Five design practices that merge innovation, functionality and intent, showcased through everything from games to matchbox designs and unique collectibles.
Studio Oleomingus
Games require a commitment to the absurdity of their form and a submission to the insularity of their rules, which make them excellent sites of fabulation and provocation. Studio Oleomingus, a games and arts studio based in Chala, India, founded by Dhruv Jain and Sushant Chakraborty, makes projects that are experimental, interactive, and engage with memory, history and forgotten narratives. Their work does not follow the conventional logic of gaming: through games that feel like sites of resistance, they explore erasure, authority, colonization and the messy beauty of multiple truths.
Maachis Art
Founded by designers Sonal Nagwani and Kevin Thomas, Maachis started with one classic design reimagined on a wooden matchbox, a spark that quickly grew as more and more designs were created. Maachis is a brand started with love, for design, for Indian aesthetics, and for the ability to start conversations and discourse through art around topics that matter today. ??Inspired not only by matchboxes but also by other everyday aspects of Indian visual culture, such as truck art, calendar designs, and textile labels, the two co-founders felt a need to preserve these Indian aesthetics. True to the original matchboxes of India, they do not shy away from social commentary.
Calling Inyu
Calling makes products that are the result of a deep focus on material and design. They work with hemp, and aim to raise awareness about the benefits of using it—it is sustainable, natural, and perfect for hot and humid climates. Founders Riddhi Parikh and Monish Ganesan started Calling InYu, their collectible collection that is inspired by stories and ideas that they feel passionate about. In a world where mass production has taken over, each piece takes about 8-10 days to make, and the imperfections, the textures, the finishes are all part of the story that makes every piece unique.
MAYA
MAYA is a vast storytelling universe created by Anand Gandhi and Zain Memon, built at the intersection of mythology, technology, and speculative fiction. Conceived in response to a world shaped by invisible algorithms and harvested attention, MAYA imagines a planet where people tether daily to sentient trees that record their dreams, desires, and fears. Spanning novels, films, games, and immersive experiences, MAYA invites audiences to step inside complex systems that mirror our own.
Compartment S4
Compartment S4 is a collective architectural practice that challenges the rising uniformity of urban design by creating spaces rooted in connection, community and contextual sensitivity. Formed by eight co-founders who work collaboratively, the studio centres its practice on public and community-driven projects, believing that architecture should meaningfully shape everyday life rather than serve only commercial interests.
Words Platform Desk
Date 24.12.2025