Foundation Programme

[INTRODUCTION TO DESIGN]

Rivers & Tides Thomas Riedelsheimer

A mesmerizing journey with Andy Goldsworthy, a British land artist living in Scotland the idea throughout was all about the flow in nature. Every sculpture was crafted out of the scenery. It was his way, of working with time, working with obsessive forms you cannot get rid of. I am going to quote some of the sculptures here which have lasted in the mind. A nest of wooden planks and sticks, arranged around the bending of water around a cliff the arrangement looks like a whirlpool which is synchronized with the water around, seamlessly blending in with the natural surroundings. The artist then patiently waits for the tide to wash away the days work. But the word destruction, which any ordinary man may perceive from this, is far from his mind. The whirlpool just got taken away into a different world. Another interesting sculpture was the kinds the Andy had already built in a lot of places using a lot of materials. And this time, the experiment was on a beach. Besides the time constraint that the tide posed, there was also the challenge of a new type of stone. Every time the structure collapsed, there was more to learn about the material, till the time it was high tide and everything was submerged. And against all odds, the sculpture stood its ground and was to be seen when the tide receded. He created a suspended structure of sticks and twigs which ultimately fell at the mercy of the wind. He shows the significance of the color red by mixing crushed natural red stone with water and watching the color spread throughout and then eventually moving along to go back to where it came from. He has to collect a few bright yellow flowers for yet another sculpture, and for a while, I was amused to see that he wouldnt pull out all the flowers from the same clump. He would take just a few flowers from one place and then move ahead. He walked quite a bit before he was done. This unspoken affection and instinctive understanding for nature is what makes his art flawless. Hes intuitive about materials. He understands them and their unpredictability and obviously how to arrange them to create something truly stunning. The artist saw the sculptures as gifts, so it didnt perturb him to see them go back into the nature, where he assembled them from. Its inspiring - the patience and perseverance that he exhibits, a lot of failures and yet the solitude and the fire.

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Foundation Programme

[INTRODUCTION TO DESIGN]

Raindrops & Footprints Prof. M.P Ranjan

More than just a learning experience, this lecture was food for thought. Receiving a flash through Mr. Ranjans work throughout his life is a much needed kick-start for anybody who wants to pursue design. The highlight of the lecture was the activity theory which served as the topic of the keynote lecture he delivered in Helsinki recently. He quoted Prof Bruce Archer saying that experience by itself does not create knowledge. However, its the reflection on experience that does. And he justified the same with reflections on his experiences so far that he shared with us. He metaphorized design beautifully as a bonfire where culture was the base / ground and material was the fuel feeding the fire. The environment along with intentions and actions that generate value were creating an effect design. He started off seeing craftsmen in his fathers toy factory. Had an insight to wood, machines, people, modelmaking and learned to appreciate skill and disparity. After which we went on to study industrial design where he formally learned form, structures, context and performance and thereafter worked with small industries where he understood business, money and gained expertise. While designing for the micro-industry, he understood how poverty leads to exploitation and his strategy was to beget empowerment to these people. He was actively involved with the Jawaja project, Rajasthan which sought to train people to help themselves out of poverty and exploitation. When this place was revisited 34 years later, there was a significant change in the economic condition. There was product diversification and people were empowered and markets were established. His work in the bamboo industry was a major breakthrough in this field. He studied a multitude of categories of objects where bamboo could boom. Furniture, houses, activities. You name it. There was exposure to the knowledge of markets and continuous innovation. With the activity theory how the subject, the object, the community are bound together by rules and division of labor to give rise to an objective and how the raindrop effect is valid in design. How the five principles of design led action nearly define a good designer humility, attention to detail, meaning and semiotic, values and ethics and traditional and cultural context. Truly Handmade in India

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Foundation Programme

[INTRODUCTION TO DESIGN]

Bauhaus Frank Whitford

The Bauhaus founded by Walter Gropius, an architect, in Weimar, was one of its own kinds. One of the only schools that arts and crafts and revealed and taught a revolutionary approach to design. Its style became one of the most prominent currents in Modernist architecture and modern design. It had a insightful influence on subsequent developments in various fields of design. In that age, it became the only school to have put ideas into practice. It was the focal point of avant-garde, revolutionary ideas. It taught its students about dealing with life on an aesthetic level. It was born under catastrophe and it developed a visual science which has found its validation in todays time and age. Before education in design became formalized at the Bauhaus, all aspects of design, namely art, architecture, graphic design, interior design, industrial design and typography were taught to apprentices and hence passed on. Formalizing design enabled the learning and mastering of these abilities under a single roof with a formal procedure and a curriculum. It propounded that machines and tools go hand in hand. Like painted shoes showed artistic vitality. Eminent personalities taught here. Artists like Wassily Kandinsky and Johannes Itten. Basic geometric shapes and primary colors (red, green and yellow) were used in most of the designs. Oscar Schelmmer, an artist and a choreographer experimented a lot in theatre. His most famous work is Triadisches Ballett, where the actors are transfigured from the normal to geometric shapes. With this early expression of a revolutionary attitude they went public with an exhibition in 1923. National movements became famous and the design school became a bone of contention for political parties. The design school moved many places. From Weimar to Dessau to Berlin. Accepting ideas that the school propounded was probably just short of scandalous for the people in that age. It was the crystalline cathedral of constructivism not by aesthetics but by minimal design and its functionality. Towards its end, Bauhaus was criticized for its modernist styles and deliberate controversies were created against it. It was labeled as a front for communists and social liberals. But sitting here in a design school, I have been told what a significant effect that school has had on our institution because of its fore-sightedness and a ground-breaking ideology towards design. From where I see it, Bauhaus was one of the most important milestones in the journey of design education.

