Kalamkhush by Anupriya Arvind

Studio II Branding Initiative for Kalamkhush

The Project ~ â&#x20AC;&#x153;Kalamkhush, Hum khush!â&#x20AC;?

Studio II is the second project in the PG graphic design course of the NID curriculum. We are expected to identify problems in any given field and use a design process to come up with viable design solutions. From the three topics (Khadi, School Education - K-12 and Indian Spices) given to us, I chose to work on the topic of Khadi, in lieu of the MoU signed between NID and KVIC. After having searched for quite some time on various aspects of Khadi, I realised that as a design student what inspired me most was the entire concept of using Khadi paper. However, on asking around I surprisingly found how little people knew about it. A visit to the Khadi paper unit, Kalamkhush, near the Sabarmati Ashram made me believe that a lot could be done in this sector in my capacity as a graphic designer. The effort, research and development and innovation that goes into creating these 2D masterpieces should be recognised and appreciated and used by everyone who uses paper. This cultivated my idea for working on the awareness and branding of Kalam Khush. For more details. please look at my project proposal on http://www.kalamkhush.blogspot. in/2012/09/kalam-khush-hum-khush.html

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Kalam Khush is the sole Khadi hand made paper manufacturing and retail unit in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. Not only does it keep the Gandhian philosophy of self reliance and self sustainability alive, by providing employment but also creates a platform for many artisans to preserve their age old tradition of making paper. This project is aimed at recognising and re-visiting this indigenous enterprise.

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Phase I : Brainstorming & Research ~ “Kalamkhush? ... What’s that?!” For people who are bitten by the fascination and quest for unique paper, Kalam Khush is just the antidote for you. Located just across the Sabarmati Ashram, this indigenous paper manufacturing unit provides the only Khadi paper in Gujarat. Using the Gandhian philosophy of creating traditionally indian hand made goods while providing employment and self reliance, this novel enterprise by KVIC concentrates on making and selling of a huge variety of unique khadi hand made paper. In addition to bulk paper, they also create products such as bags, frames, notebooks, wrapping paper, lamps, envelopes in their workshops.

story goes that once when Gandhiji gifted [ The this paper to the famous Gujarati Litterateur,

Kaka Kalekar, he said - “My kalam is khush to write on this beautiful paper”, and that’s how Kalamkhush got its name.

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There is a wide variety of papers and other products at Kalam Khush. Kalam Khush uses the remains and scraps of used and thrown away Khadi cloth to create pulp and then re create paper from it. In addition to Khadi cloth which is easily available to them, they also include other cloth fabrics, threads, flower petals, grass, hay, and weeds in the pulp to add to the paper quality and aesthetics. The beauty of the Khadi paper is that it is acid free and gives a beautiful finish to all kinds of artwork in various media, be it ink, watercolor, pastels or charcoal. Especially for ink and watercolor artwork, Khadi paper is very fruitful as it absorbs the correct amount of water for the perfect look. For more information, visit my blog www.kalamkhush.blogspot.in or the place itself for a live demonstration on their paper and product making workshops anytime. They would be more than happy to have you around!

Khadi Diaries I ~ â&#x20AC;&#x153;Guide Meeting with Anil Sinhaâ&#x20AC;? THE BIG QUESTIONS For employees at Kalamkhush, end users, independant retailers and other mediators : 1. Do you use Khadi in your day-to-day life? 2. What is the involvement of Khadi/its products in your life? 3. Importance/motivation of Khadi in your life? 4. What do you know about Khadi and its history? 1. Do you use Khadi Paper? 2. Why Khadi Paper? 3. Who all go to Kalam Khush?

After having visited Kalamkhush a number of times and having understood its working and organisational set up, I met with my Studio II guide Anil Sinha. Having briefed him on the Mind mapping, Initial research and field visits to other stores, he asked to me to look into understanding the selling and distribution network at Kalam Khush i.e. looking at Stakeholders - buyers of bulk paper, end users (people buying directly from the stores), retailers (people ordering and buying Khadi paper and products for their stores) and workers (people working at Kalamkhush). We discussed ito ook into their aspirations and reasons for buying Khadi paper and products and to understand their appreciation/value of Khadi goods. From this Meeting we came up with a list of questions to understand the motivations of the stakeholders.

1. Do you know about Kalam Khush? 2. Are you a paper enthusiast? 3. Do you buy hand made paper? 4. How much/what do you buy from Kalam Khush? 6. Why do you go to Kalam Khush? 1. Why do you work at Kalam Khush? A chart had to be prepared with the analysis of the above questions and more research on other established models of Khadi and other stationery had to be conducted.

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The mission of khadi is not merely to supply the townspeople with fashionable khadi that will vie with the mill manufacturers and thus like other industries supply a few artisans with employment, but it is to become a supplementary industry to agriculture.

