Graphic Design in India: A brief analysis of bullshit

In one single post it would be hard to talk about everything that has been developing in India in graphic design. It has certainly grown over the past 10 years, especially more so in the last 5 years. The quality and variety of work has gotten better. But is it really getting much much better? Not really, unfortunately.

Designers here in India are quick to jump and say that the clients are conservative, the public is uneducated and that they cannot express their creativity in such a stifling environment. However, a lot of fault lies with the designers themselves that they do not want to admit.

I will be a bit too broad in my generalizations but it doesnt make it untrue. Here are the facts as I have seen over the last few years since 2006 when I started to really understand design in India. There are very few design schools in India. Most of the graduates tend to have the same style and seem to be lacking originality or the "thinking out of the box" mentality, even in explorations. Noone seems to be trying to push the client much because they are afraid of losing them.

However the biggest fault of Indian designers, especially the senior onces is the way they go about designing. Concept comes second to the beauty. They are too busy emphasizing on making something pretty and agreeable to the client rather than something conceptual. Most believe that they can plug a concept after they have churned out something "pretty". When senior designers give this brief to their juniors, the latter get influenced in the way they design then and in the future. This is more so because the levels of hierarchy in any office (even a design studio!) are too stark and people are too drunk on their position of authority. Designers have egos yes, but good designers are those who do not let egos come in the way of great work. And I have hardly met anyone in India like that while in New York I worked with really successful and talented people who could push aside their pride to push someone to do something amazing even if it went against what they believe in. And it shows in the work that comes out from the two countries.

The problem is that there is too much bullshit here. Sure, bullshitting our way through a presentation happens everywhere but I am not cool with backward thinking-" make something pretty and we will plug a concept later on"! That's absolutely horseshit. Everyone knows that once you have a concept, the possibilities are endless- even the pretty design will come out! Senior designers in India have to stop making their juniors design in this way because they are the future of Indian design. And this is why design hasn't yet matured yet. Sure, clients can be conservative but not as much as we think. The most successful businesses are those who have taken risks. If the concept is really strong and you believe in it, the client will believe in it too. That's where you really use your bullshitting powers! Bullshitting logical and valid arguments is a true art. And to dismiss our large population as "stupid" or "uneducate" is just making an excuse. If liberalization has shown anything, Indians have the capacity to take anything new, however bad or good, whole heartedly. Taste is acquired. You feed them your bullshit, they will be used to bullshit. So if they stupid, it is probably because you have made them stupid with your bullshit!

This mentality of "my way or the highway" when it comes to senior designers is highly negative. Junior designers, fresh out of school or those toiling under boring bread & butter work, need real leadership not dictatorship. A true leader will tell them it is imperative that they do one thing that has great concept rather than 10 pretty things with no concept. If the leaders are unable to think of the concepts (due to actual inability, lack of time due to other responsibilities etc) the least they can do is not stifle those who can. Or better, promote this thought process aggressively. Even if the juniors havent met the client (which ideally, they should to start work on the project), it doesnt make their points irrelevant. The doctor doesn't always know best.

Right now the youngsters have anyway come from a very guided design program and now their seniors tell them to design only pretty things. They all look at great designs in great books and just wish and dream that they could do the same things. These books become "inspirations" for their pretty designs and this is what they believe to be the only way to design in India. When they become seniors, they will thrust this belief on their juniors to maintain the status quo of crappiness in the thought process- without having contributed a iota of something fresh or revolutionary in it. All those years of work cited as experience amounts to nothing if one cannot sustain modesty, humility or even the basic romantic idea of free thought.

Perfection comes with practice. Indians love to show off their knowledge of the English language or just what they consider "knowledge" inculcated through their love of books which they believe makes them superior to anyone on earth who doesn't indulge in it. They will go around town quoting inspirational quotes by famous people but one wonders if they really believe in what they are quoting. Because, Indian graphic design, the babies of these very "intellectualised" designers doesn't seem to reflect that. Only when they come around, will the clients come around. Only when they push for concept out of their juniors, will really great work come out. Till then, blaming people is the easiest thing that they can do. We will always stay a nation of artists with work that have hollow souls and generic visual imagery borne out of some lame-ass bullshit shroud under the garb of "pretty design".

Wherever I am, I will keep fighting this mentality and I sure hope I am not alone.

India win Cricket World Cup 2011- A quick Analysis

It took India 28 years to win the Cricket World Cup again. They won it first in 1983 and now in 2011. I had stopped watching cricket due to its length and India's continuous dismal performance. This year I caught the semi-finals against Pakistan and the finals too- matches that will become legendary! And I am glad to have been a part of it.

What was fitting was the Malinga's last over when Dhoni belted him for fours screwing up the bowler's figures and bringing India inches to victory- just 6 runs needed off 12 balls! It was fitting because Maliga had dismissed Sehwag and Sachin in his first spell and it nearly spelt doom for India.

Also important to note is that too many people were waiting on Sachin to hit his 100th 100 and he had the expectations of the entire nation- as always. And it was his home ground of Mumbai! However, after looking promising, he was dismissed due to a poor shot selection, his hopes of a 100 vanished and it seemed like the match also was going to go downhill. The good thing that came out was that for the first time, I saw the Indians play a very mature game and the underdogs in Gambhir and Kohli and Dhoni come into their own.

Sreesanth was called the lucky mascot for the team and his selection, despite him being absent in most games, seemed vindicated in the end. He ended up at the Champions' side again!

A sms was apparently floating around since morning about how the match would be fixed- it predicted that SL would win the toss, SL would get 260-270 runs, Sehwag would be out in the first over, Sachin would get 98 and India would win by 1 wicket. Most things seemed to be coming true after Sehwag's dismissal but then things changed. Sachin went for 30 odd and India won by 6 wickets. What mattered was that we won.

