POOL 37
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Suresh Sethi pg 30 | Photographed by Sumit Singh pg28
India Design Mark 2013 02 Tanya Khanna 08 Ishan Khosla 12 Meera Sethi 18 Geetanjali Kasliwal 24 Hidish, Yusuf & Kuldeep 44 Anavila Sindhu Misra 52 Priya Kuriyan 58 Cagri Cankaya 63
Editor in Chief | sudhir@indidesign.in
July 2013 | # 37
POOL 37
POOL 37
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Suresh Sethi pg 30 | Photographed by Sumit Singh pg28
India Design Mark 2013 02 Tanya Khanna 08 Ishan Khosla 12 Meera Sethi 18 Geetanjali Kasliwal 24 Hidish, Yusuf & Kuldeep 44 Anavila Sindhu Misra 52 Priya Kuriyan 58 Cagri Cankaya 63
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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.
http://in.groups.yahoo.com/group/designindia International Design Media Network Participant
Designed in India The rest of the world really admires Indian heritage, handicrafts, arts and our ancient architecture. So much so that you find many young designers playing with popular images, creating kitsch and recycling it as the new Indian design. You will find many versions of Andy Warhol’s Marilyn Monroe technique using graphics of the Taj Mahal, auto rickshaws, and trucks. I guess it’s good commercial sense to cash in on what people know about India. But a serious academic discussion on what is Indian design always draws a blank. We are a country with multiple subcultures and influences; in some way Indian culture is still evolving. The way we have taken to Western design languages and added them to our own mixed up design identity, I wonder if we will ever be able to reach a point of definition. Indian design is so many things at the same time. It is colorful, cheap, expensive, universal, and exclusive. It is useless at times, often ornamental, full of rituals and stories. But, whatever else it is...it is not boring. It has promise and it has still not realized its potential. Most of all, it is designed in India. Stepping into our 37th issue, POOL is celebrating ‘Designed in India’, a concept that is much easier to comprehend than ‘Indian Design’. Let’s make the world look beyond our palaces and our poverty...let’s introduce them to all that is ‘Designed in India’!
Sudhir Endorsed by
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INDIA DESIGN MARK 2013 www.indiadesignmark.in
India Design Mark is a design standard that recognizes good design. It symbolizes product excellence in form, function, quality, safety, sustainability and innovation and communicates that the product is usable, durable, esthetically appealing and socially responsible. Initiated in cooperation with Good Design Award, Japan, India Design Mark is granted by India Design Council which evaluates good design through a systemized process. India Design Council is an autonomous body of the Government of India established under the aegis of Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion, Ministry of Commerce & Industry. The Council is presided over by Anand Mahindra, Chairman and Managing Director of Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. Prof. Pradyumna Vyas, Director of National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad is the member secretary. The India Design Mark process for 2013 was announced on the occasion of World Industrial Design Day on June 29, 2012. A total of 111 2  POOL #37
‘Dio’ Manufactured by: Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India Private Limited | Designed by: Aashish B Chaudhary (In-house designer)
‘25T HCV’ Manufactured by: Mahindra Navistar Automotives Ltd | Designed by: In-house design team www.poolmagazine.in 3
Launching at an inaugural price of 82,000/-
* Additional taxes applicable in Maharashtra.
design mark
(Top to bottom) 1. ‘Godrej Aer Twist’ Manufactured by: Rubicon Formulation Pvt. Ltd. (Godrej Consumer Products Ltd. authorized P2P unit) Designed by: Designgandhi & Godrej Consumer Products Ltd. 2. ‘Scintilla Chair Range’ Manufactured by: Godrej Interio (Division Of Godrej & Boyce Mfg. Co. Ltd) Designed by: Nagabhushan Hegde
applications were submitted, in a wide range of categories such as Commercial Furniture and Equipment, Consumer Durables, Handicraft, FMCG, Packaging, Medical Devices, Leisure and Lifestyle, among others. Eleven applications were adjudged to be ineligible, and 85 applications qualified for stage 2. The stage 2 assessment was conducted by a chosen jury of 19 highly eminent designers and experts, which was guided by experts from Japan – Mr. Kazuo Tanaka and Mr. Kohei Nishiyama. At the end of a grueling and diligent jury process of two days, 40 product entries were chosen to be granted the India Design Mark 2013. After determination of iMark, the 40 chosen entries were made open to the public at a well attended exhibition held in Pune on February 9 and 10. This was perhaps the first occasion that design was www.poolmagazine.in 5
design mark
‘D.VA Solar Lantern’ | Manufactured by: Larsen & Toubro Limited | Designed by: In-house design team
‘CELESTA’ | Manufactured by: Amalgamated Bean Coffee Trading Company Limited | Designed by: In-house design team led by Dhanya Kumar K G
‘O Floodlight and Columns’ | Manufactured by: Wipro Limited | Designed by: Michel Tortel
showcased in its full glory for the public. The Japan Institute of Design Promotion (JDP) provided a lot of assistance through the entire process of selection. Several Japanese companies operating in and from India have also participated in the past, with three among them having been awarded the India Design Mark 2012. More participation is expected in the future. www.poolmagazine.in 7
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MOVING INTO THE SPOTLIGHT Good design is all very well, but it is important to bring it to the notice of the world, believes Tanya Khanna, Director, Epistle Communications
Design most often, is not considered a business. Someone has famously said that architecture is a great profession and a terrible business. In today’s globalized world, markets are in constant motion and new business can be generated from multiple means. As architects, graphic designers, product designers or even artists, we are all inherently trained to let our work speak for itself. Stuck in the everyday rut of work, meetings, deadlines and ensuring the deliverance of good design, often we do not tap into our business strengths and how that can be a path to growth and success. Traditionally, most Indian designers and design practices steer away from communication activities that aid in generating business. In fact, we do not recognize that in this world of increasing competition, the success of a firm can simply be hinged on design communication.
