3 idiots

Again a nice movie by Vidhu Vinod Chopra and very well acted by Aamir Khan. May call it sequence of Taare Zameen pe! A really nice and required social message to parents. I have seen the victims of such bringing and values, I am fortunate to have a wonderful father who always said its not everybody's job to be a doctor or an engineer, even pan walla do a job and he was ready to proudly accept a pan walla son also. He always allowed me make my own mistakes so that I can learn on own, guess thats what make me today what I am, thanks dad. Its really suffocating and sad that parents pass on their wish list as a duty to their kids.

Well about movie I would first like to talk about my choice of cinema. I generally prefer parallel cinema, which is practical and real over main stream or commercial cinema which is more of drama and fantasies. I really like the plot of movie and Vidhu V. Chopra who is great in mixing up the two, parallel and main stream cinema. What conflict with the movie is its definition of success. I perceive the movie in beginning has asked to compare success with happiness rather than statistics of account data or in movie language the race. They said we are racing to win rather than just enjoying the race. I remember my cricket coach who taught me, dont play to score, play to just enjoy and runs will come on own. Though I didnt won the race but I enjoyed. And thats what my success is. I really improved a lot with that thought, I didnt become Tendulkar but Kunal for sure. Even the movie has given the same thought but at end when Chotu (the real past of Rencho) again become a Phunsuk Wangdu (with 400 patents, and a statistically successful scientist) then guess it again calculated the success in the same meter of quantity rather than quality of being happy. I would have been much happy if the Chotu would have remain just a teacher with the pride of educating young ones with new, unbiased and non comparative education system. That itself is an success. But I guess thats what make it a main stream cinema and so a widely acceptable ending.

"If you focus on result you will never change, but if you focus on change you will get the result." -Jack Dixon.

Mumbai Local

Today after long time went for movie with two more idiots, 3 idiots. What a postural journey to reach the theater, honored by Mumbai local trains. Mumbai, what I like about this city is its pace, understanding, and functionality. I don't know about political definition of Mumbaikars, but what I felt in this span of few months is its very helpful and functional behaviour. Ask for help they will surely revert, many times coming out of their way to help. Nothing gets wasted here, space, advice, time, experience, anything.

I hardly traveled in the city but whenever did through local trains it was a fun ride. Sometime standing in such a funny postures that it can easily relate to any yoga assan or bharatnattyam dance posture, some times even the composition of patterns of mob around you seems very funny and exotic! I really can make out the difference between variety of cottons now with a rub in my face, can differentiate the smell between Ariel washed and Surf Excel ki dhulai, believe me such a close encounter even with women can also be suffocating! You can smell any Parachute, Bajaj Almond, Bhrinraj, Vatika or Lifebuoy, Lux, Cinthol, any damn FMCG, thankfully except the toothpastes! My friends said I m lucky to not traveled in summer, its breath choking sometime.

Other than that is those interesting and masala stories or episodes you heard while on move. Like, office politics, 30's filthy stories, whispering "me too" stories, the brief stories (vodafone ka chota recharge wali), ya.. hmmm... I know stories (rest is not allowed by the speaker), or just hmm.. stories (the rest is over ruled here, strictly but willingly, by both parties), then I wish stories (smiling with earphones on), Ekta's tortured 40's age group, occupied with either calculators or policies (neither willing to go home nor office), then the blank retirement plan policies stories about to or late 50's.

But today's story was away from it. It has a father and his young son (about 10 years), standing at door of train, grabbing a pole between door, father trying to cover him from all possible sides and watching him with a wet bird eye view. Trying to show him city through the door, explaining nature, people, city, government, and society with his own tone and values. The father said its a sin to pluck a leaf, if it wont be green then no more water will go inside land. I wish he keep the words with him. I was happy to heard those, wish the rest have heard too. I was smiling with him, he said he has two kids, this is elder, very innocent and soft but younger is exactly opposite, he said with a floating eyes the younger is such a crook that can sell this whole compartment before we could realize. Then he talked about his visit to his relatives, who had a fight with their neighbour over an affair between young ones. Respecting the presence of his son he doesn't spoke much with his words but expressive enough through his eyes. He said many things few with frustrations and few with realizations, I choose to keep the rest with me and his young son.

One of those special friend. I cant even said bye to them, at Kurla station they got thrown away with mob and I was pushed inside.

Mumbai meri jaan!