Cool fact-2011 has the same calendar as 1983- the year when we won the cup first and the year that I was born! ;)

Many superstitions would have cropped up and many, including me, would attribute the win to what they did- like sit in one place, send someone to the kitchen, or the color of the shirt that they wore etc etc. I guess it makes us feel more important about being part of history.

The game also showed a important moral lesson that people can use to tell their kids. The Lankan captain Sangakara lied about what he had initially called at the toss which led to a re-toss which India lost. In the end, India won despite the Lankan captain's full attempts to sabotage the toss. So, now parents can say "if you lie or be dishonest, you will lose the game". Sweet!

This game also shows that nice guys do get the prize in the end. I have met Dhoni in real life and he is a sweetheart with no airs about him. A fitting captain. I am sure Sachin is the same- you can just tell. While, the Lankan captain has that devious vibe about him- which manifested in the lie about the toss. Indians are much less aggressive too and generally pretty docile and polite on the field. Well, in the end, it wasn't the Aussies, the Lankans, the South Africans...but the nice guys who took this cup. So its a lesson to everyone- good guys do win and there is nothing bad in being a good guy- they are just ahead of the game.

The game brought millions of Indians together but I also saw another side. People cannot handle excitement and are obviously not mature enough. The celebrations spilled into the street but it started to appear more of hooliganism. People blocked traffic, smashed bottles on the road, hung precariously out of cars, screaming at the top of their voices and just making the road seem a very unsafe place for anyone out there. A total disregard of rules to the limit of making it unsafe for everyone, including themselves. It will take these Indians a lot of time to change, if at all. I think it has to do with our so called "traditional" (aka suppressive) culture that represses the way people emote and when they do, it's basic, crude and absolutely inconsiderate. I was mortified to be riding on my bike through these roads- almost seemed like the riots! I hope "civilization" finds its place among the Indian youth soon and they find a more mature way of handling things. Imagine, if India had lost- how much damage would result from their rampage. Think of how people in the South went crazy after a movie star died- due to natural causes at that! It's unimaginable. I just hope noone got hurt in this melee. That they cheered for the team, hugged each other, gave hi-fives and did not cause harm or damage to anyone.

So, it was a joyous momentous occasion that we will all tell our grandkids.Lesson learned and respect earned. Many people became rich but more people became graced.

Cheers to Team India.

Why are people hating on helmets?

So, this is becoming too frequent and its annoying. Everyone seems to have some prejudices against helmets and will discriminate people with helmets in different situations- be it the movies, the airports or hotels. In India more than anywhere else.

I am a avid biker and have custom painted helmets. When I go somewhere, I like to carry them with me in a nice sack to protect it from scratches and prevent them from being stolen- already happened once so not taking a chance ever again! The first time that I had the problem was for movies- they wont let me take them in! That was the time when even backpacks would not be allowed while women could carry their purses inside. Biased? Hell yeah! This was sort of rectified when some movie halls in India started providing lockers to lock up helmets and bags. Good job there.

Recently, I was travelling by air but carrying my helmet because I was going to be riding at my destination. I went through three airports and the airport where I was harassed because of my helmet was Nagpur!! Not Delhi, not Goa, but frigging small town Nagpur. A annoying SE Anshu Grade at the x-ray machine was the only one who was convinced that the helmet was a threat and "could be used as a weapon"!! How? By whacking someone on the head? While there were iron crutches, tripod stands and even airplane doors at disposal to do so? Seriously? Maybe in that small town there isn't much action so she decided to make my life hell and there was a huge scene. None of her colleagues agreed with her but seemed helpless in countering her- juniors perhaps. She almost insinuated that I was like a terrorist when she started to give the example of Kasab! I come from a respected family of senior government officials and if anything, we would probably unearth more problems if we checked her antecedents. I can bet on it. I made sure CISF jawans assisted me in getting proper padding and packing for the helmets done before I boarded the plane. So much grief over one person's wrong assessment of the situation!

So you would say that perhaps this cop was a less educated person who was trying to abuse her powers. However, hotels are no better. Many star hotels wont let you carry a helmet inside their buildings due to "safety" reasons! Safety my ass. Usually I make it a point to call up the hotels and ask their policies on helmets- people at the Ashok and Intercontinental (now Lalit) seemed better when it came to this. Today, I went to the dying Claridges Hotel in Delhi to meet some clients. Everyone, from the guards to the Manager said that policy would not allow them to let me take my helmet in!! They also used the lame excuse of "helmet can be used as weapon"!! Really? I saw more dangerous looking metal crutches (that could easily conceal a gun if it wanted!) go in! I think its just snobbery and general classist attitude of Indian society. And if it happens in the US, even more shameful. I think the hotel people think if people carried their helmets inside, it would degrade their inside environment because they believe that rich people dont ride motorbikes. Such ignorants pricks! Only on the intervention of a senior foreign dignitary did they yield and held my helmet with the Bell Desk taking full responsibility for the helmet. Colonial boot licking? But of course.

This is what I always say- the possibilities to do better are limitless but people are looking in the wrong places. They create a fuss over helmets while they should be directing their attention to actual things that could be security risks or debase the atmosphere of their respective surroundings. It is because of this that people normally have a lapse of judgement which leads to fatal consequences. And then they are stuck scratching their heads of what they did wrong and overcompensate with things that have nothing to do with what happened.

People will stay uneducated, ignorant, arrogant and just disconnected from reality. There needs to be a movement against such discrimination and stupid policies. Lets vote against the idiocracy of today!  India has seen too many mistakes by people in charge of "security" and by hating on helmets, they are fooling noone. After going through all these instances of helmet discrimination, I feel more unsafe knowing that truly stupid, foolish and illogical people are in charge of the safety of people's lives.