www.epistle.co 8  POOL #37
The foremost challenge that most designers struggle with is the notion that good design speaks
design-preneur for itself and hence most professionals shy away, or simply do not bother to talk about their work and the ideas behind it. Of course, good design is fundamental to good business, but in the current scenario of technology and information overload, originality, innovation and creativity are simply lost in the deluge of the data that is produced globally. It is hence crucial to enhance visibility in a framework that follows global standards. Specifically in India, the absence of any permissible direct marketing activities means that the portfolio becomes the most critical piece of the practice puzzle. The premise of communication activity begins with the intention for discourse, dialogue and exchange of design ideas. First, the designers allow their work to be curated to suit the various forms of media outreach. Second, this proliferation of good design in the media furthers the quality of our built environment by inspiring students and younger
...good design is fundamental to good business people in the profession, who have conventionally attached value only to savvy images and last, but not the least, it furthers the cause of design education by raising the bar, each time, a little bit. Success finds its way through this means of design discourse by communicating in various media - designers communicate their thought processes and how their designs are representative of their intentions. Ultimately, this has an explicit impact on the evolution of contemporary Indian Design. Plan: Have a plan. Designers shy away from words such as strategy, brand recall and brand differentiation; if integrated with the process of design, these can directly translate into creating strategic communication material by showcasing work in appropriate and relevant forums. Having a plan is not a bad idea after all - it helps you focus your outreach on the kind of business you want to attract in the long run. Perception: As designers and allied professionals, your work speaks for itself. However, the process of getting new business often relies more on how your work is perceived rather than the value it actually represents. Representing work across various media including the firm’s website www.poolmagazine.in  9
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must be executed with the intent of how the portfolio is being perceived by the audience, how the reader understands the work. New business comes from a better understanding and value perception of services. Visibility: The biggest barrier to growth and success for design firms is rarely creativity. Securing visibility for good work greatly helps in fostering public appreciation and communication is vital in this regard. While word of mouth is the conventional way to attract work, sustained visibility is essential to establish credibility amongst the trade, and enables better discourse/ engagement whilst significantly improving future prospects. It is however critical to distinguish between simple PR and Communications; stories can be easily created, but it is imperative to lay emphasis on communicating design purely based on process and the strength of design intent. Housekeeping: For most designers and design firms, communication activities are essentially housekeeping. There is usually no dearth of content and all that is required is curation. The projects are all on file, the drawings/photographs are usually available. As much as this is a perceived as a chore, simple processes can enable extraction of content, cleaning it up in order for it to be of communicable quality and curated to generate media visibility. Be Unique and Be Known : There is no manual or set guidelines that can enable an effective communications plan. Each individual and firm is unique with a distinct design ethos and an inimitable style and approach. The work must resonate the ethos, and of
course capture the essence of who the designer/firm is. What is critical is to ascertain what that uniqueness is, and utilize it as both the means and end of a communication plan. Tools for communication today are evolving from static print media of profiles, brochures and publications, to web media, social media, and virtual and visual tools. Larger, established firms have even started developing apps for i-devices for prospective clients and ongoing project management. To keep pace with rapidly changing practices and be at par with new values of the global economy, it is important to step back and innovate. For someone doing commercial and corporate work, social media tools such as Facebook may not be pertinent, but for others doing residential work, applications such as Pinterest, Houzz and online web presence become essential. What is imperative for both new, young firms and for those who are established is identification of the right strategy, and an apt approach. A simple, ingenuous strategy with a strong vision and a deep commitment to the future of design and the built environment will surely lead the right way. The fundamental key is of course to ‘Be Creative’. Communication will only help you ‘Be Known©’. (Tanya Khanna is an architect with over eight years of global experience in Corporate Communications and Strategy within the AEC, real estate and media domain. She has helped design practices garner worldwide media attention for key projects, aid new business acquisition, win awards and improve internal practices for sustained development.) www.poolmagazine.in 11
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GLOBAL
‘DESI’
www.ishankhosla.com
Through his eponymously named design firm in New Delhi, Ishan Khosla believes in creating meaningful design that has a story. In doing that, Ishan Khosla Design has collaborated with a range of creative people ranging from hoarding painters and henna artists to fashion and product designers!
Does globalization have an impact on your work? IK: Yes. A lot of our more corporate clients do want a look that’s more ‘global’ and decipherable in any culture, and yet has an Indian sensibility to it. Globalization is all-pervasive - it has impacted our work directly and indirectly. The former being the case when clients want work that is ‘acceptable’ and understood on a global level and yet retains an Indian esthetic. The latter being the case when we can’t work with an artisan anymore as he has 12 POOL #37
lost his livelihood to a textile company, which use machines for weaving and printing for instance. Globalization is destroying Indian crafts and yet it is sustaining it; many more people around the world buy Indian crafts today than ever before. Do you think there is a cultural code in your work? IK: Definitely! Having lived in the West for 12 years, returning to India meant a discovery of my country through its
opinion
‘Signs of India’
“Anyone who has been in India for even a small length of time would have seen some of the quirky and humorous signs one sees on walls and in entranceways of various establishments such as restaurants, cafes, shops and retailers. To celebrate the humor and sometimes the irony of these signs, we stenciled the entrance of our studio with various commonly seen phrases.” Source: www.ishankhosla.com/ work/signs-india
‘DTP Business Cards’ for IKD
www.poolmagazine.in 13
opinion
(L-R) 1. Chittara ‘Typecraft’ 2. Chittara ‘Typecraft Process’
14 POOL #37
visual esthetic - both traditional crafts and contemporary idiosyncrasy - and that led to a quest to create a unique Indian design language that incorporates the essence of what India is. A lot of our work is self initiated and is about researching sub-cultures through the lens of a cultural anthropologist and a designer. Is there a style that is characteristic of the cultural setting you are based in? IK: The styles, materials and colors vary in India based on the geography and urbanity of the place; the more urban the place, the more ‘global’ are the sensibilities, with the use of more subtle colors and machine made clothes. Desert tribes such as the Banjaras and Rabari people are seen wearing extremely colorful handmade traditional clothes. As a designer, I like working with Indian crafts because the materials used are sustainable, such as wood, bamboo, textiles, metal, terracotta and paper. With crafts there is also the possibility of creating something ‘global’ but yet intrinsically Indian. (Ishan Khosla was interviewed by Regina Hanke, Founder of Cucory, formerly iD-institute, an international platform for designers) www.poolmagazine.in 15
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art
THE FIRANGI TOUCH Indian-born, Toronto-raised artist Meera Sethi relies on her graphic design background to create art that reflects contrasting cultures www.meerasethi.com
What does art mean to you? MS: I have always been interested in art. When I was a child, art class was my favorite. I would spend extra time on my assignments and incorporate art into other subjects whenever I could. However, like most children interested in art, I never thought I could actually be an ‘artist’ or that there was even such a career. How does one become an ‘artist’? The path is certainly not as clear as say, becoming a doctor. Instead, after high school I channeled my love for art into graphic design, not only because I loved image-making, but because I thought that was the only way to get paid. I taught myself design programs and principles and did some work on the side. At university, I studied Fine Art theory and Cultural Studies with the intention of teaching art, not focusing much on the practice of making art. After graduating with a BFA and an MA from York University, it took me almost nearly 10 years to understand that in fact I really 18 POOL #37
art
Meera Sethi | Photographed by Hayden Golder (L) Lucky 2012 (Firangi Rang Barangi series) Acrylic, ink and pencil on paper 33 in. x 57 in. (R) 1. Untitled (Pattern 14) 2009 (Sacred Geometriks series) Ink on paper 15 in. x 15 in. 2. Untitled (Pattern 21) 2009 (Sacred Geometriks series) Ink on paper 10.25 in. x 11 in.
