Ctrl+Panic+Create

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/625431_831af14f087e4b00bdc07abb623bac87/1080p/mp4/file.mp4

'ofcourse we are design students' ; in frame- Kelyie Tdar, Jasraj, Darsh Rungta, Yana, Diya Chandiram, Riddhi Minda, Anshika Singhal, Rituraj, Pranav Sahni, Uditanshu Singh; videography and editing- Saanvi Mohan and Brinda Girish Gowda

When every deadline tests your limits, every critique questions your voice, and every small win feels like survival.

-Saanvi Mohan and Brinda Girish Gowda

Creative chaos is probably the most accurate way to describe the life of a design student in India, because nothing about it is linear, predictable, or calm, no matter how aesthetic it may look from the outside. At first glance, it’s all neatly curated sketchbooks, dreamy Pinterest boards, and Instagram feeds that look like they belong in a magazine. But behind every “effortless” post is a sleep-deprived student, who hasn’t eaten a proper meal in 12 hours and is surviving on tea and panic.

A lot of people step into design school thinking it’s going to be chill, more vibes than pressure, more creativity than chaos. That illusion doesn’t last very long. “People think we just sit and draw all day,” says Riya Sethi, a fashion communication student from NIFT Bangalore. “But I’ve genuinely had nights where I didn’t sleep at all. It’s not even physical tiredness, it’s like you are constantly running tabs you forgot to close.” And that’s the thing design doesn’t switch off. Your brain becomes this overenthusiastic Pinterest board that refuses to shut up.

⁠“It’s like juggling knives, except the knives are assignments and also your mental stability.” Saanchi Jain, a communication design student from Pearl academy, Delhi.

Unlike traditional courses, there’s no clear right or wrong here, which sounds freeing until you’re staring at a blank page at 3 am. wondering if anything you make will ever be “good enough.” The freedom is exciting, but also terrifying. “I miss having correct answers sometimes,” laughs Arjun Kumar, a product design student from IIAD. “At least then you know you’re not completely messing up your life.”

Deadlines in design school are not events, they are a lifestyle, a personality trait, a permanent state of being. It’s not one submission at a time; it’s four projects, all due in the same week, all requiring your “best work,” as if your days of work isn’t currently crying in a corner. “I don’t remember the last time I worked on just one thing,” Arjun adds. “It’s like juggling knives, except the knives are assignments and also your mental stability.” And every project comes with layers of research, concept, iterations, execution, presentation, and then the final boss battle: the jury. “Jury days feel like reality shows, except no one gets eliminated, you just get emotionally humbled.”

Critique is a huge part of the process, and honestly, it’s brutal at first. You spend days obsessing over something, only to have it picked apart in minutes. “The first time my work got criticized, I took it so personally,” admits Saanchi Jain, a communication design student from Pearl academy, Delhi. “I was like do you hate me as a person or just my layout?” Over time, you learn to separate yourself from your work, or at least pretend to. You develop this

'carrying days of hardwork to the jury with a smile on their face (dont be fooled)'; photograph- Saanvi Mohan, in frame- Brinda Girish Gowda, Kavya Lajpal and Hansika Kohli

weird emotional resilience where you nod during feedback while internally rethinking every life decision that led you here.

There’s also something wildly ironic about being expected to be endlessly creative on command. “Some days I feel like a genius,” says Kabir Khurana, a fashion design student from NIFT Delhi. “And other days I can’t even choose a font without spiralling. But deadlines don’t care if you’re having a creative crisis.” Creative block in design school is not a valid excuse, it’s just another obstacle you’re expected to design your way out of.

And then there’s the environment equal parts inspiring and intimidating. You’re surrounded by incredibly talented people who casually produce work that makes you question your entire existence. “You see someone else’s project and you’re like wow, that’s amazing,” says Aanya Malhotra, architecture design student from UID, Ahmedabad . But at the same time, these are also the people who lend you materials at 2 a.m., help you fix your file five minutes before submission, and sit with you during those mini breakdowns, that feel oddly communal. Nothing bonds people like collective stress.”

There’s also a very real layer of financial and social pressure that doesn’t get talked about enough. Design education is expensive, and not everyone around you understands what you’re working towards. “My parents still ask me what my ‘real job’ will be,I keep saying this is it, but I don’t think they’re convinced,” says Atin Gupta, a graphic design student from Symbiosis Institute of Design, Pune. That constant need to justify your choices, to explain that design is not just a hobby but a career adds another weight to an already heavy workload.

'design school teaches you to observe and see things from all perspectives' , photograph- Saanvi Mohan

Interestingly, this experience isn’t unique to just a few students it’s something widely acknowledged in conversations around design education. Studies on creative disciplines also point out that students face higher levels of stress due to subjective evaluation and continuous output demands, making burnout feel less like an exception and more like part of the process. Yet, despite everything, the sleep deprivation and self-doubt there are moments that make it all feel worth it. “The best feeling is when an idea in your head actually works in real life,like wow, my brain did that.”

Somewhere along the way, design school stops being just about assignments and software. It becomes about how you see the world. “You don’t just become a designer, you become someone who notices everything. Sometimes it’s a blessing, sometimes it’s exhausting,” says Atin. You start finding inspiration in the most random places a cracked wall, metro ticket, the way sunlight filters through dusty windows. Your perspective shifts, quietly but permanently.

And maybe that’s what makes this whole chaotic experience so meaningful. It’s not polished or perfect. It’s messy, overwhelming, occasionally ridiculous, and full of moments where you question everything. “I complain about it all the time, but I also can’t imagine doing anything else,” says Arjun.

'struggling inside but always fashionable outside'; editing- Brinda Girish Gowda,photography- Saanvi Mohan