creative
200/www.CreativeGaga.com
VOL3/ ISSUE6
Nov/Dec 2013 the enthusiastic creative journal
Experts discuss
digital industry in India
Beard Design
on how to design as you wish
Cover
Digita Harmonly by Chan Lowangny D esigner at 22feet
al
b We
&
UI
S
ci pe
Featured Folks
A bunch of insights, techniques and inspiration from the best creative minds of the country.
Abhisek Sarda Founder, Beard Design
Parag Gandhi Founder, Flying Cursor
Uzeir Mansuri Founder, Bouncy Studio
Monish Web Designer
Naresh Kumar Founder, UI Kreative
Visakh Viswambharan Founder, Appiness
Nitin Jain Wildlife Photographer
Shab Majeed Web & UI Designer
Preeya Patil Paper Artist
Kuldeep Chouhan Digital Artist
Editorial
Advertising
Editor-in-Chief_Nitin Tiwari Nitin@CreativeGaga.com
Chief Marketing Officer_Sudhanshu Srivastava Sudhanshu@CreativeGaga.com
Art Editor_Anureet Kaur Phul Anureet@CreativeGaga.com
Branding & Mktg. Consultant_Anuj Rampal Anuj@CreativeGaga.com
Perspective on the
Operations Editor_Pragya Bharti Pragya@CreativeGaga.com
Sales & Mktg. Consultant_Sanjeev Anand Sanjeev@CreativeGaga.com
in India
Designer_Shelesh Kumar Shelesh@CreativeGaga.com
Distribution Executive_Pankaj Bhardwaj Pankaj@CreativeGaga.com
Designer_Gitesh Gupta Gitesh@CreativeGaga.com
Contributors
creative
(&&%# lll#8gZVi^kZ=W]W#Xdb
KDA)$ >HHJ:,
Del%:[Y (&') i]Z Zci]jh^Vhi^X XgZVi^kZ _djgcVa
digital industry Follow
your Heart
with Beard Design
Consultants Media Consultant_DBase4Media Group ssrivastava@dbase4mediagroup.com
Cov
r D iteal Harig m by C ony ha
Ad Sale Consultant_Shraddha Suman Creative Arts neelmani@sscaindia.com
Lowannny g Desig ne at 22 r feet
W
& eb
UI
Surjit Kaur, MP Tiwari, PPS Phul, The Copy Shop, Mohnish Dhagat, Santosh Kumar, Annu Dey, Neysa, Garima Ralli, Varun Bhagath, Rashmi Chandy, Kanupriya Malik, Bheeni Kapur, Smiti Talwar.
al
eci
Sp
Open Bracket Publication aims to publish trade-specific, knowledge-rich magazines. Creative Gaga is our launch product, aimed at graphic design, animation, illustration, photography, product design and contemporary art. Š Open Bracket Publication 2010. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be used or represented without the written permission of the publisher. Creative Gaga is not responsible in any way for the views expressed by the artists. The copyright of the artworks rests with the artists themselves.
Directors_Nitin Tiwari & Anureet Kaur Phul Financial Consultant_AGA Consultancy
New Delhi: a. 72, Bangla Chowk, Neb Sarai Village New Delhi 110 068 t. 011 64722077 Chandigarh: a. 3177, Sector 21-D, Chandigarh 160022 t. 0172 4013910 Manchester, UK: a. 19, Prestage Street, Levenshulme, Manchester t. +44 7818287434 w. www.CreativeGaga.com
* Additional taxes applicable in Maharashtra.
ad_cintiq13hd_WIN_A4_path.indd 1
3/27/13 11:29 AM
Contents EXHIBIT 08____TrendFeed Inspiring design with potential to be influential. 12____NewsFeed Just concluded creative events. 16____SpendThrift Thoughtfully designed stuff that you can acquire. 18____ProjectShowcase/ Shri Hanuman Chalisa Charuvi Agrawal takes us through the captivating experience of newly retelling an ancient tale. 20____ProjectShowcase/ Google Plus redesign Shadman Ahmed’s effort to present a simplified Google Plus. 22____ProjectShowcase/ The Visual Travelogue Nishat Rehman paints the memoirs of her travels. FIGURES
42____Design Instincts/ 22feet The digital agency relies on gut feelings to create designs with a purpose. 48____User Oriented/ Monish The UI designer keeps the user in forefront before designing his frames. GYAAN 58____Interaction Intelligence/ Appiness Shabeer from the Appiness Interactive shares key pointers of good UI design.
49
62____Wing Watch/ Nitin Jain Tips and tricks on bird photography from the wildlife photographer. PODIUM 68____Digital Evolution/ Geek Creative Agency The digital media agency echoes the contemporary voice of the medium. 70____Connective Concepts/ Kuldeep Chouhan Connecting with the audience is what this digital artist considers “a job well done”.
24____Page Possibilities/ Bouncy studio The young design studio rides on the power of opportunities to dabble with the new medium.
