November 2010 | # 05 Indian edition
Supported by
25 Years of International AIDS Awareness Posters
He thinks Indian mythology is full of masala
“I am a street artist whose primary lens is that of a designer!”
Istanbul Design Week at the Old Galata Bridge
Around the world 04
Gautam Dutta 08
Ranjit Dahiya 22
Sudhir Sharma 30
India’s First International Design Magazine D E S I G N • I N N OVAT I O N • C R E AT I V I T Y
Raring to Go Krittika Sharma 10
Rising Star Sandeep Sangaru 24
Young Talent Jayesh Sachdev 28
Bhaumick Bidyabijay
photographed for POOL by Sudhir Sharma
Tata Aria, KTM 125
Blogger
Eye on the Road
Maestros
Social Design
A Design Perspective 16
Pixelonomics 07
Vidhyadhar Pande 19
Kapil Sharma 20
Kalaraksha 27
Advisors Some of the planet’s foremost thinkers and influencers act as a sounding board and conscience for the POOL magazine.
New Platforms
There is always this big question being asked when you travel abroad to design conferences – why isn’t there any Indian Brand in the world market? I am always looking for the answer. This time when I was in Turkey for the Istanbul Design Week, I was happy to note that Tata is a well known car. I saw many Indigo and Indica models on the road. The pleasant surprise though was the fact that they are known as Tough Cars and not Cheap Cars.
Kigge Hevid CEO, Index Awards, Denmark
Abhijit Bansod Studio ABD, India
Kishor Singh Business Editor, India
Adil Darukhanawala Editor, Economic Times, Zigwheels, India
Kohei Nishiyama Founder, Elephant Design, Japan
Dr. Inyoung Albert Choi Professor, Hanyang University, Korea
Madhukar Kamath Managing Director and CEO, Mudra Group, India
Anaezi Modu Rebrand, USA
M P Ranjan Professor, NID, India
Prof. Anil Sinha Head, Visual Communications, NID, India
Prasoon Pandey Corcoise Films, India
Anna Muoio Principal, Social Innovation, Continuum, US
Rajesh Kejriwal Kyoorius Exchange, India
Anuj Sharma Designer, India
Rodney Fitch CEO, Fitch, UK
Aradhana Goel Designer / Strategist, Ideo, USA
Shilpa Das Head, Publications, NID, India
Craig Branigan Chairperson, Landor, CEO, B to D Group, USA
Dr Soumitra R Pathare Psychiatrist, India
Christopher Charles Benninger Architect, Studio CCBA, India
Shrikant Nivasarkar Founder, Nivasarkar Consultants, India
David Berman David Berman Communications, Canada
Subrata Bhowmik Subrata Bhowmik Design, India
Deepika Jindal Managing Director, Artdinox, India
Sudhir Sharma Designindia, India
Essam Abu Awad MIDAS, Jordan
Suresh Venkat CNBC, India
Hrridaysh Deshpande Innoastra, India
Uday Dandawate Sonicrim, USA
Jos Oberdof NPK Design, Netherland
Umesh Shukla Auryn, LA, USA
Julia Chiu Executive Director, JIDPO, Japan
William Drentell Winterhouse, USA
Kieu Pham Haki Brand, Vietnam
William Herald Wong WHW Design, Malaysia
Reputation is important to build Brands. Tata, Mahindra and Bajaj are already creating good reputations for Indian products in world markets. I am sure more brands will join in. Sudhir Sharma Editor in Chief
There is nothing more joyous than seeing the young push the bar and scale heights. The fire, the frenzy and the unbound joy in what they create is the stuff inspiration is made of. The honesty, integrity and fearlessness of experimenting, learning, and leading with the strongest belief that you have it in you to make a change. Those who are made of ’The right stuff’, to quote Tom Wolf, are the heroes we are bringing to you. Jayesh Sachdev is one such hero. He is an artist, experimenter and creator. He is fearless in looking for opportunities and he loves what he does. Read about his hugely successful experiments with Pop (popular culture) Art, defined by Indians as the Indian film industry. Another designer artist is Ranjit Dahiya, who runs a design studio called Digital Moustache, and is responsible for making 31 posters spanning the significant periods of the Indian film industry which were exhibited at La Rochelle, in Paris. Our cover story is about the grand old man of the Indian Automobile Design Industry, another hero from a different era. Bhaumick Bidyabijay is amongst the first graduates from the IIT – IDC, Mumbai. He has worked in practically all Indian automobile companies – Tata’s, Bajaj and now at Mahindra. He oversaw the launch and marketing of the hugely successful Scorpio. In all it is satisfying to see the response that POOL is arousing in the industry, at the same time it is also a huge responsibility. It is the time for lights and fireworks and we have much to celebrate. Happy Diwali to you all from the POOL team. Gina Krishnan Editor gina@poolmagazine.in
Editor in Chief Sudhir Sharma sudhir@indidesign.in
Art & Design Pradeep Goswami, Prashant Agashe, Shraddha Trivedi
Executive Editor Gina Krishnan gina@poolmagazine.in
Illustrator Santosh Waragade
Copy Editor Ashvina Vakil Editorial Coordinator Sonalee Tomar sonalee@poolmagazine.in Research & Design Coordinator Preethi Bayya Layout & Production Pradeep Arora Subscription & Logistics Seema Sharma subscribe@poolmagazine.in Finance Kuldeep Harit
Assistants Anil Burte, Yamanappa Dodamani Publisher INDI Design Pvt Ltd www.indidesign.in Address India India House, 53, Sopan Baug, Balewadi, Pune - 411045, India Phone: +91 20 6510 6407 www.poolmagazine.in
DESIGN INDIA
November 2010 | # 05 Indian Edition
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
POOL printed on
Paper by
Vietnam Haki Advertising Ltd, 142 Le Duan Street, Hanoi, Vietnam www.haki.vn
Icograda International Design Media Network Participant http://www.icograda.org/media/IDMN.htm
www.poolmagazine.in 1
Headlines Designomics Preeti Vyas, chairwoman of VGC, interviewed Kumar Mangalam Birla in her segment titled ‘Designomics’ on the show Logo, aired on business news channel Bloomberg UTV. The episode was aired on Thursday, October 21, 2010, at 8.30 pm.
personal care products through packaging design and to garner a wider market share.
This segment is aimed at primarily showcasing the effectiveness and ROI of strategic design specialisations through the eyes of senior management firms in businesses such as the Aditya Birla Group, a 12 year old Superbrand, which today stands as one of the most respected conglomerates in India.
DESMANIA was approached by client VLCC to design new packaging for its entire range. The brief was to create a new packaging to integrate all their products with a new premium shape and branding along with clutter breaking attributes.
Previous Logo
Refreshed logo “Designomics” first appeared in Businessweek in 2009. “Designomics: How Design Navigates A World In Change And Creates Global Economic Growth And Prosperity” by Bruce Nussbaum.
