2019
VOLUME 01 ISSUE 01
Kreative Annual Magazine of Kerala State Institute of Design - KSID
Copyright owned by Kerala State Institue of Design , India Be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in any retrieval system of any nature without prior written permission from the publisher. Publication 2019 Processed at Kerala State Institute of Design
01
STUDENT ARTICLES
About Smiles and Frowns
Now I’m not someone who is immune to this phenomenon. I am acutely aware of the large number of times when I’ve wore the classic frown, the irritated scowl, or the flustered stare in public. But I’ve noticed that having a pleasant expression in public does wonders to my mood. I feel….. lighter, happier. But when I look around in public, there are not too many happy faces.
Write-up by Abhishek Mitra
Having a pleasant expression in public does wonders to my mood
ABHISHEK MITRA 4th SEMESTER ILPD
o there I was, walking. S You know, just walking….. along a really crowded pave-
ment. Hordes of people in front, hordes behind and a river of faces passing me from the opposite direction. Since the general speed was pretty high, most of these faces passed me by like a blur and I didn’t really take much notice of them. At first, that is. After walking for a while I started paying the passing visages a trifle more attention. And then it happened. The thought. It was one of those thoughts that hit you suddenly, as if the air had turned into a giant fist and taken a jab at your ribcage. It was a simple thought. So obvious, that in hindsight, I wonder why it hadn’t occurred to me before. That thought was: Why is hardly anybody smiling?
Mind you, I’m not talking about an ear-to-ear grin here. You can’t expect people to wear ear-to-ear grins in public. It would probably seem silly. But hey, how about a pleasant, happy expression? Is that too much to ask? As I passed face after face wearing various shades of Frown, Sadness, Boredom and Blank Stares, the question did a whole vortex routine in my head. Why, I asked myself, did so many people have to wear expressions that reminded one of some incoming thunderstorm? Now, having a pleasant expression can actually make you feel better. Don’t believe me? Try it out. So what was the point of so many frowns?
So why did I bring this up? Well, recently I happened to go through this amazingly written blog post by Melissa Febos. This article refers to a particular city, but it is equally applicable to many places in the world. Reading it took me back to the street where I had first noticed the multitude of gloomy visages. The article seems to provide a possible explanation to this phenomenon. Is it possible, as the article suggests, that these people can be themselves, only in public? Maybe, the streets and the public transport provide the anonymity that they desire and revel in. Perhaps, out there in the open, they can display their fears, hopes, sorrows, without being judged.
Perhaps this naked vulnerability is protected by the apparent indifference that a public place provides. This is not to say that strangers don’t care. I’ve seen too many random acts of kindness by strangers to say that. I thought about this again while walking, and felt my own countenance developing a grave look. I tried to bring it back to a pleasant expression but was surprised at the effort it took this time. The article had me thinking deeply indeed! I wondered if it was a good thing to allow my face to display my problems in public. Should I even bother to keep a sunny expression around strangers? But then, with the change of expression, the old lightness returned and I was left with no clear answer.
Feeling low, much? Write-up by Abhishek Mitra
By void, I imply the sense of emptiness that we often feel when our self worth takes a punch.
ome time ago, I came across S this article. It referred to a study that showed people who
A feeling, like anger, has the ability to make us do things
iment dealt with one of the ways in which we react to a bruised ego.