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Inside Khadi Paper ~ “Hand Made paper and Khadi papers are the same right?” Since the time I’ve begun working on this project I have been asked this question many times so I decided to dedicate this post to explaining exactly what both types of paper were. Infact not just these two paper types, but also talking about papers in general and their classification. So let’s talk about papers in general first. Papers are basically of two types : Handmade and mill made. Mill papers are (in layman terms) usually made from vegetable fibres such as wood pulp, old rags and other ingredients using a Fourdrinier machine or any other paper machine. On the other hand, Handmade papers are ecofriendly papers made by handmade, woodfree pulp, using recyclable and biodegradable materials and spread on screens to be converted into papers. Its a purely hand done process without the involvement of any machinery. Now moving onto Khadi papers. The Khadi papers are a type of handmade paper which are made using the handmade paper process except that the pulp is essentially of recycled or waste khadi cloth and 100% cotton rags, hence they are also called Cotton Rag Papers at times. Getting pure rag papers made from hand spun and hand woven cotton is rare, however, Kalam Khush boasts of providing brilliant quality of genuine Khadi paper made from cloth pulp with long fibres, which gives these papers their exceptional strength and durability.Also, Khadi papers look not only at the ecological and environment angle but also the socio economic aspect of our society as it follows the same concept and principles of Khadi making and using. So yes, all Khadi Papers are handmade papers but all handmade papers are not Khadi papers.

story goes that once when Gandhiji gifted [ The this paper to the famous Gujarati Litterateur,

Kaka Kalekar, he said - “My kalam is khush to write on this beautiful paper”, and that’s how Kalamkhush got its name.

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Types of Khadi Paper ~ “Its Khadi paper season. Take your pick!” Khadi paper has mind boggling variety of papers (enough to make a paper enthusiast crazy!) along with details on various finishes, innovations and specialities of each paper type. The basic types and finishes of Khadi paper are White cotton rag papers (which are made directly from the recycled cotton T-shirts or waste Khadi cloth pulp and do not undergo any dyeing or coloring). They are deckle edged and acid free, tough and rugged with strong individual character. They are popular with artists for drawing, painting, card making and old fashioned letterpress printing. Then comes the Khadi colored rag papers: These papers are hand dyed using (mostly) natural dyes and sometimes direct dyes or coloured rags, tub sized with gelatine, acid free, four deckle edges. Other than the usual applications, they are also used for printed wrapping paper, envelopes, folder and book covers and other Khadi products. The Textured colored Khadi papers are similar as colored Khadi papers except that they are of a higher GSM value (Gram per squared metre) and range in a variety of textures, right from fine to rugged, heavy textures. They are mostly used in creating Khadi products like lamps, stands, containers and all types of hard covers and boxes because of their firmness, heaviness and thickness. Khadi flower and fibre papers: These are cotton rag papers with colour and texture added from other natural fibres like flowers, petals, grass, hemp, hay and straw etc.

For example flower rag papers include smooth handmade cotton rag paper incorporating flower petals like rose,aster, bougainvillea, cornflower or marigold. Similar existing papers are Algae, hemp, Tea, Bagasse, Straw, Gunny, Banana Leaf, Sugarcane, Jute etc. Used mostly for pastels, crayon and decorative purposes, these papers have recently been used as customised corporate and wedding stationery. Finally I come to Khadi papers with special finishes: Khadi Resho Bhutan (Lokta Paper) - These 90 GSM papers are naturally nonabsorbent and ideal for pen & ink and a range of printmaking techniques. They come in a wide variety of colors ranging from natural to turquoise, coral, rose, olive. lime, green, plum, saffron. Khadi Thai Mulberry Paper: From North Thailand, these 10 GSM papers are fine tissue made from the fibre ‘ton saa’ or paper mulberry. In Thailand, these papers are layered together and waxed to make paper umbrellas. Khadi Sun hemp papers: This traditional (90 GSM) paper is made by the Muslim Kagzi community in North India. This kind of paper was made by them before and during the Moghul period. The paper is made from hemp fibre and formed on a chapri, a screen of grass stems, which gives this paper its characteristic laid pattern. The paper is sized on the surface with wheat starch. Kalam Khush houses a lot of these paper varieties (though not all of them), so now its not just the question of buying Khadi paper but choosing the right kind of Khadi paper. Knowing your paper type iswhat does the trick!

Why Use Khadi Paper? ~ “For the love of khadi papers...”

Khadi is not just a material ... it is a philosophy, a concept and way of life. People who wear Khadi and use it for their day to day activities (mostly) have an ethical or an emotional attachment to it. However, besides the oh-so-many reasons that people would give for wearing khadi, there are also many practical and aesthetic advantages to it. Talking about Khadi paper and stationery, not only does it provide you with a unique style statement but also makes you one step closer to being an eco-friendly and environmentally aware person.

Khadi paper comes in all paper sizes and thicknesses. It is friendly for mostly all types of printing, letterpress, digital, or screen. Infact colored khadi paper with a single color printing gives a wonderful effect. Moving onto Khadi paper made products like boxes, frames, lamps, bags, stands and so on. Khadi paper products serve as excellent gift items, collector’s items and memorabilia, especially during festive occasions and functions. They bring in a sense of tradition, culture and the honor of being a part of the rich Indian heritage.

