NIDian’s map to help students save big bucks

Ahmedabad - Amdavadis love their Activas, Pulsars, Swifts and Scorpios. Then there are those who swear by the green autos that populate every gali and nukkad of Ahmedabad. But when it comes to saving money, they could do well by taking an AMTS bus. Convinced of this, a student of National Institute of Design in Paldi is helping his fellow students save thousands of rupees by pointing out the right bus route to their most frequented destinations. Jishnuram CA, a final year student of graphic design, is designing a bus map that will help cut down travel expenses of students from a whopping Rs 2.16 lakh during their fiveyear stay to just Rs 30,000 – a cool save of Rs 1.86 lakh! Jishnuram was working on his year-long classroom project when he found that almost 95 per cent of NID students travel by autos within the city. “Even if three students shared an auto, the expenses were pretty high. By the end of the project, I decided to design a map that will bring down their expenses. Travelling by bus would cost them Rs 500 compared to the Rs 3,600 they spend on autos every month,” said the 25-year-old. The research was conducted between November 2011 and September 2012. It took Jishnuram a year to draw the map featuring places from where budding designers could get raw material like paper, fabric, tools, printers etc for their projects. It also highlighted important points like hospitals, premier institutes, railway stations malls, cinema halls and tourist destinations. “Each route is demarcated using a separate colour. The bus numbers are written in Gujarati as well as English. The map mentions starting and ending point of each route, along with the frequency of buses,” said Jishnuram. There are legends marking the airport, bus stands, bus stops, cinema halls, educational institutes, hospitals, place of interests, railway stations, materials and services. Tying the legend to the logo (a chabutara), the place of interest is marked by a flying pigeon. The 25-year-old said, “Most students come here from other cities and states. They do not know anything about Ahmedabad. This map will help our community find places where we can gain material, inspiration and essential help at a glance.” Rupesh Vyas, head of information technology at NID, said, “When the institute director learnt about Jishnuram’s research findings, he began the initiative to provide this essential service to NIDians. It will be launched next week.” The map will initially be distributed to students for free. It might later be sold at NIDUS, the design outlet, for Rs 20. A student spends Rs 2.16 lakh on auto fare during his 5-year stay at NID. This amount can be reduced to Rs 30,000 if they take a bus. AMTS frequents almost every destination that a design student visits in the city for academic or recreational purposes. ►►► I always waited for my friends so we could share an auto and save money. Also, bus numbers are written in Gujarati so I had to ask other people for help. This map is helpful for students at various levels - Kiran Ravindran Product design student   ►►► I know where to source fabrics from, but had no idea about the places I crossed to reach my destination. Taking an autorickshaw was easier but expensive. This map will push us to try public transport - Swathi Rajgopal Textile design student Source: Pune Mirror

Preparing for NID Entrance Test - 2014

What should students focus on for the next six months in order to crack the NID Design Aptitude Test 2014? For the next six months, students should consider strengthening their drawing skills and keep abreast with current affairs, both national and international. 

 However, it is not just about learnt skill and talent, but largely about the creative process and design thinking. Students, most importantly, should know how to communicate an idea to the masses. 

It would also help to have a portfolio in place. If the student is consistent with his sketching and is up-to-date with his or her work s/he will have a range of work to showcase during the interview. Having worked with a variety of media is always beneficial for a strong portfolio. Work can range from doodles to finished pieces of work; there is no set criterion with regards to what should go in your portfolio. Play on your strengths.

What is the importance of joining a coaching class?

Coaching classes are not a must-do for students wanting to successfully attempt the NID entrance. While they do offer some insight — common queries of what to expect from the paper and solve sample papers — student shouldn't rely on it entirely. However, do remember that the question paper pattern is not set in stone and they must be flexible enough to deal with the diversity of questions.

What is the pattern of the question paper?

 In the 2013 exam, 25% of the questions focused on general knowledge; 25% logistic reasoning; another 25% allotted to drawing skills related to human anatomy and postures. The last 25% were based on creative thinking and applications . This was a rough breakdown in our paper, but it varies each year, we are told. There is no negative marking.

How can students manage a good score?