loved making things by using my skills in graphic design and fine art to create images. In this way, taking up art as a career has been a fairly recent decision. How would you describe your style? MS: My art shifts between abstraction and representation. I am very drawn to bold color and that actually forms the basis of my style. Having my roots as a graphic designer, I also tend to be more comfortable with clean lines, solid forms and a minimal approach. The themes in my work range from my personal experience as a second-generation South Asian Canadian living a hybrid identity, to my love for Indian popular culture, and my keen interest in fashion, style, and clothing. Does the fact that India and Canada have two absolutely contrasting cultures influence your work in any way? MS: It is the basis of my work! www.poolmagazine.in  19
art
20 POOL #37
art What has been your most memorable project, one that defines you best? MS: There is no single project that defines me. I have always been someone with quite divergent interests and esthetics. Each project is part of my journey of selfexpression as an artist and shows me how my ideas and style change and develop. For me, what is most memorable is the experience of making each project and playing with the colors on hand. What kind of research do you undertake? MS: Before beginning any project, whether art or design, whether for a client or for myself, I always do a fair bit of visual research. I take photographs, sketch, look through magazines, search the internet, go for walks and look at the colors in nature. I also read to learn about the histories I engage in the work. This stage of just letting ideas brew is very important. It helps me get a sense of what is out there and how that relates to and shapes what is within me. Moving forward, I am keen on talking more openly about the ideas in my work while it is in development. Growing up, I was always told by my teachers that my verbal communication was poor in relation to my written communication, so I think I really have to shake this off and not be afraid to share my ideas in casual conversation.
(Top) Shiva 2012 (Firangi Rang Barangi series) Acrylic and pencil on paper 34 in. x 58 in. (L) Sudha Subramanium (Sue) 2013 (Foreign Returned series) Acrylic on canvas 122 x 183 cm (4 ft. x 6 ft.)
Can you tell us a little bit about your creative process? MS: I am still figuring that out! What I can say though is that I drink a lot of tea, listen to music and if I’m not alone in a lightfilled, white-walled, open studio space, I dream of that! When did you decide to start ‘MISC’? MS: After high school, I began to informally take on small graphic design jobs here and there. This worked as supplementary income to various part-time and full-time jobs I took up over the years. In 2008, www.poolmagazine.in 21
art I left my last employed position to pursue what I loved to do, work for myself! I began MISC (Meera Sethi Creative) shortly after this time with the intention that I would at some point make an internal shift in my company from doing client-based work to creating images as art. The balance has now shifted to making more art than design, although I continue to employ graphic design techniques in my art making. What is the secret to responding to the client’s needs while always maintaining a recognizable style? MS: I feel it is very difficult forcing a style that is not one’s own onto a project. The goal for me has never been maintaining a recognizable style, but creating a balance between expressing my authentic visual voice while still meeting the client’s objectives. If you are true to your own visual language, a style automatically emerges. Of course, it is easier to do this if clients come to you because they like and trust your style.
Parminder Sandhu (Paul) 2013 (Foreign Returned series) Acrylic on canvas 122 x 183 cm (4 ft. x 6 ft.)
Which medium do you prefer to work in? MS: Over the years I have experimented with a variety of mediums including computergenerated graphic design, hand-drawn design, installation art, drawing, acrylic painting and photography. My preference is not so much for a medium, as it is to convey my ideas using the most appropriate method available. At this stage however, I find myself exploring 2D mediums a lot. I like the idea of being able to make images that people can take home, live with and be inspired by on a daily basis. What keeps your curious creative spirit alive? MS: I’m inspired by interior spaces, architecture, light, food, environment, healing & health, color combinations, travel, cycling, style, & loving communities. www.poolmagazine.in 23
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Craft
ENDLESS CREATIVITY Through ‘Anantaya’, her home décor studio, Geetanjali Kasliwal helps to showcase artisanal skills and keep traditional crafts alive
Tell us about ‘Anantaya’. GK: Anantaya (which means ‘unending’) is a Jaipur-based concept design studio I started with my husband and partner, Ayush. It is committed to development of ideas, using local Rajasthani crafts which have evolved over the centuries. Anantaya represents a fusion of unique creativity and uncompromising integrity rare to find in the highly competitive world market.
www.anantayadecor.com 24 POOL #37
The studio is about being Indian, about making a cultural statement as to who we are. It’s about having fun with resources and craftspeople, ideas in the process, coming up
craft with clever design. Anantaya showcases the edgy in house brand AKFD besides curating an interesting mix of luxury objects rooted in tradition. At Anantaya, it is just as important to innovate as it is to preserve a skill. We offer a fresh twist to traditional crafts, making cutting edge artifacts, accessories, textiles and furniture. Made with unusual yet traditional materials and processes, the work appeals to discerning, quality conscious, contemporary sensibilities. Through our inclusive business practices we support local craft traditions, artisans and technologies by providing capital, technology and design and marketing interventions which at the same time showcase the uniqueness of the crafts and the artisans. What kind of products do you create? GK: It is difficult to provide a specific list of what we have done till now, and equally difficult to describe what we will do in the future! The current range of products ranges from home décor like carpets and dhurries, lighting, and accessories, to toys and on occasion, even food stuff!!