So what makes Khadi paper so special? The multi purposefulness of Khadi papers make them even more special. Khadi paper is made from cotton rags which have longer fibers than the shorter fluffy fibers of cotton seed commonly used in papermaking. These longer fibers contribute to giving exceptional strength & durability. For example if you are an artist, Khadi papers come in very handy as the sheets tend to be harder wearing and can take a bit of a pounding, especially since there is a lot of texture involved. Colours hold very well and the paper can take quite a few washes before the grain becomes clogged. No chlorine or harmful chemicals are used. Hence the papers are completely acid free and of archival quality. Small scale papermaking also has a positive impact on the local economy in India as it generates employment in poor villages. A majority of these workers are women, leading to their upliftment from their traditionally passive roles. Khadi paper is not made from wood pulp & hence has no adverse impact on the world’s forest resources. Using khadi paper in office stationery adds to the corporate social responsibility of the organisation and also adds a touch of uniqueness and exclusivity.

using Khadi you actually become a part of the [ Bymovement of self reliance and self sustainability. Since Khadi is a ubiquitous platform for social awareness and employment generation, along with keeping a rich tradition alive, a Khadi user too automatically becomes a facilitator of this noble enterprise.

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Khadi Paper & Printing ~ â&#x20AC;&#x153;Print on me, pretty please!â&#x20AC;?

Digital printing is a little tricky on Khadi paper due to paper weight and sizing constraints and compatibility issues between printer and paper. However lower GSM value papers can be digitally printed and they bring out amazing results. Take a look! There is something new that I came across. Its called Collograph printing. Its basically a very simple form of printing using found materials that are arranged in a collage form, painted over and then printed on paper (somewhat like block paper printing in reverse). Very cool and exciting and on Khadi paper, it looks even better!

Now that I was clear on what this paper is, its varied paper weights and sizes available, i researched on all kinds of printing that can be done on Khadi paper and believe me, there is loads that can be done! Beginning with strengths, Letter Press brings out the best in Khadi paper. Not only in terms of legibility but also finish, look, feel and colors, Letter Press printing looks brilliant on Khadi paper and adds a certain character and contrast to it. Moving on, the next kind of printing very good for Khadi papers, is Screen printing. Normal screen printing or silk screen printing, both add amazing finish and lustre to the paper and the overall effect is superb. In the samples below, the first two are normal screen prints and the latter are silk screen prints on the Khadi paper. Block printing comes next for good Khadi paper printing. Be it printing from ready made blocks or things lying around the house or natural things, block printed Khadi paper looks beautiful and its actually the easiest to make!

With printing technology turning new stones everyday, it was but obvious for me to look for more interesting stuff on Khadi paper printing. Hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s some more I found. Offset printing is another interesting way to get great results on Khadi paper. However certain paper specifications are needed for Khadi paper offset printing. The paper needs to be sized and deckled and according to printer specification in terms of paper weight (GSM). A new printing technique that I came across for Khadi paper printing ... its called Giclee Printing. Giclee was coined in 1991 by printmaker Jack Duganne for fine art digital prints made on inkjet printers. The name originally applied to fine art prints created on IRIS printers in a process invented in the late 1980s but has since come to mean any inkjet print. It is often used by artists, galleries, and print shops to denote high quality printing but since it is an unregulated word it has no associated warranty of quality. So basically high quality digital prints on fine art paper (in this case Khadi paper) is called Giclee printing. Embossed Leather printing: Following the same process as embossed printing technique, Khadi embossed printing paper comes in an array of colors, finishes and textures.

Going Places & Meeting People ~ Over these past few months I met many people and visited many places like meeting Geeta Dave for understanding KVIC MoU with NID, Deepak Patel of the Khadi Board and Pankaj Mudholkar of Akruti Advertising (PR agency for Gujarat Tourism). However the most interesting and memorable ones, are my interviews with Kavya Agarwal of Kaagazi and Lindsay Roberts (textile researcher, yarn maker and avid blogger). Here are a few snippets of the meeting. For more, visit the blog.

During the interview, Kavya shared many interesting insights. She said that Kalamkhush should try out a few collaborative ventures with various other brands who also work towards creating and preserving the art of making paper and paper products.

“Binding a book or notebook is not just about tying up a bundle of pages neatly. It is an art.” ~ Kavya Agarwal, Entrepreneur

She recounts, “My dad owned a printing press and 30 years back he introduced me to something called ‘rag paper’, which you guys now call Khadi paper. Imagine that!” ~ Lindsay Roberts, ‘Border Tart’, Yarn and paper collage maker.

Khadi Diaries II ~ “Guide Meeting with Anil Sinha”

After having done my secondary research on various aspects of Khadi, it was time to meet my project guide again. In this meeting I briefed him on my research, various field visits and final analysis of the research. We then came up with the mind mapping of the User Understanding chart. We finalised on 4 user categories - the end users (art students, shoppers, artistes & painters, art enthusiasts); The retailers/distributors (print & publication units, printing houses/studios, card printers, stationery owners, retail stores, government agencies); Customised clients (clients who place personal orders) and later I thought of including tourists as a separate category ( from within India & abroad). Anil Sinha also spoke about employee motivation and asked me to look into creating opportunities within the organisation; things that would make a Kalamkhush employee feel encouraged towards achieving higher and better goals for the organisation. He suggested to look at market training reality - an intervention where the workers could be showcased the latest in the market of paper making, new techniques and an overview of competitor understanding and updates. However this would come at a later stage when the organisation’s current problems had been solved. We then spoke about Problem Identification and came up with a chart for the same. The basic problems regarding Kalamkhush branding were identified and other design problems stemming out of them were discussed. Anil advised me to look at the entire branding strategy from the view point of the bulk buyers and distributors because targeting Kalamkhush towards them would create quite a few opportunities and platforms. The end users, customised buyers and tourists would in any way be exposed to the brand via the branding strategy that was being developed. However, for the bulk buyers we came up with the concept of ‘Kalamkhush in