Desmania wins the ‘Indiastar’ 2010, awarded by IIP The Packaging Design for the VLCC range of beauty products by Desmania wins the ‘Indiastar’ 2010, awarded by Indian Institute of Packaging (IIP) on 1st Oct 2010 in the category of Consumer Products. The objective of the exercise was to create excitement in the market about the VLCC
world-class creativity and expertise in design with engineering and business know-how. “The tie up with the Royal College of Art and Design London will position Lavasa as a global innovation hub, attracting innovative firms and entrepreneurs to establish their businesses. This association with leading education institutes is in keeping with our endeavor of forging key global collaborations to promote Lavasa,” said Mr. Ajit Gulabchand, Chairman, Lavasa Corporation Limited.
The project approach involved conducting interviews with consumers and retailers and the result was a unique packaging solution that stands out distinctly against the competition. The design language developed has the semantics of natural and organic, which manifests in the shape, colour and graphics. The design was concurrently developed for manufacturing and filling line. This helped reduce the time taken from concept to launch of products to six months.
Lavasa Corporation Limited and the Royal College of Art sign MOU The Memorandum of Understanding between Lavasa and RCA, London is set to pave the way for the development of Lavasa city as an Innovation Hub. The project led by Design London, the Royal College of Arts international centre for design led innovation is aimed to combine
“Successful innovation demands a systemic approach to designing new products and services. Our detailed Lavasa Programme will ensure that participants gain access to the very best in international design and business thinking. It also means that our design professors have an opportunity to learn from businesses in Lavasa,” said Dr Paul Thompson, Rector of the Royal College of Art.
Beach Bellow Wins the Red Dot Award
It’s never a great idea to carry those heavy chairs to the beach, so the Beach Bellow by Chetan Sorab looks to be a smart alternative. This brightly coloured, collapsible beach chair, lets you lounge in style and comfort. Made of silicon rubber and supported by
spring steel members, its design is inspired by a regular bellow and it is easy to carry, store and use. The Bellow can be used for either lying down or sitting.
Adobe celebrates winners of 10th Annual Design Achievement Awards LA (United States) – Adobe Systems Incorporated announced the winners of its 10th annual Adobe Design Achievement Awards (ADAA), celebrating global student achievements that bring technology and the creative arts together. The awards honour the most talented and promising student graphic designers, photographers, illustrators, animators, digital filmmakers, developers and computer artists from the world’s top highereducation institutions. Since the ADAAs began in 2001, close to 20,000 students across 52 countries have participated in this competition. “The Adobe Design Achievement Award competition attracts the best student designers in the world. We feel fortunate to be able to shine a light on these future creative leaders,” said Ann Lewnes, senior vice president of
corporate marketing, Adobe. For the second consecutive year, Adobe has collaborated with Icograda to attract student submissions from the Icograda Education Network and select an international panel of design experts to judge the awards. The winning entries can be viewed on the ADAA Gallery. www.adaagallery.com The Design Observer Group iPhone App The iPhone App is now available for Free to all users on the App Store. It offers a quick way to survey what’s new every day at the world’s leading online design journal. content@poolmagazine.in
@nithinkd Not even the barman likes the guy who walks in at 4 asking for a drink! U aint making money by being judgemental alright? www.poolmagazine.in 3
4 POOL | 11.10 | #5
Around the w rld Graphic Intervention: 25 Years of International AIDS Awareness Posters 1985-2010 Graphic Intervention, an exhibition that draws from an extensive archive of arresting and fearless international public health posters. The posters in this exhibition were drawn from the collection of James Lapides, founder of the International Poster Gallery, Boston, and others collected by Elizabeth Resnick and Javier CortĂŠs, the exhibition co-curators. It presents a comprehensive global overview of the diverse visual strategies employed to educate the public on the AIDS epidemic. The messages in Graphic Intervention champion relevant sociopolitical issues like disease research and eradication, world health, international relations, sexual education, and discrimination. Graphic Intervention
opened on September 13, 2010 and will continue to be displayed until December 4, 2010 at the Massachusetts College of Art and Design, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. The exhibition will travel through 2013. James Lapides has spent the last decade collecting HIV/AIDS posters from more than 80 countries. With over 3,000 posters to choose from, the curators selected 99 posters from the archive and added 54 posters from other contributors to represent a total of 44 countries. From Papua New Guinea to Denmark and Venezuela to Morocco, these posters demonstrate the different approaches used for discussion of a socially complex subject. Each poster carefully navigates socially complex
themes, presenting a myriad of visual solutions to a public health crisis. This exhibition highlights designing in particular regional vernaculars, across different borders, and for varied constituencies towards a singular, universal goal. Lapides writes in the exhibition catalog: The posters are a way of remembering those who have died due to AIDS–a graphic quilt of a different kind. The poster itself once again should be celebrated for its central role in promoting awareness, saving lives, raising donations, influencing the public debate and speaking out in the face of this terrifying global disease. Graphic Intervention was curated by Elizabeth Resnick, Professor and Chair of Graphic Design at Massachusetts College of Art and Design, and Javier CortÊs, Partner and Creative Director at Korn Design, Boston. Professor Resnick previously co-curated the exhibition The Graphic Imperative: International Posters for Peace, Social Justice & The Environment 1965-2005, which traveled extensively throughout the U.S. and abroad from 2005 to 2010. A 96-page full color catalog including the 153 images and full texts and essays is available for purchase on www.graphicintervention.org. www.massart.edu
www.poolmagazine.in 5
Blogger www.