Oas tealight holders
What kind of research is involved in your work? GK: A lot… our starting point is very often a pre-existing craft form, sometimes an object which we need to study in terms of the existing process, and the traditional material palette. Then we look at what products to make, figure out which utilize these crafts to the maximum, research those products, and then figure out if they have a market at all! And this is just the beginning! We make the samples, figure out ways to value engineer them so that they can be made more easily, and honestly. Once samples are made, we try them out, test them out to basic performance requirements, do a test run to see if the www.poolmagazine.in 25
Craft
(Top-bottom) 1. Thathera artisan taking measurements 2. Varakh-master artisan Mohmad Khaleel at work
Crescent Thaali Set 26  POOL #37
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Anantaya Shop
results are consistent, and also whether the market responds to them and then there is the packaging, the use and care, and the final launch. It is such a delight when a product development is finished! Why do you think it is important to revive traditional crafts and preserve conventional skills? GK: Traditional crafts embody not only fine skills, but also a very distinct way of thought and living. With more and more things becoming homogenous, and mass market, the voice of the traditional artisan is critical in giving us a peek into who we are, where we come from, and possibly where we are heading!! How important is it to understand the culture and history behind a craft? GK: This is critical. Craft is the physical manifestation of a culture, it is our material culture - be it paintings, utensils, furniture, anything! It is physically manifest when it is made, and much of our tradition has been crafted. Do you believe in working with new technologies and materials? GK: We have never really believed in the divide of industry and craft. Crafts as we see them are low technology, localized renditions of locally available materials www.poolmagazine.in  27
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craft
Dhurrie Tote Indigo
to answer primarily local needs. The world has changed, and we innovate by contemporizing crafts in terms of technology, design, production, education, and in market presentation! What is your main target market? GK: There are no boundaries and target markets. Whoever enjoys and endorses the Anantaya way of life is our client! What is the future of contemporary craft in India? GK: We feel that it is really bright; the market is responsive, as are crafts people themselves. While the newer generations are leaving the traditional professions, many are also infusing new energy and technology into the same. In the very near future, we, as a nation will realize the value and the unique identity our craft culture has created for us, and then cherish and protect this invaluable resource that we have!
Assorted Chappa Ring
What do you see in your own future? GK: I hope one day to directly or indirect employ a million artisans across the globe! www.poolmagazine.in  29
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cover story What design mean to you? SS: Design can be considered as a visual language, but it does not follow the same rules as the written language. Design, however, is an extension of man, and so it relates delicately to the words defining human action. Design has a lot to do with feelings; design is as much a prospective unfolding of the future possibilities as it is a recovery of a particular history to whose intentions it testifies and whose limits it always challenges. Did you always want to make a career in design? SS: I believe the seeds of becoming a designer came from the freedom I had when I was growing up – the richness of our culture and my deep passion to read
SEEKING
SIMPLE SOLUTIONS
ssethicircus@gmail.com
Suresh Sethi,Vice President South Asia & Director, Global Consumer Design Asia at Whirlpool Corporation is one of India’s foremost designers. After more than 30 years as a design professional and academician, he believes titles lose their meaning when you are doing something you enjoy! What’s important is to fulfill people’s requirements. 30 POOL #37
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Project: Diesel Locomotive Engine Interiors The interior was modular and made of composite material – the idea was to make it as comfortable as the cockpit. Design: Suresh Sethi Client: Indian Railways 2003-04 Drawings: Suresh Sethi
www.poolmagazine.in  31
cover story
everything I could lay my hands on – especially Superman comics! As a child I saw my grandmother light a lamp every morning and pray to ‘Surya’ and ‘Agni’. She would do her aarti, holding the lamp in both her hands and waving it repetitively in front of images of the gods. This was my first conscious experience of light play. When I went to a temple with her, I would see the elaborately fashioned lamp structure with multiple cavities being used by the priest for performing the aarti ritual. The light play became more elaborate, as many lamps together were being waved repetitively. As a young boy, I would eagerly wait for the Diwali festival so that I could play with light. I spent much of my time alone engrossed in an imaginary world. During the nights, I would very often look up into the sky - the moon fascinated me. When I was thirteen I discovered the world of Van Gogh, and one of my favorite paintings was ‘The Sun of Arles’. Whenever I was sad I would go to the riverbank, and sit there gazing at the light play on moving water. My first job as a professional designer was to design light fixtures or lamps at Philips! It now seems such a lovely coincidence! Tell us a little about your design education. SS: From 1976-82 I did the PEP in Industrial Design from NID, Ahmedabad, specializing in Product Design. In 1984-85 I did a Master’s in Design from Domus Academy, Milan (Italy), specializing in Lighting Design. You started your career with Philips. What came next? SS: Philips gave me confidence and established me as a successful designer. I started my own consultancy, Circus Design Studio, in Mumbai after I left Philips in 1989. Product Design in the 1980s was a slow process – it took at least two to three years to see your products in the market. I had enough time to explore new possibilities, to experiment. My wife Simrun is an interior designer, and I designed furniture and objects for her projects. I collaborated with artists like Manjit Bawa and Yogesh Rawal to design unique spaces. I designed wooden dhoys, speedboats and yachts. I worked for a furniture manufacturer in Italy and designed products for a company 32 POOL #37
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Ashena in Dubai Project: Ashena – 46 metres Wooden Yacht – Superstructure Client: Raymonds Ltd. India 2002 Photos Courtesy Client Design: Suresh Sethi & Simrun Sethi Design Drawings: Suresh Sethi
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Project: SHazma – Wooden Dhow – Superstructure & Interiors Client S.Daya, Mumbai India 1993 Photos: Courtesy Client Design: Suresh & Simrun Sethi (Top) Shazma the dhoy View from Taj Sea Lounge (Left) The table was designed on MC Esher’s fish
in Saudi Arabia. In 1992 I was invited by Alessi to be a part of a project, and as a young designer, working on a project involving Ettorre Sotsass and Philip Starck gave a huge boost to my confidence. How did you get into academics? SS: The urge to share led me to being with young minds – it started in 1985 when I gave my first lecture to students in Eindhoven, Netherlands. I went to NID in 1986 and worked with the product design students on Future Houses. These exchanges with students were great learning experiences for me. I started sharing with students regularly and took them on a journey with me. I would be the driver and they the passengers on a journey of my experience. I would share my favorite designers, the books I was reading, the films I enjoyed and the objects I desired to own they were always free to look out of their window and see the same things I had seen differently. 34 POOL #37
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The School of Art, Design and Media building, Nanyang Technological University Singapore 2006 | Photo courtesy: ADM, NTU
