2. DIPLOMA PROJECT PROPOSAL 2013
PORT BLAIR – SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT PROGRAMME
AKASH DAS BHOUMIK
VCD
Andaman & Nicobar Environment Team (ANET) & Port Blair Municipal
Corporation (PBMC) have come together on the solid waste management
plan for Port Blair and the larger Andaman & Nicobar Islands. The project has
come to a point where a design intervention is needed in different levels,
one of which includes public awareness.
It would include the design & production of multi lingual
communication materials like logo, billboards, flyers, posters, bus panels,
murals, movies etc., for use in multiple locations - buses, houses, industries,
hotels, schools, shops, offices, markets, public areas, tourist spots, jetties, fish
landing centers, events.
CONCEPT SUMMARY NOTE
Waste and segregation of waste at source has been affecting us from long
and not surprisingly we have started to feel the effects. As more and more
landfills start to overflow one can’t help but imagine the effect it’s going to
have in the long term.
Andaman & Nicobar, many might consider it to be a paradise,
untouched and scenic, a place with beautiful corals and marine life with
tropical Islands and abundance of wild life has now officially become a part of
mismanaged waste, various landfills spreading out in the sea or the Islands
itself. It’s such a grave problem that even the local municipal board PBMC is
facing legal actions against itself.
To face this issue head on a public awareness program is needed
which will help in educating the locals on the issue and the management of
waste and segregation at source through various design media of which
involvement of visual communication will play a big role.
STATUS OF DISCIPLINE AND GAP IDENTIFICATION
The technique to generate public awareness has already been tried and
tested in various other cities like Bangalore, Mumbai, Kolkata, Jaipur and
many more with a combination of success and failures on its path. Many
would describe this kind of an attempt to be a prompt but unsatisfactory in
3. deriving results, but that also depends on the extent of the awareness and
the uniqueness of it. This would be one of the first attempts in the city of Port
Blair and is sure to rise curiosity amongst the locals as it’s a small and close
knit city the effect and success of the project will be of a far greater value
than any of its counterpart. The challenge will also lie on the sustainability of
the project and how it would be taken forward after the original design
timeline is met
TERRITORY TO BE EXPLORED
As a designer it would be of utmost important to be pro active and to be
open up to ideas that will help in a unique design language for people to
understand and implement.
The questions that I would have to keep in mind during my research and field
visits would be:
1. The graveness and extent of waste management.
2. Measures already in place to tackle the problem.
3. What are the various issues that involve mismanagement?
4. What would be the best measure to spread the awareness?
5. To try incorporating the tried and tested path or experimenting with
the new.
6. Whether to include the local knowledge already gathered or to have
field visits to further understand and develop a solution.
7. Incorporating only the local or other languages in use.
8. Best way to spread the awareness that would be easy and quick to
understand.
9. How to gain significant awareness amongst people without
manipulating the message?
10. To follow the same design language in all the communication
materials or to change it to break monotony.
The methods I would follow in my research would be:
1. 1-2 compulsory field visits.
2. Meet officials at ANET & PBMC to further understand the need of the
program.
3. To have a small workshop, which will include local residents so as to
create an initial buzz about the program and take in their feedback.
4. Brainstorming mind maps and documentation throughout the design
research process.
4. 5. Drawing connections from programs already in place and
incorporating them in the design.
TENTATIVE TIMELINE
The timeline would mostly be dictated by ANET, as it’s a client-based
project, which will include 1-2 field visits, research and documentation, Initial
experiments, observation, implementation, final outcome and the result.
Though here is a tentative timeline to explain the same:
JUNE
- Start initial research by looking up at other programs.
- Understanding the problem and the gravity of it.
- Online researches to further develop an understanding towards waste
and its segregation.
JULY
- Start with a field trip to Port Blair and a keen observation.
- Interviews and meetings with the Local community, PBMC and ANET.
- Understanding the need and the language for the initial awareness.
- Photography evidence to help in research.
AUGUST
- Developing mind maps and preparing a plan for the extent and
technique of the awareness program.
- Creating an initial buzz by either snippets of information or guerilla
marketing skills.
- To start creating a visual language for the program to take shape.
SEPTEMBER
- Creating the first prototypes and testing them.
- Have another field trip to see the extent of success and failures and
take note and make changes where necessary.
- Further improvement and creating workshops which will serve as an
introduction to the program so that when executed it doesn’t feel like
an alien concept.
OCTOBER
- To have all the final products ready.
- Any changes and improvement should have been executed to start
the campaign.
5. - Undertaking the public awareness program from all means possible
and discussed and executing it.
- Finally campaign begins.
RESOURCES
Design tools required for exploration and implementation is still not clear but
it would mostly contain a lot of print and digital media. Also if required
photography to help in the design process. Only after a meeting with ANET
officials would it be clear if any other tools would be required if termed
necessary.
EXPECTED OUTCOME
The expected outcome is still unsure as there are different medias to
work with but it should mostly consist of print and digital media, which
is as follows:
Design and production of communication (public awareness) materials
for waste management system across Port Blair.
- Requires an understanding of the current and proposed waste
management systems in the A and N Islands, its ecological impact and
the desired plan.
- Multilingual visual materials (could include) - logos, letterhead, flyers,
brochures. Booklets, posters, billboards, murals, etc. for multiple
audiences
- Material will be used in public awareness campaigns run by RWA's,
NGO's Youth Clubs, Mahila Mandals, Public Health orgs and by PBMC
itself
- For use in multiple locations - buses, houses, industries, hotels,
schools, shops, offices, markets, public areas, tourist spots, jetties, fish
landing centers, events etc.
7. JULY
10th - 15th Gathering information, literature,
research, meeting members from ANET
16th - 18th Skype chat, sharing information
& research, mind maps,
comparative study
19th 1st Seminar
20th - 25th Take in feedback and incorporate
it within research. Formulating
research plan for the first
field visit
26th - 31st Understanding the varied users,
their persona and the needs.
Create target audience
AUGUST
1st - 5th
6th - 7th
8th
9th
11th - 21st
Try formulating plan for
sustainability of the project.
Try to figure design language
for the campaign
Share gathered information
with team. Take in feedback,
rectify errors & fill gaps
2nd Seminar
Feedback from the seminar
& incorporate it. Gearing up
for 1st field visit
Field visit - research, data
gathering, photo
documentation, data analysis,
meetings & workshops.
8. 22nd
23rd
24th - 30th
AUGUST
Back in Bangalore
3rd Seminar
Collating all the research
data & sharing with team
members for filteration
SEPTEMBER
1st - 4th
5th - 12th
13th
14th - 19th
20th - 26th
Work on the campaign
and design process
First set of design and
iterations including logo,
letter head, posters etc
4th Seminar
Work on feedback & start
final iterations
Create final layouts
27th Final Seminar
9. OCTOBER
1st - 7th
8th
10th - 12th
7th - 9th
Final changes after feedback from seminar
and client, if required. 2nd field visit to
kick start the project
Final Submission
Internal Juries
NOVEMBER
External juries
SEPTEMBER
28th - 31st Changes after feedback
10. What Is the Meaning of Waste Segregation?
Waste segregation is the process of dividing garbage and waste products in an effort to reduce,
reuse and recycle materials.
Waste Management
Ultimately waste segregation boils down to waste management.
Waste management is the process of disposing, processing, recycling
and refining waste materials. Waste segregation is a big part of the
waste management process.
Recyclables
Biodegradable
Batteries
Electronics
Sanitary
