DesignMembrane

Devadruma : Divine forest splendour

2012-01-04T14:47:00.001+05:30

After much contemplation on the theme for this year's much awaited calendar that we designed for the Kalpataru group it was "Devadruma" we settled for.

'Devadruma' is not a dictionary word, it comes from 'Dev' thats means God and 'Druma' which means vegetation in sanskrit; in summation these are mythological stories woven around trees considered sacred in India. A subtle hidden motive of using this theme on trees also was to to constantly remind the viewer of the name of the company i.e. Kalpataru, which means a wish granting tree, all through the year.

Here are some glimpses of the front and the corresponding backside of some months.

We had super fun digging for these tales that are not available in a book or on the web but have actually been passed on since centuries by word of mouth from generation to generation. Illustrating the same through a mixed medium started on an experimental note using watercolour and textures and we are happy with the results.

So here's wishing you a great year ahead!

Annapoorna

2011-09-22T17:04:00.020+05:30

We were a part of a great journey of developing an identity with an NGO that works in the area of providing a balanced, nutritious meal to young schoolgoing children. Unfortunately this never went into production, nonetheless would like to share the process here.

Brief : A simple and clean identity shall communicate the purity of thought, clean and quality food.
Brand archetype -
Innocent : wholesome, pure, trustworthy, honest, optimistic
Caregiver : selfless supportive, generous, nurturing, altruistic

Process : After some internal discussions, the name Annapoorna was aptly chosen as it is the Indian goddess of nourishment.

Our initial thoughts were along these keywords or guides-

Food for the soul
Goddess Annapoorna’s golden pot and ladle
Health Pyramid
Pure and Fresh
Mother’s nurturing care
Food for growth
Serving and receiving
The Bowl of Compassion

These thoughts visually translated thus :

After discussing these with our client it was mutually agreed to pick the three directions that had potential and develop those further. After some more rework these were the qualifying ones :

However at this stage too, we still felt there was more that could be explored. The pot and the ladle concept was interesting but not there yet. The health pyramid needed a bit more to it. The mother's hand was just not it.

So we started looking for fresh ideas along with working further upon these ones...

The pot and the ladle went through a series of form corrections to make it look a little less forced and more comfortable visually.

It finally looked close.

The pyramid concept looked better integrated and proportionate.

Besides these, some more routes were developed.

+Motherly nutrition+

+Joy of Giving+

+Nutrition for Better Life+

+Motherly Love+

This is where the story of this project was left hanging and we wonder as we look back, if it was to be then which one would it be?

Folding up

2011-06-01T20:30:00.007+05:30

Illustrations for a publication that we wanted to share in this space.

The theme was "The Big Change". It was interesting how the pneumonic went across a series of messages and extended the design concept. We certainly did enjoy executing this one!

Measured Change-II

2011-04-09T11:55:00.025+05:30

In a previous post sometime back I promised to share how the corporate journal for G&B called CHANGE would be coming along.

Here is a link to the e-journal from the godrej website.

This journal is a medium that unites the huge conglomerate that G&B is. A new theme is given to each issue in which all articles are written by the employees – for the employees and are broadly divided into two sections – the theme based followed by the home based. It is A4 size with 48 to 52 pages required a grid flexible enough to accommodate the varying lengths of articles. This journal also published in marathi language requires a common visual appeal that must carry the essence of the parent brand “Godrej” also mentioned in their detailed brand manual.

We were given two issues from the past to study and suggest how its shortfalls could be addressed.

As one would notice, the covers of the two issues we had were inconsistent in the use of the Godrej logo, the editorial got cropped with the flap closed and thin and inconsistent margins would make articles look text heavy.

Based on such analysis we approached a few sample articles, as varied in nature as possible. We made an initial presentation of our views and suggestions. This basically dealt with how margins and consistency of layout supported by a well-defined grid would work.

Once this was approved, a basic grid was set. It was important to address typography as we had observed too many type variations in the previous issues inspite of the brand manual's clear guides. It was important to set a font size for the heading. sub-heads and body copy particularly for this journal. We derived and defined this from the brand manual itself. A basic tone was set once illustrations began to shape in.

And here are some spreads to share from the issues we have designed.

The flap earlier with the team and the theme graphics seemed bulky so we narrowed it. The editorial column space was reduced so that it doesn't cut because of the flap sitting over

The theme graphics on the flap are always done such that they flow in well with the first article as well so that it doesn't look out of place even when opened along this way

The authors pictures in issues we attempted earlier did not appear in all articles so they were put as aesthetically fit-in the composition. However on the note that it gave the authors their minutes of fame and recognition it was decided to have their pictures in all articles. We feared it would make the pages mundane and leave no flexibility to add graphics to each article hence the grid was modified a bit to accomadate this.