A designer’s task is always to find simple, honest answers and to search for the basic logic inherent in situations. That search is endlessly stimulating and increasingly useful. Breaking out into new realms of experience and new ways of designing is not easy. I believe a research environment is essential to design. Change comes through a natural process of developing or because something needs improving. In 2003, I joined IDC, IIT Bombay as an Associate Professor to be a part of the research culture. The design research landscape represents the spirit of experimentation. In this landscape there are no readymade models; it offers an intellectual and progressive direction, shifting boundaries, opening up design for discussion. The nature of my work as a practicing Industrial Designer for many years has made it unavoidable for me to consider large questions - design is no longer a thought system for creating a product but has become a method of contemplating existence. I moved to Nanyang Technological University, Singapore as a part of the team to set up the new School of Art, Design and Media. Design is an interdisciplinary tightrope act, where design plays a role of pushing technology to create new scenarios for the future. Interaction leads to development; only through equal partnership can we achieve a better future. The six years spent in Singapore gave me a huge exposure to how the government can fast forward a creative economy by establishing design schools, design labs and research. I enjoyed my time as a researcher and a professor. All along I continued my professional work - to inspire the students you need to share the experience of working with the real world projects. I have had the good fortune to be at the right place at the right time. It has been a rare honor to have been a taught at NID by Kumar Vyas, Mohan Bhandari, A. G. Rao, Gajanan Upadhyay, Ranjan, Balaram, and Sethuraman; and at Domus by Andrea www.poolmagazine.in  35
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Project: 100% make-up Design: Suresh Sethi Client: Alessi Italy 1992 Drawings Suresh Sethi Photo Courtesy Alessi In the design of the surface for Alessi’s vase object design becomes less about creating something new and more about finding forms already within us. The idea of wrapping the precious pot by Alessandro Mendini with fabric was the initial concept. This later became the Shiva in the Himalayas!
Branzi, Etorre Sottsass, Achille Castiglioni, Gaetano Pesce, Rodolfo Bonetto, Mario Bellini, Massimo Morozzi, Clino Castelli, Enzo Mari, Denis Santachiara, Alessandro Mendini, Ezio Manzini, and Alberto Meda. Rarer still was the time I spent with Nari Gandhi from 1989 till 1993 - that has shaped my thoughts and made this journey exciting and meaningful. How has the Whirlpool experience been? SS: It is a great experience to be part of a global energy company and head Asia Design Studios in one of the most challenging, ambitious and exciting periods in Asia’s long and accomplished history. As a management leader I reposition design to a strategic level and expand its role to become an integral business competence. I believe that beauty creates desire and designers are critical in the creative economy. My aim is to consistently align the creative process with business. Today design is not so much about inventing things but much more about interpreting them; the idea is to reconstruct a system of expressive and emotional relations between the user and the appliance, and between the appliance and the environment. At Whirpool we design 36 POOL #37
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www.poolmagazine.in  37
cover story objects to last not just physically but also emotionally. Design goes beyond form, visualization and function of the products, towards the behavior, status, beliefs and culture of the user. China and India together have half the world’s consumers. As the region becomes the global business hub, designers have the responsibility of shaping this new reality. Working at Whirlpool, I am a part of this huge opportunity! How important is design education and what would be your advice to design academicians? SS: Design education in primary and secondary education is important to drive India into becoming a creative economy.
Project: Tower Fan Client: Comfort Cooler, Mumbai 1999 Design: Suresh Sethi Drawing: Suresh Sethi Photo: Rajesh Vora
38 POOL #37
I believe teaching is a journey, like design. The Eames India report defines design as ‘Dignity, Service and Love’. For Eames, “love is the ability to see the world through someone else’s eyes”. I believe that what should concern us, is how the expressive need and energy so delicately enshrined in the culture, can now find a new vehicle for design. What kind of environment can we build? What do we want to preserve and how and for whom do we preserve it? What is replacing that which must go?
cover story
(L-R) 1. TV for Videocon 2. Client - Comfort Coolers, Mumbai, India Design: Suresh Sethi Designed in 1992 and still in production and selling. It became a champion product as soon as it was launched. We created a version with a vertical blower - used less material, received better margins.
Our concerns must be to ask consistently and persistently, from here to where?
environment, and those they assimilate with the ‘scientist’s brain, poet’s heart and painter’s vision’.
Together in this journey we are deeply engaged to the new world. The knowledge that students gain in this journey is not from books but from the daily lives of the people that they are going to serve. Only then their work will answer the varied and growing requirements of the people. Let the new landscape for design education blossom from observing the real world and bring about the ‘flowering of goodness’ in the lives of millions.
What is your vision for young designers today? SS: I have been in the design industry for 30 years and my challenge has been to design products in a creative way. I believe that beauty creates desire and designers are critical in the creative economy. I have strived consistently to align the creative process with business, and the key to innovation lies in understanding consumer experience.
My role as a teacher is to give my students a pair of wings to transcend limitation and do original work. I believe that students and teachers in this journey are truly looking for ideas that come from their own lives and
Today as designers we are exploring a new vision, a vision that seeks to apply creativity to challenges of our age, namely digital technology and information. The designer of today is involved with designing experiences, www.poolmagazine.in 39
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Project: Catamaran Design Visualization for the Catamaran Design: Suresh Sethi Interiors Client: Hikal Ltd. India 2003
not just looks and appearances. New ideas will be meaningful only if we can coordinate physical, sensual and cultural forces. I hope young designers will contemplate the philosophy of the way of living within our own culture as a starting point of design and innovation. I believe this philosophy is helpful when we think of the world in which we live – and will shape our future generation. As a member of India Design Council, is there anything you would like to change about it? SS: The Design Council is still young and we have a great opportunity to shape it in the best interest of the design community in India. The Council should bring together the experience of the Indian design journey and energize the huge creative potential inherent in our culture. In the beginning this Council should connect to a network of individuals and institutions in order to engage collectively in generating a debate, 40 POOL #37
cover story
ideas and solutions to issues of design, media and cultural concerns. This circulation of diverse minds will enable creative possibilities in the Council and open a dialogue between the existing and emerging alternatives. Through diversified activities the Council can nourish design and media with continuous development. Do you prefer to be called a ‘design academician’ or ‘design professional’? SS: Titles disappear when you enjoy what you do and do it selflessly.
