Supported by
December 2011 | # 18 Indian edition
“The stories of people in Goa are the most interesting ones I have ever heard.” Cagri Cankaya 03
‘Memories of a Butterfly’ is a phrase that has stuck with me since I was a child, inspiring vivid, mystifying thought and image.” Sreeti Mondol 08
India’s First International Design Magazine D E S I G N • I N N OVAT I O N • C R E AT I V I T Y
0 Annex Niti Doshi
04
Quirky Shubhra Chadda
10
REBRAND Anaezi Modu
18 12
Pravin Mishra
Typography Nishant Jethi Global Ayman EshaghPour 06
26 Event IDA Congress 22
Photographed by Chandni Dua
Photography Kismet, Maya, Simar 24
Rising Stars Neha Sharma, Chantelle Dequadros 30
M U M B A I
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Advisors
Vagueness precedes precision
Abhijit Bansod Studio ABD, India
Kigge Hevid CEO, Index Awards, Denmark
Adil Darukhanawala Editor, Economic Times, Zigwheels, India
Kishor Singh Business Editor, India
Dr. Inyoung Albert Choi Professor, Hanyang University, Korea
Kohei Nishiyama Founder, Elephant Design, Japan
Anaezi Modu Rebrand, USA
Madhukar Kamath Managing Director and CEO, Mudra Group, India
Prof. Anil Sinha Principal, NID, India
M P Ranjan India
Anna Muoio Social Innovation, US
Prasoon Pandey Corcoise Films, India
Anuj Sharma Designer, India
Rajesh Kejriwal Kyoorius Exchange, India
Aradhana Goel Designer / Strategist, Ideo, USA
Rodney Fitch UK
Cathy Huang President, China Bridge Shanghai
Shilpa Das Head, Publications, NID, India
Craig Branigan Chairperson, Landor, CEO, B to D Group, USA
Dr Soumitra R Pathare Psychiatrist, India
Christopher Charles Benninger Architect, Studio CCBA, India
Shrikant Nivasarkar Founder, Nivasarkar Consultants, India
David Berman David Berman Communications, Canada
Subrata Bhowmik Subrata Bhowmik Design, India
Deepika Jindal Managing Director, Artdinox, India
Sudhir Sharma Designindia, India
Essam Abu Awad MIDAS, Jordan
Suresh Venkat CNBC, India
Hrridaysh Deshpande Innoastra, India
Uday Dandavate Sonicrim, USA
Jos Oberdof NPK Design, Netherland
Umesh Shukla Auryn, LA, USA
Julia Chiu Executive Director, JIDPO, Japan
William Drentell Winterhouse, USA
Kieu Pham Haki Brand, Vietnam
William Herald Wong WHW Design, Malaysia
Editor in Chief Sudhir Sharma sudhir@indidesign.in
Finance Kuldeep Harit Deepak Gautam
Copy Editor Ashvina Vakil
Art & Design Pradeep Goswami Swapnil Gaikwad Manish Kumar
Design Coordinator Shriya Nagi Research Team Maitreyi Doshi-Joshi maitreyi@indidesign.in Vaibhav Mohite Triveni Sutar Layout & Production Pradeep Arora Satyajeet Harpude Subscription & Logistics Seema Sharma subscribe@poolmagazine.in
One quality that designers and many creative people possess is being precise, though the popular belief is otherwise. Ask anyone and they will tell you designers are generally vague, and always confused. In my view, those are states before they arrive at decisions. It is good not to be judgmental when you are exploring options… that state appears as being confused to everyone around us! But observe any designer defending his finished work and you realize how fiercely precise they are. So precise that now the same people call them stuck and inflexible. It is not just output that should be precise; we need to be precise in our articulations as well. Precision brings meaning and an understanding of intention in a very transparent manner. We have always admired precision engineering for manufactured products, precision artworks in miniature paintings, and precision of words in poetry. Designers are driven by emotions, and unless the expressions are precise, they will evoke vague responses. I have been based in Pune for over 20 years now. Extending INDI to Mumbai and Riyadh brings back the excitement of starting afresh, except this time I am backed by brilliant partners and designers; Niti Modi in Mumbai and Lana and Ayman in Riyadh will lead INDI into new markets. Nervousness mixed with excitement is a fairly precise emotion - one we are very used to! Sudhir Sharma Editor in Chief sudhir@indidesign.in Publisher INDI Design Pvt Ltd www.indidesign.in
Assistants Yamanappa Dodamani Shailesh Angre Pranil Gaikwad
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December 2011 | # 18 InDIan eDItIon
“the stories of people in Goa are the most interesting ones I have ever heard.” Cagri Cankaya 03
‘Memories of a Butterfly’ is a phrase that has stuck with me since I was a child, inspiring vivid, mystifying thought and image.” Sreeti Mondol 08
Designindia was founded in 2002. It was started as a platform for interaction for the design community in India and abroad. Over the years it has grown into a forum spread over many social and professional networking domains, linking design professionals into an active, interactive and thought leading community.
India’s First International Design Magazine D E S I G N • I N N OVAT I O N • C R E AT I V I T Y
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December 2011 | # 18 Indian Edition
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Quirky Shubhra Chadda
10
International Design Media Network Participant
ReBRanD anaezi Modu
18 12
Pravin Mishra
typography nishant Jethi Global ayman eshaghPour 06
26 event IDa Congress 22
Photographed by Chandni Dua
Photography Kismet, Maya, Simar 24
Rising Stars neha Sharma, Chantelle Dequadros 30
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Around the World
GOA : P O T S T NE X a agri Cankay
the Road’ C ey ‘Designer on it on his journ ir sp n a o G e discovers th rld! across the wo Hello to all ‘Designer on the Road’ followers! In this issue I will tell you about my last stop in India – Goa - a wonderful place with a different energy and ambiance from the rest of the world. I worked at Igoa, an interactive digital advertising agency, for 10 days. Igoa has offices in Istanbul and Goa. When monsoon comes the team escapes to the Istanbul office and when the best times in Goa start again, most of the design team comes back to enjoy the Goan way of life. Igoans love to party, enjoy and have fun, but when it comes to business they are quick to change the mood and act more seriously. With this interesting discipline, they keep collecting awards all the time. The rules are basic - the Goa office works with the Istanbul office based on Turkey time. Work starts in Goa at 10:30 am and ends at 8:30 pm. Drugs are not allowed in the office. When I was due to arrive in Goa, I called Sertaç from Igoa but the gsm operator told me that that number did not exist! Then I called his Turkish number but it wasn’t reachable either. I wrote him emails and tried to contact him via WhatsApp. No replies. Sudhir’s friend dropped me off at the city center and I was stuck there. I had no idea where to go. I decided to enter the first hotel I saw because I was very tired after the road trip. I found one after two minutes and paid Rs. 600 for one day - no air conditioning, no TV, no toilet paper, no soap, no drinkable water, nothing. Just a dirty bed and a fan on the ceiling! I
lay down on the bed and after an hour Sertac contacted me and told me where to meet. I tried to get my money back from hotel but they didn’t want to pay me back. Anyway I was happy enough to reach someone from Turkey. The company gave me a bike, a place to stay in a house with a swimming pool, and free food. It was good fun. The office looks like a summer house instead of just another boring agency. They have a nice garden with two dogs and a hammock. I did some illustrations for a cooking course website, and helped them with some ideas for the concept development of the website. Goa looks and tastes different from the other Indian cities I have been to. Because there are lots of tourists, it is easy to find non-spicy western style food options. There are many hippies around and it was an interesting experience to listen to their stories. Apparently there are many people who refuse to work in huge plazas and boring offices – they leave everything behind to live in Goa in peace. The stories of people in Goa are the most interesting ones I have ever heard. You can find all kinds of people here, but somehow they all have the same spirit of Goa. Hope to see you in the next issue of POOL with more about my Thailand adventures! www.designerontheroad.com
RajniSapien And now I am sad that only 4 more days of student life left :| www.poolmagazine.in 3
Annex
INDI IN MUMBAI Niti Doshi, Creative Head of INDI Design’s newly set up Mumbai branch, hopes to set an example by spearheading strategic thinking and providing holistic design solutions
A couple of years ago when Sudhir Sharma set up INDI Design in Pune his mission was to create, manage and communicate successful brands. The brand, design and innovation consultancy has done this and more, and is today widening its footprint both nationally and internationally. INDI’s Mumbai office was recently launched, with Niti Doshi at the helm, and she seems set to steer it along with enthusiasm.
