Report

1. We would like to invite you to the 2019 edition of
International Open Elective workshops at the NID
Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar, and Bengaluru campuses.
The theme “GANDHI & DESIGN” seeks to celebrate
Mahatma Gandhi’s thoughts on holistic development
and further challenge the student participants, to
expand their insights about the wisdom of
wholeness in context of creative creation, so that
they are able to recognise it, appreciate it. and use it
constructively to create a meaningful future.
INTERNATIONAL
OPEN ELECTIVE 2019
ABOUT IOE 2019
The National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad, India
announces the 7th edition of the International Open
Electives 2019. This will be a two-week long series
of interdisciplinary workshops collective which will
be held across the NID’s Ahmedabad, Bengaluru,
and Gandhinagar campuses.
IMPORTANT DATES
Last date for submission of proposals:
Monday, 24 September 2018
Date of the elective:
21st January 2019 to 1st February 2019
PARTICIPATING STUDENTS OF NID
Students of Bachelors of Design
Students of Masters of Design
Exchange students of our MoU partner Institutes
ORGANISING TEAM, IOE 2019
Mr. Amresh Panigrahi, Mr. Austin Davis,
Dr. Aneesha Sharma, Mr. Anoop Saxena
Mr. Jagadish Kumar V, Mr. Shafique Afzal
“GANDHI AND
DESIGN”
CELEBRATING
THE WISDOM OF
WHOLENESS
WORKSHOP TRACKS
Track l: Diffusing the Differences
Track ll: Strengthen the Roots
Track lll: Portrait of the Earth
Track lV: Gandhi and Timelessness
Track V: Self-Sustainability
For more details, Visit:
To register: http://openelective.nid.edu/
For enquiries: openelective@nid.edu
Institute Website: http://nid.edu
CALL FOR PROPOSALS

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national institute of design
open electives 2019
gandhi and design
celebrating the wisdom of wholeness
proposal

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IOE 2019
national institute of design, ahmedabad, india
gandhi and design
celebrating the wisdom of wholeness
identifying india
PROPOSAL
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introduction
From the communication designer’s perspective, India is not only a colourful nation, but is also
characterized by a dynamic and rich history.
As it seems Gandhi’s self branding helped the ‘Father of the Nation’ to nudge India’s identity
(and thus its future) and bring freedom across the world.
Just one example (out of many): at the time – turbulent times! – Mahatma Gandhi positioned
himself in the centre while consequently dressed in WHITE.
workshop
The workshop aims to explore the difference between branding and identity design in an active
mode.
Obviously this workshop offers the opportunity to research a number of fascinating
interrelations, like for instance ‘history/presence/future’, ’Gandhi/India’, ‘Gandhi/his audience’,
the participant/Gandhi, the participant/locality, the participant/a possible (local) audience.
However, all participants are requested to apply inititial research to their own design practice.
branding versus identity design
As it seems the main difference between Branding and Identity Design are:
– Branding is all about perception. A Brand is (or should be) connected with an audience, and
aims appreciation (or symphathy) and consumers ‘loyalty’ by provoking ‘emotion’.
– Identity Design is emphasising ‘value(s)’ and ‘ambition’ and presents a perspective.
branding scenario
• wants to be distinctive.
• wants to be present.
• aims at appreciation.
identity scenario
– wants to connect; to establish links.
– wants to be transparent.
– aims at relevance.
outcomes (deliverables)
• 1. Two posters:

4. A
– Historic perspective. Non-fiction. A poster (A0) featuring the self branding of Mahatma
Gandhi, while visualising his vision concerning the future (the identity) of the nation (India).
B
– The future. Fiction. A poster (A0) featuring the participant, while visualising the participant’s
vision concerning the future (the identity) of his/her place of birth somewhere in India.
• 2. A process book revealing the participants research, thinking, desicion taking, and
reasoning, and
• 3. a short video (max 30 seconds). The participant’s statement putting this all in perspective.
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resources
• Cauwenberge, Renaat van (Total Identity, 2015). 10 Models for Identity & Branding.
• Olins, Wally (2000). Trading Identities: Why Countries and Companies are Taking on Each
Others' Roles.
• Olins Wally (2003). On Brand.
• Olins, Wally (2010). The Brand Handbook.
• Thaler, Richard H. and Sunstein, Cass R. (2009). Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health,
Wealth and Happiness.
• Naipaul, V. S. (2017). India. Picador Classic (The trilogy: ‘A Wounded Civilization’, ‘An Area
of Darkness’, ‘A Million Mutinies Now’).