(Top-Bottom) 1. Water Dispenser for Al Waha 2. Project: Red Blue and Yellow Rocking Horse Self Production 2000 Design: Suresh Sethi “Originally designed for my two daughters Arrpita and Amrrita in wood – it was long enough to carry two children.”
After a remarkable career spanning more than 30 years so far, do you still have a dream job or project in mind? SS: I am always surprised that it has been 30 years since I started my career with Philips! I feel it is now that I am beginning to understand my profession! I aspire to arrive at solutions so simple that one does not think of it being designed…solutions that aspire to the natural, the simple and useful.
www.poolmagazine.in 41
Now in heaven We believe heaven could do with better brand and design services. Indi-Srinagar now connects beauty with business.
Photograph by: Mir Muneeb
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furniture
BENT INTO SHAPE The enterprising trio at ‘Bent by design’ looks to nature for inspiration to design their minimalistic furniture
www.bent.co.in 44 POOL #37
furniture
(L-R) Hidish, Yusuf & Kuldeep
How did you get together? HYK: We are a team of three. Yusuf is a furniture designer from NID, Hidish studied furniture design at Shrishti, and Kuldeep is a product designer from NID. Kuldeep was working with Dovetail Furniture in Bangalore when he met Hidish who was using the factory facilities to build the prototypes for his final year design project. Yusuf was called on to be the external Jury member for his final assessment at Shrishti. Coincidentally Yusuf was also at the Dovetail factory where he was working on a project to develop children’s furniture. That’s when the three of us got talking over cups of chai and saw a potential chemistry between us. Without much ado, we sealed our fates together and decided to take the plunge.
teapoys The one with wooden legs was made from reclaimed wood from a 30 year old teak wood door that got replaced. The one with metal legs uses a raw teak wood chunk that was fastened to a stainless steel leg structure.
How was ‘Bent by design’ conceived? HYK: ‘Bent by design’ was formed in Bangalore in early 2007. Our common objective from the beginning was to have a workshop space to dirty our hands in. An office was secondary and put down way below in the list of things we might need. The location of the workshop had to be perfect - inspiring, motivating and a place where we would love to meet every morning. For all practical purposes, it www.poolmagazine.in 45
furniture
(Top) yoga chair The first version of the yoga chair with bentply seat and back with bentply legs was developed by Yusuf for a client. This was completely knockdown and flat packable. The second version was attempted with metal legs which was again knockdownable and flat packable. The third version was not a knockdown version and uses teak wood legs and bent ply seat and back. One can achieve various finishes for this piece of furniture.
cowboy stool
46  POOL #37
furniture was the worst location - far away from basic amenities, not even a proper approach road. But the space was located in the middle of a mango orchard, close to a water body. That was a good enough reason to set up base there and we have never looked back since! What is an ‘ideal’ piece of furniture? HYK: Apart from the design attempting to embody key factors like being comfortable to sit on, economy of material, strength and durability, lightweight and minimal, it has to have a purpose for existence and it should give you a furniture experience which is beyond need or want. We’d like to call it ‘soul’.
yusuf’s miniatures These are Yusuf’s adaptations of furniture classics across the globe, individually hand crafted with teak wood pieces. All details and proportions are beautifully illustrated with actual miniature brass hinges, drawer handles, etc.
What do you keep in mind while designing a piece of furniture? HYK: One of the key features we look out for is the excitement to make it. It is also paramount for us that the geometry and structure is strong, meaningful, interesting, minimal and good looking. We also give great importance to the way it is made through our uncompromising attitude to refining the joinery details and the way a furniture piece will look eventually. For example, in our ongoing project we are making hardwood kitchen cabinets that use no nails in construction. The whole geometry and joinery is refined to such an extent that it all locks into place with wooden dowels and adhesive. www.poolmagazine.in 47
furniture
rocking crib
What keeps you inspired? HYK: The greatest inspiration is our complex natural environment. Nature’s remarkable creations never fail to fill us with awe. Our greatest source of inspiration also comes from the phenomenal body of work done by furniture designers like George Nakashima, Hans Wegner, Finn Juhl, and Charles Eames, to name a few. We are also constantly inspired by the simplicity of form and function developed by the ‘Shaker’ community in their soulfully made furniture. 48 POOL #37
What is the trend in furniture today esthetics-driven or functionality-driven? HYK: Asked whether he designed for pleasure or function, Charles Eames responded, “Whoever said pleasure wasn’t functional?” We believe that esthetics (form) and function are intrinsically correlated. Form arises out of function. When a piece of furniture performs well in all its aspects, it emanates beauty. How sustainable are your designs? Honestly, we don’t think too much of sustainability. It is a much abused word
furniture
cantilever stool According to wikipedia the dovetail joint pre-dates written history. Considered one of the strongest joints in carpentry, it has widely been used in wood working techniques. George Nakashima uses a dovetail key in his furniture to bind and hold naturals cracks and ruptures in the wood. Celebrating this joinery method and to also explore the strength of it, we have designed a cantilevered stool. In this, three wooden planks slide and lock in place through a dovetailed finger joint from which the seat plank cantilevers. We have used composite wood (MDF) to achieve this as it is good for precision working. These three planks can easily be slid out and carried away or flat packed and stacked away.
