Wellness turns over a new leaf

On Sunday, March 21, 2010, Kochi woke up to two exiting pieces of news.  As the newest entrant to the IPL bandwagon. And as home to the newest and most comprehensive wellness experience that Kerala has ever seen.

Ela – The World Spa was officially inaugurated yesterday by Union Minister of State for External Affairs, Dr. Shashi Tharoor.

Air Travel Enterprises, better known as the ATE Group, is one of Kerala’s most reputed and well established companies to have redefined travel and hospitality to create a total services sector.

The company saw an opportunity in setting up a world class spa and salon, offering the best wellness experience possible. The location was Kochi – the melting pot of cultures and home to travelers of yore, from far and wide. The Greeks, Romans, Jews, Chinese, Portuguese, Dutch, British – they’ve all come here at some point and left a distinct mark on the Kochi we know today. Today, the city is home to an amalgamation of the five senses. And brings with it wellness forms from across the world. From Europe to the Far East; India and the Middle East.

Ela brings alive the magical lightness of being. As if we could trade places with the fresh green leaf that flirts with the breeze, embraces sunlight, drenches itself in rain and plays with dew. A complete experience of the five senses, that transforms you into a lighter, fresher, more relaxed individual.  An island of tranquility in the hustle bustle of a mall.  Ela offers world spa experiences from Sweden to Thailand and Bali along with Ayurveda and Hammam. To complete the experience is a salon, gym, café and retail, all housed within a 4000 sq.ft. space on the fourth floor of Oberon Mall, Kochi.

Walk into Ela and you are instantly taken over by the freshness of nature. A water screen welcomes you. Explore the fluid pathway that leads you in, from the salon to the Hamman to the gym. The café overlooks the city of Kochi, while the Ayurveda and World therapy rooms transport you into another world of calm.

Ela has seen an encouraging response from visitors to the mall, since its soft launch in January 2010. The Group hopes to take this further to truly create a world class spa experience for Kochi, and other city that would follow.


Posted by Sumeet

Frank Gehry - Trendsetter, Visionary, Innovator and Legendary Architect

Frank Gehry on the popular TV show, the Simpsons

Are we going out of a job?

> For the 'some' of us who get flustered with scheduling design, drawing specs, doling out rigid "dos & don't s" & hate it - this may sound temptingly sweet!

> And the 'others' of us who seek to eliminate chaos, standardize, specify & bring in that much-needed order - an antitheses on our very fiber! A death knell to us 'determinists'!

2002 - Case Western reserve University found themselves drawn to architect Frank Gehry's controversial but widely acclaimed style, hired him, approved his design and brought in a small army of contractors to build it. The contractors duly admired, in a shocked & fretful way, the model of the God-awfully complex structure they were about to undertake, and then asked for the blueprints, to which Gehry's team replied that there weren't any. The contractors thought the group was joking, but Gehry & his associates were serious. But constructing a building without blueprints, the stunned contractors might well have sputtered, would be like putting together a television set from scratch without a wiring diagram.

Gehry's vision was....

To capture the building's intended emotional content, everyone working on the building should keep creating throughout the construction process. Withholding blueprints is a way of making sure that happens. Foregoing a detailed plan is disruptive - it creates convolution, making a neat & well-defined process messy. Every time I've given my brief to the contractors, I've had to specify every little thing...miss the slightest & I've gotten an unholy mess on my hands, crippling delays, me calling the contractor a f**%#@  moron & him calling me some equivalent choice expression. The outcome hit me like a ton of bricks....

Not only was the finished building a stunning hit, completed on time & within budget,

My first impulse was - hah! Yeah well if your project has infinite funding and all the worlds time! But sorry, not for me... I've got deadlines, cost constraints...

Then I finished the sentence...

...but most of the contractors were so pleased with the invention into which they had pushed that they ended up changing the way they do business. 

....No way! Get outta here..... 

....but is that possible? (especially when you aren't Gehry)

Did Gehry succeed because he had brainy contractors? Please find me one... for sure, we are unanimous on this one. Worse, can I trust my contractor to innovate; find a solution so far from his way of working? The answer was right there on the same page...

