Sudeeksha Somani is a multidisciplinary designer who is passionate about socio-cultural issues and founder of inspirational platform Body Talk. Often using her design practice to be part of the conversation around subjects that are important to her and make a difference, Sudeeksha’s current work is conceptual and expressive; filled with narrative and empathy for the topic in focus.
Born in New Delhi, India, Sudeeksha moved to Singapore to complete a BA in Design Communication at Lasalle College of Arts. Shortly after, she continued her design education by moving to London and studying an MA in Graphic Communication Design at Central Saint Martins, graduating in 2020. It was at CSM where she was exposed to the extensive possibilities of design, as she tells us: ‘I just fell in love… because I’d never seen it [design] be so broad, conceptual and impactful.’ For Sudeeksha, design is no longer just a creative output but a medium of research, a way to explore, collaborate, and create something meaningful that can affect change within society and help others—it’s this way of thinking that led her to launch Body Talk.
Initially started out as a BA graduation project exploring negative body image, Body Talk is now a platform that aims to break stigma’s surrounding mental health and redefine body image through resources, conversations, shared experiences, creativity, and collaboration. Sudeeksha’s exploration of what society defines as ‘beauty’ coupled with her growing interest in mental health issues formed her initial motivation behind the platform: ‘After being in the UK where mental health was part of the conversation everywhere, I was able to see just how little it is in India. We are still struggling to overcome the stigmas and judgements and learning its importance… I was determined to change this, and hence started Body Talk.’ With a rapidly growing following, a recently launched print and digital zine available at bodytalkpublication.com, and a podcast in the works, there’s more exciting things to come. Sudeeksha is looking forward to meeting and working with new people ‘I love collaborating, so I’m always up for working on an idea or concept!’.
We caught up with Sudeeksha to find out more about Body Talk, her thoughts on the gender imbalance within the design industry, and how it can be more diverse and inclusive.
Can you tell us a bit about why you decided to become a designer, where you studied and your career so far?
I was always a creative child and loved my art classes where I learnt sketching and painting. It’s the only world that made most sense to me, so I always knew I’d be some form of creative in the future. I completed my degree in Lasalle, Singapore and then studied for an MA at Central Saint Martins, UAL. While studying for my BA in Design Communication, I knew I wanted to be a graphic designer, but had a ‘by the book’ understanding of what is right and wrong when working as a designer.
“At CSM, I just fell in love with the possibilities within the field of design because I’d never seen it before as so broad, conceptual, and impactful!”
We love your project Body Talk—what were your main motivations behind starting the platform?
Body Talk was originally my graduating project at Lasalle, but it focused mainly on negative body image. I always wanted to put the platform out in the world, so after I graduated from CSM in 2020, I decided it was the right time.
Beauty has been and still is a big part of our society, being one of the major commercial industries in the world. The idea of what beauty is has been integrated into our subconscious minds from childhood, and as we become adults, we often still perceive it the same way. By defining what beauty is, what is most desirable, what it means to be healthy or strong, what a ‘real man’ is, or how a woman should be, we are creating unrealistic realities, disappointment, discrimination, and bottled-up melancholy.
I’ve grown very interested in mental health over the years and realised how interconnected both subjects are. When the pandemic had just hit the world, everything was chaotic and being in the UK where mental health is part of the conversation everywhere, I was able to see just how little it is in India. We’re still struggling to overcome the stigmas and judgements surrounding it, and to learn to value its importance. Due to shame, lack of education and general acceptance and awareness that these issue exist, there are millions of people suffering from various mental health issues in silence. I was determined to change this, and hence started Body Talk.
Have you got any key learning points from founding and running Body Talk you could share?
I’ve realised that no one knows what the hell they’re doing and when you decide to start something new you’re not going to be sure how to go about it! You just have to keep asking yourself, what it is you want to say and come up with ideas around how you can say it. I had no idea about marketing, social media management or how to go about creating a startup. I spend nights attending webinars, watching talks, reading, networking and found incredible mentors that helped me along the way that have given me confidence in myself.
“We all experience imposter syndrome, and at times can feel super overwhelmed, but one very important thing this journey has taught me is that so did the people you aspire to become.”
No matter your age, position, sex, or culture, you have to keep reminding yourself that you have something valuable to say and it’s extremely important. Over this past year some of the key things I’ve learnt are that not everyone will be interested in what you’re doing and that doesn’t diminish its importance, the borders that divide the world don’t really divide our experiences, visions and passions. Additionally, networking is the most important thing and is actually easier than socialising!
Could you tell us about your plans for the future of Body Talk?
What I love about Body Talk is that it’s not limited to one way of communicating—I can choose any medium I want to convey the platforms message and aims, and therefore there are so many possibilities.
