Ms. Arpita Misra is an Assistant Professor in the Fashion and Lifestyle Accessory Design Department at NIFT Bhubaneswar, specialising in Home Décor and Lighting Design. She joined NIFT in 2021 and teaches Design Fundamentals, 3D Product Sketching and Rendering, Form Studies, and Design Process-based Projects. She previously served as the Centre Coordinator of the department from 2022 to 2025.

Her professional experience includes working as Lighting Designer at Swarovski India and as Lifestyle Accessory Designer with export houses in Delhi/NCR. These experiences contribute to her interdisciplinary approach to design, integrating material exploration, form development, visual aesthetics, and functional considerations. Her areas of academic and professional interest include Lighting and Décor design, Craft-based products and Visual Merchandising.

Beyond teaching, she engages in academic and cultural initiatives and student mentoring. Her interests lie in exploring the intersection of contemporary product design and traditional crafts, with a focus on creating meaningful and context-responsive design solutions. She is particularly intrigued by the interplay of colour, form, materials, and sensory experiences in the design process. Her teaching philosophy is rooted in empathy, experiential learning, and learning by doing, encouraging students to observe, explore, experiment, and develop a deeply personal understanding of design through hands-on engagement.