 The question paper, even though it grades, is qualitative in nature. It is important to answer sensibly and be confident about what you are drawing and answering. One should not worry about marks or scoring high; the focus should be on communicating your ideas creatively in the paper.

What kind of preparation is required post the written exam?

 Post the written exam, if selected, you'll have a studio test and portfolio interview at the campus. Studio test checks not only your creativity but also tests your hands-on skills and spontaneity. Observation and memory retention are other traits you'll be tested for. In the portfolio interview, you will be required to talk about your work over the past few years and answer questions put forth by the panelist.

> IMPORTANT DATES

APPLICATION DATE

The admissions announcement is published in leading national dailies around end of September, beginning of October

EXAM DATE:

The written test is conducted during January and short-listed candidates are invited for studio tests & interviews around April

Courtesy: Educationtimes.com

Destiny's design: Rag-picker makes it to NID

Sanjay Parmar spent much of his childhood picking rags, sifting through mounds of waste at Rama Pir No Tekro in Vadaj area of Ahmedabad to supplement the family's meagre income. Sanjay's father Dineshbhai was a driver and barely managed to put food on the table for his three children. On lucky days, he would find a pair of footwear for his little sister Manisha in the garbage. When bored, Sanjay would fashion boats out of waste paper and cars from discarded thermocol packaging.

Then destiny intervened. At 19, Sanjay is perhaps the only one with a rag-picking past to make it to the country's premiere design school 'National Institute of Design' - and aims to become an automobile designer.

But first, he wants to design is an aid which cuts the burden of LPG cylinder deliverymen. "I have seen my father break his back delivering cylinders in multi-storey houses which don't have lifts. It is my dream to design a simple aid," he says.

The young boy's life turned when he was selected as one of eight kids who were enrolled in a special project by NGO Visamo Kids which gave bright children from poor families a chance at a good education. "If I was not plucked out of the slums and given an education, I would not have gone beyond class X. All my best friends are school dropouts", says Sanjay.

Initially, it was tough for Sanjay to adjust to the new world. "He was an angry, stubborn child. He was not good at learning and writing but he was good with his hands," says Amee Shah, boarding in-charge of Visamo Kids. Sanjay calls Amee his second mother. While the residential programme covers education till class XII, an anonymous donor came forward to fund his education when he made it to NID. He was also trained by city-based designer Bhanvar Rathore for the entrance test.

"I did not have the means to educate Sanjay; I could just provide him a roof. When he becomes a man, he will buy us a house," says Dineshbhai.

Source: TOI

Anand Sharma lays foundation for National Institute of Design, Hyderabad

Commerce and industry minister Anand Sharma Saturday laid the foundation stone of the National Institute of Design (NID) here.

The NID, which is coming up on 30 acres of land on the campus of University of Hyderabad at a cost of Rs 155 crore, is expected to offer undergraduate and postgraduate courses from 2015-16 for 500 students.

This will be the fourth NID campus in the country. The institute was established in Ahmedabad in 1961 and has its campuses in Gandhinagar and Bangalore, offering graduate and postgraduate diploma courses in 18 disciplines.

NID Hyderabad is one among the four NIDs being set up under the national design policy of 2007.

The minister on Wednesday laid the foundation stone for the second NID in Haryana's Kurukshetra district.

Sharma said two more NIDs were planned in Jorhat ( Assam) and Bhopal to cater to the students of the respective regions.

The institute will help student community towards shaping their career in most creative sectors and is also expected to benefit the industry to improve their quality of products.

The NID is useful to a broad spectrum from industrially mass produced good to handicrafts, handlooms and skill oriented artisan communities like potters, painters, weavers, carpenters, leather, brass, silver craftsmen.

The minister said the government aimed to make India a major design hub for exports by producing 15,000 top engineers in five years

"Finland has 145 designers per million population, Japan 90 per million whereas India has a dismal two designers per million population. This needs to change in the next five years and we should aim to create a pool of 15,000 top designers. India should eventually become an outsourcing hub for designers," Sharma said.

He called for weaving in a philosophy of design into education and building linkages with education system.

Sharma pointed out that national design policy was announced with the aim of building on traditional knowledge skills and capabilities and to ensure that "our shop floor workers, craftsmen and artisans become equal partners in manufacture of innovative products and contemporisation of traditional crafts".