and used as a marketing gimmick. We feel that sustainability is at the core of every Indian. Can minimalism create an entirely new set of no-frills, affordable products? HYK: Minimalism and affordability do not necessarily go hand in hand; in our knowledge affordability is also largely associated with mass production. Having said this, minimalism in essence means that it is also affordable and it is a constant struggle to marry the two together. What’s next for ‘Bent by design’? HYK: At present we are in the process of setting up and ramping up our workshop space to be able to make furniture in a process driven, planned manner, and to be able to cut down on delivery time. We are also in talks with stores in Bangalore and other cities to place our furniture. One can now buy our furniture at ‘The paperboat collective’ store in Goa. www.poolmagazine.in 49
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Kunal Khadse
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India Design Mark 2013 02 Tanya Khanna 08 Ishan Khosla 12 Meera Sethi 18 Geetanjali Kasliwal 24 Bent by design 44 Anavila Misra 50 Priya Kuriyan 56 Cagri Cankaya 63
textile
PURE LUXURY Anavila Sindhu Misra uses handcrafted Indian fabrics to create a range of saris that are luxurious in their elegant understatement
www.anavila.com 52  POOL #37
What drew you to a career in textiles? ASM: I was always drawn to design even as a small child. Things to do with the hands, flower arrangements, etc. were part of my daily play. At a very young age, my mother who is a very creative person, gave me fabrics and taught me how to make rag dolls and their garments. I learnt to hem handkerchiefs when I was 8 years old. I think the whole environment was very conducive to design and creating. I was always sure that I had to get into the design stream, but textiles became clear when I passed out of NIFT, with a PG Diploma in Knitwear Design.
textile
A few years ago I was chosen to be Project Consultant and Design Studio Manager for a craft cluster development project by the Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India in collaboration with NIFT, New Delhi. I was drawn to the rich heritage of Indian crafts and textiles, and interacted with artisans across the length of the country. The beauty and immense possibilities trapped in these far out remote areas stayed with me even after the project was concluded, and I decided to launch my own brand, which would offer a contemporary take on traditional Indian textiles. Tell us about the ‘Anavila’ brand. ASM: In Sanskrit, anavila means ‘pure’ and pure, sustainable, luxurious textiles are what makes the brand unique. India has a rich tradition of craft and textile and this is what inspires us to create gorgeous and luxurious fabrics. We design a range of exquisite hand crafted cotton, silk, and linen saris, which respect the environment and nature, while remaining true to the craft and the creator. We also have a home decor line. Following fair trade practices and constantly working on improving the life of our artisans is important to us.
‘Berry Love’ Botanical study series - fabric on fabric
Why did you choose to design saris? ASM: The sari is the most beautiful garment that can adorn an Indian woman. I love wearing saris myself, and always felt there was a void in the sari market. One could either find saris with traditional borders and weaves with floral or animated motifs or the other extreme - fabrics with a lot of embroidery and surface ornamentation - but there was nothing which was simple, chic and everyday www.poolmagazine.in 53
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Ochre yellow linen sari with silver borders
Indigo linen sari with silver selvedge
54  POOL #37
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“The sari is the most beautiful garment that can adorn an Indian woman. ”
contemporary. Hence the idea for the linen sari, which could make your everyday sari wearing a comfortable, chic, no fuss experience. Subtle patterns, earthy colors and pure fabrics, your collections speak the language of simplicity… ASM: In design I have always wanted the wearer’s personality to define the garment rather than the garment taking over. I never wanted my saris to shout out for attention; it was always about how comfortable and beautiful the wearer felt. It’s always important for me to work with a color palette that is natural and subdued… that’s my design language and that’s what I can do the best. What kind of fabrics and techniques do you experiment with? ASM: I only work with natural materials such as linen, khadi cotton, cotton and silk. I like to play with weaving techniques to enhance the texture of the fabrics. What inspires your designs? ASM: Nature is the inspiration for all my work. Natural textures, colors, and motifs are what draw me to create…be it the texture and gradation of color of the tree bark, textures on the sand or the color of a new sapling. www.poolmagazine.in 55
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56 POOL #37
Leaf green and sand yarn dyed linen sari with silk cotton borders
What mood do your designs convey? ASM: Women who are seeking comfort and elegance are my customers. They are confident and don’t want to go for overtly designed pieces to make statements. My collections convey a mood of comfortable elegance. In your opinion, what is the future of textile design in India? What must young designers keep in mind? ASM: Indian textiles have always been an inspiration for designers across the world. For young designers I would say there are immense possibilities if we start looking within for our creations and inspirations. We have been long looking at the West to draw inspirations and create forecasts for fashion in our country. I feel it is the right time to look within and start exploring the beautiful array of crafts and textiles various regions in India have to offer and create our own design language, which is Indian in its roots but chic and contemporary so that the products you create can be sitting comfortably in India or abroad. What are your own future plans? ASM: I want to create small sustainable clusters creating contemporary craft products. www.poolmagazine.in  57
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illustrator
DRAWING THEM IN Priya Kuriyan enjoys creating content for children, reaching out to her audience through animated films and lively illustrations
Do you identify more with animation or illustration? PK: I did a Diploma in Animation Film Making from NID (Ahmedabad). However, it’s difficult to choose between animation and illustration. I think I go through phases where I identify with either one or the other. Illustrations form an important part of my pre-production process when I’m doing animation projects too. So, most of the time, both animation and illustration sort of go hand in hand, especially, when I want to experiment with treatments that make the films look and feel different. Having said that, I have to admit that for the past few months I seem to be gravitating towards a lot of pure print based illustration work. Perhaps I’m going through the illustrator phase right now! I think I can safely say I identify with advertising the least. Even though I started out my career in a company that made animated ad films (Famous House of Animation in Mumbai), I now very rarely involve myself directly with agencies that produce ads. I owe a lot to my time with Famous, as it taught me a lot of what I know now.