I recently launched the first issue of Body Talk zine and am looking forward to creating many more. I have a podcast coming up which will focus on intriguing and relevant conversations. There are a few more things in the process which I will share later this year. I love collaborating so I’m always up for working on an idea or concept!
Tell us about a favourite project that you’ve worked on and why it’s important to you.
My favourite project is my final graduation project from CSM called ‘Women Unravelled’ which I created during lockdown back in India.The project attempts to understand the evolving identity of women by analysing the female protagonist in three classic novels — ‘Far from the Madding Crowd’ by Thomas Hardy, ‘Jane Eyre’ by Charlotte Brontë and ‘Madame Bovary’ by Gustave Flaubert. I gave life to each female protagonist by drawing her out of the authors’ context through different colours of stitches which I used as a key to examine the story and various themes in it. All three novels have different styles of stitching which represent my interpretation of the author’s way of writing, the overall story, and different keys according to the female character’s story.
I love this project for many reasons. The medium and approach was something I’d never tried before—I didn’t even know how to stitch. So, learning it and using the embroidery machine was extremely fun! When I started to read the novels I went into them with an idea but midway through changed my approach and concept. I attempted to rework the text and tie together fact and fiction in an exploratory manner by reading against the grain and speculating on the messiness and knotted identity of these fictional women. It was really exciting not knowing the result I was going to get. Overcoming unprecedented obstacles and learning so much through the process was a memorable experience and I created something I was finally very proud of!
As an emerging creative do you have any thoughts on how we can counteract the gender imbalance in the design industry?
I think women need to stop being seen as existing to solely take care of their family. I believe that part of the reason there are so few women at the top is because people assume they’ll have kids and won’t be as reliable as their male counterparts. For those who have a family, it must be really hard. I’ve never worked under a woman Creative Director or CEO and I can’t imagine how empowering it must be to do so. I don’t want to say that women aren’t in those positions because they’re perceived as emotional and not strong enough to make decisions, because it’s 2021 and that way of thinking should be a thing of the past… at least I hope it is! Until more women are part of the decision-making happening in the world, not much can change. It’s slowly getting better, but the speed is what frustrates me.
Also, I never understood why there has been a gender pay gap in the first place. It makes no sense. But the more women and especially men speak up about it, when they encounter such situations at work or in conversation, the faster things will change.
“People keep saying “this is how the world is, this is how society is”, but what they keep forgetting is that we are part of that the society and hence we can change it.”
How do you think we can encourage greater diversity and inclusion across the creative industries?
Acknowledging other cultures and giving people an opportunity to be in the spotlight or make them part of the conversation is how we can encourage inclusion. For example, we are aware that Japan has beautiful and intricate design, but how many Japanese designers do we know? Are they part of the conversation during global events and conferences? Do we study about Indian street or truck art in design schools? We’ve had a history only highlighting a certain part of the world and everything it does. Some of which are inspiring works and visions, but I just wonder where we would be if everything was put on the table like a knowledge pool… How would consuming all that affect our innovation and perceptions, even when it comes to social issues in the future?
Has the Covid-19 pandemic impacted your career and how have you managed this?
Oh my god, YES! I was a 2020 graduate who did her final term from India online during lockdown. We didn’t get a grad show, which I was really looking forward to! I wanted to enter the industry in London, but the pandemic has made it even harder for me to be sponsored since I’m an international student. It’s honestly been so disappointing, but I never stopped networking or applying…. still am.
Other than that, Covid-19 gave me the time to create Body Talk and make it what it is today. Being the sole person responsible and wearing all the hats wouldn’t have been possible if I didn’t have so much time at my disposal. I’ve learnt many more skills, met all kinds of creatives and attended inspiring conferences and talks since it was all online!
Where do you think the design industry is heading in the next five years and how will you adapt?
I think the industry has become more fluid when it comes to defining different creative fields and I love that! Collaboration is everything because when others bring their experience, insights and skills to the table, it expands perceptions of what can be achieved. If you pick up skills from another field, it only adds value to you as a designer and that’s where I think we’re heading. We all want to create something that matters and connects to people.
“I see design being one of the most important elements for innovation as well as empathy in the world, and it’s amazing to see just how much it intertwines with art and science.”
I’m a super curious human and I can’t wait to absorb and learn everything that’s to come. As of now I haven’t defined my specialisation but in some ways being a multidisciplinary in today’s world is a specialisation, isn’t it?
Who are your top three women creative crushes currently working in the industry?
Oh this is a hard one…there are so many! I think I’d say Astrid Stavro from Pentagram, Caterina Bianchini from Studio Nari, and (I know this one isn’t graphic design) Neri Oxman the architect/designer!