a Box’. This box would be like a sample box to be taken to all those places and people who can’t come to Kalamkhush. It would contain the Kalamkhush stationery, product and paper catalogue, photographs, brochures, visiting cards and other memorabilia. This box would create professionalism and brand awareness along with being portable and act like a keepsake for the buyers to ensure brand royalty. Now before all this, the Kalam Khush ‘brand’ has to be established for which Anil pointed out a few key factors 1. Visual Look & feel 2. Appearance 3. Connectivity 4. Presentation & representation 5. Product From this, we came up with a “Things to do” chart of involving various attributes (deliverable wise) that would be needed to be developed for Kalamkhush. Finally our discussion ended with making of a Mood Board for Khadi and Kalamkhush in terms of colors, photographs, textures, fabric, aspirations and products.I was also asked to create a SWOT Analysis (Strength, Weakness, Opportunity and Threats) chart for the closest sustainable business models around Kalamkhush.

Who are the Competitors? Haathi Chaap ~

Indian Brand for elephant waste paper. Known for experimentation, product innovation and excellent brand visual language.

Khadi Papers ~

International paper brand setup by Indians; tapping indian resources and expanding into neighbouring countries. Workshops outsoursced to U.K. and U.S. Excellent packaging, efficient online/overseas delivery and note-worthy visual language. Also collaborated with many social and environmental projects

Hand Made Hope~

Niche Indian market; setup in Baroda. Sustainable and innovative platform to generate employment opportunities for the underprivileged and economically challenged people; increases employment; makes the person a facilitator of learning a particular craft and spreading it on.

Khamir (Bhuj) ~

Again, located in an isolated residence, Khmair has well known reach esp. within tourists. Innovation in product manufacturing, diversified product categories and interesting and well developed visual language. The place is surrounded with an ethnic yet well equipped interiors.

Kala Raksha (Bhuj) ~

Despite being located in the inetriors of Gujarat, it is a big tourist aatraction for its live workshops by artisans, experiential setup and preservation of arts and crafts carried on by various artisan races over centuries. Intelligent and traditional marketing strategy. It also known for its well preserved arts and crafts museum.

Phase II : Analysis ~ â&#x20AC;&#x153;Creating the moodboardâ&#x20AC;? After all the research and analysis, I finally moved onto developing the moodboard for Kalam Khush. A moodboard is basically the first step towards developing a visual language for anything. It consists of the existing scenario/setup, the products, textures and colors, anything that you would want to include in the visual language and then there is the aspirational part of it that speaks of all things that you would like to include or create; So basically taking inspirations from around you. Talking of Kalamkhush I realised that their strength (and by that I mean the strength of Khadi paper) was in its uniqueness and the special character that it has. More than a fabric or a product, its more of an idea. Also Kalamkhush has many colorful products so I wanted the essence of color (strong and bold) to come out through the color palette. Their emphasis is more on warm colors like reds, maroons, yellows, oranges and browns, so I created the major color palette using these colors. Simple because warm hues are associated with being Indian. However, it also has splashes of blues, greens and purples, so I decided to use them as an accent color palette. Since a visual language has to be associated with the brand for a long time, I also took inspirations from paper that is not sold at Kalamkhush yet is Khadi paper, keeping in mind the future approach of the brand. A khadi moodboard is never complete without texture so I included paper and fabric samples from their current range. Keywords add clarity to a moodboard so I add keyword notes here and there to associate and interlink all parts of the moodboard with each and other and with Kalamkhush, as a whole. Also, everything in the moodboard has been fixed at different levels and in various styles, to make it interactive.

Finally a moodboard is not complete without photographs of what goes behind the scenes. More so incase of Khadi and its products, it was very important for me to show where does it all begins and the people behind this ingenious setup. So i included a few pictures of Khadi, its manifestations and people making it. A picture board is a part of the moodboard but I made a separate one of creative reasons.

Looking at Branding ~ In order to understand branding, it’s necessary to understand what a brand is.

brand is the idea or image of [ Aa specific product or service that

consumers connect with, by identifying the name, logo, slogan, or design of the company who owns the idea or image.

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Branding is when that idea or image is marketed so that it is recognizable by more and more people, and identified with a certain service or product when there are many other companies offering the same service or product. Advertising professionals work on branding not only to build brand recognition, but also to build good reputations and a set of standards to which the company should strive to maintain or surpass.

points but also positions itself amongst competitors, the market and connects with the audiences too. My guide Anil Sinha spoke of the various aspects to look into for understanding branding - Visual look & feel, appearance, connectivity, presentation & representation, product. The book ‘Branding India’ by Amitabh Kant speaks of Clear definition of value proposition Consistency in communication strategy Constant research & innovation Commitment to continuous support for brand building With these inputs and research in mind, I moved towards defining a clear outline and keywords for the brand. However, before that I looked into the existing branding of Kalamkhush.

