Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Friday, November 20, 2009
Thursday, November 19, 2009
so, what else?
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Cigarette smoking is injurious to health
or riding my bike standing on the seat,
or watching sun set, sitting on the edge of cliff,
or catching a running train,
or crossing the road in front of a speeding car,
and many other 'challenging' things we young ones do!
Yes, I am young, I am cool, I love thrills!
So what do you expect when you tell me,
"Cigarette smoking is injurious to health"?
(inspired by the 'truth' campaign run by arnold Worldwide of Boston and Crispin Porter &Bogusky of Miami against tobacco)
Sunday, November 08, 2009
To fly or not to fly?
sagar: i was looking at some jet pack videos, as in a device which one carries on the back and you can fly with it. what do you think wil be the next thing in transporation
me: next as in?
sagar: it will be a matter of a little more time that we will start seeing people flying
me: hmmm, but as a designer i don't find that so real. think bout it and by real i dnt mean technlogy... i mean real people
sagar: ummm why not?
me: it takes a lot of courage, skill and mental acceptance for most of the common people to ride even bikes at speed of 60kmph with both wheels on ground!.... some prefer public transport... some who afford... go for personal cars... so flying... is much challenging for common people
sagar: hmm,thats true
me: what is required and will be preferable is public transport
sagar: its a personal choice..but it still exists
me: i agree, i wil certainly go for flying jet pack, but wrt to personal mobility, there are people who commute because they want to ride and then there are people who ride just because they need to commute.
I commute because I want to ride!
sagar: hmm interersting,but dont you feel after surface and water air could be next medium?
me: it already is
sagar: no for example travelling from my home to a nearby cinema
me: yes.. but I remember when we were doing systems project, we thought best thing is to avoid human transportation for as many tasks as possible..
but yes.. still air could be most preferred medium for some group of people, including me :)
what do u think?
sagar: hmm, yes.. as in its overcoming one of human limitations
why do u think nobody has tried to commercialise the jetpack?
its such an old invention!
me: may be not enough MARKET!!!!!
thats the reason so many vehicle concets go in R&D scrap!!!!
even the normal vehicles I mean.
sagar: why wouldnt anyone want something faster than a bike and somehting which doesnt need roads?
me: faster than bike? which bike? You know 100cc is the largest selling category in two wheelers! I mean people dont want faster bikes too! a large group of people!
so for mass commercialisation... jet pack may not be right thing...
for a small goup of people it may be... those who have enough money and also want to fly.. on their own..how many are they?
sagar: i think its same as the situation when the automobiles were first commercialised.
with more and more of automobiles on roads they felt the need to have signals and there were tarffic jams and we still are fighting with jams
bike is a better vehicle because it doesnt occupy unnecessary space on road anywhere... so if we say we eliminate 4 wheelers and have public tarnsport and bikes it may be good
me: do u know in most countries bike is proved to be the most dangerous mode of transport and they are planning to restrict use of them?
sagar: yes true, so we need an option which is for one person and occupies small space, need not be bike, sometihng which is stable
me: and SAFE
sagar: hmm, flying vehicle is dangerous than a bike
sagar: this is one way of looking at it,
public tarnsport and compact and safe personal vehicles is i think a fair option.. given the man needs to travel and explore .
now if this scenario comes into reality some time.. the next fair and logical extension would safe compact personal flying vehicle, because space on groud is limited
me: see you can sell anything!!!! u just need the right context :)
for commercialisation... u either need to fix a target group ( the profitable one) and design or make something for them.... or if you want to make something...then u see whom you can sell it to.... right?
sagar: hmm right
me: there are people who have designed and made bikes which they sell for more than a crore!!!! but one has just to be clear to himself if he wants to help people do something or to commercialise and sell something!!!
sagar: but we r not trying to sell something unnecessary.. its to satisfy the human spirit of exploration and learning and facilitate his movement because he cant run faster than his physical abilities
me: "its to satisfy the human spirit of exploration and learning "
very true and appropriate.
Saturday, November 07, 2009
one more...
