Prof Balaram has been a proactive researcher and has authored on core of design domains from Design Thinking and Cognition, Folklore and Stories, Product Design: Semantics and Symbolism to Universal Design and Design for Development (context: Asian Design). His published collections inspire towards exploring and investigating better possibilities with the empathy-based/ humane professional practice that the Industrial Designers of today should aim to acquire as a sustainable, practice-based skill set. Of all these journal articles, papers, personal records of documenting methods and processes of his for students and practitioners; the three of his landmark published books are as follows:
- Design Approaches: The Left & The Right | A Visual Primer (2017) | Designed by: Aditi Elassery (Alumni, DJ Academy of Design, Coimbatore) in collaboration with Prof S Balaram [14]
- Thinking Design (2013)
- DESIGN Quotes (2001) published by NID Ahmedabad
- Design (Bengali illustrated version) 2012, published by Monfakira books
- Design Values (2018) Book design by Jayashree V, published by DJ Academy of design
Second edition (2020) published by Sasi Creative Institute of Design
- Q&A on Education (2014), illustrations by Shiva Nallaperumal, published by DJ Academy of design
Along with the chapter contribution in the ‘Universal Design Handbook’, Prof Balaram has also made section contributions in ‘
Britannica INDIA Encyclopedia’ Vol 6, ‘
Teaching Universal Design’, ‘
The Idea of Design: Arthaya’, ‘
Design and development in South and South-East Asia’, and ‘
Quality through Industrial Design’, ‘
Development of Industrial Design in Asia’ that he co-authored with Prof. Darlie O Koshy, former Director, NID in ‘
Hall of Fame: Companies searching for Excellence in Design: a review of the 21st Century’, Vol 1, 2003, edited by Peter Zec: on behalf of the ICSID [15].
Chapters in Major Publications:
- The Reunion and other stories (2003) published by National School Design
- Cotton (2008) published by Best seller & Upasana Foundation
- Universal Design Hand Book (2011) published by Mcgraw Hill
- Design: Critical and primary sources (2015) published by Bloomsbury, New York