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national institute of design
open electives 2019
gandhi and design
celebrating the wisdom of wholeness
confirmation

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national institute of design
open electives 2019
gandhi and design
celebrating the wisdom of wholeness
to prepare
three questions

10. amresh@nid.edu
aneesha.sharma@gmail.com
Dear Amresh,
Good morning!
Could you please pass this email on to the participants of Identifying India?
If possible before the weekend?
Please confirm.
Thank you!
+
Dear students,
Good morning.
I am exited to travel to India and to meet you soon at Gandhinagar Campus of the National
Institute of Design during the International Open Electives 2019.
As you all know, the studying/working time for Identifying India is alas limited and I will
bring an ambitious programme . . .
Therefore I am requesting you TO START PREPARING a little for the workshop via this mail.
During the first two days, after our introduction, I’d like to focus on three main but separate
questions:
1
How would you introduce India’s history (1918-2018) to me in ten slides?
What, which subjects would you select. What would you emphasize and how does Mahatma
Gandhi (1869 -1948) fit in all this?
Note: I am not so much interested in a perfect historic overview . . .
I am more interested in your view on India’s progress during the years.
2
Besides the cliché’s, what do you know (in depth) about Mahatma Gandhi (1869 -1948)?
3
How would you describe a meaningful professional future in India for yourself?
Or maybe I should reformulate: given Gandhi’s thinking and the status of the planet, how
will you initiate a meaningful professional future in India for yourself?
To prepare I started reading:
• Attenborough, Richard (1982). The Words Of Gandhi.
• Gandhi, Arun (2017). The Gift. Ten spiritual lessons.
• Gandhi, Mahatma (2008). The essential writings.
I recommend you to read a book or two as well.
Meanwhile I am attaching the comprehensive: 10 models for Identity & Branding by Renaat
Van Cauwenberge.
Cheers,
stephan saaltink

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national institute of design
open electives 2019
gandhi and design
celebrating the wisdom of wholeness
INDIA

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national institute of design
open electives 2019
gandhi and design
celebrating the wisdom of wholeness
to prepare
past – present – future

20. nid
Gandhi & Design
workshop
Identifying India
motto
“Be the change you wish to see in the world.” (Gandhi)
be aware of
“Wholeness as a philosophy asks individuals to look within themselves, to understand
the world inside of us before we try to understand the outer world. Retaining the
uniqueness we have, reflecting on the thoughts we generate and starting a
conversation with ourselves are all practices that immerge from the concept of
wholeness.” ananya_p@nid.edu
#
1
phase
To prepare.
discipline
Storytelling.
task
A short visual presentation of ?? slides.
title
= the name of your home town (= the first place you remember).
sections
3
namely
Past.
Present.
Future.
presentation
one image one slide
don’t forget
the begin (title slide)
the end (thank you)
perspective
You decide.
note
Your home town probably changed.
How? And what about the future?
Especially if you apply our motto?

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national institute of design
open electives 2019
gandhi and design
celebrating the wisdom of wholeness
poster
Historic perspective (non-fiction). Research based. A poster – the first out of two – featuring
(the self branding of) Mahatma Gandhi, while visualising an aspect of his vision concerning
life in and/or the future of India.

