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Jay Dutta pg 30 | Photographed by Rahul Dubey Darshita Thaker 02 Orproject 10 Rishav Jain 16 Tara Nair 22 Aarti Aggarwal 42 Kavya Singh 48 MadSam TinZin 54 www.indipool.com I

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Editor in Chief | sudhir@indidesign.in

July 2016 | # 71

Sudhir at the hotsprings in Taiwan

71

Jay Dutta pg 30 |

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How Much Do You Earn?

Last year I was shocked by the number of design companies that were angered by my request to reveal their Income Tax Return (ITR) as part of the criteria to enter 'India's Best Design Studio Awards'. I know for sure that designers do not want to discuss how much they earn.

That's understandable because designers have better profitability compared to any other business. So while they earn well and have a good lifestyle, their business turnover might be very low, not comparable to other businesses.

Designers think low turnovers may make clients undervalue the value they bring to the table.

Photographed by Rahul Dubey

Darshita Thaker 02 Orproject 10 Rishav Jain 16 Tara Nair 22 Aarti Aggarwal 42 Kavya Singh 48 MadSam TinZin 54

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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.

Designers are also not sure of how much the competition is earning. This is hardly surprising since there is no parity or charge cards for design fees. Most designers that I know are pretty clear about doing good, clean business; in the sense they deal with all transactions in white, and are obviously not worried about tax raids. Many that I spoke to didn't know why they shouldn't share financials.

Keeping a secret is about hiding something from the world, separating yourself, and that takes a lot of energy. Also, institutions, the government, and clients not knowing what you really earn cannot help you in any way. It's easy to tell if designers are doing well or not. You just see the signs.

It is perfectly okay to be private of course; you don’t need to or have to share any more than you feel comfortable doing. But do ask these questions of yourself: Sudhir

http://in.groups.yahoo.com/group/designindia

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BRANDING

MEATING CUSTOMER NEEDS Darshita Thaker of KREO Design & Innovation outlines their branding efforts for the country’s first CP Farm Fresh retail store in Bangalore THE CLIENT The CP Group is a multinational conglomerate based in Thailand and a leader in agro-industry, food and retail. The group has a presence in 21 countries across the world including India. Among the many brands promoted by the CP Group, Five Star Chicken is an easily recognizable name in India and has gone on to become one of the big success stories in the country. The CP Group’s latest offering for which we gave a turnkey branding and retail design solution has helped them in establishing a remarkable positioning in the fresh meat segment.

THE OBJECTIVE The CP Group was making a foray into India with its CP Farm Fresh retail stores which showcased a unique concept. The branding therefore needed to capture the essence of their unique offering where consumers could shop for the freshest meat sourced directly from CP farms. Their retail branding needed a fresh, original approach and involved taking the concept to the consumer in a creative manner.

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INSTALLATION

MAKING WAVES Sahya, a new installation by Orproject, explores an economic way to use doubly-curved panels for facade and structural applications

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OPINION

CRAFT: BEYOND OBJECTS Rishav Jain discusses the role of space making crafts in the interior architecture practices of India 16 POOL #71

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CALLIGRAPHY

The Romance of Letters Tara Nair traces her creative journey through the art of calligraphy

Did you have an early inclination for art?

TN: Since childhood my quest for finding what I love and enjoy was pretty random and adventurous - a salute to my family who supported me in everything! I took up badminton as a hobby in my early days and then had wild dreams of joining NASA when I was in standard ten, and ended up pursuing an engineering degree. Within a few months I realized this was not where I belonged, but I completed the course anyway. In my college days, I learnt how to play the guitar, karate, tennis, just to get an answer to the question ‘where do I fit?’ Since I lived in a small city (Bhilai), there were no stories that belonged to any creative person. All people were cared about was scoring top percentages and

getting into a medical or engineering college.

Back then, creative fields were for people who either didn’t know what to do in life or were complete failures.

How did calligraphy come into the picture?

TN: In 2009 I moved to Pune to do a Diploma in Interior Designing. I was also learning a lot of creative skills like quilling, cross-stitching, DIY(s) for home, etc. In August 2012, I went to visit my parents in Trivandrum. I saw a lot of graffiti done by artists across the city, and that resulted in a strong wave of curiosity. I got to know about hand-lettering, then typography and then calligraphy. I was stuck in the beauty of calligraphy for days and started looking for workshops on the Internet. My mind was grasping all forms and ways to write letters… gorgeous looking letters and words. I continued to learn calligraphy from a lot of gurus globally and was floating towards a particular style that I enjoyed a lot. I practiced it like a crazy

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COVER STORY

Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained Jay Dutta, better known as JD, has never been afraid to take risks, which is why the former art director and brand consultant now finds himself taking on the little-known role of ‘venture advisor’ 30 POOL #71

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FURNITURE DESIGN

WOOD THAT SPEAKS

Aarti Aggarwal balances her Indian sensibilities with a Western education to create bespoke furniture that tells intriguing stories

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GRAPHIC DESIGN

SEEKING NEW EXPERIENCES

New Delhi-based freelance graphic designer and illustrator Kavya Singh is looking forward to widening her horizons even as she hones her skills halfway across the world

What drew you to graphic design?

KS: I belong to a family of doctors and science majors, so my exposure to the art side of the world was sort of limited. I was broadly aware of the different types of designs, but didn’t have much of an insight.

I still remember being highly uncertain of where I was going when I decided to go to design school. I somehow always knew that this is the field I wanted to pursue, but it was way too alien for me. I originally wanted to be an interior designer. The idea of transforming empty spaces and adding character to them was my vision of what I wanted to do at that time.

I pursued a Diploma in Visual Communication Design at Srishti School of Art, Design and Technology. It was during my foundation studies in the second year of college that I started getting well acquainted with communication design. I remember watching

a film called ‘Helvetica’, and that’s what got me hooked onto graphic design. Watching how the subtle intricacies of type design, something I didn’t even know existed, can have such a huge impact on how humans perceive information was genuinely fascinating. That’s when I had the clarity that I wanted to explore this field.

How do you usually approach a project?

KS: Every project has its individual nature, so I wouldn’t say that I have a set structure that I follow. Having said that, there are a few broad categories that I can divide my process into; within these frames I take the liberty to explore and experiment.

I usually start with listening to the client their requirements, ideas, budgets, timelines, etc. I ask as many questions as I can at this stage as that gives me a good sense of what I’m working with. It also gives me the space to discuss some ideas with them and get on the same page.

I then move on to brainstorming and research. I try to do ground work and study

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FASHION

THE FAB FOUR Best friends make the best partners, as Madhuritu Dutta, Saumya Sharma, Tina Bhardwaj and Stanzin Dazes discovered when they launched their eponymous label, MadSam TinZin!

(R) Georgette draped kurta from MadSam TinZin 54  POOL #71

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