POOL 68 by Designindia Magazine

Angira Shah pg 30 | Photographed by Vinod Sivan Zuby Johal 02 Nupur Goenka 10 Nisha Vikram 16 Revati Anand 22 Srijan Jha 40 Meroo Seth 46 Ashni Shah 54

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Editor in Chief | sudhir@indidesign.in

April 2016 | # 68

Fireside chat with Sudhir Sharma hosted by Michael Stoddart, Director, Digital Media, Adobe

Design Economy in India India is set to emerge as the world's fastest-growing major economy by 2015, ahead of China, as per the recent report by The World Bank. The report reveals that India's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is expected to grow at 7.5 per cent in FY 2015-16. According to the Minister of State for Finance, the Indian economy will continue to grow at 7 to 9 per cent and double in size to US$ 4–5 trillion in a decade, becoming the third largest economy in absolute terms. We are also becoming a complex economy in terms of mix of industries, exports, imports, and mergers and acquisitions, However, a major input missing in all these reports is about the design economy of India. It is the design economy that will make the industrial economy sustainable and long lasting. All major economies of the world have started measuring the design economy as an index of the major economy. In India measuring the design economy is extremely complex, not that any institution is bothering about it anyway. Current economic statistics and design reports do not capture the output and productivity of this modern dynamic economy.

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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

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A few reasons (there could be more) why design would present a challenge to statisticians in India: • Distinction between crafts, handicrafts and design industry hasn't been spelt out yet. • Design is not yet an organized industry or even business. • Design is not a single industry. • Designers are not always full-time Designers. • Design is mostly intangible. It is time we start looking into measuring, sustaining and growing the design economy in India. Now that we have so many design institutions I hope some will come forward to join hands and dive deep into this. Sudhir

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installations

A TOUCH OF GLASS Zuby Johal’s eye-catching installations are a dazzling interplay of light and glass

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textiles

A FEEL FOR IT Nupur Goenka of Kolkata-based AISH brings together various traditional skills to create what she hopes are works of art

Early introduction to textiles My very first foray into the world of handloom was many years ago when I visited the Bengal looms with my Bengali grandmother. She was launching her own brand of artisanal saris from Bengal and Benares at the time. Years later I worked as a buyer for a friend who started The Nomadic Threads Society for fair trade and handloom textiles. I began visiting craft emporiums and exhibits to understand and 10â&#x20AC;&#x192; POOLâ&#x20AC;&#x201A;#68

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Craft-preneur

BUILDING BRIDGES Nisha Vikram, Founder and Promoter of Ahmedabadbased CraftCanvas, is doing her bit to make traditional crafts relevant in the modern scenario

CraftCanvas chose me I did not start CraftCanvas. It was the other way round. Post my MBA, I worked in the Sales and Marketing team for a couple of multinationals based in India. A couple of friends from NID needed help in making a business plan for marketing of handcrafted products. Supply chain was my area of expertise then. While I was helping them, they asked me if I could join their business. The idea was charming. I had no clue about the diversity of Indian crafts before. It was beautiful, to say the least. Of course, I was used to a sevenfigure salary and had no clue how to live without those zeros. To my parents’ horror and my own surprise, I did take the leap. I reasoned that I could take a sabbatical from work and it sure 16 POOL #68

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visual artist

THE CREATIVE STREAK Visual artist Revati Anand sees design in every aspect of life What drew you to design? RA: Growing up in a family of creative architects/ designers, I was encouraged to draw on the walls with bold markers and unleash my creativity at an age when the marker was bigger than my entire arm. I always had an inkling that I wanted to be in the creative field and as my skills and knowledge developed, I was certain that this is what I wanted to follow with a passionate and optimistic heart. Growing up, I had the opportunity to meet and learn from amazing people who were always doing different things, exploring different mediums, working in a unique style and collaborating with one another. I knew that I wanted a life in which I would wake up every day, look forward to going to work and thoroughly enjoy what I did. Since as long as I can remember, I have always loved playing with color and compositions. I would always (and still do) arrange and compose everything on my table, differently, each time I sat down to work. Observing and analyzing the interaction between different elements, I would try to create a space of balance, ease of access and a good work atmosphere. Composing helped me focus and helped the creative juices flow which would kick start my design process. How would you describe your approach to design? RA: I don’t consider myself as just a graphic designer; instead I like to look at myself as a creative individual. 22 POOL #68