Freed from the constraints of a blueprint's rigid specifications & standard operating procedures, the contractors & architects were able to collaboratively rethink the design & construction techniques in a way necessary to achieve the project's goals. That led to an eruption of innovation.

Somewhere between extremes of rigid spec docs + schedules of columns, footings, steel members, rebars, concrete mix, etc, etc .....and...... a squiggle & a sketch showing a germ of an idea where we have no clue  how to build it........lies a sweet-spot which is all-inclusive, very gratifying & "happy design". Or so I gather......

I don’t think I have found it as yet . When we are striving to achieve standardization & conformity in our work (please, I'm not a control freak), going by 'Gehry's vision' would mean we might as well mothball our drafters....scary!!

                                                               

  Some of Gehry's Work 

PS - Text in blue - "A Perfect Mess" - Eric Abrahamson & David H Freedman,

        Text in black - my take on things.

Posted by Kiran

Idiom-izing New York

Sonia, Girish and Jacob's visit to Parsons, the New School of Design

Notes from New york

10th March : Girish + Jacob + Sonia

Presented our perspective on India/emerging market and shared Idiom's work and successes with the students, in the School of Design Strategies [at Parsons, the New School of Design]. Followed by an interesting discussion with a group of students. Graduating students are worried about whether (E design thinking), this higher level play of design is a fad or is here to stay, whether sustainability again is just a fad. There was a palpable energy and excitement that the presentation and discussion managed to evoke the sheer speed and scale at which things are happening in India was one of the things that fascinated everyone. Carlos Teixeira [Director, Academic Affairs] our amazing host had quite a schedule planned for us.

11th March : Girish + Jacob + Sonia

Morning: Carlos and his co-faculty members (faculty members, the program director, and career service) presented to us, what they do in the program of Design and Management at Parsons. What is interesting about Parsons, The New School is that its really five schools spread across a few streets and blocks. There is the School of Design Strategies, The School of Fashion, The School of Art, Media and Technology, The School of Constructed Environments and ADHT (Art, Design, History and Technology). Interestingly, the street was very close to the New School's heart in the early years, where anyone could walk off the street and attend a class. Corridors continue to be art galleries. 40% of the students are international. But even the international students come from reasonably affluent backgrounds and we still need to find ways to make emerging markets, sustainability and such real world issues sexy to them.
  We discussed however, the opportunity of internships and of using our design success stories as cases and the possibility of online interactions. Besides, we also committed to developing an exhibition for the Parsons' gallery, that brings alive both India and our work.

Afternoon: With Carlos, met Joel Towers, Dean Parsons and Mathew Caballero, Asst Dean, Parsons. It was nice to find out that one of the most respected design institutions in the world had quite a refreshing perspective and had chosen to be nimble. Joel talked about the New School being part of a global network, where there would be a lot of exchange in not very typical/formal/structured ways. We were all very excited about the possibility of collaboration.

Evening: The evening rocked! We presented in the Orozco room. This is a room reserved for very special occasions. Orozco (a Mexican mural artist painted a mural on the walls of this room, in a way that it couldn't be taken out. He wanted his work to be accessible by the public and not put away in a museum). Well, we made our work accessible to the cool junta of New York (finally!) But seriously we had an amazing crowd of academicians, practitioners and industry. Most that Carlos had invited, some whom Jacob and Sonia had called. We showed our E India movie, The Idiom presentation (by Sonia and Jacob) and then Kishoreji (Kishore Biyani), along with us, took questions. We started at 6 pm and it showed no signs of winding up, even by 9 pm and continued on to dinner. (The legendary) Bruce Nussbaum, who was there went on record to say that this was the most engaging discussion he had had on design ever. Even Mr Biyani was excited and enjoyed the discussion.  Most were fascinated by the scale and speed at which things are happening in India. Carlos was beaming (he made it possible and everyone was thanking him for inviting them). We made new friends, in the UN, in Panasonic, in Havaianas, in AIGA, in Smart Design and many more.

12th March

We (Carlos, Jacob, Girish, Sonia) had lunch with Miodrag Mitrasinovic, Dean, School of Design Strategies. He told us about the idea of laboratories/about the India-China School. It was a meeting that turned out to be more than just refreshing!!! We have a follow on meeting early next week to make a plan of action to develop on the emerging design education needs in India looks like things will happen sooner than later. 

