xii Diploma Project | Deepak Vishwakarma | PGDPD | Ceramic and Glass Design | 2013

Proposed briefAbout Windglaze‘Windglaze’ studio is a ceramic studio based in Pondicherry. Their products range from mosaics for the bath/kitchen/floor to mugs and tableware. The products are sold locally, exported and they also undertake specific design and manufacture commissions for homes/restaurants etc. The studio works in two temperatures ranging from earthenware to stoneware.

Product range offered by WindglazeTiles & murals, Décor, Aromatherapy, Tableware, Bath, One offs

Project title (working)Handmade Home accents for festive gifting/ souvenirs with a predominant Indian aesthetic.

Project ObjectivesTo understand the existing ceramic studio scenario;• Studio vision

• Its demands and requirements• Its production process and setup – advantages and limitations• Existing market scenario• Consumer and user needs• Constraints in material and techniques etc.The above understanding and the addition of one’s own learning add to the studio, in terms of new product range. The idea is to work on a live project, to understand the intricacies involved in the functioning of a small scale set up and then eventually to apply one’s design sensibilities

Project BriefBased on the market survey I did, home décor includes a variety of products, such as vases, lighting (lamp bases or lamp shades), partial utilitarian products like fruit bowls, serving plates, even mugs used for special occasions such as corporate gifting, festival gifting etc. At present as seen in the market these products are imported from East Asian countries like Thailand, Vietnam or from Turkey, Poland in Europe. They bear a generic aesthetic or are definitely reminiscent

of the particular culture of that country, specially the products coming from Thailand. It is evident that for Indian occasions or for Indian corporate, there is no particular product that reflects the vast cultural and aesthetic quality of India. Design intervention can either be done on the surfaces of the existing products or in the forms and shapes of them, both the cases inspired by the Indian aesthetic that can be enhanced by suitably inspired surface treatment. One can see a clear demand for it. I proposed that using indigenous materials and skills along with our aesthetic will create a unique product range that can be utilitarian without compromising the décor value of a well designed product.The product range can include customized mugs to lighting. After my visit to the Windglaze studio, I realized that they work in a number of areas using various methods of production which are predominantly based on hand skills that would enable me to design and realize within the given time frame of diploma project a number of products. My proposal was to design at least three products that could even be market tested during this period. The areas according to the survey

Project Brief

xiiiDiploma Project | Deepak Vishwakarma | PGDPD | Ceramic and Glass Design | 2013

that demand immediate attention are festive gifts which are sourced by corporate for their international visitors, hotels for return gifts to their guest and individuals during special occasions like weddings or Diwali. They included products such as containers for chocolates, candles etc. These need to be beautiful, unique and utilitarian. Besides gifting these products are also bought by people and tourist as souvenirs for personal use or home décor.

Tangible Deliverable• Material Innovation (clay body and glaze) and exploration (concepts and forms).• Production aid and enhancement (if possible, in terms of efficiency - this will require skill enhancement of the artisans for the production of the developed range).• Working concepts.• A collection/range of products in stoneware/earthenware according to given brief.• Documentation of the entire project.

Methodology followed1. Project brief.2. Initial research: books/internet/ on field study understanding the studio functioning, the market available, the user etc.3. Working brief: identifying opportunity Areas.4. A detailed user and market study.5. Analysis of the above in order to have a redefined project brief.6. Explorations and concept generation– sketches, material explorations, machetes, models etc.7. Product Detailing: form finalizing, Surface treatments, material specification and standardizations.8. Prototyping, costing and testing the product in the market.9. Final Production and Costing.

Design Intervention• Product level: surface decoration of existing products and designing appropriate forms and shapes inspired by the Indian aesthetics that can be enhanced by suitably inspired surface treatment.

• Process level: My learning at NID, including industrial training, gave me an ability to intervene in the processes employed at the studio with my hand skills, software knowledge, visualization capacity etc. After my visit to the studio I realized that processes such as prototype development can be speed up using the technique I have learnt and people can benefit by refining and upgrading their existing skills using more contemporary knowledge of hand skills and tools.