.com Himanshu Khanna has big plans - to initiate a web start up, help the design scene in India, and make feature films. But right now he is concentrating on his blog, Pixelonomics. They say, to reach for the stars you have to dream big. With his design consultancy called Sparklin Innovations, the light is certainly there. Right now Himanshu’s focus is Pixelonomics, a blog that serves as a voice for airing his ideas, dreams, and point of view. Blogging, according to Himanshu, is a good platform to share ideas and get some feedback. Although the idea of a community blog, especially an open-ended one, was not met with an enthusiastic response, Himanshu figured that if he had to share his thoughts, opinions and probably initiate discussions, it had to start with a blog. He puts an average of 15-20 hours a week into Pixelonomics. “The blog is focused on creating opinion about many issues; it could be a movie, a work of art or just a product, beautifully or badly designed,” he says. As with most blogs, it is family which reads them first, then it spreads to friends, but social media becomes a big marketing tool. The challenge for every blogger is to connect with his readers and influence them enough to initiate a discussion thread. Most of the ideas, modifications and additions are thrown back and forth to the community to gain feedback. For crucial or urgent decisions, Himanshu takes the call. He has recently introduced an Infographic on how the world views videos to document the overall response to his blog. He looks forward to posting newer ideas and maybe doing a weekly graphic based on a fiction novel that his friend is working on in the US. But the big idea behind Pixelonomics is to feature start ups and help various causes related to design in the long run. A good start, we say. www.pixelonomics.com
How the world views videos, Infographic by Himanshu Khanna
slug here
Sometimes the best ideas come out of serendipity. Gautam Dutta, when he was quitting his company, wanted to give everybody an exit gift, something special, different and personal. With enough experience under his belt working with Hindustan Times, and Time Out, Gautam certainly does not lack ideas. He decided to make paper cups with caricatures of everybody. The outcome and the response delighted him and he decided to develop it further. “Cups gave me a good base to work on,” he says. The round form offers a fantastic structure leaving him to do what he loves doing, giving it life with fine details. He thinks a slight cut or fold is enough to make a creation of spectacular beauty. There are no doubts about what is Gautam’s favorite medium. Unlike a lot of other creative media, paper is easily available in many forms, colors and textures. It is easy to store, is high on shelf life and it ages with dignity. The smell and feel of it is something that every one can relate to. He considers it a very moldable and expressive. Gautam follows no particular style. He draws his inspiration from a lot of diverse things, starting from calendar art which kept him inspired as a kid, to miniature paintings that he did in college. He has wide exposure to international design trends through the web, the Japanese style of Manga art, and traditional folk art. Indian mythology has always interested him; he thinks its full of masala, just like Bollywood movies and he plans to make small motion videos for the children of this generation. He wants to make them aware of mythology and then he wants to expand on this to retail the characters in select outlets. Gautam wants to tie up with educational institutions to spread awareness of our history. His intention is to make his paper art a piece of Indian mythology with the flavor of Indian Design, a collector’s item for tourists to carry back to their countries. gautamdutta06@gmail.com
8 POOL | 10.10 11.10 | #4 #5
xxxxxxx Bxxxxxxxxxxxxxx ljfldskfjldsfjsdlfjsdjf dsl;kfj dlsk;fjsd;alkjerlkjldkjl;kdsjflsdkjlk;vjldjlksdjf dlskfjlsdkfjlksdj flk;
sdjflksdjflkdsjflksdjflk;sdjflksdjfl;ksdfjls;dkfjlks;jfl;ksdj feiwjw;elklwekj t;lkj l;sdj l;fjsdl;fjsdl;kfj sdl;fj
www.poolmagazine.in 9
Rising Star
Model: Amrit
Model: Arijit
Model: Kunal
Music and Tex Earthy. Classic. Understated. Krittika Sharma uses traditional fabrics and her new clothes line to tell her stories! Photographed by Bikramjit Bose. “Revival is key at the moment,” says Krittika Sharma, and she is talking about traditional textiles. It can be seen in all her work; she fuses conventional methods with contemporary designs and colors. The ‘new’ comes from her styling though. And she experiments. A number of people work in the crafts sector with artisans who are losing their jobs to the machines. She works towards reviving and showing the importance of hand woven textiles. The concept of formally starting a textile line came with the experience of traveling and meeting talented artisans in India. They are the repositories of knowledge and she collaborates on ideas and designing. There is a line of specialists who work on producing a fabric. From conceptualizing the
design, to dyeing and spinning the yarn, to setting up the loom, to weaving and hand picking motifs, to folding the sari elaborately and finally coming to the customer. One piece of fabric tells such a long tale as it passes through multiple hands! Krittika also uses elements of various disciplines of Art and Design. She incorporates the skills and understanding of graphic design, writing and theory into her own world of textiles in order to obtain a rich, multidisciplinary learning. She has also been trained in Hindustani classical music since she was four. “I am inclined towards blues, slow rock, fusion and electronica.” Currently, she sings with various musicians in Mumbai in her free time.
@dbedwood There is a word worse than CUNT. It’s IDEATION. 10 POOL | 11.10 | #5
She is passionate about using new technology but in a way that it fuses with traditional textiles. Her plans are to work with fashion and interior designers to create fabrics for them as well as to work with NGOs to revive and document Indian textiles. “Design is like an entity for me. It grows with me and I grow with it,” says Krittika who has a passion for textures and colors. “I live within the processes of my work and design philosophy.” She believes that doing a collection is very different for a textile designer as opposed to a fashion designer. When she showcases her work, she likes to show variety. For her first show she had an array of themes. She
Model: Sapna
Model: Vinati
xtiles has a clientele who respect and admire craft-who understand the importance of hand made heritage. She says her clients perceive their clothes as pieces of art, since she creates many one-of-a-kind pieces. Her work is customized and even sells online. Amongst her favorite pieces of design is a traditional hand crafted antique mojri (Indian leather sandal) from Pakistan, almost 80 years old. It was made for someone’s wedding. Traditionally, worn for a few hours and never worn again. The entire work on the mojri was made with thin silver and gold sheets-it looked like a woven pattern. krittika.sharma@gmail.com
www.poolmagazine.in 11
Cover story
The title is well deserved. An alumnus of IDC, IIT Mumbai, Bhaumick Bidyabijay has worked in the Indian auto industry for over four action-packed decades. In an exclusive interview with POOL he speaks of the eventful journey to his present position as Senior Vice President - Product Development at Mahindra & Mahindra. How did you get interested in design? BB: I started working with TELCO in 1972 after doing a two-year course at IDC. I have worked with TELCO, Bajaj Auto, and Mahindra. In 1981, I worked with the late Mr. H. K. Firodia on a car project which was later shelved. At that time, before the days of Internet, I would do what was called ‘catalogue engineering’ - study various catalogues, whatever was published, and then convince engineering colleagues to make changes. In those days there were no separate ergonomics groups, so if I wanted to have the gear shift lever in a particular position, I would go around and study, make a scheme and say, ‘Look buddy you can do it this way - if you can put a tail to the gearbox, put the gearbox shift towards centre there…’ and they would concede.
12 POOL | 11.10 | #5
I joined the R&D of Mahindra in 1998, where also I have had a very interesting innings. I started with Armada Grand and 12 years down, it looks pre-historic! After a year and a half I was moved to Mumbai to head Scorpio. At that time Scorpio had already been styled and reasonably engineered and my job was to debug, refine and make it a wholesome product. It was a partially ready product, up to customer expectation, as I said. What I had to deal with was Refinement – Drive – Handling – Breaking – Noise; each of them was a big challenge. Scorpio had a very young team at that time – a total of about 140 people, and majority of them were around 25 years of age with hardly any experience. In July 2002, we were about to launch Scorpio and then took on the export project - we converted Scorpio into a pick-up exclusively for the overseas market.