were feeling low were more likely to shop using credit Generally speaking, such a card rather than cash. feeling, like anger, has the ability to make us do things The two important points in that we normally wouldn’t the study were as follows: want to. (i) People tended to purchase expensive, luxurious ‘things’ Some attempt to recover when they suffered from dent- their self worth by purchased egos, in order to boost their ing things that go beyond self esteem their means. This is where (ii) Said people were likely to the credit card part comes in. pay via credit card since part- When we pay in cash, it can ing with cash can seem like a make us acutely aware of pretty painful experience. the amount of money we are spending. However, a credit The aforementioned exper- card often allows us to ignore
things such as the condition of quaintances. our bank balances. Another common example of In effect, such actions repre- our response to this inner void sent some sort of pseudo-par- is the rebound relationship. adisic (is that even a word?) Often, after the end of a long reality where one has infinite loving relationship, a person amount of money. In times of might feel an enormous sense dejection and self pity, reason of emptiness within. Often, is oft forgotten in order to find he/she jumps into a new relaa quick fix way to feel good. tionship simply in order to fill the gap. In most such cases, For some, feeling low offers it is the desire to compensate an excuse to get drunk. Low the end of the previous relaself esteem and alcohol can tionship rather than love that be a very potent combination. is the driving force. Many drift towards food at the time of sadness. Binge eating, We often go to great lengths is often the refuge of the de- to redeem our self worth. It jected. is difficult to end this article Doing so, we often forget how without being a little preachy. it might affect our body. And So, advanced apologies. not just the body; the next morning’s hangover (in case The next time you feel low, it of alcohol), indigestion, pos- might be a good idea to keep sible weight gain (in case of away the alcohol, credit card binge eating), and the associ- and binge-potential food. You ated guilt (in case of both), can might want to figure out the cause great mental anguish cause of your sadness and try too. to make amends to the extent possible. Sleeping over a probSo what is it about feeling low lem can also be helpful. It will that allows us to suspend our refresh you and allow you to sense of reason and accounta- better deal with your issues. bility? And what’s more, it is free! Maybe (and the operational word here is maybe), it all boils down to the void. By void, I imply the sense of emptiness that we often feel when our self worth takes a punch. Such a situation can arise out of a variety of reasons. Reasons include, bad performance in a task, inability to reach a goal, losing something precious to us, etc. Getting drunk allows us to momentarily escape the void but alcohol and sadness can result in an emotionally wrenching experience (not to mention the hangover). Buying expensive, desirable items often provides a boost to the self esteem and momentarily fills up the void. That beautiful painting or that great jacket might be a tad expensive but it can certainly provide momentary happiness and admiration from ac-
Kerala Mural Painting Write-up by Vijin Govind
VIJIN GOVIND 2nd SEMESTER IICD
K
erala is the land flourished by art. Taking essence from tanjavur style of art Kerala’s paintings still stand firm. Approximately from 14th or 15th century Kerala paintings started experimenting.
wall paintings. Most artists painted by following a special style. The science of body language is usually prominently used in these kind of paintings. Before drawing a wall painting the artist has to undergo fasting. After that on walls that are levelled by Wall murals are usually associated mortar according to the imporwith temple art. In temples on the tance of the painting, yellow, red, walls around the shrine, the stories green, black colours are used. The on Hindu myths are made in visual blue colour is a continuity of modrepresentations are the so called ernism. Kerala wall paintings. Most Kerala wall paintings are rich with straight lines. The paintings are completed in 5 colours. Green, Red, Yellow, Blue, Black are the colours usually used for the paintings. We can still see the wall murals in good condition on the walls of shrine of padmanabaswami temple in Trivandrum. Green leaves and natural colours was used in the earlier stages of
The technology and relationships essay Short Essay by Sujit Kumar
SUJIT KUMAR 2nd SEMESTER IICD
evelopment in technology D has influenced the way of communication in various
ways. While some of change in technology may have a negative effect and some may have positive effect as well. But my opinion is that modern technology has improved the communication across the globe. There is significant change the way we communicate in several medium. Perhaps the simple example is that nowadays many people are in touch to their friends and relatives through social networking platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Whatsapp. Another evident is how the
email and texting have almost completely replaced the letter as the primary form of written communication. Reason behind is the moderns way of communications are more convenient, fast, easy and instant.