Back covers of earlier issue (top). An attempt to standardize the back cover for each issue since it is a regular feature. Photo credit to the author also incorporated in the last issue(bottom)

We also do these issues in Marathi as well.

Do check the e-journal for a better view of the flow and also the latest issue. There are still many things to be addressed however when it’s a huge corporate such as this, we are collectively working with our client towards a gradual change!

Identity Design for H&FS

2011-04-09T10:11:00.019+05:30

Change is inevitable and to adapt one must evolve.

To re-design the identity for H&FS, a 25-year-old organization that has been working in the hospitality sector, the challenge at hand was to also determine to what extent was this change acceptable to it's beneficiaries and stakeholders.

Their old logo, we felt lacked concept thought and precision. The initials H, F & S stand for Hospitality, Food and Service (the full form however they have seldom used as they prefer it short). Hence our initial attempt was to make a mark that would visually speak for their prime business activity.

This exercise eventually got our client to rethink this proposal and they went for a more character driven approach. We sat to pin-it together in words that could define this persona.

This lent itself to these directions.

These were primarily derivatives of the elements from the old logo. However only the last one amongst these seemed like a possible direction, as it was the maximum the client was willing to move away from the exisiting identity.

We explored with typography and zeroed in on these options.

However, determined to somehow create a mark that could stand by itself we have stretched it a tad bit more.

And the client is excited!

Working on the stationery. Will share in another post soon as soon as it arrives from the press.

Span Telecom's new brochure

2011-02-18T14:16:00.005+05:30

A quick turnaround assignment was to design a brochure for Span telecom. A Delhi based firm that imports technology solutions to India.

We had only a couple of hours to design and print ready these before they could fly to Barcelona for the grand telecom fair. And fly they did!

Sumangal 2011

2011-01-02T16:14:00.008+05:30

When approached to design a calendar for 2011 for the Kalpataru group this year, we were delighted to be a part of this journey once more.

The group is well known for it's premium quality and style of construction. India-centric themes have been the highlight of these calendars for many years giving the group a profile that it is also rooted in culture, which is well received and appreciated. It is hence challenging to conceptualise a theme that is equally evocative and stunning year after year to bewilder the audience. However we all were keen to experiment as we did the previous year. And after a few rounds of internal brainstorming, meetings and presentations we were able to focus on a still broader concept, that was - symbols of prosperity in India.

We called it Sumangal 2011 - Painted prayers from folk India.

Research on this subject broadly indicated that the meaning of these symbols emerges from various faiths/beliefs from different regions of India with an unmistakable folk flavour. And hence came the inspiration for the rendition of these symbols in various Indian folk styles of expression.

We narrowed down to studying various "wall paintings" as they seemed an apt subject for our client, who's primary business is that of real estate. As we looked more and more we understood that these were not mere symbols for the artisan painting it but almost silent prayers of well being. And hence we got a title for the theme.

Some initial sketches and scans

Here is a glimpse of the calendar copy that has just arrived at the studio.

The calendar comes with a bookmark and pocket calendar. We opted for a red foil stamping for the title only. Otherwise appearing black it magically reflects the red sheen against light. Against an earthy rustic background, it adds richness. A similar feel is created onto the calendar flyleaf inside.

Each leaf inside has been given a special touch using various different inks and printing techniques to give the hand painted illustrations more volume.

Thermography in white on the shankh imitates rice paste.

Florescent green ink in leaves of the kalpavriksh lends extra freshness

Thakur ka ghar beautifully encases the deity in the house through Sohrai painting

Abrasive UV on a yantra gives it a tactile feel giving power each time it is touched

The kamal motif in lippan kaam imitates the mirror work See process

The surya spreads its radiance in a PVC Gold screen.

A moradi or peacock guards the walls of the meena tribe from rajasthan

A cluster of ten fish or matsya bless for good luck in marriage

A mrig or a deer symbolising man in harmony with nature

The seat of the rajput warrior on an elephant sparkles with gold foil stamped embellishments

The dharmachakra spreads the wisdom rendered in tibetian wall art style with effects imitating wood through a special UV

The magical spectre of the tarpa nritya captured with silver screen for the trees

With each of these folk symbols resting on its owner's desk we hope it brings them good fortune all round the year.

Experiments with random materials : Lippan Kaam

2010-12-27T11:03:00.018+05:30

This year around we have had the fortunate chance to experiment a lot with some projects. Mostly they are experiments with materials, printing and paper that I have already shared in my previous posts.

This one is a fresh arrival at the studio and I am excited to share it here.

For a project we wanted to replicate a particular motif rendered in Lippan Kaam : Mud work from the walls of Kutch, Gujarat, India.