The minister said World Pharma Trade Centre would soon be set up at Hyderabad keeping in view the large presence of pharmaceutical companies and research institutions in and around the city.

He said Indian Institute of Foreign Trade would also come up soon at Visakhapatnam with the aim of creating a pool of trained manpower to deal with foreign trade.

Foundation stone will also be laid for a new footwear design and development institute at Hyderabad in the next month.

Human Resource Development Minister M.M. Pallam Raju and Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy were among those who attended the ceremony. 

Source: TOI

World's first smartphone for the blind made in India

The world's first smartphone for blind people is here. Soon, they will be able to read SMSes and emails on this phone, which converts all text into Braille patterns.

"We have created the world's first Braille smartphone," says its innovator, Sumit Dagar, whose company is being incubated at the Centre for Innovation Incubation and Entrepreneurship, located in IIM Ahmedabad campus. "This product is based on an innovative 'touch screen' which is capable of elevating and depressing the contents it receives to transform them into 'touchable' patterns," he says.

Dagar, who is a post-graduate from the National Institute of Design (NID), says he was motivated to develop the device when he realised that so far, technology was only serving the mainstream and ignoring the marginalised. He is collaborating with IIT Delhi on making the prototype, which is currently being tested at L V Prasad Eye Institute in Hyderabad.

"The response during the test has been immense. It comes out as a companion more than a phone to the user. We plan to do more advanced versions of the phone in the future," Dagar adds.

Dagar started the project three years ago while studying interaction designing at NID. After working with a couple of companies, he gave up his job to concentrate on his technology, formed a team of six people and started his venture, Kriyate Design Solutions. Currently, the venture is being funded by Rolex Awards under its Young Laureates Programme, in which they select five people from across the world every two years and fund their projects.

How it works

• The smartphone uses Shape Memory Alloy technology, based on the concept that metals remember their original shapes, i.e. expand and contract to its original shape after use.
  
• The phone's 'screen' has a grid of pins, which move up and down as per requirement. The grid has a Braille display, where pins come up to represent a character or letter.
  
• This screen will be capable of elevating and depressing the contents to form patterns in Braille.
  
• All other elements are like any other smartphone.

Source: TOI News

NIDian wins I-Design Award

A product design student from National Institute of Design bagged the award in the 'Medical Equipment and Devices Design' category for 2012-13 with three other recipients in the I-Design Award competition in Chennai. Every year, products that focus on innovation, technology, design and creativity are recognized by the awards.

Malav Sanghvi of NID had participated in the competition with his project 'Walking Aid support stick'. "There is a need for design inputs in the field of amputation and prosthesis. I emphasized on the needs of the persons with disability to use of the hand's muscular power to operate the leg by a strategically designed stick. The aid can be used for physical ailments like weak leg muscles, muscle tear, ligament tear, knee problems, paralysis, short foot and prosthesis training," he said. The stick is strapped on the leg, thigh, below knee, ankle and one of the forearms. The high point of the design is adjustability of straps by which the user transfers maximum force from the hands to the legs. 

The compactness of the device allows for easy packaging and subsequent ease in transportation and storage. The strap can be rotated, thus allowing the stick to be used on both legs, said Sanghvi.

Source: TOI

Students De-Stress with Garba

These days, students at National Institute of Design (NID) are enthusiastic even after a long, hectic day of class, projects and presentations. For, after class signals the beginning of the garba practice session, which goes on till 2 am.

Navratri comes as a big break for students at various institutes in Ahmedabad, who battle stress on a daily basis. And students across institutes are busy mastering the complicated garba steps.

Shambavi Tiwari, coordinator for garba at NID, said, "Garba sessions are stress busters for us. We work the entire day and get tired but nobody bunks the fun garba sessions. The seniors teach the juniors typical garba steps with the taalis while the dhol plays in the background. Most of the students have also finished their Navratri shopping."

NID, Centre for Environmental Planning and Technology (CEPT) University and Mudra Institute of Communication, Ahmedabad (MICA) are among the popular hot spots of sheri garba in Ahmedabad.

