In November 2024, we kicked off something new at Studio Carbon. A program, a platform or an intiative, call it what you may, the Carbon Cohort was our response to a pattern we saw every year.

We noticed that each year, around November and May, we’d receive a wave of internship requests from design students looking for internships and graduation projects. Many of them were talented. Some of them felt like a great fit. But the process felt tedious, inconsistent and inefficient. We were often hiring on instinct and not through a process that reflected our values.

So we decided to formalise it.

That is how we came about the idea of the Carbon Cohort — A program that would help us find young designers who are experimental, self-initiated and future-focused. Designers who weren’t just skilled, but also divergent in thought. The Carbon Cohort was born out of a simple intention: create an experience that helps us find people excited by the kind of questions we ask at Studio Carbon!

The Thought Behind It

We were clear about one thing. We didn’t want a generic application form or a passive portfolio review. So we created an open-ended design challenge to help us find our kind of people.

At the same time, we knew how stressful internship season can be for students. Waiting for responses, chasing follow-ups and feeling unsure about whether the effort is worth it. So we set a few ground rules for ourselves.

One, we would reply to every applicant. We think that everyone deserves a response, even if they are not selected.

Next, the experience of applying should be meaningful, even for those who don’t make it. Hence, the challenges were structured to become portfolio pieces in their own right.

We also introduced Certificates of Appreciation for the top entries. And while we had promised to showcase some of those entries earlier, this blog is our way of revisiting that promise.

The Design Challenges

For the last cohort, our team decided to design an overarching theme, with 3 sub-challenges that were tuned to each of our design verticals. Each one was rooted in future speculation, and designed to push people to think deeply and imagine freely.

The theme we chose was “Future of Food in a Post Scarcity World”. We imagined a world where traditional agriculture has been revolutionised by technology, making food scarcity a thing of the past.

However, this abundance brought new challenges:

1. Ensuring balanced nutrition in a world of plenty.
2. Maintaining trust in food sources and production methods.
3. Preserving culinary traditions and community connections to food.

We tied each of these challenges to a design discipline and put out the word, patiently waiting for fellow divergent thinkers.

What was the response?

We received over a hundred applications for the Winter Cohort. Most of the applications came in during the final few days. We received appreciation from many of the applicants about how much fun it was to work on the task, and how even the interview process was so much of a learning experience for them.

Out of all the task submissions, some were rough but full of heart. Others were polished but missed the mark. A few stood out completely.

These were the entries that took the brief seriously. They imagined with care. They asked difficult questions and made thoughtful decisions. Out of all the applications, we selected three people to join us at Studio Carbon for a six-month internship.

Each one brought something different to the table, and they’ve been part of the team ever since!

Top 10 Submissions We Loved

Here are ten submissions that really caught our attention. They’re not ranked in any order, because each one stood out for a different reason. Clarity, courage, creativity or process.

We’re sharing them here because we believe they deserve to be seen. We have also tagged their profiles, so do reach out to them if you liked what they created!

Kirthana S — Industrial Design

Kirthana brought a refreshingly different perspective to the brief. Her idea stood apart from others, not just in form but in the clarity of her thinking. Her background in HCI and UX also reflected in how she approached the problem — structured, sensitive and original.

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Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kirthanas/

Shlok Shetye — UI/UX Design

Shlok’s submission was built on solid research and a deep understanding of the user. The visual design was clean and the thinking was thorough. His ability to frame insights and use them meaningfully showed maturity in approach.

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Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shlok-shetye-a8b24920a/

Suvrat Golchha — Industrial Design

Suvrat’s energy was immediately visible in his work. His design process was clear, and he brought a strong maker’s mindset to the table. He had already prototyped nearly a hundred versions of one product before even joining us. That kind of commitment stays with you.

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Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suvrat-golchha-283571243/

Ashwin Fulfagar — UI/UX Design

Ashwin took the challenge quite seriously and made the effort to test and prototype new interactions. His work was one of the most implementation-ready submissions we received! He did more than thinking. He was creating a product.

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Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashwinfulfagar/

Priyanga Rajkumar — Industrial Design

Priyanga’s approach was structured and thoughtful. She translated research insights into design with clarity and care. Her work felt intentional and well-communicated, and we found that her skills would complement any design team.

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Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/priyanga-rajkumar/

Tisha Barman — Communication Design

Tisha’s submission showed an interesting mix of future speculation and systems thinking. Her ability to think across functions and imagine scale made her work stand out. She also brought a practical lens to her storytelling, which added depth to the concept.

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Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tishabarman/

Srinibash Bartia — UI/UX Design

Srinibash’s process was honest and clear. His submission reflected ordered thinking and a strong understanding of the brief. While it stayed within a familiar structure, the strength of his logic and UX flow made the work feel well considered and complete.

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Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/srinibash-bartia-39613b29b/

Aayushi Kalpesh Shah — Industrial Design

Aayushi imagined a speculative and imaginative future for food and supply chains. Her scenario building was detailed and convincing. What stood out was that even though she was a vegetarian, she showed great insight and consideration durint research of cultured meat. It was also one of the few submissions that tackled a taboo subject in a thoughtful and nuanced way.

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Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aayushi-kalpesh-shah-176784284/

Vaidehi Shirsath — Communication Design

Vaidehi’s strength lay in systems and structure. Her ability to scope complexity, ask sharp questions and communicate clearly stood out. She also showed potential in information design and strategic thinking, which gave her work a sense of quiet strength.

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Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vaidehi-shirsath/

Kalabi Meetei — UI/UX Design

Kalabi approached the challenge with an unusual lens. Her interpretation of the brief was distinct, and her process revealed a strong conceptual imagination. There was a boldness in her ideas that made her submission stand apart.

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Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kalabi-m/

We congratulate all participants who submitted their design visions with us, and for coming up with ideas that inspired our imagination. While we could take in only a few, we are confident that these young designers will shine through their thinking and work.

What Next?

The Winter Cohort taught us a lot. We saw what worked, what didn’t, and where we could do better. We are currently in the process to kick off our next edition of the Carbon Cohort. This time, it’ll be coming in with rains!

This time, for the Monsoon ’25 edition, we’re doing a few things differently.

• We’ve decoupled design challenges from specific disciplines. So applicants can now mix and match briefs and design lenses freely.
• We’re building a stronger brand for the cohort, with clearer information, a dedicated website and better resources to help candidates apply.
• We’re also setting up a better system for timely communication with applicants, and keep you informed at each step.

We want this program to grow and evolve every season. And we want it to reflect the values we care about at Studio Carbon.

Why You Should Apply

The Carbon Cohort is built for designers who are just starting out, but already thinking ahead. It’s for people who want to question, explore and make things that matter.

If you’re looking for a space where you can learn by doing, challenge the usual way of thinking and work on projects that push boundaries, this might just be your dream workplace!

You’ll be part of a team that values both freedom and rigour. You’ll get to work on live projects and open-ended explorations. And you’ll be joining a studio that’s constantly asking “what’s next?” not just for design, but for the world.

The Monsoon 2025 Cohort will be launched soon. So to all the budding design minds out there

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Stay Tuned!

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