Project Brief

22 Diploma Project | Deepak Vishwakarma | PGDPD | Ceramic and Glass Design | 2013 The Company

The Owner- Puneet BrarPuneet Brar, trained in Ceramic Design at the National Institute of Design , Ahmedabad for 5 years. These were the most formative years of her life and created a base for her future aesthetic and technical research. Post NID, Puneet studied at Mantra Pottery under Angad Vohra training herself better on the wheel. She also did an apprenticeship with Art Ceramique Atelier Delarue in France where she learnt how to manage every studio process by herself. She realized for the first time in auroville, the potential and freedom offered by a small clay workshop. Starting with a small investment she created her own tools and machines using “jugaad“ to the fullest extent.All along she has believed in creating products using handskills. She believes in a constant improvement of handskills and challenges her team constantly to do better. A firm believer in do it yourself, Puneet has designed and developed a classic contemporary range of products that have managed to create an individual identity for her and her studio Wind Glaze.

Philosophy / IdeologyThe ideology behind the pottery is to create products that one decides to live with rather than acquire. Objects that have a presence and a character, that share spaces with one and are not based on function alone or on trends to render them meaningful.It make us think and question the way we treat them, the time we spend with them and consequently the life we lead.

Puneet Brar; Owner and designer

44 Diploma Project | Deepak Vishwakarma | PGDPD | Ceramic and Glass Design | 2013 Resources

Techniques in clay

Hand Work Wheel Work Slip Casting

Pinching Coil Slab Throwing Jigger Jolley Form Making Mould Making

High Skill Required

High Skill Required

Form and mould making- High Skill RequiredSlip casting- Fair Skill Required

Fair Skill Required

Fair Skill Required

Exclusiv Products

Batch Production

Batch/ MassProduction

Exclusive piecesBatch ProductionMass Production

Mass Production

Techniques

155Diploma Project | Deepak Vishwakarma | PGDPD | Ceramic and Glass Design | 2013Project 1 - Ambient Lighting

Fitting OptionsOption 1: Hanging on the wall with wooden fixture

Light with the wooden fixture Your light is ready to usePlace the light on the fixture as shown in

photograph

Price of the fixture: 150/-

Product Shoot by Debarpita Mohapatra

156 Diploma Project | Deepak Vishwakarma | PGDPD | Ceramic and Glass Design | 2013 Project 1 - Ambient Lighting

Product Shoot

Product Shoot by Debarpita Mohapatra

185Diploma Project | Deepak Vishwakarma | PGDPD | Ceramic and Glass Design | 2013Project 2 - Cup

Handle yet handle less - integrating the handle with the form of the cup of the cup. Keeping in mind how one holds the cup when it does not have a handle.The handle needs to be incorporated into the main form itself.

Final Concept

187Diploma Project | Deepak Vishwakarma | PGDPD | Ceramic and Glass Design | 2013Project 2 - Cup

2

5

3

6

4

7

8

9

189Diploma Project | Deepak Vishwakarma | PGDPD | Ceramic and Glass Design | 2013Project 2 - Cup

Product 4: Owl mugAttributes: • Small and Handy • Easy to install • Available in many colors • Cleaning Friendly • For gifting or for own houseUsage: A cup and a mug

Product Shoot by Debarpita Mohapatra

193Diploma Project | Deepak Vishwakarma | PGDPD | Ceramic and Glass Design | 2013Feedback and Experience

Dear Deepak,

You have taken a leap towards a brighter future.

Good luck!!!

Have fun

Rakhee

25/04/2013

Rakhee Kane, Ceramic artist,

Based in Pondicherry

Manreet DeolProduct Designer,

Based in Pondicherry

Lovely Deepak,

Your work really speak of the hand work that have been put in for

the last 4/5 months.

So Amazing!!!

And you can do more then this too.

A great cook

A great potter

A great dancer

A great company

All the best... Sahaya

Beautiful work,

Very market friendly pieces and love the owl mugs and the archi-

tectural lights.

Like how the glazes co-relate to the themes and the inspirations.

Good luck for the future.

Manreet Deol

manreetdeol@gmail.com

SahayaFormer Trainer, Auroville