Why is it important to leave a legacy? Write-up by Aritra Mahapatra
ARITRA MAHAPATRA 2nd SEMESTER ILPD
ssociations are crucial A in the current social setup. An example would be the school you went to or a certain group you follow. It immediately gives the other person a sense of what or who you are as a person. Conversations take off quickly if you belong to an entity which has a mass outreach. Now, how is association fitting our context? What does association have to do with “Legacy”? To begin with, “legacy” in this context is not the inheritance of materialistic belongings. Here, it has a much wider approach. Also, one doesn’t need
to die to leave a legacy in this context. As we grow up, we attend different schools, institutions, organizations and also, make friends, have a circle and so forth. Back in my high school, my small circle made a pact to attend school every year during summer break. Now, over the years, other long-lost classmates have also started joining us on the same day when we visited the school. Slowly, it has become an unofficial reunion of our batch where we meet and relieve out days at school. The impact was such that some of the classmates travel from
their job location in some other country to join everyone on that day. What our small circle was able to do was leave a legacy or start an activity that happens periodically. There are many small events that we overlook are examples of this. Say, the family outings on weekends or passing on a certain habit or celebrating birthdays in a certain manner, all these are small examples of what you can leave behind. While the context is now set, let’s focus on the big question It’s like a sapling that that we have here. Rememsomeone planted and ber the club you were a part other nurtured turning of, in college? Or the event in your locality that is very popinto a tree ular? Someone, like you or me, started it and over time had its own build up. Then, there were others who worked to make it bigger and today they are what they are. Such clubs or events give multiple people today a sense of association. It’s like a sapling that someone planted and other nurtured turning into a tree which is providing multiple benefits to the current people. Still, the question remains as what’s in it for you? The talk
of someday it will be beneficial to someone sounds good as a social experiment, right? Well, such acts of leaving a legacy usually stand the test of time if it’s that impactful. Also, routine life can be stressful and tiring. Mostly, one comes across struggles and failures than successes which affect us in our process of growth. In such a scenario, inspiration can come from unexpected sources like a small initiative that you took when young turning into something multifold today. Such a thing is the success story you are looking for and gives you the inspiration you need. It’s like watching a long-term investment grow. Many associate legacies with building statues and having “smaraks” which fulfills the ego of a man. But it need not always be driven by ego. In many cases, it is just the act of initiating something or trying to improve something that is already there. Mostly, people might not even acknowledge or remember who initiated it but it is still important that it’s done.
The age of Stand-up! Write-up by Aritra Mahapatra
man and a mic, that’s all A it takes to entertain a crowd. This has been proven
by the stand-up comics of this generation. You rarely need props if you have the content and if you can deliver. In the Western World, stand-up has been very strong for decades now, with popular faces like George Carlin and Moms Mabley during the ’60s to recent ones like Louis C.K. and Chris Rock. Although modern stand-up is relatively new in India and has recently gained prominence, there have always been comics like Johnny Lever with his popular show “Hope 86”. These comedians are ac- Probably, in India, modern tually trying to break the stand-up was made popular barrier and talk about by shows like Movers n ShakThe Great Indian Laughthings which others shy ers, ter Challenge and so on. This away from. platform made comedians like Raju Srivastav, Kapil Sharma and Sunil Pal, a household name. Their content was mostly in Hindi and catered to the TV watching family audience. Slowly they have formed a niche of their own with standalone shows airing during prime time. They, however, failed to make a connection with the younger office going or college crowd, mainly because of their content. It was only around 20082009 that Vir Das and Papa CJ started making a mark in the country with their style of comedy which was hugely inspired by the US and UK styles of stand-ups and the medium were English. Consequently, other youngsters also took up to comedy and it
started gaining its reputation. The example of Canvas Laugh Club, Mumbai is clearly an indication of how this was an unexplored art in the country. Initially, it was a branch of The Comedy Store, London where comedians from the UK used to perform to a niche audience and also supporting many homegrown budding comedians. Slowly, the homegrown comedians started building a name for themselves and this led to a culture of open mics and shows in cities like Bangalore, Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, etc. Today, Canvas Laugh Club has multiple outlets all across the country hosting shows as well as promoting stand-up by giving a platform to budding artists. Also, platforms like YouTube and Facebook throttled the growth of these comedians as many of them came up with creative content like “Pretentious Movie Reviews” by Biswa Kalyan Rath and Kannan Gill. Also, later streaming platforms like Amazon and Netflix have given a medium for these stand-up artists to put up their “specials” which are very popular. But the art of telling jokes is no joke. It takes months of practice and rejection of dud jokes to compile a 60-minute set. Recently, a show by Vipul Goyal named “Humorously Yours” showcase the struggles and efforts behind the scenes. Vipul, an IIT Grad, is one of the very first modern stand-up artists of the country. Again, a show by Zakir Khan shows how popular this form of art
is becoming in the country. Zakir’s shows are based on nostalgia with a wide connect and fills auditoriums with audiences. The “superstar” of Indian stand-up scene, Zakir has a cult following similar to Shahrukh Khan or Salman Khan. Recently, while attending a stand-up show, my mom was surprised as to why I was paying 1000 bucks to listen to jokes. That struck me and I started to analyze. A lot of thoughts later, it dawned upon me that these are not merely jokes. These comedians are actually trying to break the barrier and talk about things which others shy away from.