How did the process of change affect Mahindra & Mahindra’s identity at that time? BB: The decision to change was taken in the late ’90s and at that time the biggest threat was Tata Sumo. It was a good product and it also changed the face of Tata although they had tasted success in the commercial vehicle space. Sumo could have threatened Mahindra’s very existence. The project was personally piloted by Dr. Goenka and Mr. Mahindra. The board had sanctioned `600 core, and it increased the confidence of Dr. Goenka and this team of 140 people, engineers and designers. The timing was perfect; there was a hunger for such a product. The pricing and positioning were right. And most of all it touched a chord in the Indian consumer. We also continuously worked on the product, so the product was continuously
refined and stayed young. After four years we introduced Mahindra Scorpio Refresh with power-light and had 41 improvements. The Scorpio went through a third refresh in 2009. We believe that if we keep improving the product every few years, it works well. In SUVs, unlike cars and two-wheelers, the volume of the product is not very high, so one needs to keep improving to recover the investment, and to avoid customer boredom. At the same time for the company the trick is to invest modestly in the package, both style and engineering, and to add `40-50 crore every two to three years after the major investment has been made. The seed investment is fully optimized. What kind of product is Xylo? BB: Xylo was introduced in late 2004 – early 2005. We had some engineers free who could be deployed in a new product and we also saw a market emerging for high-end contract carriage.
community. The exterior styling was done by Stile Bertone in Italy and post styling was done by us. The complete interiors were done in-house. We did the detailing and surfacing. So we went through a proper process called Quality Function Deployment, spoke to various users and customers, and identified their needs. Space was the main issue, not just space but individual space was considered to be important. So it was designed and styled around that. In a Xylo there is room for everybody, it is almost personalized. It was not planned to be very aggressive; the target customer was a man of modest means. And the secondary customer would not use it for style, he would use it for comfort. So it was styled for the primary customer who pays money for it; and the space and comfort was done for the secondary customer. This was a very conscious decision. Hence there is a certain amount of, I might say disappointment, in the very styling savvy
Why was the styling done in Italy? BB: We wanted to go for a smooth transition. The complete styling of Scorpio was done overseas; for Xylo the exterior was done overseas and the interior was done in-house, and thereafter we have been styling all the stuff in-house, so I can say we wanted to acquire some confidence, some skill. And at every count we have done pretty well. Do you think Indian companies are equipped to handle end-toend projects? BB: In terms of equipment, yes! It’s more about management philosophy and how much confidence you want to repose in your own designers and engineers. At the end it is going to cost a huge amount of money to launch a vehicle. Typically manufacturing a car costs `1,500 crore;
@vritima mail from akhilRC on designmile: ‘Hi,furniture designs are nice. R u the MODAL for ur product? infact she is more atrective than ur prodcts’ www.poolmagazine.in 13
Cover story and styling it abroad would cost you 2 million euro, about `12 crore, so you would not want to skimp. Doing an end-to-end project is the philosophy followed by M&M and it all depends on the confidence the board has in its in-house capability. Is there confidence now? BB: Yes, it is there. Right now a product is undergoing final trial where everything is toned up. We have a massive production facility put together at our brand new plant in Chakan. And this vehicle’s start up production will be in about March next year. Is it a car? BB: It’s a kind of SUV; a brand new vehicle from tire to roof, bumper to bumper, and it had to be developed afresh in India. We have invested in terms of both product specific (tooling) and capacity (production, body shop, assembly line), etc. You have worked with foreign designers in companies in the UK and
Italy, and you have dealt with Indian designers in companies like Telco and Bajaj. What is the difference between the two? BB: They call me the ‘grand old man of Indian automotive design’! I find Indian designers, and I can only talk of the ones I have come across, are extremely enthusiastic, very charged and committed. I have not come across any designer in India who takes it as a nineto-five job. The eagerness and zeal is fantastic…which is great to see…so that’s a huge advantage, that they would go any lengths while designing. I don’t see that in overseas designers. I am really proud of the teams I have worked with in various places. Ultimately automotive development is a huge confluence of various kinds of skills. Call it styling or call it design, or something technical, machine technology, plastic technology, ergonomics, it is a very complex set of interactive process and only when you are really committed
you get excellence. I personally don’t believe a car can be designed on email, if I may say so sarcastically! It doesn’t work like that. The commitment required is huge and I think it is lacking for overseas manufacturers, maybe because of too much process. There has to be something burning inside, you should be dying to go back to work. That zeal and excitement makes great products. If you go through a full fledged process, for everything there’s a SOP, Standard Operating Procedure. Everybody does his or her job, and yes at the end you have a good product, NOT a great one. So I see the zeal to make great products in India. It may take us time to make great products, but I am perfectly ok with that. But I’ll be very keen to see that the zeal stays, the burning desire stays. What do you think of design education in India? BB: They could do with a little more industry-academia partnerships. But to
@charu13 male streaker comes in, assaults a student and runs. authorities dont give a shit! #livinginhostel 14 POOL | 11.10 | #5
“There has to
be something burning inside, you should be dying to go back to work. That zeal and excitement makes great products.”
be fair I could say that probably design education is better poised than technical education. At least they have the sensitivity, they can be trained quickly to get to customer orientation and appreciate the finer things like civic/city sense. They come with a basic skill-set and they are closer to the mark than engineers in the automotive design area. There are a lot of design schools now offering automotive design as one of the specializations. What do you think of that? BB: Time will tell. I have not seen any output as yet. I would say that the school should look at mobility as a holistic objective at least at the school level. Most of the young designers get carried away by the glamour of cars. Believe me it’s a very hardworking profession. It may look glamorous from the outside but it’s full of pains, trials and tribulations. Almost like Shah Rukh Khan, you see only the output, but the amount of hard work he has to go through is unbelievable. I would say
that it is this important ingredient which is missing in the education system. More engineering input will be good at the transportation design level. I have been trying to get engineering education to include the appreciation of design; it is the interface that needs to be managed well. If engineers appreciate the designers’ need, and if the designers appreciate the engineers’ need, your job is 80% done. It is a journey actually. Being an optimistic person I feel India has made huge progress. Yes it may not be the world’s best, so what? What is your advice to young designers? BB: Success doesn’t come easily. This is a profession where you have to work very hard. Give attention to detail, the devil is in the detail. A good concept doesn’t necessarily make a good car/ product. A brilliant sketch doesn’t automatically make a great building, or a car or whatever. www.mahindra.com
@kyrilnegoda The answer to bad technology is often more better technology. Good technology is not against the
nature, but rather works in sync with it.
