically pleasing, drawing from my background in designing album covers and marketing material for fashion brands. However, as I delved into a more diverse design landscape during my time at school, I was shown the importance of unlearning this narrow perspective aided by great teachers and mentors. 

The lesson was twofold: first, design is not just about appearances but also about intention—conveying a message and eliciting specific responses through the ‘form’. Second, once I had embodied that philosophy, I found myself making designs that

were teeming with intention but the purpose or ‘function’ always got lost in that pursuit. That’s when I realized I was only looking at only one side of the coin. I had to renegotiate how I was putting that intention to use, as effective design often involves a delicate balance between aesthetic appeal and practical usability to create effective communication and solve a problem. This shift in mindset was crucial for me to evolve as a designer, allowing me to approach projects with a more comprehensive understanding of the nuanced relationship between intention, form, and function. 

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

For me, the most rewarding aspect of being a 3D visual artist lies in the transformative nature of the creative process. However, once I share or release a work, it ceases to be exclusively mine. The most enriching and fulfilling moments arise when I witness the diverse interpretations of my art by viewers. Their perceptions and emotions breathe new life into the work, transcending my initial intentions. The meaning of my creations evolves with every observer, and the dialogue between their perspectives and my artistic expression becomes a profoundly gratifying aspect of the creative journey. My emotions and feelings often inevitably spill over onto my pieces, and while I know what I am drawing from, engaging with others and hearing their unique interpretations is, without a doubt, my favorite part of the entire artistic process. 

Contact Info:

• Website: https://devmakkermakesthings.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mietodev/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dev-makker/