CROSSROADS was the theme at the 14th edition of Pune Design Festival held on January 10 and 11.
We’re at the crossroads of cultural, social and economic shifts.
Has design been an enabler? Is design bridging extremes? Where do we go from here?
Here are my notes from the sessions.
LIZA CHONG
CEO, THE INDEX PROJECT
Pushing “Danish design” beyond modern, minimalistic products.
Kigge Hvid, the founder of the Index Project wanted to push the boundaries of Danish design but wasn’t sure how. She travelled the world in search of inspiration. Everyone she met--from scientists to academics to artists and the media-- pointed to the potential of design to solve real needs in society.
She founded The Index Project with a clear mission to redefine design from a commercially driven discipline to one that’s used to improve the quality of life—for everyone.
Over the years the Project’s annual awards have awarded game changing solutions-- from inclusivity (Microsoft Xbox Adaptive Controller), to language barriers (Duolingo) and adaptive climates (Marsha).
All of the winning designs are rooted in Danish values: freedom for the individual, equality and welfare of society, inclusiveness, tolerance and respect, trust and security.
So,
- Design to improve quality of life.
- Build solutions that address real needs.
- Put solutions in the hands of the people to have impact.
Because design applied with great ingenuity can change the state of the world.
Read about the winners of The Index Awards here: https://theindexproject.org
DR. PAWAN AGARWAL
MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKER
How 5000+ dabbawalas have consistently delivered tiffins to 200,000+ hungry Mumbaikars since 1893.
- Focus on customer satisfaction. Dabbawalas focus on just two things: being on time and not misplacing tiffins.
- Design for usefulness not convenience. Housewives often put items such as medicines, housekeys, mobile phones or love notes in their husband's tiffin, not just lunch.
- Design is often process, systems and organizational culture. Every tiffin is colour coded in English so the dabbawalla handling it in the supply chain knows the exact pick-up and drop-off details. All dabbawalas wear a white Gandhi cap and stand guarantee for new recruits until they are confirmed.
- In the race to find a tech solution, don’t lose out on the human factor. There's no need for GPS or bar codes because everyone knows that the dabbawalas never miss a delivery. The $10 monthly fee is a lifeline for working Mumbaikars who can’t afford to eat out every day.
- Not every idea is scalable. Can Mumbai dabbawalas work in other cities? On modes of transport other than local trains? No other train system in India traverses the city in a straight line from north to south. Dabbawalas use the luggage compartment in local trains as they aren’t allowed on the metro or monorail. So, the idea isn’t scalable.
HARISH BHATT
BRAND CUSTODIAN, TATA SONS
How design in the space of business is about being a customer artist using talent and art as triggers.
It’s about understanding what the category means to the customer, identifying whitespaces and design based on sharp customer insights.
For example:
- Voltas: In smaller Indian towns, fridges are often placed in the living room due to a lack of space in the kitchen so Voltas designed colourful refrigerators meant for display not cooling.
- Tata Tea: Different regions in India have different preferences for tea so Tata Tea created 34 distinct blends of tea.
- Tata Gluco+: Energy drinks are seen as too expensive, while glucose is seen as an affordable yet healthy due to its association with biscuits. Tata Gluco+ was created as a value energy drink.
- Titan Raaga jewellery: Everyone has flaws. To celebrate it, Titan Raaga created a line of jewellery that blends feminine sensuality with asymmetrical imperfection.
SUDHANSHU MANI
GM, INDIAN COACH FACTORY
The story of India's first engineless train.
- Started with a question: Why do Indian trains look the same? This evolved to: Why can't we make a train set in India? (A train set is a self-propelled train with a fixed number of coupled vehicles. The engine is mounted under the board. Has faster acceleration, wider gangways and is more spacious).
- The problem: Coach maintenance and locomotive teams didn't talk to each other. Importing was the easy way out. Yet technology transfer is an oxymoron. Technology is a creation that lives in the hearts and minds of the creators. Mani went to the Chairman of the Railway Board and said: "Import what you want. Give me sanction for 2 train sets. I'll build it for 1/3 the cost".
- The team: Made a matrix of their own capability versus what they needed to learn from external consultants.
- The deadline: 18 months (32 months was industry standard) or by December 2018 before Mani was due to retire.
- Purpose: Called it Train 18--to infuse the team and suppliers with a sense of urgency and purpose.
- Testing: Train 18 broke the speed record of 180 km/hr in trials.
- Launch: Vande Bharat Express, India's first engineless train, from Delhi to Varanasi was inaugurated in February 2019.