The revelry on campuses begins much before the nine nights of festivities begin. Students decorate the campus using paintings, lamps, matkas and sculptures.

Students of CEPT University give a twist to the garba, yet maintaining the essence of the Gujarati tradition. "Our garba does not involve the claps or the taali but has slow, graceful hand gestures and movements. The garba attire is very non conventional with students opting for long, printed skirts and simple spaghetti tops and a dupatta instead of the heavy chaniya choli.

"We do not encourage Bollywood music or orchestras but invite a mandali from a village in Gujarat, which dishes out Gujarati folk music," said Mansi Patel, a final year student of School of Interior Design at CEPT.

Navratri is the time when MICA celebrates its annual cultural festival, Oorja. It is a two-day event with a pre-week long celebration. This year, the theme for the week is the Crazy Week. For seven days, students have several activities and have to dress in a certain way. For instance, the first day was celebrated as Torn Day, where everyone had to wear something ragged, cut or torn the whole day.

"Students are looking forward to the garba and dandia sessions to be held for four days. Themes include Go Green, Inside Out Clothes, Cartoon Tees and so on. Oorja 2012 will end on October 20 with dandia night where other colleges are also invited," said Vidya Nair from the cultural committee at MICA.

The Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad and Indian Institute of Technology, Gandhinagar also host garba night and invite students from other institutes to join in the festivities.

Source: TOI

Animation gets a thumbs up in Ahmedabad

A relatively new form of storytelling in India, graphic novels are steadily and surely setting up an interesting trend. National Institute of Design (NID), along with Alliance Francaise, is going to present the second edition of its animation festival from October 5, with this idea in focus.

The Graphic Narrative Project will focus on children's content this year. "It does not mean that graphic novels are only meant for children. That is a myth which will hopefully shatter in our discussions during the fest," says Sekhar Mukherjee, head of animation department, NID.

The highlight of the week-long event will be the presence of one of the animation legends of the world, Jacques-Remy Girerd, the French producer and owner of the pioneering Folimage studio. Several of his award winning films, like Raining Cats and Frogs, Mia and Migoo, and My dear Little Planet, will be screened. An interaction with the master storyteller is one of the treats lined up for all animation lovers.

"When we speak of heritage status for Ahmedabad, it goes beyond architecture. There is art and culture that needs quality and caliber too. NID is always supportive of such endeavours," says Mukherjee. He suggests that if places like the walled city, the kite museum, Lothal could be etched in graphic novels, they would become much more appealing and add to the heritage conservation in the long term. The idea is already being implemented as Esther David, a renowned city based author, has expressed a desire to publish a graphic novel on Amdavad (Ahmedabad) by 2013.

Pointing out differences between comic books and graphic novels, director of Alliance Francaise, Philippe Martin said, "While comics have a specific size and conventional layout, graphic novels mix different elements like stories, pictures, drawings and have greater freedom of expression."

Four exhibitions, including one on roles of several people involved in making an animation film, will be showcased at NID. "Interest in animation and graphic novels is increasing. Maybe it is due to the lack of time people have for reading or the flexibility which it represents, but it is the visual impact that is finding takers," explains Martin. Graphic novels being available on ipads, smart phones add to the lucrative future.

Source: TOI

Amul to set up Kurien's memorial in Anand

The Kaira District Cooperative Milk Producers Union Limited ( KDCMPUL), popularly known as Amul Dairy, will set up a memorial in the name of Dr Verghese Kurien.

Kurien, Father of India's White Revolution and the architect of Operation Flood, who passed away on Sunday, had started his stint with the co-operative sector from Amul Dairy which he had joined in 1949.

It was much later that he set up institutions like the Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF), the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) and the Institute of Rural Management Anand (IRMA) putting small town Anand on global map.

Amul Dairy already houses a Dairy Museum at the main dairy plant premises in milk city Anand. But the new memorial will be dedicated to Kurien.
The dairy union is planning to construct a memorial where ashes of Kurien will be kept.

Kerala-born Kurien, a Syrian Christian by birth but a self-proclaimed atheist, was cremated in Anand as per his wish at 'Kailashdham', a Hindu crematorium, on Sunday evening after an all religious prayer at Amul Dairy's Sardar Patel Hall.