Punishment

Was following Ruchika's case from last few days. Some opinion demands that Mr. Rathore, the cop, should be punished as hard as possible, and even the school who expelled her. A very disgusting and shameful episodes of act by those whoever supported that devil. Was also following the democratic drama of our law system who is struggling to punish a terrorist who had murdered number of innocents not in a four walls but under the blue sky after over a year. I was reading the comments below this news, must say our society still not cultured to be made public. People asking to murder him, shoot him, burn him and what not ways of being nothing else but being a terrorist in ourselves too!

Why do we punish? Do we punish to take revenge or do we punish to create fear? I perceive we punish to reinforce. We punish to make sure that it shouldn't be repeated in future. When mother punish her child the objective is and should not be the wrong act in itself but the learning, that it is not accepted and shouldn't be repeated. And realization make the culprit guilty not the punishment, and if its punishment, then its harmful for both. Fear can only stop you, cant correct you. I believe the realization is much healthy than the fear of punishment. Because we always remember our realizations but not surely our punishments. Fear is a paracetamol which can cure your fever but not the disease in itself.

I am not at all saying that culprits and terrorists shouldn't be punished or hanged, they should be punished as per our judiciary system but we should make this as an example of realization rather making it an example of fear or threat. Its healthy sometime to cut our some part of body for a healthy life.

"If people are good only because they fear punishment, and hope for reward, then we are a sorry lot indeed." - Albert Einstein

To vote: a right or duty.

Gujarat assembly on this Saturday has passed a controversial bill which makes, for the first time in the country, voting mandatory in local body polls.

If I really have to take a stand on this decision, I am against it. I agree democracy comes with responsibilities but I guess its a matter of choice rather than duty. Its my expression, its such a power if one is forced to use it then he may hurt himself and so the society too. Today we really have to choose between dacoit and murderer. And if so then the age to vote has really need to be reconsidered. Having interest and knowledge on politics is not mandatory. Its by our choice not by force.Thats why constitution says by the age of 21 I am allowed to marry but not should be married. Its my right to talk when I talk not my duty, and thats what freedom stands for. In news paper or website' polls we see sometime a third option called, can't say, that's not there for no reason. It represent the people who can't take stand or not willing to take stand on the provided opinion. It is a group in itself, they can't be avoided or crushed in a healthy democratic system. Strength of democracy is that its always reasonable or questionable by the public itself. Democracy is not about right and wrong, its about opinions. To respect each opinion is the strength of democratic system.

And more to it the system need to think that what could be its later consequences. In India its really tough to get your ration card and if you lucky enough to get it then please do check the names. Mostly they are spelt wrong and not for once or twice may be after you third correction. They even argue with the spelling of your name. They will tell you have a wrong name! And add to it India is full of various cultural practices, like in Gujarat we have tradition of writing the surname first then your name with sub title "Bhai" or "Ben", compulsorily. No matter how you wrote on your birth date certificate or school leaving certificate. So transferring your identity document is not an easy job in our system.Then Students like me who are out to study for years cant even think of applying for new voter ID in their new locations and how can you force them to vote for such a place where they are not in touch for a long time. Or else it will become a family practice like it is now. Most of us vote for that party for which our father stands and then so mother. Its like a newspaper habit from years my dad is reading Times of India so do I. Tomorrow if the government cancels my registration to vote from one locality then it becomes its responsibility now to make sure that I get my registration from another locality also.

And if you really forcing us to vote then even government should be equal enough so that if it fails to provide us the opportunity then even they could be penalized for the same. But then for me its more of autocracy rather than democracy.

I believe the approach should be reverse, rather government make the polling so simple and easy that one on its own come to vote rather being dragged. A doctor can't force his patient to make him fit rather he should make the treatment so happy enough that he himself get on his own to fight with the disease. Forcing patient for medicine can cause an another severe disease too.

Sometimes, not taking a decision is the best decision.

Connected but still not in touch!

Just read an article from Pritish Nandy about technolgy. I agree to him with technology we keep on adding options to our life. I remember in my graduation I had ten chapters but our holy and kind university had given us option of five, meaning out of ten you can just read five chapters. But I aways respected a dialogue from Antonio Banderas, work smarter not harder. So I chose to read three chapters which are much enough to score 35 and to promote. But wait, I was not just smart but smarter so use to ask my seniors for VIP and MIP questions (that stands for Very Important Questions and Most Important Questions). Infact sometime our Professors were so practical that they use to give us the MIP questions, rather answers.