Basically a brand is denoted by it’s brand image, which are the - Name, logo, tagline, color palette, product range and surface graphics (styles & colors), product information (content + style + format + typeface selection), environmental graphics (in the retail outlets), signage system, advertising campaign (print + web + radio) and other print and web deliverables (brochures, pamphlets, visiting cards, packaging etc). Unique initiatives from that brand also become an extension of the brand image. The brand also needs to have a brand - touch point. a unifying factor that not only collates all of the above Images Courtesy : Google images

Looking at Existing Branding ~ “Kalamkhush brand collaterals” Kalamkhush has discrepancies in its branding ideology, look, feel, experience and image ..basically all the the ingredients are needed to set a brand apart from the rest and call istelf a brand. Their basic idea is that they are a ‘Khadi paper manufacturing unit’ which is not enough in today’s age with the market being so competitive! There are so many brands that make and sell Khadi paper, as I have discussed in the “Who are the competitors?” section, so what what makes Kalamkhush different from the rest of them? WHy should a person buy or promote Kalamkhush? These are the key issues that I plan to address through the branding strategy. Here is a look of the existing brand extensions of Kalamkhush.

What is Kalamkhush Missing? ~

After the last meeting with my guide, I sorted all the information and analysis I had done and reflected on the big question to come up with the brand concept What does Kalamkhush not have? There were 3 points of consideration An idea that says something to people Visual language that unites its collaterals A defined target audience After this problem identification, I mapped out the strengths that could help solve the above three problems. This lead me to the core concept. All these key ideas reflect the essence and motives behind creating khadi paper at Kalamkhush. Hence, this became my core concept for branding.

Keywords : Indianness; History of freedom; Heritage; Tradition; Culture; Unity; Origin 5 key ideas for creating Khadi were: [Gandhijiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Sense of History Attention to detail Ethics Production of meaning Humility

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Exploring the Details ~ “Mapping the brand concept”

idea : ‘From the land of Gandhi’ [ Key Since Kalamkhush was the first place

where Khadi paper was created by Gandhiji himself, it made sense to communicate to the people that origin of khadi paper still exists and continues to make authentic khadi paper.

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Brand Proposition ~ It is not exactly clear when Kalam Khush really began but it did begin during Gandhiji’s time because he was the first person to make Khadi and Khadi paper. The story goes that once when Gandhiji gifted this paper to the famous Gujarati Litterateur, Kaka Kalekar, he said - “My kalam is khush to write on this beautiful paper”, and that’s how Kalam Khush got its name. In a day and age when technology persists and dictates, Kalamkhush, though not very behind in its technological advancement has managed to retain and follow Gandhiji’s five principles of – Ethics, Production of meaning, Humility, attention to detail and sense of history. Not only does it pay attention to product finish and quality but more importantly stresses on process, people and motives behind it all. To many it may not deliver the best of the products but it does practise the most genuine and original methods to create them, not only taking care of the culture and heritage of Khadi paper making but also value systems that have been left behind by the creator.

origin of Khadi paper is at Kalamkhush as it [ The began during Gandhiji’s time, who was the first

person to make Khadi and Khadi paper. It pays great attention to product finish and quality but more importantly stresses on process, people and motives behind it all. It practises the most genuine and original methods to create paper, not only taking care of the culture and heritage of Khadi paper making but also value systems that have been left behind by its creator.

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The brand knows the value of personal touch as the paper and products created are mostly done by hand, usage of machines is minimal. In today’s age of commercialization, Kalamkhush has managed to survive and strive for perfection & maintain its originality.. It is the only Khadi paper manufacturing brand in Gujarat. Locationally, it retails opposite of the Gandhi Ashram and behind the Kocharap Ashram, again, places which have a deep & direct connection with Gandhiji. However, by no means is it out dated, backward or archaic in any way. Kalamkhush paper can compete with any other paper with respect to ingenuity and innovation and it has an edge because it is created by a workforce which has enough passion and love for khadi paper making to carry on the principles and processes by the man who started it all.

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The Distribution Model ~

Another important part of the branding strategy is indentifying target group. After having taken surveys, I divided the user groups into three major sections. The Bulk buyers, The Independent retailers and End users. They were divided into primary, secondary and tertiary groups with defined percentages based on their buying needs. They were then linked through a flow chart of how these groups interact with each other and how the product flows amongst them.

idea for naming the Independent [ The retailers as primary is because they are

influenced by a proper brand image. This way the middlemen i.e the bulk buyers are cut off as they will purchase paper in bulk any which way. The end user, will also be influenced by a good branding strategy but have two avenues to buy from, Kalamkhush and independent retailers, hence that again makes the latter the key point to target.

