Research Area

Delhi’s neighbourhood economies hold a profound, often-overlooked reservoir of intergenerational design intelligence. My work centres on Repair-as-Design as a lens that translates this tacit, skill-based knowledge into the formal design studio. By integrating ethnographic insights and co-making sessions into the design studio, we challenge students to prioritize longevity and maintainability over novelty, thereby embracing a Culture of Care. The framework intends to reshape the classroom and provide a pedagogical foundation for the Right to Repair within India’s evolving National Design Policy. 

Conference Papers and Publications  (current & past)

1. Bhardwaj, G., & Tewari, S. (2026). The Craft of Care: Mapping material, emotional, and ecological values in Delhi’s repair ecologies. Emerge Seminar, IDC School of Design, IIT Bombay. (In press, Design Research Society)

2. Bhardwaj, G. (2025). Phirki-Ek paramparik khilona aur iska vaigyanik, sanskritik va samajik mahatva. ISSN: 2349-560X.

3. Bhardwaj, G., & Kothari, B. (in press). Weaving resilience: Strategic design interventions for those incarcerated in India. Journal/Publisher Name. (Aarohan 2026)

4. Bhardwaj, G. (2025). Contemporary design education from the lens of sustainability. Poster presented at the Sustainability in Design Education (SiDE) Symposium, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi, India.

5. Bhardwaj, G., & Gussak, D. E. (in press). Threads of change: Applying design interventions through rug weaving with those incarcerated in India. International Journal for Creativity Inside (IJCI).

6. Kothari, B., Bhardwaj, G., Bakshi, R., Prashansa, P., Sonowal, K., & Kant, V. (2023). Case Study of Organisational Change Through Strategic Design in Indian Textile Sector. In International Conference on Humainzing Work and Work Environment (pp. 103-110). Singapore: Springer Nature Singapore.