Moral of the story: I am graduate!

The same with our life too today. We have so much of options that we don't even hug our freinds today on their birthday but do greet them with facebook's free gifts, hugs n kisses, and a day in advance and that also suggested and reminded by facebook. And the irony is, we call them social sites! We call our girl before the midnight, or in advance to ensure we are the first to call. But is this advance? I confess my most of words are while no one is around, its either my phone or the screen. With a status, I am available. Am I?
We even keep reminders of maa's birthday. If you think, logical but if we at all can feel, disgusting and shameful.

Wow! Just got a call from Maa now! Long live old lady. She is in our home town Gadhwal, said we have 24 hrs water pipe line to our homes now! Might sound remote but was very own and connected to me. I still remember my tiny steps to the stream for water with my Mama and Mosies (Ihate calling them my maternal uncles and aunties, sounds very English and uncultured to my culture), to avoid studies. It was not a stream actually, in Gadhwali we call it Gadhera, a tiny chilled water fall with force of heaven, meaning a city kid was suggested to sit at twenty feet distance so that he dont get a cold. But the polluted city boy was excited enough to feel the chillness which was totally different from his city's fridge water and much forceful and whiter than his city's garden pipes. So he jumped finally and get thrown away with the force of heavenly water but he felt something which he never felt on the city's water fountains or bath tubs. So he had his best of ever, finally got pulled by Mosies for his asthma, and it took seven days, pair of warm blanket and the warmest oil massage from his Nani to stood up after that bath.

But today no one goes to the Gadhera, as 24 hours water pipe lines are inside our houses now. I feel sad for city kids. Can't stop missing it. :(

If I think logically, we got connected but emotionally I feel very aloof. Is that connectivity? Today my uncles keep asking my father about his possesions. They force him to buy houses and invest money in real estate. I hate to call my house a property or a possesion, its just my house. I hate people valuing their houses.

So its not just about graduating and move on but how do you graduate.

I don't know why we stay online while we are off to line!

Approach to THE System

As in my earlier post I have shared my understanding of system, now I am quite into the topic so would like to write more on to it. I perceive system as a never ending process because it does not grow linearly but circularly. For example our life, we born as a kid and die also as a kid, I still remember how my family has cared for my grandparents during their old days, just like my niece.

I assume that there is only a system which is the system, but it has many folds or loops to simplify it. For example you study any subject it will be some how related to an another subject. Don't want to talk about design because it has all the damn thing from commerce, arts to science. We take economics, it has maths, then geography, it has chemistry, physics and biology too, we take biology it has chemistry, history, and god and doctors knows what not. So the point is everything in system is interrelated. Either we perceive it as a set of different systems to simplify it or just as a component of THE System.

We "also" as a smart living beings divide our work so that it can be simplify and could be done in more productive manner. Same as animals, while some have job to chase the prey, the others have to target while the chaser trap them to bring it to the attacker, and the other has their job of taking care of the young ones at an unsafe jungle. So the whole system got divided into sections which make it more simpler and fruitful.

But my point here is to understand THE System, which is only one because its complete. It is something like the concepts of western religion which says there is only one god. Here please notice I am not questioning the eastern thought of religion. I believe they both have different approach. The western thought is more about how to live a life or how THE System should function while the eastern is about what is life or what is THE System. May be thats why to understand life or THE System Hinduism ask us to believe in many of its component and to respect it equally because in system nothing is VIP, everything has its own importance and if one get disturbed the whole system gets affected. So rather believing in one god or THE System we believe in many gods or the different components of THE System. While the western thought directly approach to THE System or the god. May be thats why they say god doesn't have form because as I said system is never ending, and something which is never ending cant be defined in a form, guess until we don't realize its not linear its circular (still an assumption of mine). They believe in messengers of god, which I perceive as components of THE System. Don't want to talk more on religion because of my limited knowledge.

System thinking

System: (dictionary meaning)

1. an assemblage or combination of things or parts forming a complex or unitary whole.

2. any assemblage or set of correlated members

When we read about design thinking, design policies, and in larger scale even government and then even our nature too, we somehow got connected to a word called system.

What is system?