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Phase III : The Design Process ~ “The visual elements” One major part of a branding strategy is developing the visual language and since one of the problems posed was lack of a visual look and feel that binds the brand together, Kalamkhush needed one.Taking ahead the concept of taking Gandhiji’s 5 key ideas, a visual elements was needed to represent it. Threads:

The first concept (sketch in a previous post) was of using threads as a visual element. : Since Kalamkhush is primarily known for its paper, I thought of using the unique size of the Kalamkhush paper itself. It is a 20x30 inch paper and I tried creating an icon that was reduced proportionally from the original size with a similar texture and edge as a khadi paper.The unique Kalamkhush paper became the final visual element. The paper

Using the color palette from the colors derived from the Kalamkhush paper itself, five popular paper colors, based on the 5 Gandhi principles were selected.

- Ethics [ Red Blue - Attention to detail

Yellow - Sense of history Green - Production of meaning Brown - Humility

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The Color Palette ~ Sense of history

C: 4, M: 40, Y: 93, K: 0

Ethics

C: 13, M: 100, Y: 100, K: 3

Production of meaning C: 84, M: 12, Y: 100, K: 2

Humility

C: 39, M: 81, Y: 90, K: 59

The color palette has been inspired from the wide and colorful range of the best selling Kalamkhush paper . These 5 colors correspond to the 5 principles of Gandhiji, which is the core brand concept.

Attention to detail C: 80, M: 50, Y: 0, K: 0

Creating Patterns ~

After creating the visual element, my guide suggested that creating interesting patterns with it, reflecting the 5 Gandhian principles, would be interesting to apply to the collaterals. After some amount of doodling and rough sketches, I came up with 5 options with repeat patterns of the paper icon to represent the 5 principles. The first set of pictures, demonstrate the hand done sketches, then come the explorations done digitally and then the final set of patterns.

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Explorations

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After the first phase, the chosen patterns were refined and rerefined, in their respective colours, so that they would best visually represent the words they stood for. Beside working on form and color, I even placed a khadi paper background so that they would give a feel of how it would look finally.

The patterns with solid colours and black outlines were rejected as they took too much focus and moved away from subtelty. However, individual units of the patterns were highlighted to give every principle the required importance.

[ Explorations [

Ethics Humility

Sense of history

~ Final Patterns ~ Attention to detail

Production of meaning

Kalamkhush: An Identity Study ~ My research showed that how the Kalamkhush identity began is all a mystery. The story goes that someone hand wrote it and that just went onto the products for a long time. Then someone decided to create an english version for foreign buyers (as Indian tourism and market began to grow). Designing and understanding identities has grown and changed substantially over the years and in order to create the right brand image and connect with the buyers, a good identity makes all the difference. Since building and executing a brand name along with an identity takes time, money and resources, it has to be planned and structured in a way that would work not only for the present but for the future as well.

The Devanagri identity

The Kalamkhush identity is a wordmark. The Wikipedia definition is -

word mark or logotype is usually [ aa wordmark, distinct text-only typographic treatment of

the name of a company, institution, or product name used for purposes of identification and branding. Examples can be found in the graphic identities of the Government of Canada, FedEx, Google, and Wikipedia. The organization name is incorporated as a simple graphic treatment to create a clear, visually memorable identity. The representation of the word becomes a visual symbol of the organization or product.

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The Latin identity The Devangari wordmark was designed first. I came up with a few keywords for this identity Calligraphy, Script, Rough, Swash, Ornamental, Texture Sans serif, Unique, Hand written Ink, Brush brawn Informal, Experimental, Fun, Display

[ Anatomy of the identities.[

The good part of the Devanari identity is that the keywords derived from it completely signify the brand - Kalamkhush and Khadi. They speak of the unique character of the cloth, the spirit of khadi, of the fact that its about being hand done, textured, hardwork, rustic, ethnic and various other images that we associate with Khadi living and making. However the problems in the wordmark are more of a technical nature: Legibility: Letters in the Devanagri script are not clear. Imbalance in counter spaces and space between letters making the wordmark non uniform to the eye. Negative and positive spaces:

Colour: The

colour black makes it clash with the imagery that Kalamkhush is trying to portray. Unavailability: The

identity is not available online for download, promotion or review.

Research showed that the possible typefaces for the current Latin logotype are: Newton Bold Italic, Nimbus Roman Bold Italic, Stepp ITC Ultra Italic, Ocean Sans Std Bold Italic

The keywords for the Latin identity are: Stressed sans, Text, Serif, Elegant, Times like, Economic News text, Like newspaper, Newsletter, Old Russian/Slavonic, Old style, Neutral, Modest, Natural, Organic Vintage, Sturdy, Formal, Clean

The typeface and the identity in itself is quite good. The letters are refined, have the correct amount of space, legibility and have good weight. However they completely clash with the keywords of the Hindi logotype which are more suited to the brand Kalamkhush. Also, the name in english is misdirectional as foreigners are able to understand the word ‘hush’ immediately so they break up the word as - ‘Kalamk - hush’.

After identifying these problem areas in the logotype, I went on towards refinement and explorations of the current identity.

The New Identity ~ â&#x20AC;&#x153;Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s get cracking on it!â&#x20AC;?

As mentioned in an earlier post, there were many issues with the existing Kalamkhush identity. The devanagri style of the identity did not need a complete change but some tweaking in form for a few letters and the overall look. The Latin style of the identity, however, needed to be scrapped and a new one with influences from the devanagri one had to created. As I began working on both of them simultaneously, my first step was to look at the keywords of the identity and hunt for typefaces in the latin script which would visually resemble the devanagri one. After about a hundred typefaces, i finally settled on the ones below.