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cover story

30 POOL #68

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illustrator

MAGIC IN THE MEDIUM Srijan Jha of Studio Jaadugar believes in allowing his paintings to follow their natural course How did your tryst with painting begin? SJ: I always loved to paint, but I was never hell bent on making a living from it. You only move forward with more experience. After acquiring a Diploma in Painting from Tulika Kala in Kolkata, I pursued a Bachelor’s in Fashion Design from Symbiosis Institute of Design, Pune. I explored various aspects of fashion designing, but there was still a longing to paint more and more. One fine day, I decided to make prints of my artworks and see people’s response to my work at a weekend pop-up market. It did way better than I hoped for! Ever since, I have been painting full time. It is definitely difficult to start off and make a name for oneself and get established, but I guess it’s all about being patient and seeing what unfolds. In my first job after college it became quite apparent to me that I got no pleasure in mechanically making money. I wanted to see what I could do for myself. A friend from my college asked me to move to Goa and start a brand. It felt like a perfectly planned move though it was a decision made in a few hours and I was on my way. That’s how I started Studio Jaadugar. 40 POOL #68

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graphic design

DRAWN TO DETAIL Coming up with often intricately crafted creative solutions makes Meroo Seth feel like a superhero! How did you get interested in graphic design? MS: I would call myself a problem-solver. I don’t know why but ‘design’ is a field filled with challenges. The goal is to be able to communicate visually and it is not such an easy task. So this kind of challenge always energizes me. The excitement of turning an idea into something so unpredictable, each day of my life - why wouldn’t I choose this field? Why wouldn’t I choose to awe myself each day of my life? It’s like this beautiful power of challenging yourself to surpass your visual imagination. And it feels great to be a part of it. I was trained in the art of design at MIT Institute of Design, Pune, though my roots belong to Lakhimpur Kheri, a small town in Uttar Pradesh. I have been drawn towards art and craft since I was a kid. In boarding school, I developed the habit of doodling at the back of the letters we wrote to our families. I got so obsessed with creating something that I covered my school books with all kinds of patterns; at times, I used to doodle even on the back of exam question papers! Whoever saw what I made always had something nice to say; that helped push me to do something I could excel at. I took Fine Arts as a subject in the 8th standard; that taught me a lot about color, composition, and the concept of light, shade and shadows. My teacher had this gift of inspiring students into choosing a field they belonged to. She told me about this field called ‘Graphic Design’ and since then my life has been filled with nothing 46 POOL #68

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jewelry design

SOUL STATEMENTS

Each piece of handcrafted luxury jewelry from Meraki by Ashni Shah is a labor of love!

From mass media to jewelry design – how did that happen? AS: Jewelry has always been one of my obsessions - I have three drawers full of it at home in Mumbai! It’s one of the most important things that makes or breaks a look. After a Bachelor’s in Mass Media from St. Xavier’s College in Mumbai I studied fashion designing at Istituto Marangoni, Milan in 2010-11 and pursued a creative entrepreneurship course at ISDI Parsons, Mumbai in 2013-14. I worked with an export house in Mumbai, before launching a clothing line under my name. 54 POOL #68

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Out of the Woodwork A New World of Wooden Home Accents Products from The Beehive Designs, New Delhi

In a world of steel, glass and chrome, where does wood, one of the earliest materials used in a home fit in? In nearly every corner! As accents like keepsake boxes, tissue boxes and tea-lights; as serveware like trays, platters and bowls; or tableware with coasters and napkin holders. Once largely relegated to the 'exhibition circuit' that brought in poorly finished products, wooden home accents have come a long way. As a pliable material with its naturally beautiful textures and colors, wood is making an appearance in home decor products and accents, chosen for their esthetics rather than utility. Using wooden decor products in your living spaces gives your home a splash of muted, understated elegance. Wood