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Foundation Programme

[INTRODUCTION TO DESIGN]

Prof. Gajanan Upadhayaya Faculty, NID

GU as he is fondly known as at NID and beyond gave us a great deal by sharing with us his memories and experiences and the meandering path of his career. He has influenced a generation of designers especially those hailing from the field of furniture. He has significantly contributed to the idea of developing designs which are easier to produce without compromising on functional and aesthetic quality. His sense of curiosity and sharp intellect flourished at a tender age. Quoting him here, Observation gives freedom to think and that gives way to a lot of perspectives. It was this that made him inquisitive about objects around him and allowed him to be a tailor while he was trying to train someone else. All his experiences back them, while he watched wood being split and metal workshops that he observed gave him knowledge that years later he still uses while he designs. He made a functional and an elegant chair to resemble Hans Wegners classic dining chair. The same design was then used to make a lot of other furniture items. The designs were always devoid of superfluous detail and were highly costeffective. Danish Academy of Fine Arts was where he studied and there is a lot of influence of this academy in his works. While going through all this designs, there was always a common characteristic to be observed. The product was always a superlative form of product design. It was always necessary and useful. It should show with this design, its construction, its story, how it was made and to top it all off, it always was as minimal design as possible. Id again quote him here. He said he would really take it as a compliment if an ordinary man could come and tell him that even he could have made it. Thats how simple and extraordinary his designs are. The craftsman logic is always go know how things are made and how materials behave and how can he make the product in the most aesthetically appealing way possible. According to GU, design is primarily reaching a level of simplicity that shows very little design. Such simplicity, respect for materials and structural integrity is his work. And Id second that, sitting in the girls hostel, on a chair designed by him. Simple, yet comfortable. Like it was made for someone to be sat on for work at 5:00 am.

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Foundation Programme

[INTRODUCTION TO DESIGN]

Helvetica Gary Hustwit

The typeface that is to be seen everywhere. Period. This document that Im typing in. Happy occasions. Sad occasions. One of the most impartial typefaces ever created. The documentary opens up with Massimo Vignelli, an Italian designer, who is discussing this evergreen typeface. He says the world was ridden with a visual disease which was to be cured by design. It didnt have to be expressive. The content was expected to contain the meaning and not the typeface. It should have been able to convey both love and hate with the same medium. Idealism took root right after World War I and design started being used for constructive purposes, with social responsibility. Graphic design is a framework through which visual messages are sent and received. Plenty of typographic styles came in. What was required was a typeface which was clear, readable and recognizable, just like a tool to create order. A neutral typeface had to be created. The documentary dealt with the history of the typeface. Its owned by Linoytpe. The answers to the questions of where, how, what and which. But what remains is, that years later, the typeface as remained as the most commonly used. In every field, in signages, in billboards, on instruction placards. The documentary also shows how noticeable it is and sometimes what a misfit it could be since spacing changes a lot of aspects about a typeface. It always is a perfect balance of push and pull. Typography has personality and expression. It creates sensibility. The more familiar it becomes, the more it becomes necessary to affect change. Anything which is legible doesnt always convey the right meaning. The right typeface gives language an expression to our feeling and helps us analyze. Helvetica is the kind of typeface which one can blindly choose when not sure of what meaning to convey since its neutrality will help convey the right meaning and help the reader chose to believe what he wants to. This typeface assures everyone, that all problems will be contained. Nothing will spill over.

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Foundation Programme

[INTRODUCTION TO DESIGN]

Prof. Sethuraman Faculty, NID

Digging deep beyond the usual definitions of design, he provided us with a lets read between the lines meaning of design. A very philosophical perspective which was sometimes difficult to grasp. Design is said to be an aspect which is prone to change. We have our memories to store and understand situations with as experiences and this is what manifests into our fantasies. Technology helps bridge this gap between our fantasies in our mind and the creation of a product in real. A very arguable point which came up during this discussion was the relationship of design to virtual reality. Our left brain functions with what we are already aware of and its right counterpart is the imaginative side. Design is an amalgamation of efforts from both sides of the brain. The mirror neuron helps us understand and mimic the action that our brain thinks of. Design gives a form to ideas. And we design based on our observations. Anticipation is based on observation as well. Bauhaus initiated the modern design ideologies and machine made production. Contrary to popular belief, machine made objects are beautiful too. On the other hand, the Ulm Institute of Design was more inclined towards scientific and rational approach to design. A very important factor for a designer is the trait of dissatisfaction. Its only that which provides him with a will to transform the existent into what is desired. Products are narrative. They tell their own stories. In a way, the designer and his product control the consumer. Designers are supposedly problem solvers. The world has to be made a more harmonious place to live in. Design brings sensibility into the tangible and non-tangible world. Designs should be collaborative for working with communities. The ability to visualize is crucial for a designer in terms of drawing, modeling etc. But sustainability of the design depends on the choice of the materials by the designer. Designers have to be socially responsible. The onus for world peace actually rests upon the shoulders of the designers and not beauty pageant winners.

