Portfolio

Portfolio ~ Anusha IyerProjects from Visual Communication design at Srishti :: Nokia :: Work at Just Dial and Laurea :: Architecture studies :: Miscellaneous projects

Visual Communication design :: Information design

Four day journal

A journal that visually (with absolutely no words) tells the reader the objective and subjective facts of 4 days of our life.

The process for this exercise included gathering information, sorting, planning, visual information iterations and symbol design.

1: The face shows whether I liked the food and the plate shows what time I had the food

2: Event module: ~ activity, ~ emotion, ~ associated thought; ~ music at the time of doing the activity, ~ details and progress of the activity

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Visual Communication design :: Information design

Life - time axis

Another exercise in information design, where we had to map our life on two axes - time and space. Single words were allowed only for labelling.

I chose to depict my life using the theme of sound. The information has been divided into sound types and the information under each is represented in the form of a sound timeline.

1: Designing symbols

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Visual Communication design :: Motion typography

Looney Tune - Type in Motion video

Coming up with ways to show moving type for a message or quote. This involved doing a number of experiments involving a digital camera and anything around us - the sun, water, tablets, soap etc.

Some of the many experiments:

1: using motion of ink on water2: burning wood using magnifying glass3: turning a tape4: using the motion of CD-ROM tray5: setting tablets rolling

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Some frames from the final video.

Looney Tune - Type in Motion video

My text:

They might say you’re looney

but you can never be sure

unless you

let go!

Finally I chose to write with foam on the windshield of a car and erasing it with the wiper. I made good use of the materials and context to communicate the message.

In the process it was a learning in video editing software, filming, planning and creating an interesting visual with type and communicating a message effectively through this medium.

Visual Communication design :: Motion typography

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Visual Communication design :: Web design

Cook book turned website

We were to choose a data-heavy book and translate the contents of the book to a website using that metaphor.

The metaphor is Writing A Story.

The site has multiple ways of navigating and reaching recipes in a non-linear way.

This is done using mouse-overs and messages on the sticky notes, that navigates to other recipes based on the current recipe’s ingredients.

Visual Communication design :: Web design

Story building website

A website created with the help of PHP, MySQL, HTML and CSS. This website allows its users to build a story online. All one needs to do is register on the site, choose a genre of narrative and either build on an existing thread of a story or start a new story (thread).

Nokia :: User experience design

Music Masala

My final thesis project with Nokia.

Nokia wanted to understand the Indian music market market better and obtain some concepts to improve the user experience of music in India.

I concluded the project by generating four concepts, of which two were based on touch-screen technology and the other two on radio.

The radio concepts have been excluded due to the Non Disclosure Agreement.

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Concept of doodling on phone surface along with the currently playing track to record a visualisation for the song.

Nokia :: User experience design

Music Masala

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Concept of drumming one’s fingers on the phone with a track. More than two phones can be networked and used for percussion jamming.

Nokia :: User experience design

Music Masala

The process to arrive at the concepts involved participatory group sessions with a specific target users, gathering insights, identifying themes, creating personas and scenarios.

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1: Two personas representing two age groups 1:

Nokia :: User experience design

Music Masala

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Some of the various concepts that emerged

Nokia :: User experience design

Music Masala

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1: Interface for searching music2: My hypothesis of radio usage across various sectors of the country3: Chart showing music usage information gathered during user research4: Chart showing the classification of popular music, the various influences and other processed output.

Initial part of research involved studying about Indian music styles, learning about the music industry from industry experts and internet resources.

I tried to understand the views and usage patterns of the masses by interviewing as many people as I could.

Based on the information gathered, I classified popular music and also created a wireframe for searching music. The classifications in the search interface were also based on user research.

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Nokia :: Only Planet

Palmystery

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Mood boards depicting the values for the themes (left to right, clockwise): Society, Culture and Street/commercial

Taking the Indian concept of palm-reading, I devised a machine for Nokia’s Only Planet design project, that would scan a person’s hand to give out astrological information using algorithms.

The process was a straightforward one. We went out to collect values related to the society, culture and the commerce of India and showed them visually by making mood-boards. After sifting we froze on a bunch of values which would help us conceptualize and innovate with products or services which are Indian in concept, but useful for the global premium market.

Nokia :: Only Planet

Palmystery

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Some process sketches

Nokia :: Only Planet

Palmystery

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Final product: Detail sketch and 3D view on SketchUp

The device would chant mantras similar to the street astrologers in India. Moreover, the lights would add to the mysticism of the device.

This machine would be placed in premium public places like the airport and high-end shopping malls.

Nokia :: System design

U-Series

+ + This project for Nokia began with research in the realm of branding, but for me it ended in system conceptualizing.

The research/analysis itself had an elaborate process which lead to the crux of what Nokia is all about in our country.