“From its inception, INDI has been somewhat of a revolution, defying existing norms to create new ones and expanding the horizon of design thinking. It has been doing interesting projects in diversified fields along with taking some great initiatives for design awareness.”
jessrosem Just seen the amazing John Martin exhibition ‘Apocalypse’ at @tate britain, well worth a visit, best show ive seen in ages! 4 POOL | 12.11 | #18
All work created by Niti Doshi journey taught me about the endless scope of design and its power to change lives. I founded Troika along with two other batch mates from NID because I wanted to satisfy my entrepreneurial streak and work on my own terms. In my two-year association with Troika, I have worked on various projects ranging from branding, way finding, and social communication to product design and craft development.”
“As INDI grows and spreads its wings to other cities, it is a very exciting time for me to be a part of the INDI team and head its office in Mumbai. Mumbai is a very happening sector with innumerable opportunities for design intervention. Along with providing esthetically appealing design, INDI Mumbai will set an example, in terms of getting to the root of the problem with appropriate research methods, strategic thinking and providing holistic design solutions,” she says. Niti graduated in Applied Art from the J. J. Institute of Applied Arts, and then pursued a postgraduate degree in Graphic Design from NID, Ahmedabad. “The entire
While she thinks heading INDI Mumbai is both exciting and unnerving, she is well suited to the task. “My stint at Troika gave me a first hand idea of ‘running your own business’ and the ability to understand the ‘real’ problem of the client and provide solutions accordingly,” she admits. Her work with Troika was diverse. “One of the more challenging projects was designing a signage system for the BRTS stations in Ahmedabad. It involved an in-depth study of the local language as well as understanding the cognitive patterns of the local people. We also worked with tsunamiaffected women in Chennai, helping them hone their existing skills to develop ecofriendly paper products. The challenge was to not only design smart products but also put a system in place for production and marketing of the products, and ensure a livelihood for the women.” Living up to INDI’s already established name is a challenge she is accepting with relish, not surprising for an adventure sports enthusiast who thrives on tackling life head on! www.indidesign.in
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Global
INDI GOES INTERNATIONAL
Ayman EshaghPour, Creative Director of INDI Design’s partner office in Riyadh hopes to make it the agency of choice in the Middle East
“To be a designer is to have a special creative bond with every client one ever works with,” says graphic designer Ayman EshaghPour, who is INDI Design’s choice to head its recently launched Riyadh office. “My main focus isn’t to just create designs, but to create designs that build up a business with a positive message. Not many regions around the world have the advantage of cultural diversity, energy, and inspiration as the Middle East does. I want to open the eyes of people to the beautiful language of creative design. INDI has to be the agency of choice in the Middle East. I want to see INDI as the first preference for every brand program and every client in this region.” For someone who tried to study marketing so that he could take over his father’s business, Ayman’s association with design in surprising. “Somehow, studying marketing didn’t feel right,” he remembers. Over his daily morning cups of coffee Ayman would watch the art students around him and after interacting with them a bit, he fell in love with the art
world. “I decided to leave the marketing field. I talked to my parents and told them about my decision to transfer to the arts. Unfortunately I was kicked out of my first class in the art field because they thought I didn’t take it seriously enough!” Years later he is living the challenge of being a graphic designer in Saudi Arabia. “Unfortunately some people here don’t differentiate between the designer and the operator! Some businessmen get their logos designed by signage specialists or print shop operators. Saudi Arabia, however, has a tangible culture, and is a complete haven for designers. Culture shapes how design is made, so they are highly related. People here are conservative and attached to their culture and tradition, which is an important factor to consider as a graphic designer,” he says. He is looking forward to being the Middle East representative of an Indian design firm. “The Gulf countries are the Gold countries. I believe people here have
sarahfwarman Tickled by the fact that the Financial Times described Peppa Pig as a “lovable swine”. 6 POOL | 12.11 | #18
(Left to Right) Ayman Eshagh Pour, Lana Al Nasser, Sudhir Sharma & Kuldeep Harit
All work created by Ayman EshaghPour
a special desire for brands, and stay very loyal and committed to the brands they use. Thankfully the community is very up to date with different brands, which is a huge advantage in the design field. People wearing thoabs have Mont Blanc pens, BMW cars, and Gucci shoes!� For him, as well as for INDI, that is a situation with immense possibilities! www.indidesign.in
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Craft
SPREADING her
WINGS
Sreeti Mondol of Bangalore-based ‘Memories of a Butterfly – design in beads’ creates highend customized bead curtains and screens in a flexible, modern, dynamic and eclectic avatar. She tells POOL why the butterfly is such an apt metaphor for her life…
Tell us a little bit about your journey into creating bead curtains and screens. SM: A freak accident at home, which left me with a broken neck, resulted in surgery and six months of complete bed rest. Utter boredom and fidgetiness led me to making candles in a makeshift workshop I created in the balcony. Hundreds of candles later I realized how much I missed hands-on creativity sadly, a far cry from what I was doing in advertising as a strategy planner prior to the accident — much as I loved that job as well! Eventually I realized that this was my opportunity to do what I really wanted… get a new lease of life. After many fun chats and contemplations with a close friend, Shweta, I came up with bead curtains. Starting my own business allowed me to bring my marketing/strategy planning skills to use; designing bead curtains allowed me to fulfill my need for hands-on creativity. Customizing bead curtains meant there would be no end to the newness of what I could do and deliver to clients. As a kid I had always collected beads, a hand me down hobby from my mother. And I had always maintained that I would have a company called ‘Memories of a Butterfly’. Little did I know a dream would be actualized!
