Journey to the Re symbol began with thesis on Tamil typography

Have you ever wondered who designed the text in your mobile phone? Or what thought went into the clarity of a road signage?

Have you ever wondered who designed the text in your mobile phone? Or what thought went into the clarity of a road signage? Chennai boy D Udaya Kumar wondered years ago,and went on to pursue an unusual career in typography and designs,becoming one of the first post-graduate students from IIT-Bombays Industrial Design Centre.

On Thursday,Kumars name became part of Indian history,when his dynamic design for the symbol for the Rupee was approved by the Finance Minister as Indias official currency sign.

An overwhelmed Kumar,who first learnt about the ministrys decision from The Indian Express,said,My symbol is an amalgamation of several ideas it signifies the Devnagri script,which is the only script in the world which hangs from top. The central line,cutting through the R,subtly standardises it with other world currencies like the $,£ and Euro. Its top and bottom line together form an equal to (=) sign,denoting our belief in equality and together it also gives an appearance of the tricolour. I tried to balance Indianness and international mood in the symbol.

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In between a slew of media interviews,the post-graduate rued that he hadnt found enough time to even talk to his parents ever since the selection. They live in Chennai and are waiting for me to call but I havent been free for a moment since the news broke, he said.

The Industrial Design Centre is not the most popular department of IIT and offers Masters degrees only from Kanpur,Guwahati and Mumbai. In 2005,the faculty began its first PhD course in Mumbai. Kumar,the centres first Phd student,took up an unusual thesis to work on Tamil typography.

Being a Tamilian,I realised early in life that Indias regional typography is almost non-existent. The seemingly trivial concept of typography has a great significance in the modern age where scripts,fonts are required to develop a language for computers,mobile phones,etc. This is why every written language needs a typography. I have just set out on a long journey to design Tamil typography and hopefully,several others will follow, Kumar said,adding his aim is to give the country a well developed typography of all local languages.

This unusual ambition,however,has its difficulties. To start with,my mother wanted me to be a doctor and my father,an IAS officer. But my teachers encouraged me to choose a career in design. In 2001,I entered the Anna University school of Architecture & Planning where I saw a horde of choices. I picked graphic designing, he said.

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Kumar,who also designs jewellery for his friends,said,Now,my work seems pretty much clear to me. I have to develop typography as well as encourage newer people to research in the field.

On Friday,he will take another step in that direction when he joins IIT-Guwahati as an assistant professor of Visual Designs.