Many discussions and deliberations later, the typeface called Tusch Touch 1 - regular, a free typeface, was chosen. Meanwhile I had also begun tweaking the devanagri identity. This is what stage one looked like.

Step 1 included cleaning the identity and adding more counter space to the letters. It also looked at making the form more organic and adding proper space between the letters. Step 2 was refining of the letters individually, adding more weight to them and reducing the ‘subscript - “uu” ki matra’ so that the entire space below the letters was not wasted and the identity looked more compact.

Having chosen the routes for both the identities, I set work on further developing and refining them. Using pen, ink and tracing sheets, I kept tracing and re-working on the identity forms till I could see a similarity between the two. I also looked at tweaking the contours and playing with the thickness of the form and counter forms. For the devanagri form, I tried retaining the style of the original yet enhanced the curves and delicacy of the lines for a free flowing and organic form. For the lain identity, I tried to adapt certain traits and glimpses from the devanagri style, so that people could make a connect between the two, they could stand as individual identities. Here are all the chosen explorations that were done via hand on the tracing sheets.

[ Exploration Set I [

The second exploration for devanagri and last option for latin was chosen by my guide to refine further.

[ Exploration Set II [

[ Exploration Set III [

The two explorations for both scripts chosen, were :

These are hand traced and inked. Both the identities, though similar in form and style, have individual visual appearances. For further refining them, I retraced them as outlines to get a cleaner form.

[

Exploration Set IV

[

Now that in the first few steps I had somewhat cracked the basic form of both the identities. Since the form still need finesse and a bit more tweaking so that it can work well from the smallest to the largest sizes. The first step towards going digital, was re-drawing the identity as line art digitally and then filling the positive space so as to get a better sense of the form and its discrepancies.

After the first few explorations of digitising, I had a quick discussion with my guide where he pointed out a few errors in the form finishing and counter spaces between the letters. He also asked me to reduce the identity and look at the form in a smaller size so that its clarity and readability could be tested. The red circles marked in the identities below are the areas to be worked on and the green areas are places that were changed in form, from the earlier version. The rest of the identity had to be refined further and smoothed out. The next set of explorations are refined versions with the changes mentioned and smoother lines so that eye movement across the identity is effortless. However a little more tweaking needed to be done to complete the identity into the perfect one. Just a few more attempts to go!

Now that in the first few steps I had somewhat cracked the basic form of both the identities. However, the form still need finesse and a bit more tweaking so that it could work well from the smallest to the largest sizes. The first step towards going digital, was re-drawing the identity as line art digitally and then filling the positive space so as to get a better sense of the form and its discrepancies. Having done that, after a discussion with my guide, the areas that needed to be further refined were marked in red circles and the areas that were changed from the previous version were marked in green.

[ Exploration Set V [

[ Exploration Set VI [

[ Exploration Set VII [

Final identity ~ â&#x20AC;&#x153;The alternativeâ&#x20AC;?

[ Devanagri Identity [ With 1.4 degree tilt ~ clockwise

[ Latin Identity [ Remains the same as the final chosen idenity

Final identity ~ [ Devanagri Identity[

[ Latin Identity [

y axis

x axis

The idenities in both the scripts have been designed in the Ratio 3:2. The only restriction while using this identiity is that it has to be used along with the paper icon as in the above picture and always in the ratio of 3:2 as shown. The orientation of the paper icon with respect to the logotype of Kalamkhush cannot be changed. The only factors that change are the colors i.e. in the brand colors with the given CMYK values and the size of the collective logotypes used, provided it remains in the 3:2 ratio in its entirety.

[ Here â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;xâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; is the factor [

Kalamkhush Concept Cards ~ Having created the identities in black and white, I then placed them in the previously approved 5 brand colors representing the 5 Gandhian principles. I also clubbed the identities with the paper icon. The idea here is to keep the form of the identity intact and represent it through the 5 brand colors corresponding to the 5 principles. This makes the brand look flexible, interesting and adds more possibilities for retention amongst its end users. The thought was that a single color identity might make the brand static and non-enterprising. This array of colors and form representations brings in dynamism and a new look to the brand. Some might call it confusing, however, I think that since the main form of the identity which is the name Kalamkhush, is held intact, it would go down well with the audiences. Also, they would be interested to find out the story behind the identity and its colors which would bring to light the concept of the 5 principles on which the brand stands. So hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s presenting the identity in the form of concept cards of the identity with the patterns and a sample of the quick write up on the principle that it represents. For the rest of the write ups, visit this blog link http://www.kalamkhush.blogspot.in/2013_05_01_archive.html

the original place of creation of Khadi paper [ Being by Gandhiji himself, there are no two ways about

the fact that Kalamkhush is rooted with a strong sense of history as it continues to be the only Khadi paper manufacturing unit in Gujarat.