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Why did you call your studio ‘Memories of a Butterfly’? SM: ‘Butterfly effect’ holds strong meaning for me and my life! ‘Sreeti’ means ‘memories’ in Bengali. ‘Memories of a Butterfly’ is a phrase that has stuck with me since I was a child, inspiring vivid, mystifying thought and image. Today, this is the essence of my company and therefore its name. ‘Memories of a Butterfly’ (MOAB) – design in beads, and its product is a reflection of who I am but mostly who I aspire to be. It is free spirited, boundless in creativity, buzzing with excitement and opportunity, yielding yet strong at the core, constantly evolving, attractive and unique, unpretentious and grounded in purpose. Tell us a little about MOAB and how it works. SM: MOAB specializes in creating highend customized bead curtains, screens and installations. All the designs are hand made and every piece is customized to suit the client’s design and functional needs. Beaded curtains not only allow for a play with color, light and texture, but also create natural connectors between spaces. I am the Director and Principal Designer of MOAB and while it is essentially a one-man show in terms of marketing, ordering, suppliers connect and design, I have trained women to do the bead work. The designing of the customized bead curtain is an exciting collaboration between me and the client, be it a home maker, interior designer, architect, restaurateur, hotelier
Photos courtesy: Memories of a Butterfly
or spa owner. It’s amazing how much fun the process can be for all involved! Typically most clients have seen our work or read about us in magazine or online features, or visited our website. We discuss their space, taste, esthetics and budget and customize the curtain for them accordingly. Timelines of delivery vary depending on design, stock, volume, color, and our work load; anywhere from three weeks to two months. We use a variety of high-end, high-quality materials in our curtains such as pure glass, crystal, Australian shell, bone, treated PVC, stained or sprayed acrylic, acrylic crystal and wood, to name a few. Who forms your main target market? How do your promote your work? SM: Everyone! The curtains, although high-end, can be customized to suit any budget or esthetic. Anyone interested in a unique piece of work in their home is my target group. I essentially rely on word of mouth and regularly update my database of architects and interior designers. I share my work through the website, which people often stumble upon though search hits on the net. My biggest support on the marketing front has been magazines featuring my work. How have your client servicing skills and strategy management skills helped you? SM: They helped me instinctively find a product with a USP within my own skill set and interests. They helped me realize a brand and market it at my pace and with the image I wanted to create - not a retail product by a design house. Sometimes taking slow mini steps is the better way to go; it is the strategy I followed and I believe it has paid off three to four years later. Everyone I have worked with in advertising and marketing was a huge support at a personal and practical level. They were not only proud and encouraging but also helped design my brand logo, brochures, etc. What inspires you? SM: Butterflies, nature, weather, my clients! Being brought up in a well traveled family, I have been exposed throughout my life to different cultures and esthetics. The influence is inevitable and you will see this reflected in many of our designs. What is the scope of beadwork in India? Is it limited only to textiles and jewelry? SM: Yes, beadwork is dominant in textiles and jewelry and that’s a reality one cannot ignore.
And it’s good; we are honing our skills where we have them. India has a reputed tradition of beadwork on cloth and jewelry and now we have modernized this technique. Hopefully, MOAB and other designers can revive, in our humble way, the era of the jewel-studded Taj Mahal. There are a lot of renovations going on in India, on a small scale, where old doors studded with beads are being revived to their old glory, bead torans destroyed over time are being restored, bead curtains where there are empty gaps left are being recreated…I can only hope to work on more of these projects. Beadwork is an old art form that lost its mojo and appreciation for a bit in India’s race towards a more modern world. Hopefully, by tackling the bead in a more flexible way this art form can be renewed, restored and evolved. At MOAB we can recreate the old world charm of beadwork with more traditional designs using glass, shell and stone beads, and on the other hand take the concept to a more contemporary look and feel through design and by using alternative materials and material combinations. What do you love most about your work? SM: That I love working! I truly love what I do, from the business challenges, to moody suppliers, excited clients and the endless state of creation. I feel inspired, challenged and appreciated everyday. But mostly it’s my happy clients that keep me going. I have received some of the most wonderful and strange responses from clients. “It’s so delicious, like my first date!” “It’s livened up my day, my life!” “We all hang out in the kitchen now with the curtain light streaming through!” I specifically like doing curtains for temple rooms, a space so important and hugely personal for so many people. It’s great to see hardened adults with the same look that I had as a kid when I saw my first marble and imagined the universe captured within it! Where do you see your craft evolving in the next three years? SM: ‘Memories of a Butterfly’ deserves to spread its wings now. I look forward to our personal butterfly effect in the near future. We have already begun to export our designs and look forward to more of the same along with increased orders in India. We plan to specialize in renovations as well. That would be a dream project - recreating and giving due respect to the glory of the past. memoriesofabutterfly.wordpress.com
sahilk At college. My seat number isn’t on the schedule. Have been asked to
sit in so & so room. They better let me give the God damn paper today.
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Quirky
KISSING stones & Bangalore-based Chumbak brings ‘the new India to the world’ through a colorful and creative range of items
In Hindi, chumbak means magnet - chumma (kissing) + bak (stones). While Chumbak may have started out by creating a range of fridge magnets a little over a year ago, today this creative venture offers items ranging from key chains, key heads, and bobble heads, to coasters, flip flops, photo frames, luggage tags, mouse pads, tissue roll covers, piggy banks, and car danglers. Their repertoire is as varied as it is appealing. Chumbak was started by Shubhra Chadda and Vivek Prabhakar who, until recently ‘had a corporate life with the Dark Side’. While Shubhra ‘handles almost everything’ at Chumbak, Vivek is ‘kind of the compass’ within Chumbak. The rest of their small team comprises Shimona Chawla, the ‘head and queen’ of the warehouse. Shubhra, who is the face of the venture, lets us in on how Chumbak came about. “I’ve always wanted to do something
different, something that was fun, something that I love. After much thought, I narrowed it down to something that I really love to do…travel. Every time I traveled, I bought back a memory of that place in the form of a fridge magnet. For some strange unknown reason, you could never find great quality and fun magnets in India. Chumbak was born out of a love for India and the love of travel. Along the way, Chumbak became a way to take back a piece of India.” So, Shubhra and Vivek invested their money into a small Bangalore-based outfit, started designing quirky mementoes that evoked the joyful diversity and character of India, and Chumbak was born! Their aim was to reach out to the customer, and that’s something they’ve managed to do pretty well, both through online sales (http:// www.chumbak.in) and through a presence in various stores across the country.