This work is actually created on the walls with a clay and dung mixture, motifs are created in bas-relief mostly freehand by memory by using palms and fingers pinching and shaping the mud mixture. The white comes from the sand of this marshland that is rich in salt content. The motifs are inspired from the rich and famous embroidery patterns and once the walls are done they look stunning with mirrors embedded in the mudwork, much like the embroideries itself.

And as much I was aware of the painstaking effort in creating these from my last visit to this breathtakingly beautiful place, where would one find the exact materials here in a city like Mumbai?

And so we did this little experiment...

On a ply-board we pasted a basic outline in a black and white print of what we wanted. Then carefully pasted a white chord (used to hold pyjamas) along this outline. Even though it seemed rather simple till then, it was tricky to get the intricate bits correct. For this reason we had to alter the design several times over.

Once this was ready, we made a mixture of plaster-of-paris and glue with water to pour over this basic framework. Getting the right viscosity here was important as we tried on a small patch first. Too thick would fill up the spaces and the chords would not stand out in relief and if too thin the POP would crack instantly. After pouring the mixture over, we still had to shape it with what we could get our hands on, but mostly very patiently with fingers. And then, wait for it to dry and settle.

Did think of sticking mirrors in the mud work but realised it would never show up in print correctly. So I left this issue to be dealt with at a later stage.

Even though the original art is an all white and a simple play of textures and relief work we tried giving some colour to it on Photoshop and were happy with the results.

Once we were done touching up our artwork the issue of replicating mirrors popped again. We succeeded in resolving this issue by using highly reflective silver foiling in the areas...and viola! It looks authentic as and stunning!

Can't wait to share the rest of this project. Shall do in another post real soon.

Diwali Greetings Design

2010-11-12T00:00:00.016+05:30

: Designed for Kalpataru Group :

: Designed for DesignMembrane :

: Designed for Square Foot, Classic Floorings Pvt. Ltd. :

Diwali, the festival of lights has just gone by and we are just back from a short vacation too. Would like to share some festive greetings that we had fun designing.

Based upon a mythological story - Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth emerges from the churning of the ocean with the kalpavriksh. Designed for the Kalpataru group. The illustration style is inspired from the stencil art of Mathura, India called Sanjhi. The message inside is a salutation to the goddess lakshmi in sanskrit delicately calligraphed by hand and refined on Adobe Illustrator. This is how the card took shape...

We had the chance to do some post production experimentation with printing on this one. Though we would have loved to have the main image in gold foil and embossed, there was little time to do so. We experimented with printing in PVC gold, keeping the colour combination a simple red and white and also in thermography to give it a raised feel.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Our card this year was simple, wishing everyone prosperity(lotus-symbolic of goddess lakshmi) and enlightenment(diya or lamp). As it works both ways(up and down) it is subtly symbolic of the fact that the key to life is about maintaining a fine balance; prioritizing between acquiring wealth and enlightenment - both means to prosperity!

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Diwali, literally means a line of diyas. And on this simple concept was based our design for Square Foot - a flooring company. We chose the brand colours itself for better retention and recall of the brand itself to whoever received the greetings. The line inside in Sanskrit - "Tamaso mah Jyotirgamaya" translates as "may light prevail over darkness".

Do hope you had a sparkling diwali night as well :)

Award for Kalpataru Desk Calendar 2010

2010-09-03T12:14:00.004+05:30

We are glad to hear that "Dharohar" the desk calendar we designed for Kalpataru for 2010 has won the print-shop, Parksons Graphics an award for Printweek India Social Stationery Printer of the Year.

"The judges loved the Kalpataru Desk Calendar...The 13-leaf calendar with a flyleaf and envelope strictly followed the client’s instruction – use special effects solely for enhancement and not for inteference of the design. Such jobs are indicative of a printer’s role. Print is not merely reproduction. It is geared towards exploring ideas, techniques and design collaborations."

Congratulations to the brilliant job post-production!

Measured Change -I

2010-07-02T14:37:00.011+05:30

We are privileged to be a part of the team working on Change magazine, an in-house publication of Godrej & Boyce Mfg. Co. Ltd. and have been approached to take up its designing. The magazine has been in circulation for many years within Godrej and plays an important role to bind the conglomerate that has several businesses.

Godrej in India is a brandname we have grown up with. Rather synonymous with the iron almirahs and locks. As the new generation at Godrej takeover it is trying to strike a balance between the past and the future. With new ventures to allure the modern-young-urban Indian, Godrej has recently undergone an identity makeover by agency Interbrand.

While designing any piece of communication it is important to stick to the brand guidelines and the magazine is no exception. We at DesignMembrane have read through the extensive brand guide and hope to reflect a positive change!

