We had the opportunity to interview Nihaarika Arora, a multidisciplinary designer whose work sits at the crossroads of culture, technology, and innovation. Her practice is shaped as much by global experience as it is by a deep sensitivity to meaning, form, and human experience. Working between New York City and India, Arora describes her approach as a hybrid between tangible and intangible design — where physical products, digital systems, and brand-led experiences intersect.
Grounded in the belief that design should feel personal, intuitive, and emotionally resonant, her work consistently reflects a quiet elegance, cultural depth, and a commitment to creating objects and experiences that extend beyond immediate function.
How would you describe your practice today?
Nihaarika: Today, my practice combines leadership, authorship, and culturally informed design. As Design Lead at Core Home, I guide product development across multiple consumer categories for global lifestyle brands, lead cross-functional teams, and scale products across global markets.
Alongside this, I maintain an independent design practice, including the design of a product for the MoMA Design Store and my own jewelry collections, which I develop in collaboration with long-standing manufacturing partners for the Indian market.
At its core, my practice is about creating meaningful, scalable products that integrate culture, technology, and material intelligence — products that are functional, refined, and thoughtfully designed to resonate on more than just a practical level.
Was there a turning-point moment that pushed you toward contemporary product design?
Nihaarika: Honestly, I knew fairly early on that I wanted to be part of the design community. The real turning point, though, came in high school when I took a Design & Technology class as part of my IBDP curriculum. Until then, I’d mostly been exposed to fine arts, but that class showed me how art and functionality could merge — how an object could be both beautiful and purposeful.
That’s when I realized design isn’t just about just making things; it’s about shaping experiences. That realization stayed with me through my education at Parsons and SVA and continues to guide my independent design practice.
Your work moves between global scale and personal authorship. How do you balance those worlds?
Nihaarika: I don’t see them as opposites. Scale doesn’t have to mean loss of soul, and authorship doesn’t have to mean limited reach. I believe that design should be able to live in millions of homes and still carry meaning, intention, and cultural depth. That balance — between accessibility and identity — is what I care about most in my work.
Your product at the MoMA Design Store has been a major milestone. What has that meant for you?
Nihaarika: The collaboration with the MoMA Design Store represents a defining milestone in my professional career and a formal validation of my standing within the international design community. My design for the Modern Geometry Jewelry Stand is an exclusive product developed for MoMA and is now distributed online and across MoMa Stores in the US and Japan.
The project required advanced conceptual rigor, material experimentation, and structural refinement. Through iterative prototyping and direct feedback from the MoMA team, I refined the design to achieve a balance between sculptural presence and everyday functionality.
Following its release in June 2024, the design achieved international retail distribution and received multiple prestigious awards, including the New York Product Design Award, French Design Award, London Design Award, and IDA Design Award. These recognitions, along with the visibility associated with MoMA, have positioned me as a designer of international merit and expanded my professional opportunities and collaborations globally which I am very grateful for.
You were recently nominated for the IDSA WID NYC Luminary Award in December 2025. What did that recognition represent for you?
Nihaarika: It felt like being recognized not just for what I’ve done, but for what I’m building toward. Being placed alongside women who have shaped the field for decades was incredibly meaningful. The nomination felt like a signal that the industry is beginning to recognize new forms of leadership — global, hybrid, culturally grounded, and systems-oriented.
What kind of future do you want to help shape for industrial design?
Nihaarika: One that’s more inclusive, interdisciplinary, and human-centered. Designers shouldn’t just make objects; they should shape systems, access, and experiences. The future of design lies in empathy, cultural intelligence, and responsibility, not just form and aesthetics.
What’s next for you?
Nihaarika: In the near term, At Core Home, I’m expanding cross-category design leadership, deepening global partnerships and driving product development across multiple consumer categories at scale. In July 2025, I was appointed to lead an industrial design team in India, marking a shift into global team leadership and cross-border design strategy which I am looking forward to expanding in 2026.
In parallel, I’m launching a fine jewelry line that blends South Asian design language with a modern global aesthetic. The focus is on building not just jewelry pieces, but a platform that actively supports and scales women-led design practices.
At the same time, I’m developing a women’s health product in the healthcare space, building on my earlier work in menstrual and medical design. I believe that function and care must be treated as design fundamentals, not afterthoughts.
At a larger scale, I’m expanding my role as a global design leader, moving fluidly between consumer, healthcare, and lifestyle to create brands and systems where commerce, culture, and care intersect.
Interview conducted by: Ethan Cole
