Designed to Fame

Designed to Fame

Sudarshan Dheer claims that he’s got a short memory. A defect that keeps him struggling, fighting to position graphic designing on the vacant pedestal. "It’s a relatively new profession," he says in a matter-of-fact manner. Perhaps, just 50 years old. And the CAG Hall of Fame award-winner still has people mistaking his profession for a ‘traffic designer’. "It rhymes," he quips. About the recently won award, the man has nothing to say. "I was surprised to receive the CAG award. But that is not the criteria," he ignores the question. "Ask me anything, tough questions first," challenges the beady-eyed man.

Dheer believes that everybody is a designer. "It’s an intrinsic part of everyday life," he reiterates. There’s design in food preparation, in spring cleaning. Ask him about his philosophy and with a shuffling of notes, he begins: "Design gives birth to harmony and order of man, his subjects and environment. Design is not just cosmetic."

Man has always used semiotics to communicate. Today, one can draw parallels between design and the science of semiotics as both aim to communicate through visuals. Only, a designer’s aim is to project a corporate image. "Graphic design is not a decoration. It’s a language and a medium that is bound by four elements corporate identity, literature, packaging and signage," Dheer carefully explains. Of course, the last is at its most appaling juncture. "Symbols are a manifestation of what a company stands for. There is no space given to it. Even everyday life suffers because of this. Walk on the streets and you will notice that there are no signs directing people to the city." Ironic, isn’t it? One of the earliest forms of communication is completely ignored.

Then, to clear all doubts about design being merely an affair with slogans, Dheer shows off his work for a client Melstar. "This is the part when literature enters the picture. We had to produce a magazine while the company was undergoing a partnership transaction," he mentions. And the execution was tinted with subtlety through images of a conductor, a baton race, among others.

So, with the technical jargon left aside, Dheer turns back time, claiming that he quit his job as an art director in the advertising industry only to pursue his dream. Has it been fulfiled? "There are so many challenges, so many clients, so many projects. Nothing ever ends or remains the same," he admits. And what of his books? Dheer released two volumes which trace and highlight the capabilities of designers in India. Till date, they’re the only records documenting the history of graphic design in the country. "The feedback I received for both volumes was outstanding," the designer recalls. In fact, Dheer decided to compile the books for the new generation of graphic designers who have started to sweep the market.

Surprisingly, the string of questions is almost always followed by a string of grand-father like stories. "One of the most memorable and gratifying experiences of being in this field was when a shopkeeper from Jalgaon tracked me down. He had read my books but my address wasn’t printed on either of the publications.

His store was called Naujeevan and he wanted me to create an image for his store. Today, the same man has a multi-storey supermarket," he proudly mentions. Dheer has put forth his thoughts through lectures at Graphic Design institutes. He has been lauded for his work but he is still in the midst of concretising the graphic design platform for his successors. "Things have slowly evolved. They still have to, but I’m certain we’ll get there," he optimistically concludes.

LEANDRé D’SOUZA