Photos courtesy: Chumbak
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“A good designer is someone who can understand the sensibilities of our culture as well as what drives it,” says Shubhra. The initial reactions to their designs were very encouraging. “People loved the products,” she admits. “They were very happy to see great quality and affordable prices. For us, it’s been a good experience so far. We’ve learnt so many things along the way, things that we would have never learnt otherwise! The pressure is loads, but so are the rewards!”
They’ve come quite a way from their first foray into kissing stones that would bring back memories of India long after a traveler had left its shores. And like their signature magnets, they’ve learnt to stick fast to the minds of happy customers! www.chumbak.in
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Cover Story
MAKING A
DIFFERENCE Designer, film-maker, painter and writer Pravin Mishra has come a long way since his earliest brushes with art. He tells POOL how he uses his many talents to try to effect social change… Tell us a little bit about your journey as an artist. PM: The sixth child of my parents, I was born in Farakka in West Bengal in 1975. I started working at age nine - painting vehicle number plates. I then evolved to become a hoarding and signboard painter, and was able to pay for my education. My professional education in Government College of Art at Kolkata shaped the artist in me. Then I wanted to make films. In 1998 when I graduated from the art college, there was no PG course in film and video at the National Institute of Design (NID) in Ahmedabad. Admissions at the Film and Television Institute of India in Pune didn’t take place that year due to some disturbances there. The nearest possible thing I could do was the Advanced Entry Program in Animation Film Design at NID. So I did that. Now I am based in Ahmedabad but travel extensively to different parts of India. I exhibit my paintings through solo shows and public art (graffiti and all) in and outside the city. You worked in advertising for some time - what was your experience?
PM: The world understands ‘make-it big’ as making a lot of money, even if it makes very little sense. Why should we all try to make it big? We all are different individuals and can play important roles based on our interest and expertise. I worked as a creative director at Admark advertising in Ahmedabad between1999-2005. I started working when I was in the third semester at NID. At one point, I was handling almost all the major automobile players in the state. I did many television commercials too. It was an amazing experience. I had the privilege of practicing in real life what I was learning in the classrooms of NID. My approach has been to go for things that come your way without compromising on your ideology. How did the Gujarat Riots affect you? PM: A riot is normally understood as a spontaneous clash between two communities. What happened in Gujarat in 2002 was by design. It was statesponsored violence. I saw the violence very closely and it changed my life
_PWN Life is one big party. Some choose to sit around. Some choose to dance. 12 POOL | 12.11 | #18
forever. I couldn’t sleep for days. The question I asked myself was how would design or art help to stop spreading such hatred. Nobody could find me a good answer. What inspired you to make the animated film Dharamveer, which won the National Critics Award at the Mumbai International Film Festival 2004? PM: Dharamveer was a reaction to my personal experiences and first person accounts of the communal violence in Gujarat. This was also my diploma project at NID, immediately after the violence. I wanted to express the frightening reality of impressionable minds being molded and made into holy warriors. Dharamveer is a common man at peace. Conflicting and competing ideologies confront him. His innocence and confusion vanishes when he finds himself trapped in an ideological web. His view gets subverted by the collective hate of the fanatic mob. This film does not propose solutions, nor does it offer solace. It merely seeks to hold up a mirror for all of us. Dharamveer seeks to provoke a debate. We need
Cover Story
to seek answers; much after the pain vanishes, the scars remain grim, and are constant reminders to history not wanting to repeat itself. And speak we must, for it is when we stop talking that violence begins its dance of death. NID was hesitant because the storyline had strong political symbolism. But the award at MIFF was important for me to realize that I had made a good film. Do you think it is important to create social documentaries? PM: My social documentary Azadnagar Gulamnagar reflects the political reality of our country. Bonded labor or debt bondage is the worst form of exploitative employeremployee relations that exists. Workers are trapped into forced labor using the bait of debt bondage. Bonded labor prevails even today in many sectors. Currently, the trends are changing, with new forms of bondage coming into existence. In the Bonded Labor system a worker casts her/ his labor against an advance. Beyond extreme economic exploitation in the system, the employer also wields absolute physical and psychological control over the
bonded labor; he saps all humanity from the laborer. In 1976, the Government of India came up with the Bonded Labor System (Abolition) Act to declare the freedom of bonded laborers, a unique form of slavery. Azadnagar Gulamnagar explores how this act of 1976 translates into practice. Where and in what condition are the released bonded laborers and their families? Shot in Madhya Pradesh, Azadnagar attempts to capture life after release; Gulamnagar is shot in Rajasthan and attempts to capture the situation of existing bonded labor. The film was difficult to make due to the limited access the exploiters allowed, lest they get exposed publicly to a larger audience. The film was screened in various human rights film festivals around the globe. It was also awarded the best documentary at the Ahmedabad International Film Festival in 2009. My recent film Jyoti deals with the girl education campaign. I also made a series of 11 films for Care India on the subject, each about 7-8 minutes in length. Jyoti was shot in northern
Uttar Pradesh. Kishori Samooh, a group of girls, is formed in about 250 villages of Bahraich and Balrampur districts of U.P. This was a part of a global program called ‘power within’ to enable girls around the world to complete primary education and develop leadership skills. The program focuses on girls in the age group of 10 to 14 years old, because this is when girls generally complete primary school and are most likely to drop out afterwards. This age range is a critical transition between childhood and adulthood. My just released documentary Sumangali is on a contemporary form of slavery. Forced labor of women and girls, known as the ‘Sumangali system’, is practiced in the factories of Southern India, particularly the spinning mills around Tirupur. The workforce is composed of girls between the ages of 13 and 18, employed on a three-year contract. The girls are confined to the mills during their contract period and are rarely, if ever, allowed out during that time. The restrictions on freedom of movement and the elements of bonded labor associated
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Cover Story with the Sumangali system mean that it is a form of slavery and recognized as such by the Indian Courts. How are your social documentaries different from other documentary films? PM: All my films deal with socio-economic issues. In fact there cannot be anything beyond it. Unlike corporate films which try to sell something, a social documentary demands attention to the issue. My style is simple. Once I freeze on a subject, I try to bring the reality to the audience in its original form without burdening them with statistics and unnecessary information. What does painting mean to you? PM: My first love was definitely painting, but as I grew as an artist, I understood that I needed to constantly interact with self and the world around to create my paintings - these needs are satisfied through writing and politics. I believe I can only grow as an artist if my engagement with the other two inspires and provides me with the subjects of my painting. Painting directly does not catalyze any change in society, whereas politics, writing, film making and designing can evoke reactions and responses that may work as an agent of change. However, from my point of view, painting is rejuvenating oneself while going through the exhaustive process of