As we play our part on this issue, would like to share the the cover design...

In each issue there is a theme in focus. The theme chosen is something of interest across sectors for all employees...usually strategy based, in which they discuss case studies so as to inspire employees of other units. There are other articles of general interest as well. For this issue the theme is "Chunks of Change". A strategy used for quicker results. Something that works like quicker short steps to the final goal.

This is the Change masthead.

The "G" symbol works effectively in conveying "refresh,recycle etc." As the word "Change" appears in the theme "Chunks of Change-Projects for Rapid Results" we took this as an opportunity to brand "Change" the magazine. Hence the cover illustration...

The "G" symbol from the masthead twirls for rapid results with the three brand colours.

Will share the story of the spreads and the rest in another post soon.

Dharohar Continued

2010-01-10T15:58:00.039+05:30

When a corporate turns 40 and has a legacy of its own it talks about the legacy of its soil at the turn of a new decade. A calendar design that was in process at DesignMembrane for the Kalpataru group is out now and we have received our copies to share in this space.

After a few rounds of theme presentations there was also a request from the client's end to develop and present on the theme of kings from different dynasties that ruled India in the past. We suggested a slight twist to it, listing down several dynasties from the first in the Vedic era to the era of post independence and seeking a derivative from each one. We knew each period would have some relevance in the present. For example, the Indian emblem came from the Mauryan times of Ashoka's pillar at Sarnath.

We called it "Dharohar", a sanskrit word that translates as "legacy".

Research was difficult initially. Our studio turned into a boring history class but with little chance of bunking it. But soon we were engrossed. It was not just about presenting the facts as is but somehow relating these with what we see around us today which is what made it interesting after all.

Soon ready with a moodboard for each month with all facts lined up with relevant images, a rough cut for the basic look and feel was also presented for the first three months so that the basic benchmark was set.

After loads of brain rattling, swapping one dynasty for another and eliminating a few, our basic theme and flow was set for the calendar (not necessarily in that order!). Our approach was a combination of pictures with illustration and we were also keen to later experiment with printing techniques but that was for later.

These dynasties with their respective legacies made it to the final cut...
*Mauryan legacy : Lion pillar-Emblem of India and the message of peace
*Cholas, Cheras and Pandyas' legacy : Dravidian architecture and a bureaucratic form of governance
*Satvahana legacy : First coinage
* Kushan legacy : The present form of Buddha
*Gupta legacy : Chess in its ancient form of Chaturanga and the beautiful cave paintings of Ajanta
*Pala legacy : First ever illustrated manuscripts
*Islamic Sultantes' legacy : The beautiful work of inlay from Bidar, Deccani painting
*Mughal legacy : The first rajput-mughal alliance:Jodha-Akbar and the message of love that emperor Shahjahan built for his beloved wife Mumtaz, the beauty of architectural forms and geometric patterns
*Rajputana legacy : Miniature paintings - Kishangarh's Bani Thani
*Maratha legacy : Shivaji's heroic tales and message of swarajya which also became the motivation behind the Indian Independence Movement
*British legacy : The Post, Railways and colonial painting
*Independent India : The spirit of freedom, National insignia - lotus, tiger and peacock

The calendar design breaks the routine perception of India often explored through kistch art forms. The photo-illustrations in a rather graphic manner aim to be both informative and evocative. Here are some pictures of the final print.

Mauryas - Indian Emblem form the Ashokan pillar in thermography to give a seal-like effect

Cholas, Cheras and Pandyas - The zari border in an imitation with screen printed gold motifs

Satvahanas - The symbol of their capital Ujjain, a cross with four circles at the ends screen printed in metallic copper

Kushans - The folds of the buddha sculpture can be felt with raised UV

Guptas - The pieces of the board game in foil

Palas - The stone wall in the background has a rough textured UV

Islamic Sultanantes - The Bidri metalware imitated with silver silk screen and foil stamping

Mughals - The emperors and their empresses in a spot UV

Rajputs - The motifs of the odhani replicated in an imitation of the real ones in gold silk screen

British - The imitation seal on the postal stamps in thermography

Independent India - The lighting on the Rashtrapati Bhavan and the motifs that represent the Indian insignia in glitter lamination to enthuse a feeling of celebration

Brilliantly printed and fabricated at Parksons Graphics, Mumbai. At our end, we kept a thumb rule of keeping "the effects" to the minimum and only in the front and not on the back side with the description text so as to not go overboard with it. All printing techniques were carefully selected for a single characteristic, only to add more meaning to the image and enhance the visual perception and sometimes add a dimension of touch, like in the folds of Gautam Buddha in the Dharohar of the Kushans.