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national institute of design
open electives 2019
gandhi and design
celebrating the wisdom of wholeness
mid way

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national institute of design
ioe 2019
gandhi and design
celebrating the wisdom of wholeness
identifying india
‘be the change you wish to see in the world’ (gandhi)
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done (M21-S26)
1
A short visual presentation of circa 15 slides, featuring your home town (or village) in three
sections, namely past, present and future.
2
Historic perspective (non-fiction). A poster – the first out of two – featuring (the self branding
of) Mahatma Gandhi, while visualising an aspect of his vision concerning life in and/or the
future of India.
to do (S27-T31)
3
The future. Fiction. Given our mottto ’Be the change you wish to see in the world”, while
‘referencing’ (or ‘mirroring’) the poster you just finished – a second poster – featuring you,
while visualising your vision concerning the change you wish to see in your home town (or
village) and thus indirectly about the future of India.
4
Your statement putting this all in perspective. A short video-message (handheld divice – max
30 seconds) for social media (facebook, instagram, linkedin, et cetera).
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note
By Friday evening I will mail you a second worksheet for use on Sunday and/or Monday like
mentioned in the Planning.
notenote
By Monday morning 28, I expect you to deliver the .pdf of your first poster to the Print Office.
But if you do not mind, before you head to the office, I would like to check the status of the
document . . . Thank you!

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national institute of design
open electives 2019
gandhi and design
celebrating the wisdom of wholeness
happy republic day

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national institute of design
open electives 2019
gandhi and design
celebrating the wisdom of wholeness
poster
The future. Fiction. Given our mottto ’Be the change you wish to see in the world”, while
‘referencing’ (or ‘mirroring’) the poster you just finished – a second poster – featuring you,
while visualising your vision concerning the change you wish to see in your home town (or
village) and thus indirectly about the future of India.

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national institute of design
open electives 2019
gandhi and design
celebrating the wisdom of wholeness
both posters in sequence

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national institute of design
open electives 2019
gandhi and design
celebrating the wisdom of wholeness
presentation
amresh panigrahi, ms krishna patel, vijai singh katiyar

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national institute of design
open electives 2019
gandhi and design
celebrating the wisdom of wholeness
my pleasure

50. statement
1
In The Science of the Artificial, first published in 1969, Herbert Spencer wrote ‘Everyone
designs who devices courses of action aimed at changing existing situations into preferred
ones’.
Gandhi launched many interesting, sometimes provoking thoughts and once stated: ‘Be the
change you want to see in the world’.
IDENTIFYING INDIA is founded on these two somehow related quotes.
Although maybe, to complete, I should mention that Paola Antonelli, the influential design
conservator of MoMa, once stated – I think it was in 2009 in the movie Objectfied – ‘One of the
designer’s main tasks will be to help people with change’.
2
The so called design process can be divided in a number of stages, like for instance: 1. to
prepare, 2. to research, 3. to develop, 4. to deliver, and 5. to impliment, or in another words,
1. problem forming, 2. problem finding, 3. problem setting, and 4. problem solving.
Elsewhere I experienced students have difficulties to connect creative research with the next
phase, for instance ideation. Students in India are no exception.
During the years I discovered it helps to ask students to round up research by requesting a
deliverable. (Compare the Academic or Scientific poster as the round-up for Academic
research.)
Hence the reason to divide Indentifying India into two, and to request not one but two A0
posters. Given the brief students first had to inform us about their home town or village
somewhere in India, and to research Gandhi in depth to catch the essence of his thinking.
Meanwhile, given the motto of Identifying India – ‘Be the change you want to see in the world’
– students were requested to transpose, to clarify & to communicate WHAT? change he/she
want to see in . . . India.
In other words, in the end ALL were encouraged to deliver a statement, possibly a call for
action, and a communicative second poster.
3
Aside, for discussion, in a separate informal lecture concerning FUTURE on Tuesday evening at
NID (Gandhinagar campus), while spreading the notion that design is always concerning the
future, and paraphrasing You Are The Future, I quesioned why? most students are not really
interested in the future.
Design education should, in my opinion, therefore focus much more on FUTURE, for instance
by introducing courses like Worldbuilding, and Design Fiction.
Besides, in my opinion, given the time frame and the status of the planet, by now it is really
necessary to stretch the designers singular repertoire. That is, as it seems we know only
‘yes’ (we can). Did you ever met a designer who stated NO, I don’t think this product or
service is of any relevance?
I am sorry, please excuse me, but since You Are The Future, it is you, who will need to balance
and add ’no’. Better start preparing . . . simply because sufficient resources will not be
available all the time any longer.

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national institute of design
open electives 2019
gandhi and design
celebrating the wisdom of wholeness
thank you