Posted By Sonia

Celebrating the end of Recession

2010 began on a good note for many. Milestones and events have already made 2010 a memorable year. Apple launched its new product the I-pad, we witnessed the longest ever annular solar eclipse of the 3rd millennium and most importantly, the long painful economic recession that started in 2007, finally came to an end. Companies across the globe have started hiring again, people are making more money and everyone is happy that the global economy appears to be stabilizing once again

We at Idiom know that all work and no fun make jack a dull boy. We believe in keeping our employees happy. Idiom wanted to celebrate the end of the recession, so what better way to do that than to have a PARTY!!! So, on the 6th of February, We had a party to celebrate the end of a long and painful economic recession. Since we have a huge Backyard, we decided to have the party there. It was a fun Saturday evening and we partied late into the night (12 am, late, considering the 11.30 pm deadline in Bangalore). The party was called the ‘End of Recession’ party. We had Biryani, Beer and killer music. We danced, drank, ate and had a great time. The party was a great team-building activity. Everyone came and some even brought guests along. It was a great platform for people to get to know each other. The End of recession was great, the party was even better.

Great venue + People with a buzz + Booze + Biriyani + Music = Refreshed Idiom + Well begun 2010

Posted by Rahul

Designing Engineering Excellence

The TVS exhibit at the Delhi 2010 auto expo

An Indian trade show dedicated to showcasing automotive excellence

The 10th auto expo held in New Delhi between Jan 5th – 11th, 2010 was a grand success. There were over 150,000 business visitors, 2000 odd participants and over a million visitors. The crowd consisted of overseas buyer delegations, International Business Visitors, Dealers Delegation, Government Officials, Senior Executives of PSUs, Garage & Workshop Owners, CEOs / Decision Makers, Division Heads, Managers / Department Heads, Engineers, Consultants, Technicians, Mechanics, Drivers, Delegation from State Transport Companies, Delegations from Technical Institutions and General Visitors. The expo was spread across 70,000 square ft at the Pragati Maidan in New Delhi. It witnessed the largest ever overseas participation with contingents from Britain, Canada, China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain and Taiwan. There were 72 vehicle launches at the expo, 10 of them being Global launches. Many participants launched vehicles with the aim of tapping into Indian market, as we have the 2nd largest two-wheeler consumer market in the world.

TVS Motors rocks the Expo:

  

  One of the front runners in the Indian two-wheeler market, TVS motors, had an excellent expo. TVS showcased its range of existing production models along with those that run on alternative energy sources and an ATV concept vehicle called the Hammerhead. TVS had one of the best exhibits at the expo. The swanky exhibit area was conceptualized and built by Idiom Design and Consulting, Bangalore. The TVS exhibit area was one of the trendiest and most modern looking exhibit areas at the Delhi auto expo.

The Engineering Ripple:

    The design objective that Idiom had been given by TVS was- ‘Real products for Real people’. Keeping this in mind, Idiom came up with a design concept called ‘Engineering Ripple’. As TVS is moving forward with Technology, Idiom felt that they needed a modern design that was interactive and also showed the people how TVS has evolved over the years.

     

  The exhibit area was designed in such a way that people could have interactive opportunities with the working of these machines. So, in addition to displaying the vehicles, Idiom also embedded working automotive parts (like the disk brake system, fuel intake design and 2-wheeler engines) into the display. There was a history and technology timeline display depicting the evolution of TVS through the years. There was also a visual suspended meeting room overlooking the exhibition space. The Wheels unplugged review says “The display at TVS Motor Company stall demonstrates the company’s unwavering pursuit for green technologies to create pragmatic innovations that benefit the lives of people. “

The 2010 TVS motors line-up:

The TVS section at the expo was well received by many. Anand, an Engineer with a reputed auto-manufacturer said “ABS in two wheelers is a boon to riders. Ok! No stunts! But safety improves. Hope Bajaj and Hero Honda soon catch up. ABS will be really useful in places like Kerala where you have rains for 3-4 months continuously”. They also introduced their new babies, the 110cc Jive and the Wego scooter. The focus of TVS for the year 2010 would be on these two models. There were many more TVS displays like the new ABS (anti-lock braking system) kitted Apache RTR 180, the Scooty Streak hybrid (petrol + battery operated) and the delicious Hammerhead (a 4-wheeled quad concept vehicle).