Movie: Ajab Prem ki Ghazab kahani
Song: tu jaane na
Music Director: Pritam Chakraborty
Singer: Atif Aslam
Lyrics: Irshad Kamil
Kaise Batayein, Kyu Tujh ko Chahe, Yaara bata na Paaye
Baatein dilo ki, Dekho Jo Baaki, Aankhein tujhe Samjhaye
Tu Jaane Na, Tu Jaane Na, Tu Jaane Na, Tu Jaane Na
mil ke bhi, Hum na Mile, tumse na jaane Kyu,
Milo ke hai Fansle.Tumse Na jaane kyu
Anjaane Hai SilSile, Tum Se Na Jaane Kyu,
Sapno hai Palko Tale, Tum Se Na Jaane Kyu,
Kaise Batayein, Kyu Tujh ko Chahe, Yaara bata na Paaye
Baatein dilo ki, Dekho Jo Baaki, Aankhein tujhe Samjhaye
Tu Jaane Na, Tu Jaane Na, Tu Jaane Na, Tu Jaane Na
Nigahon mein dekho, meri jo hai bas gaya, woh hai milta tumse, hu ba hu..
Jaane teri Aankhein thi, ya baatein thi, Wajah..
hue tum jo, dil ki aarzoo
tum pass ho ke bhi, tum aas ho ke bhi, ehsaas ho ke bhi…
apne nahi.. aise hai hum ko gileh.. tumse najaane kyu..
meelo ke hai fansle, tum se na jaane kyu..
tu jaane na..tu jaane na..tu jaane na..
ohh jaane na. jaane na, jaane natu jaane na..
Khayalon mein laakohn baatein, yu toh keh gaya,
bola kuch na tere sahmney..
hue na begaane bhi tum hoke, aur dekho tum mere hi na bane..
afsos hota hai, dil bhi yeh rota hai
Sapne sanjota hoa.. pagla hua, soche yeh..
hum the mile tume se na jaane kyu,
meelo ke hai fansle tum se na jaane kyu..
Kaise Batayein, Kyu Tujh ko Chahe, Yaara bata na Paaye
Baatein dilo ki, Dekho Jo Baaki, Aankhein tujhe Samjhaye
Tu Jaane Na,Tu Jaane Na.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Human, really?
'IIM-A grad launches subzi mandi on laptop. Your daily aloo, baigan and bhindi will soon be just a click away. No more finding your way through the filth at your neighbourhood subzi bazaar and haggling for prices with rude vegetable vendors. The website will create an online mandi where one can “see” the fresh vegetables, check prices and place orders. Apart from purchasing daily vegetables, one can "gift" fruits using the web service.' from Times Of India, 30 Oct 2009.wowwww... so nice no???? we will be able to SEE vegetables on screen!!! even if thats means we won't be able to touch, smell, choose the best ones, bargain (verbally) with the (real) subzi wala bhaiya, accidentally meet our acquaintances in the (real) subzi mandi, may be subsequently fall in love with one of them, know that there is 50% sale in the silk emporium near the subzi mandi, get reminded that your distant relatives daughter is getting married next month, know that the (so called rude) old apple (fruit) wala at the entry of subzi mandi baught a Tata nano and so many other things which make and keep you social and/or human (if not tech savvy)... BUT you will be able to place orders looking at the pictures on your laptop screen!!! So great!!!....
The best thing is you can even GIFT fruits to your beloved ones using the web service! So what if you haven't even touched them with your hands? The receiver will be more interested in fruits and nutritions they will give... not in the feeling of receiving them from you... So nice!!! Yesterday someone bought me a handcrafted fabric elephant, and while giving she mentioned that she chose this particular because the mirrorwork, and overall pattern is placed more appropriately on it! This is what matters... right? that the one who is giving actually took time and care to see that you get the best possible! Whether it is an elephant or a cow comes second for me and probably for anybody.
The 'subzi-mandi on laptop' news today just triggered the thoughts and served as an example, but the basic issue can be seen in many such 'human (?) advances'. Good (read: effective) marketing can sell anything you have as the 'best new thing/way'... but is that what we have been educated for?
4-5 years down the line, kids will surf internet to learn that 'touch' means 'way of operating mobile and computing devices'. You can try searching 'touch' on google images even now.
Are we really working for the betterment of HUMANS?
Thursday, October 29, 2009
It's in your hands!
Came across this nice logo of Fortis healthcare group of hospitals (or healthcare consultants) in India. A very simple but brilliant treatment of negative space to convey the right meaning to the viewer. For those who have not figured it out yet, the logo in the left with a red dot above, has the space between tow hands in the shape of a human (and the red dot is head)! I really liked the way it conveys the right message in such a simple form. Just one shape element with straight lines, one circle, two colours and so much meaning! I think if you want, you can really make things simple!The 3 letters r, t and i in the logotype connected to each other seem to be saying something, which I didn't get.. but still look interesting, may be like some other script or symbol. If anybody knows please comment.