www.poolmagazine.in 15
A Design Perspective
Tata Aria Tata Motor’s most sophisticated vehicle! The most technologically sophisticated vehicle ever produced by Tata Motors has to be the Aria but indeed while it is a very important addition to the company’s product portfolio, it is by no means the most significant product it has ever produced. Accolades for the latter have to be handed to the Tata Nano but in itself the Aria is significant because it has to match the growing ambitions of a company finally showing its ability to go global and do that with global practices and global design. The Aria is a crossover in the truest sense of the term and for sure the first such from an Indian car maker. The genesis of this product could be found in the design studies from five years ago when the I.De.A. Institute (which designed the Tata Indica, and also of course the remarkably similar Fiat Palio which preceded it)
showed off the Tata Indica and latterly the Tata Indicruz design studies which debuted at the Geneva Motor Show in 2005 and 2007 respectively. Intended purely to be concepts to hint at the direction this manufacturer needed to head into, not much thought went into series production till about the time the X2 platform programme began in earnest. The X2 was to be the firm’s replacement to the ageing Safari SUV and for once the thought process seemed to come up with an all new direction given the social acceptability of large burly SUVs. The I.De.A. Institute proposals were dusted off and looked at anew and it was decided that a body on frame construction be adopted and the stylish lines of the Indica/Indicruz be adopted for a five to seven seater with ample ground clearance, the option of rear wheel drive and all wheel drive, car like controls and ease of operation plus enough style and élan
Adil Darukhanawala to pitch into the emerging international cauldron of new age crossovers. At around the same time as this project acquired faction within Tata Motors, Mercedes-Benz unveiled its own R-class crossover (significantly it was launched in India barely four days before Tata Motors took the wraps off the Aria!) and this influenced the designers, brief massively. In fact if you compare the Aria to the R-class you will see that both vehicles are substantially similar in silhouette, turnout, proportions, packaging and overall design style. For sure it isn’t hard to fathom how much of an effect the three-pointed star brings to the party in the R-class but the Aria had to do it on its own steam. As regards external styling, the Aria appears contemporary with its crisp, clean lines and also a visually very impactful front end. It may have lost some of the concept car details from the Indica/Indicruz, especially the headlamp treatment but overall the proportions seemed to remain the same though the vehicle seemed to have gained a wider girth. The vertical pillar mounted tail lamps, an I.De.A. Institute hallmark, have remained but are even more stylistically crafted on the production vehicle. Additionally, the Aria seems to sit well on its 16- and 17-inch tyres, giving it a planted stance and filling in the wheel wells to give it a robust and purposeful look – so very important in a vehicle which hints at nontarmac capability among its intended operational repertoire.
The packaging inside the Aria is very well executed but could have been better had the interior designers or the packaging engineers had a bit more time to execute things to perfection. While in crossovers as it is in SUVs, or rather more so in the case of crossovers, you need space and even more space in the cabin plus also the flexibility to utilise that space for seating and carrying stuff, the Aria has the potential to deliver a near flat floor when lugging stuff on a camping trip or when moving house or such. However, the seats just don’t fold flat completely and it is only shoddy attention to detail that such a thing has been allowed to get into manufacture. Versatility in the seating and the luggage carrying ability is what determines a crossover’s raison d’être and here I think there is even greater scope for perfection to be unlocked. The interior trim is pretty well done and the ergonomics are fine but overall there isn’t that much of a move on in terms of pushing the envelope and that is puzzling because in the Tata Manza sedan the designers showed how big a jump they had made and one expected this line of thought to be built upon. Maybe it was the pressure of making the launch date but we will have to wait to see an interior of true international class and turnout on the Aria. Maybe when the European version is pencilled in we could see such a thing. To sum it up, from a presence point of view, the Aria is impressive for a Tata Motors offering but I think we expected a lot more from it simply because it was quite a while in the design and development stage; plus we also thought the firm had learned much from its Indica Vista and Manza programmes. I think the best thing would be for Tata Motors to utilise the interior design strengths of its Jaguar - Land Rover operations to make the Aria the best equipped and turnout out crossover in India and that isn’t just a tantalising prospect but one which is very definitely do-able. How soon or otherwise would be the key if the company hopes to make serious headway with the crossover concept in the minds of paying punters.
@_harshika I love the pens tht u have to click to get the nib out . Bad habit of clicking them .*click click click www.poolmagazine.in 17
A Design Perspective
Bajaj Auto’s new KTMs Bajaj Auto goes wild with a brace of all new KTMs it has designed, developed and built for young bikers the world over. Adil Jal Darukhanawala has the gen on Indian motorcycling’s highly exciting future. ‘Ready to race’ is KTM’s tag line and when you couple this to the performance DNA and back-end manufacturing strength of Bajaj Auto, it seems that something sensational is due to happen in the twowheeled world. Well the first glimpse of this highly exciting future came to light at this year’s Milan motorcycle show when the KTM-badged Stunt worldwide.
Both the Stunt 125 and the Race 125 might seem much too wild but then so was the case when the first Pulsars emerged on the scene in 2001 When we first set eyes on the new bikes, it seemed to all intents and purposes as if these bikes were devised, designed and thought out at the KTM works at Mattighofen in Austria but that isn’t exactly the case. The bikes’ styling is the only important detail which one could attribute to Europe, this being the handiwork of long time KTM design consultant Kiska Design. The rest of the bike, including the frame, engine and gearbox plus suspension and overall detailing is all pure-Indian genius from the same team which gave us the Pulsar range of sporty performance motorcycles. In fact, both prototypes which appeared at Milan were built from the ground up here at the Stars Ahead R&D department of Bajaj Auto at Akurdi in Pune and given the fact that by this time next year these bikes would be sold worldwide, the just as exciting news is that these bikes would be built at Bajaj Auto’s Chakan plant, the most modern bike manufacturing facility in the country. Both the Stunt 125 and the Race 125 might seem much too wild but then
so was the case when the first Pulsars emerged on the scene in 2001. Both Bajaj KTMs feature lattice-type frames into which the all-new 125cc engine is hung, employed as a stressed member. This engine and gearbox is from the same Joseph Abraham-led team which has also designed and engineered all the Pulsar engines to date including India’s first ever four-valve engine which will debut on the newest Pulsar day after tomorrow. What you see in these two bikes are the essential building blocks for the new wave of machines from the Bajaj KTM combo. This first new platform takes in an all new lattice frame into which the all new 125cc mill is hung. The lattice frame not only is used for the structural aspect which pins everything together but also as a design element. Top notch suspension componentry abounds at both ends and Joseph Abraham and his team have ensured that the thought behind the stunning design is also executed in the dynamic medium. It is therefore but natural that upside down front forks and a single monoshock unit at the rear (directly bolted to the aluminium swingarm) make their appearance. While the showbikes did have these from long time KTM tech supplier WP Suspension, the units for the mass produced machinery would be made in India under license from WP Suspension. Both bikes feature Brembo disc brakes front and rear, the orange Stunt featuring petal discs in keeping with its overtly sporty turnout. Both bikes also came decked out with gorgeous Marchesini alloy wheels, those on the Stunt being tastefully sporting two-tone wheels. However it is the single-cylinder engine which powers these two concepts which is of immense interest. This engine is the first platform undertaken by Bajaj Auto and KTM for their next range of machines and this can be built in many displacement sizes from 125cc upwards. In Europe the beginners’ class mandates a cubic capacity of 125cc and a power limit pegged at 15PS. The new liquid-cooled engines, in their