Project Closure : Dec 2010

MindWave Identity

2010-01-10T15:42:00.009+05:30

Our client is an IT facility management service provider besides which they also provide IT hardware sales and support who had earlier required an identity for MindSpark Infosolutions.

The brief for MindWave was to design a mark that was industrial-like and could be eventually placed over products as well.

We experimented printing with white ink on ivory card this time to achieve this water mark effect on the cards.

2010 Calendar for Span

2010-01-08T13:23:00.008+05:30

Span Group, is a Delhi based technology solutions provider for telecommunications and internet operations in India. We had the opportunity to design their calendar for 2010, this time again however on a very very short notice.
Last year we had focused on the solutions they offer in a rather graphic treatment. The brief this year was to have something fun and fresh as well as low on budget.
We almost had a blank canvas before us that made it challenging. So we recycled some vector graphics created this year for other projects that were unused and also created some new, changed the orientation to a portrait and presented to our client.

The outcome is fresh and is not completely company focused like last year. Its experimental and totally out-of-box for our client's image who never hesitates to try.

Digitally printed on german alabaster.

Project Closure : Jan 2010

Dharohar

2009-11-27T12:42:00.003+05:30

When a corporate turns 40 and has a legacy of its own it talks about the legacy of its soil at the turn of a new decade. A calendar design in process at DesignMembrane.
More coming up soon!

Happy Diwali

2009-10-16T13:56:00.002+05:30

"A Family for Every Child" OUT NOW!!!

2009-10-05T16:39:00.015+05:30

The book on all about adoption in India initiated by the Catalysts for Social Action is the new release from DesignMembrane now on stands at CrossWord and Oxford Book Stores all across the country.

Our cover girl is the beautiful Mohini, an adopted child who looks forward to a bright future . The launch at the CrossWord store at Kemps Corner, Mumbai was an apt beginning to the Joy of Giving week that has just come to an end.

DesignMembrane is happy to support the cause of child adoption in this mini step.

The paperback in greyscale spreads and black and white photographs by Sameer Tawade has some very interesting articles on the subject by people from all walks of life who have had the wonderful experience of adopting, some celebrity adopters like Sushmita Sen (actor), Sandip Soparrkar (choreographer) and Raveena Tandon Thadani(actor) and adoptees with their perspective.

Project closure : September 2009

A FAMILY FOR EVERY CHILD

2009-08-03T10:36:00.010+05:30

Catalysts for Social Action, a social welfare organization dedicated to the cause of child welfare is currently focused to influence change in adoption practice. We are honored to be associated with their initiative "A Family for Every Child" that will unveil at the Joy of Giving Week, 27th Sep-3rd Oct 2009.
We have designed the identity for this project which is also the name of the book.

Concept: 'A' for adoption, and 'A' completes a 'FAMILY'.
More updates on the book design and the rest soon.

M.I.C.E. Tourism Planner

2009-05-25T13:09:00.028+05:30

"... the cradle of the human race, the birthplace of human speech, the mother of history, the grandmother of legend and the great grandmother of tradition. Our most valuable and most instructive materials in the history of man are treasured up in India."

-Mark Twain

India is in a continual process of upgrading its M.I.C.E. (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences & Exhibitions) facilities. There are multiple plans on the anvil for more world-class convention centers, airports that contest with the best in the world and efforts to team the famous Indian hospitality with customisation as per a visitor's requirement.
One such effort has been initiated by the India Convention Promotion Bureau sponsored by the Ministry of Tourism, the Government of India to launch a planner to list details on the M.I.C.E. destinations for 2009-10. DesignMembrane was approached by its marketing partner, Hotel and Food Service India Pvt. Ltd.(H&FS), Mumbai for design assistance on a publication that would be an exclusive showcase on the above.
Here are a few excerpts from the journal.

We designed the gate-fold cover like a teaser. The die-cut words by Mark Twain reveal a psychedelia of images from destination India underneath.

The opening page with scattered polaroids of the ten M.I.C.E. destinations with their defining landmarks and a spread from the India section.

The planner begins with a section broadly describing all about India, further leading into each city with a list of hotels, other accommodations, convention centers and auditoria preceded by pre/post convention information on what to do and when to come.

Designed with inputs from H&FS team and well printed at Krishna Art, Mumbai.

Project Closure : May 2009

studio site

2009-05-11T12:51:00.002+05:30

The initial attempts of having a website of our own in order were simply not successful enough. So finally here's our brand new launch with the help of Muthu at Trigya who needs a big round of applause.
Happy browsing.

MindSpark Infosolutions

2009-04-07T13:29:00.018+05:30

Our client is an IT facility management service provider besides which they also provide IT Hardware Sales and Support.

The logo construction aims to convey order, perfection and quality of service in the mark.

A clean, simple and straightforward logo mark for a company that deals with corporates on a day to day basis.