other faculties. Probably, painting helps to start a day afresh like a sound sleep the previous night. Most of my paintings are a celebration of life and beauty, whereas my writing and politics and even film making are oriented towards the larger social injustice, agony and human suffering. I have tried to address a social message through my paintings several times in the past and I will do it again, but I rarely paint to communicate. I draw and paint because it gives me immense pleasure. Why did you decide to join politics? PM: Politics is nothing but applied knowledge of nation building. Being in politics helps to understand the contradictions of society without any generation loss. And you can instantly see the effect of your thoughts and actions. I joined politics to resist exploitation and challenge the status quo directly, which was not possible through any other way. What role did you play in Gujarat Chief Minister, Narendra Modi’s campaign? PM: My senior from NID, Gautam Patel was doing some campaign work for Narendra Modi. He asked me to assist him in the project. As I was curious to understand the political impact after the violence that had taken place, I associated myself with the project. My role was to design the graphic content. I was however struck by the megalomania of Mr. Modi who wanted everything to
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be designed so that it would focus on his greatness. He wanted specifically to be projected as ‘chhota sardar’. He called the campaign Gaurav Yatra to counterblast those who were criticizing him for the violence of 2002. Do you think there is scope and space for design in political campaigns? PM: Design already exists in politics. Every political party has a manifesto, an identity by which it is recognized and has a set of formative responses to issues. What is lacking in politics is design sensitivity. This I am saying based on my observations of bourgeois democracy all across the world. If I am allowed to, then I would like to dismantle not only the designs of the bourgeois but their class structure too. Painting, documentary making, design or writing – what appeals to you the most? PM: Being a writer helps to communicate new ideas to thousands at one go. Being a communication designer or a film-maker helps tell the story. Painting beautifully expresses things and thoughts. All of it gets intertwined to create a voice that people understand. What I want to say is that each of these roles
sunainak There should be punching bags available in meetings. In the meetings where actual work happens that is. www.poolmagazine.in 15
is complementary to the other. I like painting, as it is the most personal of all. Do you think it is important for a designer to teach and share knowledge? PM: Some years back my senior, Indrani De Parker asked me to take a mural workshop at IILM School of Design in Gurgaon, and I tasted the pleasure and contentment of sharing knowledge. Today I facilitate both theory as well as skill-based courses in several design and architectural schools in India. I love experimenting in teaching methods. It is important to pass on and give back. What I wish is that design as a subject should be introduced at the school education level. This would not only solve a lot of common faulty design problems but would make better human beings out of the school children, as design education imparts sensitivity and the concept of esthetics. What’s next? PM: Like any other human being, I too have fantasies. They are more personal in nature, like having a beautiful house on the beach, or in the foothills of Shivalik with a beautiful pathway through the woods to reach my house. And from my window, I should be able to see the deep blue ocean or the cloud-patched sky… but
that’s not all. Having done so many things as my passion, I would like to see a better world that is free of exploitation and inflicted human pains. My sole ambition is to continue to work for it in whichever way I can and for however little I can achieve… I long to die a happy man with a feeling of making the most of it. mishra_pravin@yahoo.co
Case Studies
Anaezi Modu, founder and CEO of REBRAND,™ the world’s leading resource for effective brand transformations, shares some ideas from her upcoming book ‘REBRAND’ As you know, a brand is far more than just a logo or ad campaign. It is a full landscape of integrated activities. From your actions, environments, employees, and shareholders, to your reputation in your broader community, there is a range of elements that make up your brand. Whether or not these are consciously designed, the process of synthesizing the components that make up your brand are already happening around you. This is the way your marketplace perceives and experiences all points of interaction with your organization – as a sum of all your parts.
entity down if done poorly. One of the mistakes companies make in rebranding is ego-driven timing. Executives often undertake a rebrand – or fail to undertake a rebrand – for ill-conceived reasons. Perhaps there’s a new CEO looking to make a change based on personal, subjective goals. Perhaps there is an attempt to make some mark, without a rigorous review of the need to take this on.
So when you consider a rebrand, you are considering a company-wide initiative. All aspects of your business will be impacted. All divisions of your business will participate. And if all goes well, all areas of your organization – from staff to sales to stock price to reputation — will benefit.
There are three key categories in which you can find reasons for or against rebranding: economic, cultural and strategic. Let’s go through each one briefly. As you read, look for your organization. Are you impacted by these factors? If so, perhaps a rebrand should be on your agenda.
Of course, rebrands are not only for large multinationals with multi-million dollar budgets. You don’t have to be in the business of chasing profits to be considered a brand — far from it. Many organizations that may have missions other than profitability must be especially concerned about their brand. The brand they embody may be the primary driver of how successful the organization is in achieving its objectives – whether it’s fund raising or politics or non-governmental services. So if non-profits must worry about the brand, they must also consider when to rebrand. Like significant initiatives of various types, a rebrand can backfire and drag any
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How do you know if your company is ripe for a rebrand? Don’t guess. Evaluate and make an informed decision.
Economic reasons Most brands function in an economic eco-system. They are judged by how much money they generate, how many customers they attract and retain, and what impact they have on the financial fortunes of their industry, employees, shareholders, customers, and broader community. So it makes sense that several issues around rebranding arise out of economic events. Competitive pressures is a common one. As the world economy has expanded, the number of companies that might compete with yours has also ballooned. If once
you only had to compete in your domestic marketplace, today you compete with the world. If once you alone had direct access to your customers, today many other brands can edge their way into the conversation. As your segment becomes more crowded, you may find that your product lacks relevant differentiation. There are a number of other economic factors such as changing demographics, market changes, mergers and acquisitions, negative press, and playing in the new digital marketplace. These situations are economic. They are measured in dollars and cents. But money is not the only reason to consider a rebrand. There are others that may arise and demand to be heard. If you are only using a financial yardstick, you may miss them.
Cultural reasons What do I mean by this? Every company has a culture. This is true whether management is mindful about creating a corporate culture or not. The culture – meaning the human eco-system in which employees, vendors, customers, shareholders, and your broader community interact — exists as a matter of course. Culture is a huge and often overlooked factor in any brand. When customers perceive your offerings, they are not just looking at them in a vacuum. They take in all the elements that converge to make up your brand. If you make a great product, but you are producing it using child labor, your customers consider and factor this fact into your brand. How you act as a company, and how you deal with the cultural issues that arise within it, all impact your brand.