"We have already collected ashes of Dr Kurien after his cremation. The memorial that will come up inside our main dairy plant premises will be erected after consultation with his family members. We will put up the entire proposal during our board meeting scheduled at the end of this month," Amul Dairy's chairman Ramsinh Parmar told TOI on Monday.

The co-operative was already planning to give a new look and design for the Amul Dairy museum for which it has approached the National Institute of Design (NID).

The Amul Dairy museum which is a photo gallery, has a model of the garage (which was Kurien's first home in Anand) behind it apart from the house where Kurien had stayed for years before he shifted to Kurien Enclave - which remained home to the doyen of cooperatives till he breathed last.

As a bachelor, Christian and a non-vegetarian Kurien did not find a house to stay in Anand when he arrived in the dusty town where he was posted as a dairy engineer at the government creamery, Anand in May 1949. He had converted a garage at the creamery into his house.

The model of the garage was designed by late architect Suryakant Patel by bringing all the original material from the garage to build it.

The house where Kurien stayed as manager and later general manager of the Amul Dairy was converted into Dr Kurien's Award Gallery and has all the awards including Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan. It was inaugurated on November 26, 2000 which was Kurien's 80th birthday by his wife Molly Kurien.

Source: TOI

National Institute of Design filmmakers win laurels at Asia documentary festival

Two students of film and video communication of National Institute of Design (NID) won laurels at Jeevika Asia Livelihood Documentary Festival, New Delhi.

NID officials said Diamond Band, a documentary project film by Samridhi Dasot, won the first prize in Student Category at the festival. Another documentary, Hide Under My Sole by Shradha Jain, got special mention of the jury.

"The film revolves around a brass band called Diamond Band from Jamalpur area of Ahmedabad playing at weddings. While most people know these bands only for their performances, I wanted to explore what lies behind these entertaining performances. I planned to dig into the lives of the performers, their interests, what they feel about their profession and life," said Samridhi. She was guided by Arun Gupta, a faculty of film and video communication.

Shradha's film covered craft pockets making famous 'Jutis' situated in the Malwa belt of Punjab. "The film applauds the artisans who have put their heart and soul into making Jutis. More than the physical endurance, it highlights the emotional aspects of the craftsmen involved," said an NID official.

The festival was held from August 31 to September 2. It was ninth edition of the documentary festival dealing with issues of livelihood in Asia. Organized by the Centre for Civil Society, the festival is part of larger livelihood freedom campaign 'Jeevika' which helps develop public policy measures to clear the path for free enterprise.

Source: TOI

National Institute of Design students to add colour to the lives of underprivileged kids

Students of the National Institute of Design (NID) will bring cheer to underprivileged children in Ahmedabad this weekend. The students plan to paint the walls of an education centre in Jamalpur on July 14 and 15.

Arzoo, an education and activity centre created to provide knowledge and livelihood base for the underprivileged children, had approached NID for the cause.

Tanishka Kachru, faculty of exhibition design at NID, said, "The students have taken up the cause as they found it to be a nice way to make the kids happy. The walls at Arzoo's Jamalpur centre will be painted with murals to brighten up the place."

Arzoo has support from other non government organisations like Manav Sadhna, Yuva Unstoppable and SRISTI.

The education center has been created with an aim to bridge the gap between communities after the riots in 2002. Arzoo provides basic education to children in the age group of five to fifteen years at a nominal fee of Rs 10. These children are mostly rag pickers, labourers and street hawkers. Students who cannot afford their fee are allowed to pay it in instalments.

Mudita Pasari, a student of exhibition design at NID, said, "The student group is excited to do something for these children. Initially, eight of us had come together for this project but now there are more enthusiastic students from across batches at NID. We will paint the inside walls with murals and also make the entrance of the centre bright and more visible, as it is in a basement."

The group has been conducting meetings for conceptualising the theme around which the murals will be painted.

Source: TOI

National Institute of Design, Italy students brainstorm on inclusive city public spaces

How would be the city's now famous heritage walk look like if the streets were paved in a way that could guide the tourist on his own, while respecting the residents' privacy.

