POOL 77 by Designindia Magazine

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Ankon Mitra pg 20 | Photographed by Udita Mitra Pencil Point Designs 02 World Industrial Design Conference 12 Kisalay Vora 37 Rishita Chingangbam 50 Sunaina Harjai 53

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Editor in Chief | sudhir@indidesign.in

January 2017 | # 77

Sudhir at China Academy of Art, Xiangshan Campus in Hangzhou, China

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Eye on China Recently, China invited the world leaders of design to Hangzhou for a two-day World Conference, organized on the initiative of CIDA (China Industrial Design Association). The purpose was to announce the next agenda of ‘Innovation’ after manufacturing, and showcase China’s strength as a nodal point for the development of Industrial Design in the world. While design leaders from 26 countries (including our own Prof. Pradyumna Vyas, Shrikant Nivasarkar and yours truly) debated issues related to Design Industry, Practice, IPR and education, I could not but marvel at the country that the Chinese have built for themselves.

Ankon Mitra pg 20 |

Photographed by Udita Mitra

Pencil Point Designs 02 World Industrial Design Conference 12 Kisalay Vora 37 Rishita Chingangbam 50 Sunaina Harjai 53

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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.

In India we have always believed China is like our country, perhaps because of the population matches, but more because a very misinformed media has given us that impression. I saw China as a far more developed country than I believed it would be. I was impressed by the planning and quality of infrastructure and was very moved to see the sincere and hardworking people. I have always believed things didn’t work in India because of the size of the population; everything is in stress. Now I believe it is bad planning and corruption in execution. China has built train stations that give an average person a better experience of traveling than afforded by our airports. It was heartening to see electrical buses and scooters as the norm. Average supermarket packaging has a very defined cultural esthetic. You also see a lot of art and craft. I know there is more than what meets the eye, but believe me, what you see is enough for you to get inspired. To all my Indian designer friends I would advise a visit to China we’d all benefit by taking some clues from them! Sudhir

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INFOGRAPHIC

Best bet for Mumbai commuters In a bid to design a more efficient commuting experience for the millions of Mumbai’s public transport users, Pencil Point Designs has come up with a holistic solution to transform BEST, the city’s bus system Mumbai, the capital of the state of Maharashtra in India, is the country’s most populous city. It has a metro population of about 20.7 million, according to reports last updated in 2016. For such a densely populated city, local road transportation is demanding and challenging. The commute from work-to-home and vice versa during peak hours on road could be anywhere between 45 minutes to two hours. A mounting challenge awaits the state government and the governing municipal corporation -Brihanmumbai Mahanagarpalika (BMC) - to handle the movement of people within the city. BEST (Brihanmumbai Electric Supply & Transport) has been managing the bus transportation throughout the city since 1947. Although it has managed buses, fleets and routes very efficiently over the years, today it faces harsh criticism and severe losses, and people shy away from using the services. If the services are enhanced, it will pave the way for decongestion, and encourage the public to utilize BEST’s service offerings.

THE STUDY In 2015, we at Pencil Point Designs started looking into the problems and downward trend that clouded BEST. Feeling the need to reimagine BEST services, we took it upon ourselves to get a first-hand experience of the commute. In our two-month long study, we commuted by non-AC as well as AC buses. Mapping all our observations, we derived insights to come up with solutions that could really help both BEST as well as the passengers. We realized that the mammoth task at hand required a complete overhaul of BEST systems, a change in mindset, and infusing a new work culture. Another challenge was the need for multiple government bodies to work together. OUR APPROACH We organized our thoughts around three elements that are critical for the success of any organization: People (BEST employees); System (internal as well as external); and Users (commuters and/ or citizens).

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WIDC

Pradyumna Vyas, Member, Secretary India Design Council made a presentation on Design Developments in India

Collaboration is the key

China collaborates with India at the World Industrial Design Conference recently held in China, to come together to benefit from collective experience of Global Design Leaders A galaxy of world design leaders from 26 countries and regions attended the recently concluded World Industrial Design Conference (WIDC) 2016 held in the Liangzhu District of Hangzhou in China. Co-founded by the China Industrial Design Association (CIDA), this global event was an important platform for communication and cooperation in the field of design, and saw participants exchange diverse views on industrial design based on their own considerable experience. India was represented by Prof. Pradyumna Vyas (Member Secretary of India Design Council and Director, National Institute of Design), Shrikant Nivasarkar (Governing

Board Member, National Institute of Design) and Sudhir Sharma (Editor in Chief, POOL Magazine), who spent three fruitful days engaged in debates on the issues affecting the global design industry. Prof. Pradyumna Vyas was among the four speakers who made key note speeches at the inaugural session; he traced the history of design in India, with emphasis on social development projects, and also presented an overview of design industry and education in India. Held at the Design Center at Mengqi, the WIDC also featured the China Excellent Industrial Design exhibition, which showcased the works submitted for the China Excellent Industrial Design Award.

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COVER STORY

Bringing design into the fold Ankon Mitra believes that folding is the cornerstone of existence, whether in nature, architecture, the paper craft of origami, or life itself. The Co-Founder/ Director (Landscape) of New Delhi-based Hexagramm is as much an architect and landscape designer as an origami artist, and he blends these multiple roles into a hugely satisfying professional journey. Tell us about your formative years in design. AM: From grade 9 in school, I knew I wanted to become an architect, though there were no architects in my family or circle of family friends at that time. I do remember these fantastic books by Usha Albuquerque which had different career descriptions in some detail; I may have read about architecture as a career in those books. I guess I had this notion that architecture would allow me to read, write, draw, research, and have feet in both the applied sciences and in the arts. However, I can now say with confidence – it was the best notion I have ever had in my life!