Strategic reasons How’s business? Good? Great? Wonderful? Now, how will business be in five years? That’s another question. And the way you answer it five years from now may depend on decisions you make today, particularly, decisions around your brand strategy. What are the strategic reasons to rebrand? These can be more complex to discern and analyze properly. It’s easy enough to look at sales and see if they are going up or down. It’s also possible to understand the cultural currents of a company if you’re willing to look at the human interactions. But what is the relationship between strategy and the brand? And how can you evaluate whether your brand must evolve to fall in line with a strategic direction? Consider it this way: any time you undertake a shift in strategy, your brand must be at the core of that process. A brand is not simply a function in the marketing department. It is the embodiment of the business itself. A strategic shift naturally begins with the core of who you are, what you do, and why that’s relevant (and of high-value) to customers and prospects. One major strategic shift that is taking place in many companies is towards more digital tools. This may take many forms. A company may look more aggressively at social media as engagement tools for customers and prospects. It may look to webbased sourcing. It may turn to digital communication to go paperless. All of these are strategic changes – shifts a company undertakes as a means to be more competitive, spur growth, and outpace the competition.
Anaezi Modu REBRAND 100 case examples: 1. ONCE ONLINE 2010 REBRAND 100 Winners Best of Awards
Logo - After
Industry: Financial Services/Insurance Enterprise Rebrand Country Base: Australia
Ultimately, the decision to rebrand or not to rebrand is a complex one. It’s not a decision that can be taken lightly. A range of considerations – economic, cultural and strategic – must be examined. But it’s within these systems that you’ll find your mandate. If a rebrand is the right idea, that will be revealed in one of these three categories.
Industry Setting: Online banking and finance is an established online financial services provider, offering life insurance, personal loans, home loans and a credit card. Challenge: Once Online was introducing a range of new online services that were different in style and performance from their traditional product range. They are
simpler and easier to use and signal a different approach to online banking in Australia. In addition to this, existing products were currently marketed in disparate ways, creating a disjointed identity that was undermining attempts to build customer confidence in their offering. Once wanted to reposition their brand as the most simple, easy to deal with brand, built on a platform of ‘common sense’.
Strategy: We created a completely new brand identity for Once Online. Like the products it supports, it is deceptively simple, featuring a black and white palette, simple typography and direct and everyday language. The website is easy to navigate. It’s friendly and approachable. Result: The site was launched in March 2009. There are now nine products on the site. The refreshed brand identity provided the platform for a more cohesive team internally, and a much more cohesive way of presenting their services to market.
KalyanVarma Looks like iOS vs Android is the new Linux vs Windows/Nikon vs Canon www.poolmagazine.in 19
Case Studies Industry Setting: Deutsche Post DHL is the world’s leading mail and logistics group. With its brands DHL and Deutsche Post, the group offers a wide range of services in cross-border express, air and sea freight, road and rail transport and contract logistics. Challenge: The Deutsche Post World Net group changed its name to Deutsche Post DHL as part of its Strategy 2015. The challenge of the rebranding process was ensuring clear identification of the company after it changed its name while making distinct reference to both service brands, DHL and Deutsche Post. Logo - Before
Strategy: The core of Strategy 2015 is the focus on the company’s existing strengths and its potential. “We don’t need to re-invent the company; we need to make more of what we already have,” said Frank Appel, chairman of the executive board at the press conference held to announce the new name. The look is consciously minimalist and conveys the reserved, simple, clear and reliable tonality the company stands for. Striking but elegant in its reduction, it conveys confidence and modernization. Yellow, the corporate color, remains the company’s signature color. Result: Two service brands, Deutsche Post and DHL, are clearly united under the umbrella of Deutsche Post DHL. Like the name, the corporate look combines the two brands to a visual entity. Clear imagery and a flexible design principle characterize the look in all media, ensuring orientation in Germany and abroad.
2. DEUTSCHE POST DHL 2010 REBRAND 100 Winners - Notable
Logo - After
Industry: Transportation, Shipping, Delivery Enterprise Rebrand Country Base: Germany
Logo - Before
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has emerged among the leaders in Indian pharma with a growth fueled through a strategy of acquisitions, brand building and focused selling. Today the group is expanding itself in different businesses like glass manufacturing, healthcare, clinical research, etc.
Challenge: • The Nicholas Piramal group was perceived to be bland, diffused and, on the whole, quite unremarkable, even though, it is in fact, an extremely distinctive, even unique sort of group. • To surprise people by presenting the group in a whole new light. Strategy: • The company had many stakeholders; the attempt was to unify all of them under one Group renamed as Piramal Enterprises. • To reflect the Indian roots of the company.
3. PIRAMAL ENTERPRISES 2010 REBRAND 100 Winners - Distinction
Result: • By adopting the ancient Indian hand posture practiced in yoga as their corporate mark, the group now has staked claim on a rich heritage that is in synergy with their belief system. • An esthetic hand posture practiced in yoga, meditation and dance for more than 3,000 years. • The thumb and index finger are brought close but do not touch each other, reflecting the attempt of the company to move towards perfection. The three fingers symbolize the mind, the body and the intellect – hence the core values: • Karma Yoga (dynamic action) • Gyan Yoga (knowledge) • Bhakti Yoga (devotion, compassion and care) www.rebrand.com
Logo - After Industry: Industry/Sector: Healthcare/ Pharmaceuticals Enterprise Rebrand
Country Base: India Industry Setting: Nicholas Piramal India Limited (NPIL) was formed when the Piramal Group acquired Nicholas Laboratories, in 1988. Ever since NPIL
Logo - Before
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Event
It’s been an eventful time for the design industry worldwide, culminating in the recently concluded 2011 IDA Congress in Taipei. As media partner, POOL had a ringside view... 2011 IDA CONGRESS CONCLUDES SUCCESSFULLY
Employment Council of British Columbia, spoke on international migration.
More than 130 industry leaders from 21 countries shared their insights into design trends at the recently concluded 2011 IDA Congress in Taipei. Around 3,000 local and international professionals participated in this largest design forum ever organized in Taiwan. ‘Design at the Edges’ was the theme of the three-day event, which was also IDA’s first world design congress since its establishment.
2011-2013 Icsid Executive Board Elected
Leaders from all over the world were invited to give addresses on five topics of global relevance related to design. EskoAho, the former Prime Minister of Finland, spoke on economic development; Barry Lam the CEO of Quanta Computer Inc. spoke on the Internet; environmental activist, Vandana Shiva gave a talk on biotechnology; Peter Bishop, former Deputy CEO of London Development Agency, delivered a speech on urbanism; and Bob Elton, Chair of the Board of Directors, Immigrant
The International Council of Societies of Industrial Design (Icsid) recently announced the new Executive Board of Directors for the 2011-2013 term. Seventeen nominations from around the world were received for the nine board vacancies, which were eventually filled by Michelle Berryman (USA), Bruce Claxton (USA), Alpay Er (Turkey), Tapani Hyvonen (Finland), Mugendi M’Rithaa (South Africa), Geetha Narayanan (India), Kohei Nishiyama (Japan), Pierre-Yves Panis (France), and Nils Toft (Denmark). Professor Soon-in Lee (South Korea) will lead Icsid as President this term. He has been a Professor of industrial design and art at Hongik University since 2004, and is also currently the President of the Seoul Design Center. Professor Lee declared a special interest in working with developing nations, bringing in new membership and
nid_b Looking for UX/UI/Interaction Design interns? Young Ethnographic researchers, Prototypers, Tinkerers? Let us know! Share/RT! 22 POOL | 12.11 | #18
encouraging the development and use of socially responsible industrial design. Brandon Gien from Australia will also serve on the Executive Board as President-Elect (Australia).