Span-ing Around

2009-03-26T14:59:00.030+05:30

The 17th Convergence India recently concluded at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi. We were happy to see our work on the Span exhibition booth come up well.

We have also redesigned their new website. Just to share the design process, this is how their website looked like when we were approached to redesign it.

A long list of their areas of operation-10 links, vertically on the left and 7 links to different sections lined up horizontally on top. The Span Group on the top right was not required when the logo was placed on the top left corner itself. We felt the overall look of the site for a company that was doing pioneering work in the realm of telecommunications in India, was rather dull.

As we moved on to the pages further we realised that the content needed to be crisper. Also, the overall colour scheme of the site did not resonate with the Span logo. We obviously had to share these issues with the client after which they were convinced for a complete overhaul and were ready to cooperate with us on rebuilding the content.

We had only recently designed the Span Calender and understood the need for a similar, cleaner and fresher look for the website as well. Since Span is into providing telecommunication solutions of a wide variety that they wanted to speak about on the home page itself, it became a challenging task. Clearly, for this website the two critical areas were the home page and the solutions page which had an intricate classification. We suggested that they make broad categories for these instead of listing 10-15 odd solutions together, just so that the page would look less cluttered and they could keep adding/removing more solutions/pages within these. This took care of the basic web structure. We disliked the idea of presenting a list for the solutions/areas of operation, so we thought of alternative ways of doing this task.

Emphasizing the Span purple, we made it look like an intricate section of a hard disk of sorts. However, this appeared cluttered and heavy on illustration and the eyes of the viewer.

We then suggested our client to come up with a basic sentence/para which would cover all their solutions that would work as keywords and an introduction to the company. We worked on it further and it became a perfect opening for the home page! Another option was presented with a lighter flat blue background and enhancing the spark element which is also a part of the Span logo. We also colour coded the solution categories in a family of pastel shades.

The Span "Spark" element was adding some bit of a noise to the otherwise clean layout so we decided to drop this.

In the meanwhile our client decided to drop the Span colour from a deep purple to a blue that added freshness.

The flat blue was then changed in favour of a blue gradient. It also adds contrast to the logo from the background blue. As per this layout we wanted to use the tab space on the left in the white area for the page/section titles. However as you can see, this did not work too well when one came into the solutions domain. Also, reading rotated type on screen can create legibility issues.

Finally, the Span home page still has all the many links but we have smoothly managed to conseal them! See the website www.spantel.in for more.

Project Closure: March 2009

ILOVEINDIA

2009-03-18T17:34:00.010+05:30

A lot of traveling around and learning from different cultures, we came to value and preserve our own in a small studio initiative called ILOVEINDIA. This would explore the multi- dimensional facets of the Indian visual culture in a manner that is evocative and informative.

For starts, it is this set of six coasters. More on this, till we get some stores where we can make available more from this range.

Project begins: March 2009

2009 Calendar for Span

2009-01-21T10:39:00.016+05:30

Span Group, is a Delhi based technology solutions provider for telecommunications and internet operations in India. It was year ending and were called upon to design a table top corporate calendar. Apparently this was the first time that our client was eager to have a calendar designed and the brief was to have an art based theme. However after a few discussions and soaking in our client's profile we realised that they were doing path breaking work that was probably the first ever in India.
We made a list of solutions they provide and suggested to focus/feature these in the calender. It made a lot of sense in the given situation since each of the solutions were unique and Span was an upcoming company that needed promote its activities in its relevant circle of clients.
The basic essence of each solution became the context of the illustration for each month. Each month has a planner on the other side of the calender. Colour palettes for the winter months were a warm glow and those for the summer months were cooler hues.

Digitally printed at Inndus on Sunfine pearl white paper.

Project Closure : January '09

I for Innovate

2008-12-13T17:21:00.011+05:30

We were recently approached for designing certificates for an award function. But then whats in designing an odd piece of certificate?!
I understood first what our client had to say and asked if he was open to having an identity for these annual, industrial awards for in-house talent. He liked the idea.
Time for design is always a rarity with many projects I have learnt. We were a week away from the event day. But good ideas always come under the pressure of time!

Two days later when we met the following concepts were rejected...

However, this one gladly made it through.

The plus of this identity is that each year different objects can be used to form the word "INNOVATION".
This was adapted to certificates to felicitate the winners.

Since this was a small budget project we had to opt for digital printing only however we chose special paper for the three positions.
Wish there was a budget to do more experimentation and implementation. But like they say there is always a next time...

Project Closure : November '08

In a good way

2008-12-11T12:27:00.012+05:30

The U.N. Millennium Development Goals respond to the world's main development challenges. Our answer to some subjects close to our heart as well.