Above: Part of the analysis after research; group work

Illustrations: depicting the positive and negative essences and how Nokia and its phones are perceived in India.From l to r, anti-clockwise: Imperfect match; Being yourself; Blind faith and No care

Nokia :: System design

U-Series

+ + Conceptualised an eco-system (product+service) to improve the mid-range of Nokia phones, whereby people can custom-order a phone based on their requirements and budget, by choosing it’s behaviour, style, functions and features.

The interface shows possible permutations and combinations of the above attributes.

This application would be available on the Nokia website, kiosks placed at important locations across cities or at Nokia stores, where personal assistance could be provided.

Once ready, the customised phone can be collected from a pre-determined location in proximity to the user.

Slide from the presentation to Nokia.

Work :: Laurea SID Lab

E-learning for SID Master degree

+ + + Laurea University of Applied Sciences, Finland is starting a new Master degree program in Service Innovation and Design from Sept ‘09.

I’ve been designing and planning the e-learning website for this course.

Observed students in their classroom, to understand them better.

In addition, after going through internet resources I sketched how the learning should ideally take place.

The idea is to create a community of experts, students, teachers and others to create and share knowledge in the field of service design.

Research and analysis

Work :: Laurea SID Lab

E-learning for SID Master degree

+ + + Conducted a design process workshop, where two groups were asked to carry out a small design task. The research and ideating was done online, as a prototype of how it might work in future.

Tools, features, modules and sections were charted out, grouped and organised.

After which all the modules were detailed out individually and the integration of all the modules was planned.

Design process workshop; Grouping modules and tools; Initial sketches of wireframes

Work :: Laurea SID Lab

E-learning for SID Master degree

+ + + As it stands now, the visual design and other detailing is close to completion.

Some of the sample pages are shown here. The basic colour scheme and the overall template is seen here.

The modules and tools are still seen as wireframes within the template.

The design of this e-learning system is based on web 2.0 and social softwares, where the users are the main creators of content.

Seen here, are the discussion forum and home pages.

Work :: Laurea SID Lab

Flash animation

This animation was conceptualised and created for the opening of the new International Lab at Laurea SID.

It explains the working of the labs in co-ordination with companies and the university.

I used the metaphor of bees to tell the story.

Work :: Just Dial

Changes in Interface design

+ + +The most popular local search engine website in India, justdial.com.

Vast amount of static data required a simple and navigable display.

Work :: Just Dial

Proposed Interface design

Suggested a complete make-over of the company details page.

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Work :: Just Dial

Logo and publicity

1: Sticker for companies listed on justdial.com2: Logo design for a new service Just Dial Genie3: Print Ad highlighting list of household needs on justdial.com

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Perspective view and sections

Architecture :: Interior design

Buncha Bubbles - concept store design

The concept of the store was that it sold all things that involved bubbles or froth - from shampoos to smoothies. It also had a console that had bubbles and froth games.

Part of the flooring (in blue) had sea froth and micro waves simulated under the glass floor.

Another part of the flooring was made of bubble wrap.

The pink sandwich window has huge bubbles that float up when people walk by.

Architecture :: Architectural design

House for superhero Shaktimaan

Each student was given a well-known character as a hypothetical client. I got Shaktimaan. The brief was to create a story around the person by which we get him/her to Mumbai. Locate him in an apt area in the city according to our story and go about designing a house for our ‘client’.

The process was simple - began with research/analysis then conceptualizing, designing and finally detailing and prototyping.

1: Character analysis2: Abstract visuals that act as a mood-board for the design3: Site plan4: Story depicted in the form of Page 3 (celeb news) of Bombay Times newspaper.

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Architecture :: Architectural design

House for superhero Shaktimaan

I designed a house on the pylons of billboards, as he had turned into a Page 3 person according to my story.

The first pylon doubles up as an elevator shaft, the third one as a pivot about which a block of the house rotates to complete the missing part of the elevator shaft.

The project was a completely fictitious one, where technical constraints were not considered.

Process sketches and the final drawings.

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Miscellaneous :: Package and Product design

Modular display and dispenser for P&G

The client was Procter & Gamble. We had to design a modular dispensing system for their range of products as part of the interim semester project. We worked in groups for the same, coming up with at least four solutions.

The groups consisted of students from all design departments of Srishti.

Working in a group helped in picking from the knowledge, skill and idea pool to tap every group member’s potential and design a solution.

Above: Many modules shown in context of small departmental stores in towns of India.Below: View of a single module.

Miscellaneous :: Sculpture for Typo

Gill Sans sculpture

We were to study a typeface and show our understanding through an artwork.

The font I got was Gill Sans.

I chose to create a sculpture which was a composition of 3-D Gill Sans letters. This was inspired by works of sculptor Takenobu Igarashi.

Made out of Sunboard, it includes Gill Sans regular, italic & bold letters.

It involved playing with light, distance (juxtaposition) and position of the forms.