Georgie Paul — “A designer must never forget the humble pen and paper”
Georgie started his career as a graphic designer at Titan before getting his BA in communication design at Swinburne University in Australia. After that, he worked with Trapeze in Bangalore for 8 years. He is currently an independent consultant and was a founding member of Noisy Newton, a company that aims to improve science learning outside of a classroom through well designed products and activities.
Fill in the blank: A designer cannot produce work in isolation.
Fill in the blank: A designer must never forget the humble pen and paper.
What kinds of different hats have you had to put on while working in a designer’s shoes? Which such role/project was most challenging?
Too many hats to count! Having always worked in small studios, you invariably end up doing- and in the process, learning- a lot more than you set out to do. A single project often starts with me becoming a salesman, to account manager, to craftsman, to site supervisor, to clean up guy. Every project is challenging in its own way and pushes you to quickly learn something new on the job.
What would you say is the defining characteristic of “Indian” design? Do you think there is a modern visual language that is specific to India?
Thanks to factors like our still largely modernist based design education and our access to global influences, terrestrial boundaries are blurring. Our aesthetics are easily influenced. Which is why I think context and content are what defines Indian design, because they are the only things unique to us. Increasingly, design is being linked to individuals, rather than geographies. Having said that, I also think some design fields, like textile design, are easier to recognize and define as being Indian than others.
What can a student/fresh graduate and an experienced professional learn from each other in the design industry?
The most valuable thing a student can learn from a professional is how to handle the business side of things. Because it is something that can be learned only through experience. Not just things like how to price yourself, but how to read a client, convince them, understand a brief — all intrinsic parts of the design process today.
As for professionals learning, it has to be the optimism of the design student. Sometimes experience tells you to tread the safe path because you are sure it will work. You don’t even consider other options until a student or a relatively inexperienced colleague comes up with something unconventional.
Being creative is largely about having the courage to fail repeatedly. Could you give an example from your own experiences of a project that failed? What went wrong, and what did you learn/take away from that experience?
Like any other designer, I too have my fair share of projects that have failed. I always find it most disappointing when something fails at the first hurdle. I had a couple of projects last year that did exactly that. When I look back and think about those projects, I felt I was given a brief that was too specific — to the point where they told me exactly what they wanted. At the time I didn’t realise it, but what that did was curb the natural exploratory phase of the process. On reflection, perhaps that would have led me to the right solution. I just started working on what I thought they wanted (which it turned out they didn’t want!).
Do creative professionals have pet peeves? What is yours?
Improperly justified text. Just seems so wrong.
If you had to illustrate Bengaluru as a character, what would she/he look like?
Like one of those darshini waiters balancing a huge pile of plates that is about to tip over.
And finally, to wrap up — How do you spend a perfect Sunday in Bangalore? Any recommendations or must-trys?
My wife says I spend my Sundays being a flâneur! (I had to look that up too). Sundays usually mean family — visiting sisters, brothers, nephews. When I am left to my own devices, some bird-watching on the outskirts of the city. Must-trys — luckily, we are a blessed city of burgeoning breweries. There are always good beers on tap to try.
Georgie’s website: http://gpaul.in/
Noisy Newton: https://www.noisynewton.com/
This interview is a part of a series of conversations with designers from Bengaluru called ADI Diaries. You can find more interviews here.
Participate in Bengaluru Design Week at http://www.blrdesignweek.com/