AIDS awareness amongst the urbane

"Condoms are for your own safety. It's not big or clever to not wear one"

Water is scarce, use it judiciously

"Clean water from a tap in Africa brings health, prosperity and development. Water is precious. Use it carefully"

Identity Crisis

2008-12-10T15:36:00.005+05:30

All businesses are like individual identities, living, breathing, growing, with their unique individual characteristics just like us. Then how can a logo of a company as we so talk about, be just another mark?
Even we get bored of our looks so we go to a saloon to get a haircut or buy a new wardrobe that suits our persona, similarly when the ideologies of a company get old and are replaced by new and fresh ones, its identity gets dated and it needs to go for a makeover that can suit its current goals, aspirations and achievements. A logo for its company, is thus not just a mark, it is its identity. It speaks for what the company is and does, positions it correctly and at times, is a silent salesman.
More and more companies and individuals are rising to this fact today. While others are confused what to say, a creative must have the ability to step into the shoes of the client to understand what is required and bring out 'the big idea' (this has to be in not more that one single word or phrase!) and build around it. The result (not necessarily the design process), in all probability would surely be simple, classic and hopefully something that works in the long run.
Recently at DesignMembrane, our cohesive efforts (us+client) have resulted in a slight shift in brand positioning at Kale Consultants, who are a leading solutions provider to the global Airline, Logistics and Travel industry. The company's identity, though a well-respected and identifiable name failed to show the precision and quality that one can see in their activities and work culture. The Kale globe did not look well- integrated as a form and held no meaning as such for the people associated with the company.

Kale's previous identity

Here's how the new identity was arrived at, altering the form to an extent that it looked evolved and still be identifiable.

Integrating infinite possibilities/ opportunities/solutions

Evolution of form to the final look

Colour scheme became a modern palette, type was also changed to suit the new look. The orange and blue hues represent the horizon. We used Helvetica Nueue for the tag line. The characters for KALE also in Helvetica Nueue looked taller and were streamlined to overcome the weight imbalance. Other variations in colour and black and white for web, print, for screen viewing and in reduction were also created to maintain consistency across all media.
This change in identity has called for an overhauling of all corporate stationery and collaterals. Here is an example of the corporate brochure from what it was in the past to its fresh new avtar.

Then and Now

A kite being used as a metaphor for aspirations and an extension of the horizon (between sky and land) in the identity. The catalogue opens with these words by actor Lauren Bacall: "Imagination is the highest kite one can fly"

The new look certainly positioned the company a level above "the me-too" clutter of other companies within the segment and is more appealing to its staff and associates. The pride they take in owning this new look gives us the belief that it is here to stay and resonate what Kale Consultants is as a brand.

Project closure: June '08

Design Instantly?!

2008-12-10T15:35:00.017+05:30

I was both nervous and excited to be at Mahindra & Mahindra Pvt. Ltd., a leading automotive company for a project briefing.
The brief was simply to design a poster for an annual campus recruitment event. I suggested we would need more articles for visibility on the ground like the stall backdrop, the stall itself, give-aways, the works. The client gave two clear phrases to comprise for the basic message,
1.Freedom at Work
2.Opportunity to grow
The target audience was young graduates and students from various engineering colleges. Besides M&M, there would be other companies with their promotional stalls as well.
Little did I know that I had been given precisely 24 hours to come up with a concept so that it could be presented to the head honchos for final approval.

I thought the deadline was crazy and wanted to turn it down.

Can I really do this?

I was already getting ideas on my way back from our briefing. Obviously there wasn't a chance of a mistake to make as there was no back and forth possible here.

Here is what was presented at the end of 24 hrs.

I said-
"Grunge often referred to as the Seattle sound is a sub genre of alternative rock that was created in mid 80s by American bands. Inspired by hardcore punk, heavy metal and indi-rock, grunge is characterised by heavily distorted electric guitars, contrasting song dynamics & apethetic lyrics. Many grunge musicians were known for their unkempt appearances. It continues to impact modern music.
Indian college youth today listens to such music as this, together with Indi pop and raga at the same time. This is often reflected in their lifestyle in the form of clothes, accessories and hairstyles they sport."

And this is what I had on my slide,

The two posters that lay emphasis on the phrases given in the brief, to which we added some copy of our own. We also suggested two lines from our side,
1. Clutch the opportunity and accelerate your career
2. If you have the drive in you, we'll give you the wheels
They bounced it with their internal team and reverted saying that they'd prefer these over the phrases.

The posters went ahead with only slight changes in copy. We made bookmarks for give-aways and had the illustrations for the stall backdrop up in the next three days.

We are flattered to see these very illustrations on the M&M official t-shirts as well. They still read "If you have the drive in you, we'll give you the wheels" !