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Foundation Programme

[INTRODUCTION TO DESIGN]

Objectified Gary Hustwit

The film is based on industrial design. Its about our complex relationship with manufactured products and subsequently, people who design them. It analyzes the creativity and the concept behind products from a simple to a complex gadget. Its about designers who re-examine, re-appraise and re-conceive these products every day. Its about consumer behavior, individuality and sustainability. People immediately classify objects pertaining to their form, texture, structure, size, shape and color. Globalized industrial design is based on standardized objects. A lot of examples were taken up during the documentary. A simple object like a toothpick has been designed a certain way for a reason. The blunt end of the toothpick has a certain carving. This end is broken off after use to signify that it has been used. But the same broken end can be used to stand the toothpick. Similarly, a relatively inconsequential object like a peeler has a lot of potential for design that may go into it. The thickness of the handle to make it more comfortable for use. Every object tells a story. According to experts at Smart Design (Kronberg, Germany), in this regard, one of best products for design happens to be that of APPLE. The product should not have anything unnecessary. It should have an aesthetic appeal, should be understandable, unobtrusive. It should be consistent in detail and should have minimal design as such. It should be functional and very importantly, it should be environment friendly. A tangible product loses value when its use cannot be figured out. Form begets form. The technological and the contextual perspective should always be kept in mind while designing a product. Every irrelevant detail has to be eliminated. People should feel good about the design. Another important aspect to design is inspiration. And before you design, you should be able to answer a question, why would you buy it? about your product. The product has to be human and self contained. It has to have a meaning. A question that arose in the documentary was relating to cameras. The shape of the camera was relevant because of the film it contained. Now even digital cameras are shaped the same way, despite the absence of the film. How is that a good design then? An emotional relationship relating to the product is important for a good design. A very interesting design concept is the aerodynamics of phones it makes people want to hold and touch it and hence buy it.

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Foundation Programme

[INTRODUCTION TO DESIGN]

Prof. Pradyumna Vyas Director, NID

The context happens to be very crucial when it comes to design. Newtons third law Every action will have an equal and opposite reaction seems to have a major impact on design ideologies here. We have heterogenic tradition. Social development is very diversified which makes product designing a complicated task in India. Mr. Vyas quoted a very apt example of ISRO and Panchmahal located a few kilometers away from each other near Ahmedabad, the former at the zenith of technological research in India and the latter has people who still hunt their food with bows and arrows. Our value systems have been brought in by the Mughals and subsequently the British. The Nehruvial Socialists Model of The License Raj propounded the handicrafts, cottage industries, small, medium and large scale industries. 1980s was the time for contemporary globalized India. Our ethos have been based on being the agrarian society, who are tolerant, adaptable and sensitive. They extend, adapt, re-use and recycle the product. Extending here refers to changing the function of product and adapting refers to contextual conditioning. The value of the product often gets reflected in its life cycle. The material used in making the product shares the mind of the designer and the mind shares the product. On the other hand, organizations seem to have a different point of view about the association and dissociation of the product to the organization and the brand. They work on a different strategy of multiplying, replacing, disposing and dispensing. Homogeneity of culture also brings up a lot of aspects of design. Imposed or aspired needs, automation, explicit knowledge, quality control and mass production are all off-shoots of the same cause and effect chart. Speed along with economical quality has become a very important aspect of product design today. Psycological obsolescence is deliberately built in the product. After use for a while, the product starts to feel inadequate and the designers always have an answer to this. Yet another product, which will satisfy the needs, and become a rage. Product manufacturing consumes a lot of energy. Product imposition is caused due to a design that lacks contextual relevance which causes imbalance in the environment and affects the individual, his family and the society at large.

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Foundation Programme

[INTRODUCTION TO DESIGN]

AND ME
In this myriad of experiences and documentaries, I learnt some things and got entangled in some. Design for me is a search for form. Its the process of converting a fantasy or an idea into a functional product with a body and soul. A story that u tell yourself and no one else because you are the only audience that matters. Design needs to be plugged into human living behavior. Design is a social responsibility, a sense of belonging, sensibilities put together to define a necessity. Design is also adhering to the demand. Art is selfish, for ones satisfaction, for ones thoughts. Design is giving. Its to make people feel good and content. Design is about giving back to the world what little you can after receiving all that you have from it. Its about patience and perseverance, intuition and understanding. Its about knowledge being applied to the execution of an idea. Design is about empathy. Design is also about minimalism. The design should be so simple, it should be inconspicuous in the product but still fulfill its functionality and be aesthetically appealing. Design is about trying to empower the common man. About trying to make them rise over and above the exploitation and the rut. In a nutshell, humanzing technology is design.

Akanksha Mishra Apparel Design & Merchandising