These ideas kept a group of 30 students from National Institute of Design (NID) and University of Ferrara, Italy, busy for the past fortnight. NID's Gandhinagar campus played host to the students from Italy for the workshop on the theme of 'Accessible mobility for public spaces & cultural heritage in Ahmedabad.' As part of the workshop, the students got divided into four groups and took up projects to provide revamp plans for Blind People's Association, Adalaj stepwell, Geeta Mandir bus depot and heritage walk of the city.

Vipul Vinzuda, coordinator, transportation and automobile design, NID, said that the project aimed at inclusivity. "We chose the projects very carefully to provide diversity and local relevance. We wanted the students to get sensitized to the local situation, needs and feasible solutions, while keeping in mind all user groups," he said.

Professor Giuseppe Mincolelli from University of Ferrara said that it was a valuable experience for Italian students. "The purpose of design is social improvement and we worked to improve the heritage conservation and public services. We believe that with intelligent design solutions, we can improve accessibility and inclusiveness," he said.

Aravinda D K, a transport design student, who was part of the heritage walk project, said that they have proposed an idea for paved streets and mobile dustbins on the route. "We had to work on narrow streets so we also devised plans for autos that can be used as emergency vehicles and signal towers for the visitors from outside," he said. Abhishek Kumar, who worked on Geeta Mandir project, said that the group pitched in for colour-coded pathways for passengers and revamped parking plans to decongest the area.

Source: TOI

Tea body withdraws protest against National Institute of Design construction

Chief minister Tarun Gogoi on Thursday urged the Caah Shramik Mukti Sangram Samiti (CSMSS) and Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) to withdraw their agitation against the construction of National Institute of Design (NID), assuring them that his government will fulfil their 14-point charter of demands.

The CM's office, in a letter to the Jorhat administration, asked the administration to convey Gogoi's decision to the two organizations. The organizations hailed the government's decision and decided to withdraw their agitation against the national project. The organizations were opposing the construction of NID on land belonging to tea gardens.

Deputy Commissioner (Jorhat) Ramesh Chand Jain said, "The CM took the decision to fulfil the demands of the organizations after meeting the representatives of the organizations at his residence in Guwahati on June 17."

CSMSS president Muktinath Gowala said, "We welcome Gogoi's decision to fulfil our demands within three months."

Source: TOI

National Institute of Design workshop to give bamboo a makeover

Bamboo, the poor man's timber, is being re-invented. It has moved beyond furniture to finding applications as cycles and rocking chairs in toy industry, makeshift houses during disaster management, cottages and kiosks in the tourism sector, lifestyle accessories and even in the agarbatti industry. To rekindle interest in the humble grass, the National Institute of Design in Bangalore is starting a 10-day course to impart skills on bamboo products from Tuesday, September 18, which is also World Bamboo Day.

"The workshop is for artisans, designers and architects and just about anyone who wants to learn how to make bamboo products," says Susanth CS, activity vice chairperson, Outreach Programmes Co-ordinator, Design for Retail Experience, NID.

The workshop will teach the basics. "Depending on their requirement, the learners can modify it. In Karnataka, bamboo grows in abundance. The only need is to make artisans aware of it being an eco-friendly, renewable natural resource and cost-effective product," says Kamesh Salam, former president of the World Bamboo Organisation.

Experts rue that bamboo is still considered a poor man's timber and therefore a substitute. Without a market of its own, bamboo is today struggling to find feet in the market.

Bamboo houses in Jharkhand

As part of an agreement with Jharkhand government, NID will help build bamboo houses for its Silk Board employees. A team from NID will first study the requirements and availability structure before embarking on the five-year project, wherein they will give a new dimension to bamboo houses.

World Bamboo Day

On World Bamboo Day, the aim is to spread the awareness of bamboo globally and especially in Asia, the storehouse of the plant. The World Bamboo Organization aims to bring the potential of bamboo to a more elevated exposure - to protect natural resources and the environment, to ensure sustainable utilization, to promote new cultivation of bamboo for new industries in regions around the world, as well as promote traditional uses locally for community economic development. World Bamboo Day was declared by the Thai Royal Forest Department on 18 September in Bangkok, during the 8th World Bamboo Congress.

Source: TOI