Sir J.J, S.P.A has no sound ideological moorings. It allows students to subscribe to different ideologies (often influenced by the individuals who taught us and their personal convictions in turn). I was a modernist, a vernacularist, a postmodernist, a revivalist, a futurist and a deconstructivist at different points in my academic life. After a point I began to look beyond these ‘isms’ at the nuts of bolts of architecture. And all good architecture has very good underlying geometric resolution. So it boiled down to mathematics. That was one of the sound principles which I carried with me as I stepped out of college into the big bad world of architectural practice.

I got into the School of Planning and Architecture (S.P.A), New Delhi by the skin of my teeth; I was rank 50 in a list of 50 general candidates who got in that year (2000). The next five years were the best of my life. Unlike C.E.P.T or

The learning at Incubis also gave me a deep insight into another fundamental cornerstone - that political, philosophical or psychological contexts are very important parameters. Architecture, and indeed all good design, www.indipool.com 21

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FINE ART

Photographs by: Sheena Sahni Vora

Kisalay Vora draws inspiration from the people around him to create socially relevant works of art that speak to a wider audience Briefly tell us about your journey from artistically inclined child to established artist. KV: At age five I began drawing with charcoals on the wall opposite my family home in Mandvi, a small town in Kutch. I would make large drawings of characters

from Indian mythology, as well as Indian and British history. I even drew on the floor of my home, where I would recreate lots of figures engaged in various different stories that my father, an artist, narrated to me every day. I never had any fear of large surfaces; in fact the larger the www.indipool.comâ&#x20AC;&#x192; 37

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JEWELRY DESIGN

Copper wire lotus ring

Little somethings from nothing Rishita Chingangbam of P-Thadoi gives new life to discarded scrap through her attractive and eminently wearable jewelry What made you opt for jewelry design? RC: I studied in Imphal till the 12th standard and decided that I wanted to be a jewelry designer. I studied for a year at the Polytechnic for Women in New Delhi, and then moved to Pune where I studied software related jewelry designing. I have a Diploma in Jewelry Designing from SATEJ, The School for Art and Technical Education in Jewelry. I moved back to Imphal, where I started my own jewelry brand called ‘P-Thadoi’.

What does the name signify? RC: P-Thadoi is a mythological bird from a romantic Manipuri epic called Khamba-Thoibi. In the epic there is a villainous character called Nongbal who is in love with Thoibi, who doesn’t love him in return. Nongbal wishes to turn into a bird when he dies so that he can sing the name of Thoibi forever. I enjoy creating things out of nothing. I chose the brand name P-Thadoi for

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FOOTWEAR DESIGN

Best foot forward Sunaina Harjai is creating an affordable range of smart luxury footwear through the recently launched Hats Off Accessories. Hats off to her, indeed! How did your design journey begin? SH: I graduated in Fashion Retail Management from Pearl Academy; and in Research and Brand Management from Erasmus London College of Fashion. I interned with global companies like Formula One and Salvatore Ferragamo, where I got first hand corporate working experience. I also worked at a family owned export house, which gave me knowledge of the back end and front end of retailing. How did Hats Off Accessories come into being? SH: Born in family of shoemakers, I got all the design inspiration, passion, and knowledge I needed to launch a leather accessories brand. Design has always been related to luxury, and we realized

the need for an affordable luxury footwear brand in India that is inspired by international trends yet reflects Indian culture and craftsmanship. Hats Off Accessories was launched in early 2015. We believe in traditional Indian craftsmanship and cuttingedge design to create beautifully made, desirable, modern and quirky leather accessories. The brand has a unique design element, and assures quality and accessibility. We are known for our iconic leather brogues that are inspired by British history yet rooted in Indian craftsmanship. What products does your brand offer? SH: There is the gap in the market for affordable and stylish leather shoes www.indipool.comâ&#x20AC;&#x192; 53

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Intricate lines and vivid colors are additions by the new generation to Jogi Art

Jogi Art –A Contemporary Phenomenon Fine lines and dots fill up human, animal and inanimate forms that make up unique narratives – two spiffily dressed girls on a motorcycle, the hustle bustle of a crowd with skyscrapers in the background, a grazing horse, and many more. Richly detailed and painted in monochrome or color, these paintings were made in the Jogi art form, a contemporary phenomenon practiced by a single family – the Jogis of Rajasthan. A unique style, Jogi artwork is made using paint or a ball point pen on paper, depicting what the artists witness around them – urban landscapes crowded with people and towering buildings, birds, animals and character studies. Developed by Ganesh Jogi nearly four decades ago, the art form reflects a new India through the eyes of artists straddling the modern and traditional, and elevates a contemporary décor scheme.

Born in the Jogi caste, Ganesh and his wife Teju were once devotional singers. In the tradition of their forefathers, they went from one neighborhood to another at daybreak, singing bhajans to wake people up. In exchange they got grains, clothes and sometimes money. With changing times, their profession became unviable and in a sad turn of events, the couple had to move to Ahmedabad to become daily wage laborers making a thin income with which to support their growing family. A chance meeting with Haku Shah, the eminent writer and cultural anthropologist, encouraged Ganesh Jogi to try his hand at painting. When first asked to draw, Ganesh was almost 35 years old and said he didn't know how to hold a pen! Haku Shah persevered and eventually Ganesh began painting. In the beginning he drew what he knew – animals, trees, water ponds, fields and scenes from village life. He was soon joined by his wife Teju who