DESIGN PLEASURE
28____Medium Mavericks/ Flying Cursor The group of digital enthusiasts explore different facets of the medium to create clarity, relevance and novelty in each work.
74____Open Imagination/ Fan Club Selected picks for the latest issue from our Fan Club submissions.
72____Curve Calling/ Preeya Patil The engineer responded to the call of passion to take up paper craft.
09
32____Happy Canvas/ Beard Design The young design studio only puts to work ideas and visuals that gives them the joy of creating. 38____Substance Simplified/ UIKreative The job of UI design is to present a bunch of information in an user-friendly way, believes the web designer.
32
62
42
28
EXHIBIT_ProjectShowcase
18
Nov/Dec 2013
Legend Reincarnated A graduate in Fine Arts from Delhi College of Art, Charuvi Agrawal further post-graduated in Computer Animation from Sheridan College, Canada. She has worked across various levels like compositor, animator, 3D artist, etc., also founding her own design lab in 2009.
A story transported through generations might seem easy to represent, unless it’s being done like never before. Initially asked to only conceptualise and design the 3D animation shorts of Shri Hanuman Chalisa, Charuvi Agrawal could not help but instinctively adopt the technical and artistic challenges too. A classic renewed. Retelling the story of an Indian mythological poster-boy like Hanuman, for one more time, can be as tough as the monkey-God himself. It means improvising the narration while retaining the context of India’s ancient mythical riches.
the Lotus, a divine entity, is an abstract symbol of the universe. The tenderness preserved in its petals, resembles the sublimity found at the feet of spiritual beings. This association found in the Chalisa, a complex adaptation of the flower was imbibed into the visuals.
Symbols are omnipresent. Indian legend has always narrated through the use of symbols. The attempt was to retain them this time as well, but within the new form of presentation. Correspondingly,
God lies in the details, literally. Details are fundamental, not a luxury. Each frame was carved to capture the effect of a painting set to motion. That is how an epic tale was transformed into a new dimension and a metaphorical visual poetry was born <
19
EXHIBIT_ProjectShowcase
Socially Simplistic The user was at the centre of creating the new G+ experience. Hence, making it easy to understand, simpler to use and visually pleasant, was but evident. The UI and UX were guided carefully towards shaping the previous and fresh avatars into a new blend.
Keep it open. The immediate task was to free space. Retaining only the basic essentials, clarity would improve engagement. User experience would thus be enhanced. Simplicity is the key. Carving a firm process helped manifest a smooth transition. This began with a thorough study of the brand. Visualised changes were then noted for further course. Creating a wireframe or screen blueprint was the next step, so as to roughly frame and organise the information. The final cut. The new and improvised version reduced much of the slack from the pre-existing form. The notification bar was minimised to just one. The UI and icon sets were put flat. Display was uniformly made cleaner. The font too was altered to ease readability. All to only add to Google Plus <
20
Nov/Dec 2013
A man of varied interests, Shadman Ahmed focuses on digital art, UI/UX, web design and brand ommunication. He worked for various media enterprises like Network18, until settingup his own creative agency in 2010.
21
EXHIBIT_ProjectShowcase
TravelTALES A traveller brings back from a journey, more than what he/she takes. These inspirations and memories play a greater role in inspiring oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s artwork. And, on occasions, they even transpire to stunning pieces of work. The Visual Travelogue thus celebrates India in all its colours, from north to south.
Painting the picture. A story of elaborate voyages was to be carved and enlivened, through interactive visuals. The intention was to contain the extensive length of the diverse journey, symbolically. Thus, the effort was aimed towards weaving a kaleidoscopic imagery of India using expressive colours and engaging visuals. Everything speaks and animates. Simply photographs would prove incapable and so unjust to depict the journey of the perceptive senses. Contrastingly, the medium narrates the story as much as it acts as its carrier. Hence, accompanying elements such as the Scooty, backpack and trunk were made to speak aloud. A tale well told. Each symbolic image signifies the heart of the place it represents, its character personified and brought to life. The expression and its medium were thus brought hand-inhand, to unfold the experience <
Nishat Rehman is a Delhibased artist and photographer, having studied visual communication from Delhi University. An eager traveller, she translates her travel experiences through multidisciplinary art.
22
24
32
Figures 41
30
Meet the icons of the Indian design industry. Take a peek into their minds and discover the insights that lie at the core of everything they do. Learn from their story as they bring out their take on design. 24____Page Possibilities/ Bouncy studio
42
Find out how to utilise the power of the new medium through visuals and ideas.
28____Medium Mavericks/ Flying Cursor
Get surprised at how the digital medium unravels itself through many forms and ideas.
32____Happy Canvas/ Beard Design
Find out what it takes to follow oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own heart in matters of creativity.
38____Substance Simplified/ UIKreative
Discover how to pack in bundles of information in a simple, elegant design.
42____Design Instincts/ 22feet
Watch how creativity, technology and brand purpose come together.
49
47____User Oriented/ Monish
Learn how to ideate and design for the web to make it user friendly.