Icograda General Assembly 24 Elects Historic Board and Adopts New Name Delegates to the Icograda General Assembly 24 elected an historic Executive Board to lead the Council in its 50th anniversary term. Representing more than 200 organizations in 67 countries, the
10-person board will be led by Leimei Julia Chiu (Japan), who becomes Icograda’s first female President. She is also Executive Director of the Japan Institute of Design Promotion and a Professor in the Department of Visual Communication Design at Musashino Art University. The rest of the Board comprises Russell Kennedy (Australia) – Past President; Omar Vulpinari (Italy) – President Elect; Iva Babaja (Croatia) – Secretary General; Gitte Just (Denmark) – Treasurer; Vesna Brekalo (Slovenia) – Vice President; Gaby de Abreu (South Africa) – Vice President; Yesim Demir (Turkey) – Vice President; Sophia Shih (Taiwan, Chinese Taipei) –
Vice President; and Lawrence Zeegen (United Kingdom) – Vice President. The delegates also ratified the official name change of the Council from the ‘International Council of Graphic Design Associations’ to the ‘International Council of Communication Design’. Past President Russell Kennedy described the new name as honoring the Council’s history by retaining ‘Icograda’ as its primary identifier, while embracing the emerging fields and expanded media practice of communication design. www.icograda.org
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Photography
e e r h TDIMENSIONS Budding photographers Maya, Simar and Kismet team up to present three sides to every story!
Purple, Kismat Brought up in Chandigarh, and now living in different parts of the world, these young ladies share a common passion for photography. In fact, their enthusiasm and drive to stay in touch with each other and religiously practice photography has led the three friends to start a photo blog to document their creative work. Only Kismet is a full time photographer; Maya is a Special Ed and Disability Consultant, based in Chandigarh, while Simar is currently pursuing her Masters in Public Policy at Harvard University. Yet, however busy they are with their own routines, they make it a point to indulge their photographic instincts, regularly coming together on Three Sides, their aptly named blog. Every week, they agree upon a mutual theme and upload photos based on it; each, of course, has her own distinctive point of view. “We’ve known each other forever, since two of us are related and the third has always lived a five-minute walk away from us,” says Maya. “We did a lot of fun ‘projects’ when we were younger that involved making things and being creative. I had been flirting with the idea of creating a photo blog for a while and I think it just
Purple, Maya
Purple, Simar
made sense for this to be a project that the three of us could work on together, regardless of whether we were in the same city or not.” Adds Kismet, “We thought three perspectives to a theme would not only interest us but others as well.” Simar points out, “We wanted to have a bit of fun and experiment with ways to bring our different styles and perspectives together.”
Natural lighting and minimal computer manipulation is their general preference but Simar clarifies, “I find myself taking photos at odd hours (due to time constraints posed by my schoolwork); as a result the lighting might not be exactly how I’d like it, so I’ll often make some color/light edits to the images on my computer.”
Fascinated by inanimate objects, they tend to steer towards them as their subject of focus, though people and animals often feature in their photographs as well. Maya explains, “I love taking pictures of inanimate objects and injecting meaning or a story to that frame. My favorite photos are those where I do something slightly surreal with ordinary objects.” Kismet admits, “My work entitles me to take photos of people all the time but if I was doing a personal project, I would end up photographing objects more! I don’t think I prefer one above the other, I just find a balance between the two.” Adds Simar, “Since the three of us are mostly not in the same place at the same time, we try to pick themes that are fairly open to interpretation. We usually do some brainstorming amongst ourselves. When we are together, we try to photograph a common location.”
The camera is like an extension of each of the three ladies. “I am notorious for taking too many photos. In my world, ‘enough’ has no meaning. This is the plus point of the digital world,” says Kismet. Simar adds, “It really depends on the theme of the week. Some weeks the photo finds me in which case it’s a single shot. Other weeks, I have to go looking for the photo, which means anywhere from 10-30 shots.” While taking photographs may not be a chore, selecting which to put out there for the world to see is a tricky process. “You kind of just know which photo you want to use,” says Maya. “It lingers in your mind and makes you happy that you have taken just the picture you wanted to take! It works the same way if you don’t get the photo you want too!” Simar reflects, “I usually choose
askammya DadaKondke behind Apple’s success.Steve Jobs asked Dada my products r not sucesful,kaay karu? Dada said” i ghaal !”Thencame iphone, iPad etc 24 POOL | 12.11 | #18
the photo that speaks most to the theme we’ve selected, which might not always be my favorite.” Maya agrees that photographs are a reflection of one’s personality. “The camera doesn’t care who is behind the lens as long as you can reflect/ refract light in a manner that you can relate to, and that is meaningful to you.” Kismet points out, “A true photographer sees a thing in a specific way - he sees something the other person cannot see. That is typically what happens in Three Sides - we see such variations of the same subject, it’s mind-boggling. If that isn’t a reflection of personality I don’t know what is!” While the blog has resulted in the ladies acquiring a small fan following and no small measure of appreciation, it’s the actual process of capturing images that really keeps them going. And that’s one point of view they all seem to share!
Clouds, Kismat
03sides.blogspot.com
Black, Simar Clouds, Maya
Black, Kismat
Black, Maya
Clouds, Simar
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Typography
Breathing LIFE INTO
Typography As the idea grew in my head, I began sketching them out on a notepad and soon the project moved on to my computer. I built 3D typefaces of each character of the alphabet and later analyzed how each character looked in three dimensions. Then, I got a manufacturer to make a few samples of these typefaces in wood. After four months of grueling work, a complete set of alphabets was ready to be installed.
Designer Nishant Jethi’s ‘Living Typography’ project is a unique way of giving the increasingly endangered sparrows in Mumbai a home The Idea I grew up around nature and always had a special place in my heart for birds. When I moved to Mumbai, I was both shocked and saddened to realize that sparrows, the birds which live around and with us, are gradually reducing in number. The few that are left always seem far away, almost nonexistent. The main reason for the decline in the number of sparrows is the lack of nesting and breeding spaces. With high-rise buildings and malls coming up everywhere, the birds have been displaced from where they once called home. I was always inclined towards creating art installations which interacted with people, let them have fun but still managed to leave behind a message in their minds. This led to an idea called ‘Living Typography’ which started developing in my head. I wanted to create hollow wooden 3D alphabets which also acted |as birdhouses.