priyakuriyan.blogspot.com pkuriyan.blogspot.com 58 POOL #37
How did you become interested in illustration? PK: I was quite a voracious reader as a child and loved books that were illustrated. I grew up during an era when Indo-USSR ties were strong, and Russian books were really popular. I used to love the illustrations in them. That must definitely be one of my earliest influences. I didn’t consciously think I would illustrate specifically for kids but the first project I did was a
children’s book and I think people thought I was a children’s book illustrator. As a result, a lot of projects that came my way were for children’s books. Along the way I realized that this was indeed something that I really liked and decided I must pursue it seriously. What projects have you worked on? PK: My first illustration project was a children’s book for Tulika Books, Chennai; it was a picture book meant for preschoolers. That led to a series of five books called the Baby Bahadur series. I later did two other picture books for the same www.poolmagazine.in 59
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When Ali Became Bajrangbali | Publisher, Tulika Books
publisher, the latest of which was T. I also did a series of five books for Puffin India based on the ‘Just So Stories’ by Rudyard Kipling. For Puffin again, I did illustrations for Ruskin Bond’s Escape from Java and Other Stories and Sudha Murthy’s Grandma’s Bag of Stories. For Scholastic, I worked on two books of nonsense verse called This Book Makes No Sense and The Fried Frog. For Hachette, there was a series of eight books for kids called The Taranauts. A collaboration with writer Aniruddha Sen Gupta led to a book called Our Toxic World - my first attempt at working in the graphic novel format. It dealt with environmental issues and was done in black and white. I later also collaborated with writer Salil Chaturvedi on a story for the Pao Anthology, a collection of graphic stories published by Penguin. I’ve also done some editorial illustrations for magazines like Travel Plus Leisure, 60 POOL #37
Better Homes and Gardens and Himal Southasian. In terms of my animation work, I codirected a short film for the CFSI and also directed a set of five educational films for the ‘Sesame Street Show’, India (Galli Galli Sim Sim). I’ve been regularly working on short promos and other animation projects for Discovery Networks India, two of which were the animated promos for Pongal and Ugadi. My first stint with animation was at the Famous House of Animation in Mumbai where I worked with different teams on various animated ads for clients like the Diamond Trading Corporation, Sony Pix, TVS, Levis and Spice Telecom. What is your favorite project? PK: It’s a tough question since I’ve enjoyed working on quite a few of them. However, if I were to choose I think it would be the Sesame Street films. They were fun to do and it was possible for me to be involved in every aspect of their
illustrator
One of my favorite illustration projects would be When Ali Became Bajrangbali for Tulika Books. I really enjoyed designing the characters and creating the contemporary yet imaginary world of animals living in a city like Mumbai.
animation team for the second season of the show and had to direct around eight short animated educational films. The films were meant for really young children and it was challenging to create something that was educational but not didactic and boring. It was great working on those films as it gave me the time and space to apply the methodology I had learnt in design school in order to create something for a particular target audience. Also, as I mentioned before, it gave me the chance to work on every aspect of the film very closely.
How was the ‘Sesame Street’ experience? PK: The ‘Sesame Street Show’ (Galli Galli Sim Sim) was being produced in Delhi by Miditech Private Ltd. I was part of the
What are your inspirations? PK: I think I’m inspired by a lot of Indian folk art and Indian miniatures. I like the immense detail and color palettes used
making - the script, design, as well as the sound design. I was also happy because the final product was very close to what I had envisioned. Two of the films later made it as part of the official selection at the international Animation Festival at Annecy in 2006.
www.poolmagazine.in 61
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in them. I also love the work of the impressionists. My favorite illustrators are Shaun Tan and Oliver Jeffers. I absolutely love the work of Mario Miranda. I like watching films and have an interest in photography. I love travelling whenever possible I think it’s one of the things that really inspire me. One gets to meet all kinds of characters and experience so many different quirks that cities, towns and places have. Sometimes, characters from these places or certain elements of it creep into my work. I also try documenting day-to-day life in the form of sketches and diaries so that I don’t forget. I still read a lot and have a special interest in history. What media and tools do you use in your work? PK: A lot of my illustrations are hand done and then scanned. I use photoshop to make slight adjustments like clean ups and color corrections. For certain projects, I have also used Illustrator but the traditional method has its own charm. What’s coming up next for you? PK: I would like to write my own content for children in the form of books or films. Two more children’s books are in the pipeline; one of them is for the Flag Foundation of India. I would also like to start work on my own picture book for kids and a couple of stories written in graphic format. 62 POOL #37
designer on the road
HONDURAS,
Central america Designer on the Road, Cagri Cankaya stays safe in this not-so-safe Central American country with a little help from his friends! www.designerontheroad.com
Whoever heard that I was going to Honduras warned me to ‘be careful out there’. I understood why when I arrived in the Central American country! It can be quite dangerous if you are in the wrong zone at the wrong time of the day. People can easily kill you just for your camera or mobile phone. People always keep the windows of their cars closed at stop lights; car logos or outside accessories can be stolen easily. Houses have huge walls and electric fences for protection, and look like small, personal prisons. Apparently people put themselves in prison to be safe since they can’t put the bad guys in! Fortunately in my two weeks there, I didn’t face a single problem because I was always with good, friendly people who never left me alone. Honduras is a very nice country if you take the crime stuff out of the place. There are many paradise-like spots. I was mostly in Tegucigalpa, the capital and the biggest city in the country. All the advertising and business is in Tegucigalpa. I stayed in a nice guesthouse hired by the agency ‘Lowe Publicidad Comercial’. I had great friends there and if it wasn’t for them, Honduras would have been very difficult for sure. I had good times there, and am still in contact with most of the people… there are some nice memories. Chekeman was one of those guys. His real name is Jose but everybody calls him Chekeman (‘Cheke’ means ‘ok’ and ‘all right’) because he never gets stressed even in the toughest times. The shortest deadlines, crazy revisions… nothing makes him angry. When the team gets mad and rushes around in anger, he calms them down and says, “Don’t worry, we will do it and it is gonna be ok!” Somehow everybody believes him and calms down instantly. The good thing is he is right every single
time. Problems were always solved when he said that. Chekeman is the kind of man that every agency needs. I worked with him on some campaign ideas, and we did some brain storming and discussed brand strategy. Another good friend of mine was Pamela who was the head of Human Resources at the agency. She was the one who showed me around the city and introduced me to traditional Honduras cuisine. Lia, Susana and Gelly were some of the other friends who took me to parties; we played paintball and did other nice stuff together. Advertising in Honduras is very direct, sales kind of stuff done in extremely short deadlines. Some brands don’t have a brand identity. Every single press ad looks different. I tried to make them understand that it was important to make customers understand who they are, what is their brand experience and the personality of their communication. They didn’t care at all! All they want to do is save the day. That was a bit strange for me - quite the opposite of everything I have learned so far. The team asked for my advice about some things and I gave them solutions which they liked a lot. They called my campaign ‘Cha Cha’s revolution’! That’s all for now. Next stop: El Salvador. www.poolmagazine.in 63
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