23
FIGURES_EarlyRiser
PagePossibilities Uzeir Mansuri worked for a software company for 5 years as a designer before starting his own software development company. Currently he freelances as a designer.
01
24
The online medium opens up a world of possibilities, when creative instincts meet the dynamism of this medium. Bouncy Studio puts into work this combination to create strong and effective communication. He reflects on his beliefs and practices.
Nov/Dec 2013
01 Super Tablet Dashboard UI. A flat dashboard UI theme for corporate. 02 08 Splashy Mobile UI Theme. A simple design with the navigation bar showing current market trend. A minimal styled profile page and clean menu design. 03 Splashy Mobile UI Theme. A mobile theme template.
02
A world of possibilities. There are possibilities you canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t count because there are as many as one can create. Digital medium is a creative weapon that helps carve new horizons every time it is worked upon. So the same canvas can be used numerous times without causing repetitive results. A design element of a dynamic medium has many more characteristics than one on a static medium. We can use several techniques to catch the attention of the end users using scripts, liquid layouts, widgets etc. to create pieces that communicate dynamically.
03
As many inspirations, as limitless creativity. Behind an exquisite piece of work is an even more exquisite inspiration. Nothing settles as deep in the heart and the mind as a great design. And probing what might have led to it is only the beginning. Diving deep, opening layer after layer, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s only when a designer reaches to the root of a creation does he create another one, excelling in its own right. Though of course, there are as many inspirations as there are people. A song playing in distance or a startling visual while flipping through a magazine could also do the trick sometimes. With inspirations, you should always be ready for surprises! >
25
FIGURES_StudioScope
01
HappyCanvas The Goa based design studio works with entrepreneurs and start-ups on branding and design projects. Established in 2012, the studio is led by Abhisek Sarda and has an eclectic team of designers.
32
What is more important – the brief or the creative joy? Being a client’s kind of agency or doing one’s own kind of work? It’s a tough call to choose but someone must. Beard Design, the young design studio who works exclusively with startups has chosen to follow their heart and put creative freedom before business. In a conversation, they reveal what drives them and lets them be themselves.
Nov/Dec 2013
02
CG: What prompted the idea to work exclusively for startups? BD: We didn’t want to start the 978th design company that did everything for everyone. There are enough of them already. We also didn’t want to wear suits and pitch to corporate clients. So, we decided we’d work only with startups and emerging companies. And do only the kind of work we wanted to do. The first principle for Beard Design was that we would never get on to the treadmill of earning money doing mailers and templatised work for retainer clients. Everything else follows from this principle. Clients who want our kind of work, chose to work with us. Designers who want to do our kind of work, join the team.
03 01 Chumbak. Website design for the well known curios and souvenir brand.
02 Kaipo Che. Logo and website design for a kite flying festival organised by PPT Salon every January in Goa.
03 Tea Trunk. Packaging design for a brand of gourmet teas.
CG: Different clients, same emotions – how do you ensure the unique brand proposition is communicated while your own identity is maintained? BD: I don’t think we have a choice. We have to stay true to our aesthetic sensibilities. If we don’t, our work would have no integrity. And we’d feel no pride in the work. We take on projects only if they fit with our aesthetic style. If a project/client requires us >
33
62
Gyaan Get your hands on new software skills and creative techniques with a host of inspirational design guides. Industryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading professionals share tips and tricks to create better designs. 58
58____Interaction Intelligence/ Shab Majeed
Find out what it takes to create good UI design.
62____Wing Watch/ Nitin Jain
Things to keep in mind before you click the beauties in feathers.
57
GYAAN_DexterArt
Interaction
Intelligence A good UI shows how much we respect our users. We must treat our users as intelligent beings with complete freedom rather than machines that will take anything thrown at them. Here are some basic pointers from the interactive studio to keep in mind before innovating, experimenting and outlying your UI design.
Keep it simple.
People loves simple UI. Think about the most used, most discussed and most successful products on digital ever, like Google or Apple. A wide variety of users love them only because of their simple and lovely design. It will catch the heart and mind of the users.
They know it well.
Most users know how a design is supposed to work. People are used to interact with great websites. They know how a product/design is supposed to work. Keep this point in your mind while designing. Users will do something on a site, expecting some specific output. If you confuse them with a beautiful, but complex design they all are one click away to other sites.
58
Shab Majeed is the head of Design & UI at Appiness Interactive, a Bengaluru based interactive agency.
GYAAN_InFocus
Nitin Jain graduated from Sir JJ Institute of Applied Arts and worked as a visual communicator in industries like advertising, web, e-learning and ecommerce. Wildlife photography is his passion. Currently he heads the creative and design department at firstcry.com.
62
Nov/Dec 2013
Wing
WATCH The word patience is synonymous to bird photography, which makes it one of the most challenging forms of the art. A photographer has almost no control over the subject and the lighting conditions. In such circumstances, passion and preparation are the best ways for a good shot. Wildlife photographer Nitin Jain shares few valuable pointers.
63