The hottest new scooter to hit Indian roads: the Wego

   Over the last couple of years, Idiom has been working with TVS with the Branding of its newly launched scooter, the TVS Wego. The Wego comes with a 110 cc engine that delivers a peak power of 8 BHP @ 7500rpm. TVS has made use of vehicle simulation models, computational fluid dynamics and frequency response analysis techniques to ensure smooth and noise-free engine and best-in-class ride comfort and handling. The all aluminum low-friction engine ensures best-in-class mileage. Multi-reflector halogen headlamps and LED tail lamp with optical guides give the scooter dynamic styling better described as urban dynamism.

  One of the unique features of TVS Wego is its Body Balance Technology that enables lower steering effort, better control and maneuverability through optimum vehicle mass and mass distribution, making it the best scooter to handle in city traffic conditions. With the launch of TVS Wego, TVS Motor becomes the only company with the widest range of scooters in the market starting from the entry-level Scooty Teenz, Scooty Teenz Electric to the iconic Scooty Pep+, the snazzy Scooty Streak and now the TVS Wego. With Idiom’s help, TVS has launched another sure winner.

 

Post Expo:

 The space was designed in such a way that no particular display stole the show and all the displays were given equal visibility. TVS lived up to people’s expectations. They had a world-class exhibition area to showcase their work. TVS motors seems to be adopting greener technologies to the maximum extent possible while not deviating off from biker’s interests. No wonder the TVS stall at the expo received many visitors and was a big hit. Idiom gave TVS what they asked for- a design showcasing real products for real people.

Posted by Rahul

Bridging The Gap Between Bazaars and Supermarkets

The Big Bazaar Family Center, Malleshwaram

An Introduction to Big Bazaar:

    The concept of shopping at a supermarket is relatively new in India. Until a few years back, there weren't any Supermarket Chains in the country. So, when the Future group brought forth the concept of Big Bazaar, they took India by storm. Big Bazaar is now a chain of hypermarkets with more than 100 stores across India. It is a subsidiary of the Future group. It is a unique hybrid, modeled by combining the conventional international supermarket with the traditional Indian bazaar concept. It is the Brainchild of  Idiom Design and Consulting and the Future Group . Idiom has been involved with the Future group in the conceptualization of Big Bazaar right from its inception. As you know, the Big bazaar franchise has been tremendously successful. Big Bazaar has brought the concept of 'Hypermarket' stores to India. Right from the concept, to the design of this project, both parties have worked collaboratively to create something new and unique to the other Big Bazaar Centers.

The Family Center Concept:

 The core thought was to create a Big Bazaar that plays a much larger role in people's lives, more than just transactional shopping. It should be a 'must-visit' destination for a larger group of people. The rationale was to create a destination that celebrates togetherness and joy while offering the virtues of saving thereby maximizing the value of every Rupee/ moment spent here. To make the place a pivotal point for the Indian family, more ' Theatre/ Discovery' was added so that families felt the need to spend more time here and enjoy every moment that they spend at the BBFC. The idea was to create a shopping experience that was interactive with the customer, a 'Destination Store' , a place where people could go not only to shop, but also to spend their entire day there.

Designing for the local community:

  The aim was to design a space that the people of the community could connect to. Our market research showed that Malleshwaram was predominantly a Family community. The people living in this area are very conservative and traditional. All these elements had to be taken into consideration while the design was being planned. Therefore, the space and graphic designs were all themed around this concept.

