Ram Sinam — “To design is a conscious, deliberate act. Design in the larger context is a way of making life better.”
Ram Sinam is well-known as the Founder of Wari Watai, a multidisciplinary design studio in Bangalore. His interests lie in blurring the boundaries of various visual mediums, materials and practices that fuel the multidisciplinary approach of his design solutions. We picked his brain on what makes Indian design and his design learnings.
Fill in the blank: Being a design/creative professional is NOT just about making things look good.
Fill in the blank: Being a design/creative professional IS a way of making things holistically better
What is the most valuable (design) lesson you’ve learnt from someone who is not a design practitioner?
From the client. To be open minded. A lot of the times a seeming constraint produces design breakthroughs.
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
Though in principle this is an interesting and a pertinent query but unfortunately, most of the time it is contextualised with a reference to the west.
I often hear designers from other western countries all too eager to propound what Indian design should be. Mostly referring to the set of obvious versions of the loud, colourful, over embellished surfaces; sadhus, cows, slums, auto rickshaws, truck graphics, busy streets, Bollywood etc, and everything else is a poor copy of the west. While, these elements are very much part of our urban landscape and have been interestingly and successfully used by many designers in India, but they are not the only vocabulary, nor the only appropriate visual language for all types of messaging and least of all an all encompassing essence of Indian design.
India is too complex and far more varied to be compared to smaller, more homogenized societies of Europe. In reality, it is like a continent with immense diversity of varied geographical terrains and large ethnic groups with unique traditions, beliefs, practices, and histories. Yes, history too, because there are far too many smaller communities who do have a history outside of the Indian history books; of their origin, culture, practices, beliefs, colours, objects, products etc which inhabits their consciousness within the larger idea of mainstream India. Even the concept of mainstream India is complex and layered and on the whole the Indian sub-consciousness is bound to be varied and diverse. Which is to say that if there is a Indian design sensibility, beside the rigour of a process in design, it has to also emerge from the rich soil of our subconscious mind and it will be far more varied than a British design, Dutch design or a Japanese design.
To design is a conscious, deliberate act. Design in the larger context is a way of making life better. It is a way of addressing/mitigating a problem with all the knowledge, experiences and with the consciousness of the legacies one has inherited, along with new ones we keep discovering and learning everyday; while being respectful of the past and excited by the present but always looking for the best possible solution. If this is what design means to us, should we worry about an illusive label that will validate a practice?
How has being in Bangalore enriched your creative process? What have you learnt from the city?
The people and the weather of Bangalore. A sense of emotional and physical comfort in itself is a great atmosphere to create. They are generally more relaxed and more accepting, and that has a calming effect. It also gives an impression of a less materialistic, simpler and harmonious society.
And finally, to wrap up — How do you spend a perfect Sunday in Bangalore? Any recommendations or must-trys?
There are no perfect pre-planned Sundays as such. A simple idli-wada breakfast at one of the small Darshinis after an early morning swim, followed up with playing or listening to music. Or a late Sunday brunch at SodaBottleOpenerWalla enjoying a Raspberry Soda alongside a Parsi non-veg thali. Sometimes spending a long, lazy afternoon with old friends at Cafe Max, chatting over glasses of Wine/ Beer.
Follow Wari Watai on Instagram at @wariwatai
Website: https://wariwatai.in/
This interview is a part of a series of conversations with designers from Bangalore called ADI Diaries. You can find more interviews here.
