Third edition of design festival hosted in Mumbai

Pantone’s Mocha Mousse debuted in India at the third edition of Mumbai Design Xpress (MDX) where Mumbai’s design community celebrated colour’s transformative power through panel discussions, workshops, and performances on 19 December.

06 Jan 2025 | By Vimal Parmar

MDX was organised by the Association of Designers of India (ADI)

Mumbai’s design community gathered for MDX, an event that celebrated innovation, creativity, and the transformative power of colour in design. The event was organised by the Mumbai chapter of the Association of Designers of India (ADI).

The highlight of the event was the launch celebration of Pantone's Colour of the Year, marking the first time this global announcement had been celebrated in India. Elley Cheng, president of Pantone, unveiled the chosen hue, Pantone 17-1230 Mocha Mousse, a warm brown hue.

The event featured sessions with industry leaders. This included, animation in colour: India and the West by Suresh Eriyat, founder of Studio Eeksaurus, who explored the role of colour in Indian animation and its contrasts with Western styles. He was joined by Gerald Conn, a UK-based animator and BAFTA winner, known for his innovative sand animation. The session was moderated by Suresh Venkat, consultant and media trainer.

A panel discussion whose theme was nuances of colour in design and culture was led by Pritha Thadani, founder of Please See. The panelists included Ashwini Deshpande, co-founder of Elephant Design Studio, who discussed colour's cultural significance in Indian design; Navdeep Kaur, founder of The Colour Workshop, who spoke about the application of colour research in modern design; Ayesha Parikh, founder of Art and Charlie, who discussed colour’s influence on urban aesthetics; and Elley Cheng, who highlighted colour’s role across design mediums.

Later, Elley Cheng shared insights about Pantone's selected Colour of the Year - its selection process, anticipated impact across various design disciplines and influence on identity and trends.

The event also featured an experiential workshop by Anuj Sharma, founder of Button Masala, along with a sitar performance and a poetry recital inspired by Mocha Mousse.

One of the largest networks of designers, ADI's MDX was a celebration of creativity, design and designers, setting the stage for changing the design landscape in 2025 and beyond.