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The Installation The ‘Living Typography’ project was sponsored and immensely supported by both Mudra and Water Design Studio. I started with installations of ‘Living Typography’ in and around the Mudra building. As the project grew, we sent these installations to clients and interested friends and family members so they could put them up outside their homes as nameplates or house numbers. Thus, Living Typography not only provided a well designed name plate, but also provided shelter to the many sparrows that had lost their homes. Later, with the help of an NGO which worked towards providing shelter to sparrows, we found areas in Mumbai which had the least number of sparrows and installed the typefaces there, where they were needed the most. Typography Training As a child in Kutch, I used to work with local painters and signboard artists. I grew up making signboards and large wall paintings. This hobby taught me a lot about design and typography. This childhood passion of mine helped me choose my career and I joined M. S. University of Fine Arts to gain knowledge in my subject of interest. I passed out with a Bachelor in Fine Arts degree in 2004. Later I began experimenting with typography in my art installations and
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POOL IS RELEASING ITS
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Headlines design work, which I continue to do and plan to continue.
City of Cape Town appointed World Design Capital 2014
Career Chart I started my career as a visualizer at Everest Brand Solutions, where I spent three years. I moved on to working as Art Director at Leo Burnett. In 2010, I moved to Mudra in Mumbai as Assistant Creative Director, and started working on the Living Typography project, which was nominated for the Cannes Festival (2010). It was a selfpromotion activity for Water Design Studio. Other Interests Painting, drawing, sketching, art installations, wall painting…I am working on a couple of new projects in which I am experimenting with light and graffiti. I am also working on street graffiti and wall painting projects and an ambient outdoor project for Volkswagen which will start in 2012.
The International Council of Societies of Industrial Design (Icsid) announced at the recently held International Design Alliance Congress in Taipei that the City of Cape Town (South Africa) has been designated the World Capital Design® (WDC) 2014. Cape Town is the fourth city to hold this biennial appointment, and the first from the African continent.
What’s Next After being featured on designboom.com, ‘Living Typography’ started capturing a lot of attention; it then began to be featured on a large number of other blogs and sites. I have also received numerous inquiries on the availability of these typefaces. Now, I am planning to collaborate with a few international design studios and production houses to run this project on a larger scale and platform. Eventually I hope to open an experimental design studio.
The honor is awarded to cities based on their commitment to use design as an effective tool for social, cultural and economic development. Cape Town is a growing and vibrant city, where design has for decades been a significant factor in its desire to build an open city. The marriage of need and innovative design has resulted in unique solutions to address the issues of a developing city. The City of Cape Town will follow the examples of past World Design Capitals to develop an engaging program for 2014.
nishant1269.blogspot.com
Sudhir Sharma on Rebrand 100 Jury
The annual REBRAND 100® Global Awards will see Sudhir Sharma, Editor in Chief of POOL, on the jury. To be announced later this year, the Awards are the first and most respected recognition for repositioned brands, and are initiated by REBRAND™, the world’s leading resource focused on effective brand transformations.
A graduate of the National Institute of Design (NID) and now creative Chairman of INDI, an international brand innovation consulting firm based in Pune, Sudhir is also a Juror for the Dutch Design Awards 2011 in Amsterdam, and Design for Asia Awards at Hong Kong 2011. His Jury journey started with Cannes in 2008, when he was invited to be a juror for the inaugural design awards at the Cannes Advertising Festival. Since then he has played the role of juror at several prestigious events. India Social Entrepreneur of the Year
Neelam Chhiber, Managing Director of the Bangalore-based Indus Tree Crafts Foundation (ICF) was declared the winner of the 2011 India Social Entrepreneur of the Year award by The Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship, a sister organization of the World Economic Forum, in partnership with the Jubilant Bhartia Foundation. Indus Tree connects rural artisan producers to urban consumer markets, and has to date trained over 10,000 artisans to invest their own working capital, and develop into enterprising self-help groups. More than 140 applicants entered the seventh annual ‘Social Entrepreneur of the Year’ selection process for India, and four finalists emerged after several stages of rigorous assessment by a panel of eminent judges. The winner of the annual competition enters the Schwab Foundation’s global community of more than 200 social innovators. content@poolmagazine.in
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Rising Stars
BRINGING
FUN
INTO
fashion
Neha Sharma and Chantelle Dequadros of Hooloovoo undertake soft furnishing interior projects in addition to designing luxury products and fashion accessories The who of Hooloovoo We are two friends who have known each other for a long time. Chantelle graduated from St. Xavier’s, Mumbai and experimented with various jobs before she finally found her calling in retail, and heading projects in the textile business. She has about five years of experience, having handled everything from merchandising to design and project implementation. Neha studied Textile Design from Sophia Polytechnic, Mumbai and went on to work with companies and export houses such as Zeba Home, Synergy Lifestyles, and Mulberry Silks. She has over six years of experience in textile and home living, including freelancing stints with various design houses such as Verve fabrics and Silk Essentials. The why After studying the local market we realized the lack of a stylish yet functional and fun brand that would cater to a wide variety of people who like beautiful things. We launched Hooloovoo in 2010. Our aim is to establish an Indian brand of international standards. Hooloovoo
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came out of our urge to satisfy our thirst for good design. It’s our own little plan to do big things. It is about putting together designed products which are timeless and unique while catering to the sensibilities of today’s individual. In three words, Hooloovoo is vibrant, intelligent, and tasteful. And the what… At Hooloovoo we undertake soft furnishing interior projects of all kinds including residential and corporate. We provide complete customized design solutions from concept to final product for upholstery, curtains, bed-sets, rugs, floor to floor carpets, etc. We also design and provide our own luxury products under the Hooloovoo brand, such as cushions, dining sets, coasters, napkin rings, bedding and much more. We have recently branched into making fashion accessories. Our work is based on design requirements which use all types of techniques, either hand or machine, incorporated into creating a unique product. The opportunities for creation in both techniques are limitless. All our products are hand crafted; however, we use machines for surface embellishments. Hooloovoo currently does only custom based orders apart from our seasonal collections. We are already working on getting into the retail market and taking part in exhibitions in the near future. How we have evolved Hooloovoo was just a luxury home furnishing brand. Having designed a lot of cushions and other soft furnishings we realized the potential of our design ideas which could also be incorporated into handbags. Therefore, we started making exclusive designs for bags and have grown into a bag brand as well.
Our inspiration We draw inspiration from moods, colors, forms, textures found and experienced along our journey. Tackling challenges As a new company we face new challenges every day, from design innovation to completion of the final product. It is an adventure with some really good and some really bad days but it is all worth it in the end when we see the final product. The future In the next three years, we would like to see ourselves operating our own retail store, providing a complete solution from home to personal accessories. http://www.facebook.com/hooloovoo.in
mekkanikal Best I’ve heard today - “I’m an idealist. I don’t know where I’m going, but I’m on my way.” — Carl Sandburg
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RNI-No. MAHENG12606/13/1/2010-TC