This column is a paean to Espresso machines—their beauty, ingenuity and Eden-like diversity. It is about this much loved, yet somehow under-appreciated component of the unique status that coffee occupies among the commodities we consume. Design has been a part of coffee’s changing dynamic. A global culture has formed around it. Its progression is a… Continue reading Espressionism
Not a flash in the pandemic
Speculating on post-coronavirus life is a raging contagion that infects the worker-from-home. Prior susceptibility is needed. It attacks the mind, causing fevered contemplation of the design of things in a post-corona world. It’s harmless: once you’ve read this, you can wash your hands and move on. Caveat: how the pandemic will play out is unknown.… Continue reading Not a flash in the pandemic
Outlook Traveller Magazine
ICD is working with Outlook Traveller to redesign the monthly travel magazine. Bringing experiential travel to the hands of today’s reader. Here is a glimpse of how it’s going Asking the question, “how do we travel today?” Planning the sections, regulars, features. Key identifiers—scribbles, black, bold serifs, signposts. The area of play: story titles with… Continue reading Outlook Traveller Magazine
Epique packaging
ICD is currently working on a packaging project for a nature inspired beauty brand, Epique. Here is a look at what is happening in the studio
Rungta’s Real Gold Perfect Packaging
Rungta’s, a prominent tea maker in the markets on Bihar and UP adds another pack to its Real Gold series—Real Gold Perfect. With perfect it plans to enter new markets of Gujarat and ,dominated by Tata and Bagh Wakhri, with a proposition based tea’s richness and health benefits. Here is a glimpse of what has been brewing in the studio
Clear and present danger
Some innovations succeed to the point of redefining the problem they tackle. Some give way to better ones, or having served their time, fade into the section of the graveyard reserved for the no-longer-needed. Yet others fail flagrantly, and quickly: tagged as laughable, or a good idea poorly executed, or ill timed. A broad consensus… Continue reading Clear and present danger
Cups of nun chai book
ICD is currently working on a publication design project with Yaarbal. The book chronicles the author, Alana Hunt’s experiences in Kashmir which she has documented as conversations over cups of nun chai. Read about her journey here Here is a glimpse of what has been brewing in the studio
Witness Exhibition
ICD worked with Yaarbal Books and curator Sanjay Kak towards exhibiting the work of nine photographers and the book Witness as a mixed-media installation titled ‘Shaheed / Witness / Kashmir’ Exhibited at the Sydney Biennale 2020, the images were created in Kashmir between 1986-2016 as its people found themselves pulled between the exhilaration of a… Continue reading Witness Exhibition
An interview uncovering design’s role to business and views on India’s design industry
Itu joined DesignTalk, a webinar powered by Nasscom Design4India, moderated by Gerard J Rego to share his experiences as a design practitioner, his views on India’s design industry, the value of good design to businesses and more Watch the full webinar Here’s a transcript for the talk. Gerard J Rego:Welcome to this podcast or webcast, love to… Continue reading An interview uncovering design’s role to business and views on India’s design industry
Innovation and all that
If there’s a bigger darling than design these days, it’s innovation. We’re seeing a tendency to link, or in geo-political jargon, hyphenate them; in academese, conflate the two; at any rate, we’re &-ing them. Most will agree that It’s a Batman and Robin thing, and innovation is the caped crusader. Design belongs downstream. An enabler,… Continue reading Innovation and all that