“We are focusing even more directly on our younger customers, that is the future.” mildest state of tune, meet the 15PS mark rather effortlessly, given that they are capable of much more thanks to the fourvalve head operated by twin overhead camshafts and employing electronic fuel injection. The compact nature of the engine is evident in the way it is hung in the frame and also canted a bit forward. The Stunt version is performance personified with its twin can exhaust system (using upmarket Akrapovic units) while the Race version has just such an innovative approach with its underslung exhaust. There would be a choice of either a five or a six-speed gearbox available and the entire package works on the absolute optimum power to weight mantra. “We are focusing even more directly on our younger customers, that is the future,” said KTM’s enthusiastic head honcho Stefan Pierer when he took the wraps off these two bikes at the recent Milan motorcycle show. That it could just as easily have been Rajiv Bajaj espousing the same here is another point worthy of mention. The duo took just under a year and a half to get their first all-new platform underway. And as is clearly visible one just can’t wait long enough for these bikes to hit Probiking showrooms. If ever there were bikes to stir the senses then these passionate, hardcore and spirited Bajaj KTMs have to be the ones everyone should be in awe of. —Adil Darukhanawala www.zigwheels.com
@Desdemona14 RT @funnyhumour: Has anyone pointed out to Americans that the “gas” they’re putting in their cars is a liquid? 18 POOL | 11.10 | #5
Experience in Design Automobile Designer Vidhyadhar Pande turns his skills to enhancing public transport and commercial vehicles
LCV Bus of the year 2009 Car designers bring to mind artistic, temperamental and flamboyant Italians. Our very own Vidyadhar Pande is a car designer with a difference - a salt of the earth man for whom designing cars has been a passion since he was in grade five. As the son of a vet, he had little exposure to anything but animals and poultry farms in rural areas. But single minded devotion to his dream led him to study mechanical engineering, after which he joined National Institute of Design (NID) to train as a designer. He also did a six month fellowship at Hitachi Design Center in Tokyo through Hindu-Hitachi Scholarships. After graduating in design, Vidhyadhar considered the option of moving to the U.S. “I believe development in India can be done by Indians,” he says. He taught in an engineering college for a while before starting a design studio, Abhikalp, way back in 1994 in Indore. It was certainly not a great time for an Indian designer. ‘Abhikalp’ means ‘creation’ in Devanagiri. “Most design departments in government organizations in the Hindi speaking areas are called ‘Abhikalpan Prakoshth’,” he laughs. A bit like creative energy! Vidhyadhar’s first industrial design project, which also involved engineering, was to design a LHD dashboard for Eicher Motors’ light commercial vehicle. It was
indirectly the result of his graduation project at design school where he had to design an electric bus for Bharat Heavy Electronic Ltd (BHEL), and was featured in India Today magazine.
“I consider my
company an extended Research & Development department to OEMs, a sort of design outsourcing,” In 1994 people were not really aware of industrial design even in the corporate world. Creating awareness about the profession was as much part of the process as getting a project. Money and infrastructure too were a big issue. Vidhyadhar managed to get some funding from a bank but it took him four years to set up minimum infrastructure to cater to automobile companies. He is more pragmatic now; his fascination for automobile design has moved from cars and bikes to the more urgent and practical requirement of public
transport and commercial vehicles. “The motto of expansion has been ‘earn and grow’. This has affected very high profile growth; however the fundamentals of the company are solid,” he says. “This has helped in resisting the negative days of recession. Our belief is slow but steady growth maintaining the specialty of the company in terms of experience and quality deliverables.” Vidhyadhar has worked on the development of a truck cabin for Eicher Motors. The project was challenging; they had to design, develop and prototype the complete truck cabin to be launched at Auto-Expo 2000 in New Delhi. “The job was not of customization but of mass production, an Industrial Design Project in the true sense,” he reveals. “I now dream of working on a three wheeler and the metro train.” Vidhyadhar’s company has also worked on international projects in the commercial vehicle category. “I consider my company an extended Research & Development department to OEMs, a sort of design outsourcing,” he says, and his clients who include most of the Indian auto companies, are definitely not complaining! abhikalp@eth.net com
@simple_sy Photoshop is the new makeup. @naina www.poolmagazine.in 19
A sixth generation artist, Kapil Sharma is also an extremely talented self taught photographer
Not only does Kapil Sharma moonlight as a photographer, he is also a trained graphic designer and visual artist. This sixth generation traditional miniature artist was nine years old when he began his apprenticeship with his grandfather, a national award winner in the field of traditional art. But it was his father, a contemporary artist and state award winner who took miniature art to a different level by fusing miniatures with contemporary forms, who introduced him to photography. ‘Yashica’ was the toy Kapil grew up playing with. He shares his passion for photography
20 POOL | 11.10 | #5
with his father, an avid photographer who taught him to use the darkroom and the techniques of developing photographs. Though Kapil did not know the chemicals by name, he knew that when he mixed the different substances, he could print his photo. To him it was like a fantasy, seeing the images appear on the paper, and he started to experiment with his camera. After shooting blurred images, bad compositions, under or over-exposed photos for more than a year, his first successful image was of a street magician who used to perform near their home. He sold ten photographs for just `250.
With his father’s support, Kapil began to understand the art of photography. He was keen to pursue it as a profession untill he discovered graphic design! Enrolling in a design school gave him the opportunity to understand photography as a subject. “What I enjoy doing is capturing stories, feelings more so. I believe that people might have different ideas but the feelings remain the same; good or bad is merely subjective. I would consider myself a fine art photographer,” he says. Kapil dreams of doing time-lapse photography as a medium for his project titled ‘Living Images’ where the sequence
“Inspiration lies within the self, it’s the way you make things look interesting in the captures. It could be anywhere.” of images would be shot and printed on a lenticular sheet. He wants to document street professionals with the idea of restoring street professions all across the world; some of them have already disappeared in the course of time.
“Inspiration lies within the self, it’s the way you make things look interesting in the captures. It could be anywhere,” reveals the photographer. “I believe that traveling and clicking photographs itself is a meditation because you are constantly looking, exploring, learning and understanding things around you. The camera merely acts as an extension of an eye.” In this case, the memories stored in the photographs are worth more than thousand words. He misses the mystique of analog and the entire process from loading to developing, the suspense of getting a good picture.
