Vaibhav Bhawsar — “Being a creative professional is like having a key to most doors. People won’t mind having you listen in on their conversations”
Vaibhav is an interaction designer and technologist who works with location based media and technologies. He is the co-founder of Timescape, an interactive storytelling platform that uses maps and data visualization to narrate stories in geography and time. He also teaches at his alma mater, Srishti School of Art, Design and Technology. His work has been exhibited at international festivals. Here’s what he had to say about his challenges, Indian design and the Bangalore climate.
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?
Windows 95–98 fixer (after that I gave up), provocateur, researcher, co-founder, technologist, product manager, teacher and most importantly, that of a lifelong learner. Also, starting a company is one of the best ways to become empathetic towards other professions. I would like to add that I haven’t really found a hat that fits at all times and I like it this way.
Fill in the blank: Being a creative professional is NOT enough.
Fill in the blank: Being a creative professional IS like having a key to most doors. People won’t mind having you listen in on their conversations.
What is the most valuable lesson you’ve learnt from someone who is not a design practitioner?
Humility. Over the years I have found that other practitioners often think about their practice as a way of improving the quality of life too. As designers we build this notion that we are primarily responsible for improving people’s quality of life. That’s a little self-aggrandising and burdensome.
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?
In the past, many attributes of design in India often arose from constraints of cost, material and manufacturing. We worked with little but still managed to make things stunning and functional. With increasing digitisation of communication we are witnessing a new visual culture of WhatsApp and Instagram memes — perhaps there is something new emerging in these manipulated images and videos of misinformation and humour.
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?
Most failures I have faced are a failure of interpersonal relationships between collaborators. Your chances of creating something successful are better when your relationships work, because you will stay together no matter how hard the project gets.
What can a student/fresh graduate and an experienced professional learn from each other in the design industry?
Willingness to be a student and a teacher, all at the same time.
Do creative professionals have pet peeves? What is yours?
Sure they do! Mine is usually to do with not being able to focus when it’s noisy outside and too cold on the inside (I don’t like air conditioners).
How has being in Bangalore enriched your creative process? What have you learnt from the city?
We can’t talk about creative benefits of Bangalore without talking about its weather! Let’s do everything we can to preserve it. Bangalore is also a city of humble thinkers and doers, which says a lot about its unique culture.
And finally, to wrap up — How do you spend a perfect Sunday in Bangalore? Any specific recommendations or must-trys?
I don’t know about a perfect Sunday but it used to be that a perfect any-day meant having an afternoon beer! I don’t get to do that very often but I take great pleasure in it when I can.
Follow Vaibhav on Twitter @voybhav
View his work at http://recombine.net/
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/