[

Choosing Type ~

The next step in beginning to design the deliverables is choosing the appropriate typeface for headers and body text. The type is important so that it compliments the visual language already set for the brand - the identity, colors and patterns. The typeface chosen should also be legible in the smallest to the biggest size and look visually appealing after printing.After going through many styles of typefaces, these were the selected type options for Kalamkhush.

final combination [The of type chosen was -

Alexandria FLF for the header and Garamond Pro for the body text.

[

Brand Extensions ~ â&#x20AC;&#x153;Application of the identity and visual language to the collaterals.â&#x20AC;?

[ Front [

[ Back [ One of the first collaterals that remind you of a brand (after the name and identity of course!) and make you want to go back to the place, is its visiting card. For designing the Kalamkhush visiting card I chose to try a vertical orientation instead of a stereotypical horizontal one. The size ratio of the cards is 2:3 so I actually created them in a size of 2 in by 3 in two brand colors for both, latin and devanagri. The explorations for the visiting card (front and back) -

[ Exploration Set I [

[ Front [

[ Back [

[ Exploration Set II [

[ Final Visiting Card [

Kalamkhush believes in History.

Gandhi Ashram, Ahmedabad Gujarat - 27 guj.khadimandal@yahoo.com (O) - 079 2755 9831/9832 (m) - 94276 98299 (fax) - 079 2755 9833

M.R.P

[ Product/Price Tags [

Product Code # 5MTKP | About~ Kalamkhush medium textured cotton rag paper | 120 GSM | Size - 30â&#x20AC;? x 45 â&#x20AC;&#x153; | Side deckled edge | For book or diary covers, canvases for watercolor , oil paintings, pen and ink media | Optimum for letterpress and screen printing. Digital printing also possible. Available in 3 colours.

~ Being the original place of creation of Khadi paper by Gandhiji himself, there are no two ways about the fact that Kalamkhush is rooted with a strong sense of history as it continues to be the only Khadi paper manufacturing unit in Gujarat. ~

Gandhi Ashram, Ahmedabad Gujarat - 27 guj.khadimandal@yahoo.com (O) - 079 2755 9831/9832 (m) - 94276 98299 (fax) - 079 2755 9833

Dilipsinh L. Chavda Store Incharge

(o) - 079 2755 9831/9832 (m) - 94276 98299 (fax) - 079 2755 9833 guj.khadimandal@yahoo.com Gandhi Ashram, Ahmedabad Gujarat - 27

[ Envelopes & letter-heads [

M.R.P

[ Price-tags [

Gandhi Ashram, Ahmedabad Gujarat - 27 guj.khadimandal@yahoo.com (O) - 079 2755 9831/9832 (m) - 94276 98299 (fax) - 079 2755 9833

Bill Receipt Bill No.

Date

Product name

[ Bill slips[

Code

Nos.

Total Cashier Signature

Price

[ Bookmarks [

M.R.P

[ Product stickers [

[ Complete stationary set [

Poster Campaign & Environmental Graphics ~

History

â&#x20AC;&#x153;

Sense of

The Poster Campain for Kalamkhush has been designed keeping in mind its essence and motivation i.e. their products and the faces behind those products. To do so, we have gone into remote locations of Gujarat where authentic and traditional khadi is spun and taken photographs of those unsung hardworking people who spend day and night with consistent dedication to weave khadi. Taking the 5 core principles of Gandhiji for creating Khadi (which also make the core concept of the new Kalamkhush ideology) are potrayed in these posters so every poster spins a story of its own. The following posters can be used as environmental graphics and other promotional material like hoardings, banners, postacards etc. These photographs have been taken by the combined efforts of my class mates Jasleen Thethi, Lovepreet Kaur and myself.

“

Attention to detail ...

“

Production of meaning ...

“

Production of meaning ...

“

Humility

“

Ethics

This project has been a big learning experience for me. People consider branding to be a logo or a colour or a tag line but working on this project made me realise the nitty-gritties and depths of developing and communicating a brand. A simple line or tweak of an element can drastically change the image of the brand, thereby changing the way people perceive it. Sitting infront of the computer in a studio doesnt make a brand, this I learnt the hard way! Travelling into interiors of Gujarat, talking to people, reading books ... all this made me understand what all it takes to even justify creating a brand image. It has been challenging, full of learning and not to forget, a whole lot of fun! First and foremost, I want to thank my guide, Prof. Anil Sinha, for all his guidance, knowledge and support throughout this project. Due to his inputs, my learning in the field of branding has benefitted greatly and also made this project very enjoyable. Also a big thankyou to other faculty of NID, Graphic Design, who shared their thoughts and ideas with me, specially Tarun Deep Girdher. The next round of thakyous goes to my class-mates and batch mates for their critical feedback and help. Special thanks to Mani Maran for doing the photoshoot for the Kalamkhush stationery. To all the people who gave their precious time to discuss my project and shared their experiences esp. Prof. M.P. Ranajan, Neeta Dave, Akriti Advertising, Handmade Hope, the workers in Bhujodi, Kalaraksha, Khamir and all the employees at Kalamkhush and KVIC, really appreciate all the information and inputs. Lastly a heartfelt thankyou to my family and friends for believeing in me and helping me during this entire project.

as if you were to die tomorrow. [ Live Learn as if you were to live forever. [ ~ M.K. Gandhi