Project closure: Dec '07

Archism

2008-12-09T18:25:00.028+05:30

The first client will always be special to us. This was an architects' firm based outside Mumbai, in Hyderabad which meant all communication had to be over phone and online. I had met the proprietor of the firm Mr. Suresh Manikonda at a friend's wedding reception where we had been first introduced. A young dynamic entrepreneur, at that time I so totally related with him and what he planned for his new venture. I thought it would be very exciting to work for him.
A few days past he called in to say that I had been hired to do an identity for his company that he called Archism. I really liked the name as it almost sounded some sort of an art/architechture movement.
I was hooked...

Initial sketches

This led to four different directions that were presented.

Directions taken

1. The basic emphasis here was on the alphabet 'A' from ground zero view. This would symbolize higher goals, aspirations and more literally, high rises.

2. This one was smarter than it seemed! To give you the complete picture this one is ARCHIS.M., 'S' and 'M' being the initials of the man who coined the word Mr. Suresh Manikonda himself.

3. Archism brings a change to the skyline.

4. Alphabet 'A' in dark and light, play of negative and positive spaces, some draft lines added to give it an under construction feel.

First feedback

We were most certain that option 2 is what would catch our client's eye. It was to be, however he wanted to have a symbol and not just a logotype even after sighting some real logotype examples from existing brands. He insisted that it would look too plain and would go amiss.

Usually when a concept is designed it is presented there is a core idea which at that point I strongly felt would get diluted with another symbol being added. After a few more days of trying to leave behind what was attempted and looking at things afresh we concentrated on why the client wanted a symbol at all. Probably his clients were ordinary people who would miss the dots of the initials, probably at a construction site he would need to have a symbols for uneducated laborers to identify...the reasons were many...

Further Engineering

Of the basic five elements, Earth is represented with a square. Square also represents stability and thus a solid foundation. This is where the basic structure of a yantra comes from and temples are constructed on this basic principle.

In the drawing above one can see how the symbol is arrived at. It constitutes a square (symbolic of earth), Four arrows (cardinal directions) and Five dots (elements: earth, fire, air, water, ether). The light and the dark shade of the blue represented day and night.
The logotype was Futura (a typeface well known for its geometric proportions) which was modified slightly letting the alphabets go from light to bold (L-R).
Suresh loved it!

The symbol and the logotype were integrated and further fine tuned for production of basic office stationery for our client.

The Final Run

Here is how the final artworks looked like. We were also given the freedom to select paper of which the sample was couriered across for approval.
Since the symbol was appreciated so much we even thought a tesellation might add some bling and colour around the white.

Here is how it finally turned out.

I was thrilled when Suresh received the shipment and called in to say he loved it all...

Project closure: Oct '07

Flashback

2008-12-09T11:53:00.043+05:30

It's been an year of highs and lows since DesignMembrane took off. This being my first post on this blog, I would like to share how I came about a name for my studio.

What's in a name?

At first there was a constant debate within self whether to give it my name or another name and identity of its own. I was tempted to use my personal name and was not unaware of Chermayeff & Geismar, Sagmeister Inc., Macnab Design etc. However I faced two main problems in this regard,
1. I had tied the knot and was still undecided about my own identity ( Swati Chandak, Swati Chandak Sharma, Swati Ankur Sharma?!)
2. I also believed a studio ought to have an identity of its own as it stands for not just one person but is a cumulative effort of sorts, including its clients.
And hence the search for a befitting name began. Some names eventually got rejected as no domains were available.
I concentrated on the main activity of the studio "Design"; design, I believe cannot be an activity in isolation, it percolates, engulfs and embeds everyday things, strengthening, supporting and consolidating ideas, constantly acting like a membrane, if one was to objectify the verb. And so, why not call it DesignMembrane. This is the reason why I never give space between the two words!

The Grill

Once the core idea was in place, I began with the first process of sketching out what I wanted. People in the same profession would agree with me on this that designing for own self can be the toughest task one could put oneself to.

...Then began some initial doodling on the computer.
I also designed some mock business cards to see if the logo could work when extended to different collaterals. It really helped in the elimination process.

...And the three finalists are...

The first option was rejected majorly on the basis of legibility issues when reduced to small size.
The second option carried forward the ideology well however the type and the form somehow did not fit-in well together.
The third option was cool and I loved it, though I couldn't help agreeing to the fact that the word 'Design' was totally lost.
I worked around the basic concept of the second option and here is what I achieved...

I knew this was it! I bounced it off with friends and took their opinions as well. The next step was to fine tune the logo for print at first as I needed a business card instantly to give prospective clients.

A labour of love

The final logo extended to basic office stationery...

The next important step was the website that I shall share about in another posting soon.