Not only the topics appeal to you but many a time have a message attached to them. It’s funny, how delivery can make a topic more acceptable. The giants of comedy, All India Bakchod, started a show named “On Air with AIB!” which was a satirical take on issues that plague the nation. That was outright intelligent! If only the mainstream media could come up with something similar than a blaring man on TV spreading propaganda by terming it a “debate”. Makes me wonder the relevance of this art form and its potential. While that makes you ponder, I’ll probably watch some more videos by my favorite artists.
The Stares
Ladybird
Short story by Fawaz Kiliyanni
Short story by Mrudula Patankar
FAWAZ KILIYANNI
MRUDULA PATANKAR
2nd SEMESTER
4th SEMESTER
ILPD
IICD
been long since i perIfiest’sformed the role that satisthe audience as well as
A voice Rose from behind me, it was the three legged single round eyed creature
me. As I started playing Theyyam, “I am CANON “ it said i was surrounded by them, they were in front and behind “I am NIKON” a long pipe me. Some of them had three nosed one said from another legs. One of them was flying. corner. others were sitting among them. More voices emerged from the crowd. They did not let me free even while i was sitting under the “I am OPPO”, “I am SAMbanyan tree after performing SUNG”, “i phone” the theyyam. They were staring at me without even taking “Ooh.. enough.. Stop it “ their eye from my face. Their vicious eyes from different an I changed my costume. startgles kept annoying me. ed Walking out of the temple premises. In the streets, I That was it, i couldn’t take it could see some people those anymore, and I asked who don’t have the interest to enjoy the art with their naked “ who are you ?, where are you eyes. The bent headed people coming from ? “ where busy with something in their hands. No reply Asked again loudly “who are you all? “
not an early bird, nor a Iing’mnight owl. But I keep swingbetween these two birds.
glistened more than the rest. There it was, busy swimming after food towards the bank; I Back and forth. spotted a cute little ladybird I like to revel in these small jogging along the edge of the moments of peace - the quiet pond. My eyes followed it as freshness of a new dawn or it met another one chilling the day’s silent retrieval into at the corner of the pond slab the darkness. leading to another one and then I spotted lots of them, Whenever I wake up early, I some very tiny babies, some make sure to step out. Nature were spotted and fully grown. is at its best in the morning. Plants are dappled with dew; I found myself thinking of 13 flowers bloom to greet the sun; years back to when I was just bugs and bees emerge into the a 10 year old city kid. I always fresh air. longed for the summer vacaI woke up early today and tions to my granny’s place up stepped out to the pond near in the mountains where there my house to say hello to the were more trees than people. fishes and to feed them. Not just trees but bugs, fishes, worms, animals, flowers and I watched the fish reach for what not. My granny had a their food, playful yet intense, big house with a nice big gar competing with their brethren den and the fence was a long for each mouthful. I thought series of tall /Longke/ shrubs about how black and white which were the ladybirds’ fathings were for animals, see- vorite. These cute little bugs ing the very basic law of na- used to keep me company and ture “survival of the fittest” I remember them being bigin action. My eyes searched ger in size. Spotting them and for the one golden fish, which watching these spotted bugs
run on my hand felt ticklish because you could feel their teeny tiny legs pacing really fast. What amazed me the most was the way it would open its protective wing cover, much like an autobot in Transformers and fly away.