“It’s like an image being nurtured and you can’t really be certain of the outcome of what you had thought of and clicked,” admits Kapil. “With photography going all-digital now, the biggest change that has happened because of the low cost of failure is that photography as an art has grown tremendously in terms of people experimenting with this media. It’s user friendly and works in today’s environment where patience runs out fast and so does time,” he adds. Clearly it is the sign of our times!!
www.flickriver.com/photos/studiofunc/
www.poolmagazine.in 21
Maestros
Poster Boy for
Bollywood
Ranjit Dahiya immortalizes the Indian film industry through his eye-catching posters
Pop art is being driven by the Indian film industry and designer and artist Ranjit Dahiya is amongst those taking it across international borders. In 2009 Dahiya was involved in a wall project in Mumbai when he was commissioned by a friend, Dhanya Pilo, to create a poster of Bollywood film Sarkar Raj for Salon Du Cinema La Vilette, Paris. During his stay in Paris he realized the passion the French had for Bollywood. “I started looking for an opportunity to reflect the rich Indian culture, lifestyles and talent which are showcased in the movies through posters,” he recalls. “I wanted to display the images of Indian cinema on an international platform.” Ranjit met delegates from City Council of La Rochelle (France) who wanted him to paint a big Bollywood style poster as a part of a two-week residency programme. He offered to exhibit hand made posters, through which he intended to highlight
22 POOL | 10.10 | #4
the unique and rich tradition of Bollywood. The proposal was duly accepted and it took him ten months to execute the task. Ranjit researched and analyzed the history of the film industry, selected milestones, and then with the assistance of his two colleagues, Satwinder Singh and Rakesh Kumar, completed the posters in eight months. The 31 posters were in two sizes, 10 x 6 ft. and 6 x 4 ft. The response to the posters at La Rochelle was overwhelming. “It was an amazing opportunity to showcase Bollywood on a global platform,” exclaims Ranjit. It was during this time that the international film festival was held in La Rochelle, western France and Ranjit was happy to be a part of it. It was then that he realized that Bollywood exhilarated and fascinated the world. “I consider myself a designer since even as an artist my projects follow a design process,” he admits. He has
used painting in his work but the entire process has been primarily influenced by design. “I am a street artist whose primary lens is that of a designer!” Ranjit’s design firm is called Digital Moustache and it through this that he handles various communication design projects. His work consists of various designs and art forms. Understanding the need for growing technology, he is also presently creating an application for various mobile OS, which helps the user recognize Indian currency and hence reduces the chances of counterfeiting. “I want to work in mobile telephony and develop diverse applications,” he says. “Communication has always been a part of society and mobile technology is a boon in today’s world as it is one medium which is accessible to maximum people.” We wish him luck! www.digitalmoustache.com
xxxxxxx Bxxxxxxxxxxxxxx ljfldskfjldsfjsdlfjsdjf dsl;kfj dlsk;fjsd;alkjerlkjldkjl;kdsjflsdkjlk;vjldjlksdjf dlskfjlsdkfjlksdj flk;
sdjflksdjflkdsjflksdjflk;sdjflksdjfl;ksdfjls;dkfjlks;jfl;ksdj feiwjw;elklwekj t;lkj l;sdj l;fjsdl;fjsdl;kfj sdl;fj
www.poolmagazine.in 23
Multi-faceted Sandeep Sangaru creates global products from local material
“ The stillness
encompassing the chaos inspires me...�
24 POOL | 10.10 | #4
I tend to make things look visually very simple, almost minimalist. I believe in pure forms, like the ones found in nature. Only after one delves deep into them, can the complexity of how they work be seen. For 36 year old Sandeep Sanguru, it’s been a long journey from Mechanical Engineering to Furniture Design; and from working on special effects for the Indian Film and Entertainment Industry to bringing together traditional craft skills and modern design and technology to create objects of daily use.
eye-catching furniture, products and accessories for the contemporary urban home, for work and play. Truss-Me, his striking bamboo furniture line, was awarded the Red Dot - Best of the Best 2009 for highest design quality expressing innovation in form and function in an exemplary manner.
His Bangalore-based company, Sangaru Design Objects Pvt. Ltd. creates
www.sangaru.com
To design something simple is challenging and exciting, as every detail counts. Craftsmanship lies in the details, be it handmade or machine-made. It is this thinking that differentiates an artisan/ craftsman from a designer. As a designer, I always find the design process fresh and exciting. Planning it in such a way that the solution is unplanned and full of surprises, like serendipity.
www.poolmagazine.in 25
DESIGN•INNOVATION•CREATIVITY
India’s First International Design Magazine
Subscribe online at www.poolmagazine.in
Please fill in capital letters and mail this form with your Cheque/DD in favour of “POOL Magazine” payable at Pune and send it to
Indi Design Pvt Ltd, India House, 53, Sopan Bagh, Near Bharti Vidyapeeth English School, Balewadi, Pune – 411 045 Name______________________________________________________________________Phone______________________________Email________________________________ Address_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ I am enclosing cheque no._______________________________________________________________________________________Dated________________________________ Made payable to POOL Magazine for `_________________________________________________________________________ (Add `60/- for non-PUne Cheques) Terms & Conditions: Rates and offers valid for India only. It is not possible to cancel subscription. The publisher reserves the right to terminate/extend this offer or to accept/reject any or all forms received at his absolute descretion. For further clarification/information Please Call 020 651067407 or mail at info@poolmagazine.in
We invite you to sponsor! India’s First International Design Magazine DESIGN•INNOVATION•CREATIVITY
Trend Workshop with Artisans
A novel approach to help artisans understand design concepts and use them to make their work more relevant and saleable Therefore Design, a multi-disciplinary design consultancy based in Pune, recently conducted a two-week course aimed at introducing artisans and craftsmen to the concept of ‘Trends and Trends Forecasting’. This was one of the many knowledge sharing initiatives undertaken by Therefore Design. “The course, conducted at the Kala Raksha Vidhyalaya in Kutch, was one of our most immersive, interactive and intense sessions with the artisan students,” said Harini Chandrasekhar, one of the directors at Therefore Design. “It was one of the six courses for traditional craftsmen and artisans of Kutch that form a year-long, certificate program at the Kala Raksha Vidhyalaya.” The founding principle of the school is that it is more sustainable to educate craftsmen and artisans about design rather than educate designers about craft. The school invites designers to take courses that help the artisans adapt their traditional arts and crafts into more contemporary and relevant forms. The team at Therefore Design believes that initiatives such as this are critical to protect India’s diverse traditional art and craft heritage. “Providing design inputs to craftsmen and artisans has multiple advantages; it helps them express themselves better, makes
their work more relevant for urban and export markets, creates a better understanding of the value of their work, and prevents them from being exploited,” says the Therefore Design Team. Located in a scenic setting by the Indo-Pak border, the Kala Raksha Vidhyalaya is a program of the Kala Raksha Trust, a grassroots social enterprise dedicated to the preservation of traditional arts. Managed by the enterprising and inspiring Judy Fretter, Kala Raksha Vidhyalaya empowers artisans to explore their art and make it profitable by employing design concepts. The Trend and Forecasting course conducted by Therefore Design was for a group of brilliant young textile artisans from different traditional craft backgrounds such as bandhani (traditional shibori, tie and dye techniques), weaving, batik and traditional block printing. “The course allowed for a lot of interaction between these different skills,” says Harini. “It brought about a complete transformation in the way the artisans perceived and approached their work.” The course began with the artisans relating trends to smaller events closer home that they could identify with. This helped them understand the concept of trends which was very new to them. With