How much I understood about this word is that it’s a perspective of whole by networking its each and every component to make it complete cycle and always in a circle. Nothing is waste and nothing has more importance than the other because it’s all linked, though there could be priorities. So if u disturb one the other will be affected and if he then the next too so the whole cycle. It’s always a cyclical process rather than linear. And why circle because its always uniformed, balanced, and never ending (so also has no start).

For example say our body, when do we get fever? Fever is not a disease it’s a symptom, if some function of body get disturbed, it’s in the response of that malfunctioning so that we can be alerted and repair that malfunctioning. But suppose if we do not get fever even during a malfunctioning of our body system then probably we will end up diagnosing our most of diseases in very later stages, which could be fatal sometime.

The same thing can be applied to our society system also like, riots, outbursts, strikes, pre -elections, frauds, wars, failure of law and order and many more such violent and destructive responses are nothing else but simply a failure of not diagnosing the fever earlier.

Same concept applies to our philosophy of life too! What is Yein Yang? It’s all about balance so it’s about system. What is the concept of Bramha, Vishnu and Mahesh? Again same the balance, one is to start life, the other to move life and the last to complete it so that it can start again!

Now if we go back to our daily office life, the marketing life, we will find this there too! What is marketing? It’s also a cycle, start from target audience then to processes, then manufacturers and finally to consumer, which is now a customer. And to make business again the customer again gets in trap of target audience. But in marketing the trick is to keep open the loop though the circle is complete, it’s actually same but in micro view it looks as the loop is open but it’s not. The trick is to overlap rather leaving open same as the other. As I said the system doesn't work on its own it works with each of its component and nothing is waste. Can say in system there are no start point and the end point. Like our mother nature!

Another thought to describe it, could be the number zero. What is zero? It’s a restart!

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31…

Now if you think1 as start then what is zero and if it’s zero then it has no value to itself! And if its zero then what about integers. Mathematically we denote infinity as n, and if n is a value then there will be n+1 too, and so n+n also, which will be n in itself!

Albert Einstein has said, “Mathematics is the way to nirvana.” Guess could be true! Till then let’s respect infinity!

Journey from 800 to 1,00,000.

Today is the proud day of Indian transportation history, 14 Dec. On 14^th Dec 1983 Smt. Indira Gandhi handed over the keys of the FIRST Maruti 800 to Shri Harpal Singh at the spanking new Maruti Udyog plant in Gurgaon. That little white car set a million hearts on fire. The Indian roads became cheerful, colourful and full of energy. The joy of motoring was finally here!

The journey of this common man* car began with many dreams, ideas, and thoughts. As far as I knew the idea of making a car was of Mr. Sanjay Gandhi. He had a team of handful engineers with whom he did his design processes and few prototyping. One can be seen below with Mr. Sanjay Gandhi and an engineer of his team.

Now after two and half decades of that pride moment Mr. Ratan Tata has launched his Tata Nano just worth Rs. One lakh. He says it was his dream to come up with such an affordable car. He really did his best to execute his dream into reality by providing such a low cost car to the Indian market, which was almost an impossible task for the western manufacturers. Few people even called it an innovation on its own. I must say a great example of engineering with a very Indian thought of low cost.

But do we really require it? The world is recognizing us as an economically most influential country. I know the ground reality quite look different but though it is not. We are moving and progressing with the same democratically corrupted system which is incredible. I remember a quote by our Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh in an international visit where he said he agrees we are not as fast as Chinese but surely we can’t adopt their value system for the sake of growth (Democracy Vs Communism). I really felt very proud of that statement, well said.

So I see this as we have a grown and huge market with a poor infrastructure system which makes us slow. I perceive we don’t have shortage of capital but an infrastructure surely. We as a growing economy aren’t and shouldn’t be asking for cost effective products rather we demand for quality life. In a growing economy our basic needs are taken for granted so that we can build for quality life and that’s what differentiate a developing economy from under developed economy. So I don’t agree to a concept of one lakh rupees car because it’s not a matter of affordance but of a poor infrastructure. We are already facing many other problems like space congestion, traffic, teenage driving, fuel prices etc. And introducing such a product will definitely made the infrastructure weaker while it should have been vice versa. Just as a thought, I will rather stand for a car costing much higher (may be 8 to 10 lakh+) so that we can promote public transport and can lessen the unnecessary ownerships of four wheelers in a family. This is a waste of resources and an unnecessary complexity to our system.