To me these were beautiful little creatures.But these ones by the pond were tiny. Then it hit me. The ladybirds had remained the same size. I had grown up.
My Worst Fear Short story by Mrudula Patankar
hanon loves to travel and S explore new terrains, cultures, cuisines and people.
She’s an avid solo backpacker having travelled to about 16 countries and 5 union territories. The good thing about being a solo traveller is that they’re never alone. Although, that may sound weird but its true. Fellow travellers or locals are always there to give her company. Sipping her coffee in a small cafe in Sabah, Malaysia; she saw a fellow traveller asking for directions to the Borneo Rainforest. That was where Shanon was headed today for a short trek through the forest to her stay which was a bit towards the interior of the forest. She got talking with the fellow traveller Alana who’d sat down with her cup of coffee as well. She had just visited India, Nepal and was now exploring Malaysia. In no time Shanon and Alana bonded over their love for travelling and making connections with other souls. They planned to do the Borneo trek together that day.
Shanon and Alana embarked on the Borneo trek to discover the natural and uncut beauty of the jungle. As they tread deeper into the forest taking in all the nature around them, enjoying the music of the woods. They stopped by a small waterfall/ stream to quench their throats and take a short break. As Shanon reached to tie her laces, she noticed a black patch squiggling on her leg. Shanon led out the loudest scream she’d made in her entire life. Alana was quick to react and came to rescue. She found a stick and removed it. “Its only a leech”, she said trying to calm her down. After Shanon calmed down, slightly embarrassed by her erratic reaction, she told Alana about her childhood. “When I was about 12 years old I lived in the mountains surrounded by a tropical forest. Whenever I went outdoors to play, my mother warned me to be careful about the leeches in the grass. Every time I came back to the house my mom would check me for leeches and that
would be the most horrifying part because you’d find them hiding curled up between your toes sucking your blood and growing fat. Few months later we moved to another city where there were no leeches. But we kept frequenting the mountains every now and then. Since then I haven’t really overcome this irrational fear”, explained Shanon. “Scary events can produce great lasting fear. What scares Thats a great way to look at you the most about them?” it. I’ll keep that in mind from asked Alana, “They look unnow on pleasant, their slimy texture and the way they creep up and suck your blood without you knowing scares me the most, although I know my fear is purely psychological so I keep pushing myself to face them.” “Thats a brave thing to do”, said Alana. They started walking towards their stay when they found themselves on a cliff overlooking the city they’d started from. They sat there to take in the beautiful sight of the sunset. “You
know how I think of leeches?” , said Alana. “They’re just a part of nature and they suck impure blood out of you. In a way you’re giving blood for the eco-system. They generally are not dangerous. Also, they’re natures’ creation and it would be very shallow of us to judge them on their appearance, because in the end they’re also animals trying to survive, just like you and me. Do you want to know how I deal with leeches? I think of myself as heroically brave and wait for the leech to perish”, said Alana. “Thats a great way to look at it. I’ll keep that in mind from now on, thanks!” Shanon said. Their connected strengthened and Shanon was less anxious about the leeches on the way. They reached their stay in no time and Shanon didn’t freak out as much when they checked for leeches this time. They filled themselves up with good food after the short trek and shared many more travel stories while stargazing that night.
Lost Impressions Photo story by Namita Chauhan
NAMITA CHAUHAN 4th SEMESTER IICD
A picture is a thousand words said, is absolutely true. It refers to the notion that a complex idea can be conveyed with just a single picture, this picture conveys its meaning or essence more effectively than a description does.
