Vignesh Hari Krishnan seamlessly integrates design with a deep sense of purpose. . Striving to honor tradition, while working in modern mediums. His work tells a story, one that if you look close enough hearkens back to Chennai, India, his hometown.

His narrative is woven like the Madras checks he so beautifully paid Homage through his exhibition ‘Lineage Pastforward.’ Blending the past and the future harmoniously, Vignesh used Processing and Generative Algorithms to recreate the famous designs from his home. He meticulously explored the geometry and cultural symbolism of the Madras checks, using generative art to reinterpret them in a contemporary context. The project highlighted the craftsmanship and cultural significance of this fabric, bridging traditional design techniques with modern technology and storytelling.

The generative art honored the traditional methods from South India, but Vignesh acknowledged, “the machine made tiny ‘mistakes,’ it was interesting to see these imperfections which made each piece unique.”

Constantly searching for meaningful and impactful stories, Vignesh attended Yale University, graduating with a Masters in Architecture and Design. Not content with status quo, he looks to improve people’s lives. Starting out as more of an architect, his course has been diverted to design, where he tries to”empower communities and preserve shared histories.”

He cares. And quite simply that is hard to find. It is obvious in his work, despite his career being in its early stages his empathy is apparent. Always striving to improve people’s lives, Vignesh’s time at the Yale Consumer Health Informatics Lab (CHIL) has been nothing short of commendable.

“I’ve worked on projects like the WellSis App, a mental health tool tailored for Black women.” His belief is that design is a tool for caring and can be used to help. Creating spaces both in real life and online tailored towards improving people’s quality of life.

WellSis isn’t his only contribution, as his design background has helped on multiple other projects. A community responsive digital health tool for diabetic retinopathy screening, and a personal health library for formerly incarcerated individuals to name a couple.

But where did it all begin for Vignesh? How does someone who has enjoyed the arts and used his education to form a career in design have the time and ability to focus on bettering the lives of others.

While always predisposed to helping enrich people’s lives Vignesh founded ‘Platform’ a digital forum for ideas in his hometown of Chennai in 2017. This forum was just the start as he has been working with the UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) to help find solutions to the refugee problem in India.

Starting with his native country Vignesh has not looked back. He considers his work to be a way of communicating new ideas while creating safe spaces for those who need it. It is rare to see someone who has made it their life’s goal to help others but that is exactly what Vignesh has done.

Even through his product design work at the Vitality Group, the Yale School of Architecture Graduate, looks for ways to improve interactions with the health and wellness platform. While inspirational on his own, Vignesh singles out mentors Tatiania Bilbao and Terika McCall who have “further shaped my perspective, encouraging me to connect design with social and cultural responsibility.”

While citing his mentors, the Chennai native is quick to point to Ray and Charles Eames, two unique individuals who have shaped the way we view design. “Their philosophy of designing for human needs-not ego-resonates deeply with me.” He hopes to follow in their large footsteps while making his own unique mark on history.

We are so lucky to get to watch the progress of Vignesh Hari Krishnan. From bringing traditions into modern time to constantly attempting to enrich people’s lives he is a unique individual. While based in architecture and design, Vignesh’s biggest contribution to society is caring. He sums it up perfectly in his own words, “for me, design isn’t just about making art—it’s about making a difference.” We look forward to watching his continued contributions to society as he strives to make the world a better place.

‍