Would like to share a poster designed by me for the topic, be responsible to your environment. The third winning entry in India Design Festival.

Design

When we say the word design, the first reaction come to you is something uncommon, different, unique, out of box, out of blue, long hairs, beard, crazy, magical, not art but almost an art! For instance when the telephones came in our country it was almost an avtaar of Naraad Muni rather than an innovation! But today even a school going kid know how to fix it up that little avtaar and make him run! The wonders of Narad Muni don’t amuse us today, not even to kids. The cycle has moved to a state where everybody want to be well informed and knowledgeable rather than sitting beside and simply "just" amusing it.

I agree there was a life when people and cycle was looking for something new, dramatic, and creative or rather to an extent something magical! But now I believe the cycle has started demanding for something simple and transparent. Today consumer even want to look at inside the product, how it functions, how it is build, how it can be repaired, or checked. He wants to understand his product throughout inside to out. I guess design is becoming a mass language, or technology is getting transparent. Today most of us understand what is engineering, economics, psychology, and so the design. For example the new campaign of Onida which replaced the devil with a tagline "tumko dekha toh yeh design aya."

I feel even we as designer should start opening and sharing rather making it a miracle while it could be taught as a trick. When we know people have started learning tricks then why to showcase magic and become fool later. Why not stand and work as Mr. Mandela or Mr. Gandhi rather than fictious League of Extraordinary Gentlemen!

I must say here my idea of design by now could be very idealist as I hardly have experience of market but just a design education. So I would rather work with market and get brushed up for more confined and practical idea of design to conclude my pure idea of design rather ideal idea of design.

By now would like to conclude my post with a great thought of Tom Peters, "Almost all quality improvement comes via simplification of design, manufacturing, layout, processes, and procedures."

Ecstasy of science.

There are many things in our surroundings and daily life which seems simple and very obvious but if someone ask you to present it, the first response will be, OMG! For example let say wind, can any one think of how to draw it! And I am not talking about art, I am talking about science. Meaning drawing with logic and facts rather weed! Please don't misunderstood me I have complete respect for all the three streams, Science, Art and Weed. They all have their own fun and ecstasy! Yes even science have that! Don't believe me? Have a look then, http://www.dwbowen.com/portfolio.html

Please note: The purpose of this post is not to promote any form of ecstasy but to share it! :)

Information Architecture

While doing a wayfinding project I got better understanding of information architecture. Its about prioritizing an information and presenting it in a sequential structure for a simple and linear flow. A very rational and calculative process from both the ends, here not just designers has to be smart but some of it is also expected from its users. For instance if someone is leaving to Pune from Ahemdabad by his car then he better ask for the next nearest destination rather than asking for way to Pune at Ahemdabad highway. In such case it wont be a designers fault if he face any difficulty. Till Mumbai he can be easily guided by highway signboards and just before reaching Mumbai he can see a signboard showing way to Pune express highway directly. Or else he can opt for GPS system too, possibly smarter and quicker but though on same principles of navigation.

In information architecture we make a system as per classification in primary, secondary and tertiary levels. We classify the priority of information and then as per their need we put them to their hierarchy. Suppose if you want to meet a friend of yours who stay at Santa Cruise, first we need to know is their any direct local transport to their and if yes then which will be affordable and smarter. Then after reaching at nearest railway station or bus stop you need to know a famous and nearest landmark to your friend's house. After reaching their we inquire about his building then at entrance we look for his floor and then flat number. Ting tong!

Then I thought about our postal address system, as per info architecture in our addresses the country should come then state, city, lane, building, floor and flat number respectively but then it will be difficult for the sender (MANGO man) to write an address in a reverse order. So that the postal department have a concept of pin code. PIN stands for Postal Index Number and the code is 6 digits long. The first digit of the PIN code indicates the region in which a given post office falls in. The second digit indicates the sub-region, and the third digit indicates the sorting district within the region. The final three digits are assigned to individual post offices.
Then the other problem came to my mind was the date format. We follow the dd/mm/yy which also has to be in reverse order but after googling the date format I came to know that there is a format which is yy.mm.dd called Big endian form which is said to be followed followed in Asian countries, Hungary and Sweden. YYYY-MM-DD is an ISO 8601 international standard and DD.MM.YYYY using dot as separator with this sequence has been defined by ISO 8601. I really amazed when I saw a ISO certification of date format, obvious but still.