Wonder Photo story by Gopika Santhosh
GOPIKA SANTHOSH 2nd SEMESTER ILPD
Some jouneys stay frozen in time while others take a life of their own. They fly in our imagination
Wallflower
Soulmate
Short poem by Namitha Chauhan
Short poem by Sujit Kumar
I hide a lot of things I pretend to be happy around people I pretend to be lovely and noisy I usually like to listen to people around instead of being in the centre of one I like staying around people but not talking to them I’m not alone, I’m not Anti-Social I’m an Introvert I don’t want to be anything else I just want to be talk to myself
The way your eyes fix on my eyes. The way you hold my gaze. The moment, I lost myself in you.. Walking down in the silence. Wind blows like chime.. I wonder to stop the time... You decended the realm of moon Riding down on the cloud.. Wispering in your ears beneath the eternal moon..
02
STUDENT PROJECTS
Yashtika Environmentally friendly toothbrush
AMRITHA RS 4th SEMESTER ILPD Whta is Yashtika? The Yashtika toothbrush is the combination of modern, toothbrush technology with the ancient techniques of twig toothbrushes. This unique product uses bristles made from the soft twigs of neem and Yashtimadhu (Licorice). The Yashtika toothbrush is incredible with its own benefits; here are some of the benefits: • The Yashtika gives you improved cleaning • Tooth and gum damage, so commonly diagnosed by today’s dentists, is prevented • Get proper clean with a simple use • The heads can be easily screwed into the handle • The handle is made up of wood which is 100% bio degradable • Yashtika is 100% vegan product • Can avoid toothpaste completely and improve your health
How to use Yashtika Screw the twig into the hole of the toothbrush Chew the top portion of the twig gently around 1 cm until bristles form. Start brushing each and every tooth Massage your gums with the tip of the twig Wash the twig brush head in normal water Let it dry
DES-TRY A board game without a board
AKASH J NIRAVATH 4th SEMESTER ILPD
What is DES-TRY?
I learnt that as a designer how important my role is, in order to create something meaningful with equal playfulness
It is a board game without a board. A resizable boundary and the game components will be given to the kids. They can use any base and any dimension to play the game. The game is a war game with points with respect to different tasks. There will be two teams, battling to save their castle.
Inspiration of designer in designing the game From childhood till now, I have come across a number of toys but never thought the process going behind. I was lucky enough to have a childhood filled with varieties of games indoor as well as outdoor. But now, I feel these things are missing from today’s kids lives. They are having less time, cheap materials, less space and a small company to play with. While choosing the topic, I didn’t realize about the toxicity in which the generation today is living in. I learnt that as a designer how important my role is, in order to create something meaningful with equal playfulness. My final aim was to give the kids the feeling which I had when I used to play as a kid.
UNI-CAST A re-sizeable cast to lock elbow and twisting action of wrist for curing hand fracture.
MANU PRASAD 4th SEMESTER ILPD
The product makes the casting process less complicated as well as less time consuming.
What is UNI-CAST? UNI-CAST is a re-sizeable cast for curing hand fractures. This can be used for varying hand size among adults. This product solves all problems and issues faced while using current casting methods. Problems faced by user based on research and observation in current casting methods (plastering/fibre glass) includes Itching, sores on skin, neck pain due to load of cast while hanging, dead cell accumulation, foul smell and difficulty in keeping the cast dry in shower. UNI-CAST is functional for fractures in elbow, wrist, ulnar bone and radius bone. This can be also used for splinting in these area. The purpose of casting is to immobilise the fractured part. The two possible movements of hand are elbow movements (elbow flexion) and wrist
movements (pronation and suppination of hand). UNI-CAST locks the elbow at 90 degree using push button and the form is designed in such a manner that restrict all the twisting motion of wrist. The light weight and water proof nature of UNI-CAST brings the user more at ease. UNI-CAST is a unisex design and can be used for both right as well as left hand. Radial and Length re-sizeability - the radial size of UNICAST is taken from 95th percentile of Indian anthropometric data. The flexibility of polystyrene material makes it compatible even for 5th percentile. Length of UNI-CAST can be adjusted to fit any adult’s hand size. The material used is polystyrene based on its strength and flexibility. The manufacturing process is extrusion blow moulding.
Kreative