every passing day, the students built on the themes they identified and attempted to translate them into tactile expressions. “The concept of trends (textures, patterns, colors and so on) was initially quite confusing to them and they couldn’t comprehend how it would lead to tangible commercial benefit,” reveals Harini. “However, once they internalized the concept, they caught on eagerly to the idea of storytelling through their products and set forth with much passion, seeking stimulation through field visits and study. The students themselves were an inspiration to watch.” The structure allowed for artisans to feel a renewed confidence in their skills and created an opportunity for them to look at their own traditions in a new light. The entire experience was an eye-opening one for the team at Therefore Design as well. The engaging and inclusive process called for constant interaction with curious and eager minds that were hungry to devour stimuli thrown at them, relentlessly questioning and exploring every step of the way. “The experience was extremely gratifying and we are very happy to be able to participate in this unique platform and contribute in our own small way,” says the team at Therefore Design. www.thereforedesign.co.in
@ankanmandal Never judge a book by it’s cover but ALWAYS judge a fashion magazine by it’s cover! www.poolmagazine.in 27
Young Talent Synonymous with pop culture in India, Jayesh Sachdev is not resting on past laurels
Jayesh Sachdev’s creative design company ‘Emblem’ carries all the makings of an iconic powerhouse. A youthful and flamboyant Indian at the helm who considers the world his oyster, he can be counted amongst a handful of designers who have majored in art and business. As Creative Director and professional artist, he leads from the front. His genre is Pop Culture or popular culture, and it is quite unabashedly driven by the Indian film industry. In his own words Jayesh is ‘constantly disputing and challenging the schematic definition of Artist and a Commercial Design Studio by synergizing mediums and formats of art and design, integrating fashion, commercial design works, art, and yes music. From designing spaces for cinema houses worldwide, and print ads for the Mumbai Cricket Association Recreation Centre, to collaborating with Fiat to create a new brand identity, and launching the Emblem Couture line to fuse art and fashion, Jayesh is continuously looking at working with things and people that excite him. “Things that push the boundaries of creativity and identity both for Emblem
Studios and the people I work with,” he admits. The theme of his creative creed is dynamics, creative liberty and freedom of artistic expression in delivery. Jayesh’s journey began when he started creating a pop artwork for himself. Pleased with the outcome, he decided to create his own space in the Pop Artist league. Eventually he was noticed by the art scene in New York. “The first show in NY happened in 2008. I showcased eight prints at a Loft and it was attended by the city’s art circuit celebs,” says the artist. It was a sell out and the gallery obviously loved him. This led to three more shows. “Next in line is showing my work with 16 other artists from across the world at the Goldsmith Studio 350 in New York’s art district of Chelsea,” he says. The show is being hosted by French Countess Stephanie D’orglandes, and is expected to be attended by the cream of New York. In India, Jayesh has done work for Subhash Ghai, CEO of Mukta Arts and Whistling Woods, who commissioned a Bollywood Walk of Fame - a series of 56 pop portraits
@jcroft I can’t help but think that if you identify as part of the group “People Who Make Websites,” you’re selling
yourself short for the future.
28 POOL | 11.10 | #5
of Bollywood’s Icons from 1932-2008. Other work includes a collaboration to design merchandise and identity for Ketan Mehta’s film Rang Rasiya; a project on the life of artist Raja Ravi Verma; Pune International Film Festival Showcase; and projects for Big Cinemas. Amongst Jayesh’s many firsts is the Emblem Art Gallery in Pune, which he set up to showcase only first time artists. “It was an artist’s foray into the business of art,” he says. In 2008 India Today listed the gallery as one of the Top 12 Coolest Art Galleries in India, resulting in a constant stream of curious visitors. It was a first for a gallery that opened only at night and was more lounge than contemporary art gallery.
“Emblem is a small studio with big dreams,” says Jayesh. The studio has done exciting work worldwide. The launch of the Fiat 500 car is particularly memorable. Jayesh drove into a specially created arena and displayed first of its kind Tyre-Art. “The paintbrush was replaced by a car, which was used as a tool to create the largest new media painting,” he
remembers. “It is now in the national record books.” As part of his future plans, his design studio is conceptualizing a series of kitsch and exciting lifestyle and daily use products and fashion wear, very artsy, very fun and contemporary. The process of creation never stops. www.emblemstudios.com
Too young and restless to sit back and revel in past glories, Jayesh wants to translate design and art into a large body of work that he could perhaps showcase in London and New York. “As an artist, I want to be synonymous with contemporary and Pop Art and would love to show in Paris. I’d also love to work with some Japanese designers, I think they’re demigods,” he says.
@JAI_CommDesign Finally, Japan facing a new phase for its history, shifting structure of business into Global.
I must make right decision on this reality.
www.poolmagazine.in 29
@Sudhir_indi I hate brands that are self obsessed, talk too much about themselves, instead.. Should do things which make me say all that.. 30 POOL | 11.10 | #5
The 5th Istanbul Design Week (IDW) gave new life to the city by bringing the international and Turkish design world together at Istanbul’s historical bridge. The Old Galata Bridge, connecting the two sides of Halic, is used as a design object and an exhibition space, where ‘Design and City’ notions come together. Istanbul Design Week, supported by Istanbul Municipality and organized by dDf, was held between 29th September - 3rd October at the Old Galata Bridge and hosted 45 designers’ from all over the world. As “the new center of design”, Istanbul presented to the world by IDW through its intercultural dialogue with other global cities of the world, youth energy, dynamic urban identification and variety that triggers creativity. During the Istanbul Design Week along with the Human Cities Festival which is supported by European Culture Programme, exhibitions, workshops and conferences took place at the venue.
Sudhir Sharma with Karim Rashid
The IDW’S conference series supported by Turkish Republic Ministry of Culture and Tourism included Karim Rashid, Massimilliano Fuksas, Giovanni Ceccarelli, Tom Tjaarda, Ron Nabarro, Sudhir Sharma, Eva Ziegler and Isao Hosoe. “The Future Cab of Istanbul Taxi” workshop for students was also held on the bridge. Sudhir Sharma, who was invited as a speaker at the conference, enjoyed the Turkish hospitality, made many new friends and came back with very alive pictures. He is going back to Istanbul as Jury on the Design Turkey Industrial Design Awards in December and already has a list of things to bring back. Sudhir thinks Turkey and India have a very common Design Culture and should have closer contacts. www.istanbuldesignweek.com
@JAI_CommDesign Finally, Japan facing a new phase for its history, shifting structure of business into Global.
I must make right decision on this reality.
www.poolmagazine.in 31
32 POOL | 11.10 | #5
RNI-No. MAHENG12606/13/1/2010-TC