   Live sections, rice and banana mandis, sampling and tasting, fresh flowers, lots of areas to snack, recreational areas (Ice-hockey, foos-ball and pool tables), a salon for men and women etc were all embedded into the design. There are demo zones called the 'Try- Me' zones where the customer can sample sweets, papads etc which are heated or cooked right in front of them. There is a grinding area where you can get your rice or wheat ground immediately after purchase, free of cost. There is also a customer advisory board consisting of a few eminent customers from the Malleshwaram locality, so they could connect with Big Bazaar directly. Our market research revealed that Malleshwaram consisted of various communities and each with different food habits. To strike a connection with these communities and to give a taste of modern retail, it was imperative to include something for every community (ex: a pudi and powder section for the Tamil, Telugu and Kannada communities). Since it is a family center, there was something included for every member of the family. All age groups were also taken into consideration. There is a cafe, a recreational area and loads of food stalls where the youth can relax and spend their time. There are also benches on all floors so that the tired and the elderly can rest when they feel like sitting down.

Navigation was made easy by placing signage at every strategic point and displaying what each section housed with descriptive text and images. People seemed happy that their shopping experience was made easier (by housing various products under one roof). They were happy that now they could get whatever they wanted, from flowers to jeans, from pastas to murukkus, all under one roof. The concept of a family center was well appreciated by the customers. The Family Center houses a lot of ethnic merchandise to cater to the needs of the community.

 Our team took into consideration and included the following features into our design:

Designing the Space:

•  Facade: A landmark space, a grand entrance, with temple like cues that make the store visible and prominent from a distance
• Stambha: A large structure which becomes the signature element of every Family Center
• Ample aisle space
• Seating arrangements for the elderly
• Big lifts to accommodate a larger number of people
• Partnering with local vendors (ex: Bhagyalaxmi Gulkand, Gayathri Coffee etc) to bring the local flavor of the catchment
• Separate floors for men, women and children fashion, giving more space to show case the depth and width of the products
• Since the catchment houses a more conservative section of society, and keeping the idea of making the BBFC a landmark, community center, we tried to embed Templesque designs 

 Designing the Graphics:

• The theme 'Family spirit' was reflected by the graphics on the facade and the internal communication
• The communication and visual vocabulary captured the heterogeneity from community to locality to celebration, gifting, saving, merchandise etc
• Bold and bright colors that serve the purpose of clear visibility and easy navigation for customers around the store

Value Shopping for Local Communities:

 The Family Center houses loads of products and brands, all under one roof. These products are very aptly prices. For instance, a customer can choose from close to 50 varieties of rice, neatly arranged and packaged, and end up paying less than what they would pay outside. The 'Local connect factor' was well received by everyone. For example. the banana mandi stall is actually run by a local vendor who is well known in Malleshwaram. He sells his fruits for Rs. 4 lesser than what he sells at his stall. Shoppers can avail of a number of discounts and offers that Big Bazaar has to offer. For example, the 'BUY 2, get 1 FREE' concept is applied to many products. The Family center is the ultimate shopping destination for those who believe in Value Shopping.

The Launch:

The Big Bazaar family center in Malleshwaram, Bangalore was launched on the 6th of February, 2010. The launch was a grand event. The launch started out with performances by folk artists and a Dollu Kunitha performance followed by the customary 'Cutting of the ribbon' and a traditional pooja to bless the new family center. There were folk dancers, performers, caricature artists, musicians, a DJ and loads of fun activities for the customers. Popular Kannada movie star, Mr. Ramesh Aravind visited the family center later in the evening to have and interactive session with the customers.

  The launch was a big success and the BBFC was flooded with people from all over, most of whom were excited that Malleshwaram now housed a Big Bazaar. Our design was unique and different from all the other existing Big Bazaars. Our intention was to merge Big Bazaar with the community. We wanted to transform shopping from just being an errand into becoming an enjoyable experience.

 

Record Success:

  The Big Bazaar Family center is doing extremely well. Sales on weekdays touch around Rs. 20 lakhs, while sales on a Saturday or Sunday could easily net Rs. 40 to 80 lakhs. The Family center has blended in to the otherwise conservative and traditional locality of Malleshwaram. The Big Bazaar Family Center is something to look forward to. It is different from the other Big Bazaars in terms of its local connect. We are now in the conceptualizing phase, with the Future group, in launching a Family Center along the lines of the one in Malleshwaram, in Rajajinagar (another traditional south indian, conservative section of Bangalore). So drop by the Big Bazaar Family Center in Malleshwaram and see Value shopping at its best.


Posted By Rahul