Introducing Paul Sandip, Industrial Sculptor

Useful art – If we see Art at one end and design at other end, where would useful art fall?
I end up proposing monolithic, organo-mathematic sculptures which in no way look industrial but artistic. That’s why I call my self an Industrial Sculptor!

Process that is taught in design schools vs. the process that you follow. How is it different?
Any design institute will take students through a design process and guides them along that path. However, designers need to develop their own techniques, methods, processes and ideologies.

How do you actually get the idea of designing something?
Everyday products, they are so numerous and ubiquitous. They form the material framework of our existence, enabling it to function, not only in practical or utilitarian terms, but also in ways that give pleasure, meaning and significance to our lives.

But why don’t we notice them?
Most of us travel by the same route everyday, do similar tasks everyday, go to same places and although we are awake and seeing things around us we are not actually looking at them consciously. Hence, such products are frequently taken for granted.

Design, to my understanding, is all about having an eye for such details and bringing back life to mundane objects.

I practice voluntary simplicity. It is about freedom. It is about wanting less. It permits one to spend less time on innovating features (which land up adding clutter) and more time bringing in new experiences, insights, and relationships between the product and the user. It is rather difficult to say much about my approach towards design, but I have a fascination for monolithic, mono-colored ‘organo-mathematic’ forms and whatever needs I have felt and observed I have tried to translate them into products.

The Indian consumers are price sensitive and prefer to buy value for money products. I am inspired by people’s behavior and experience — physical, cognitive, social, emotional, and cultural. I am trying to kill elitism in design and bring the best to the maximum number of people. Raise the quality! Down the price!

My basic intention of being a designer is to give birth to new thoughts and I need people to question and criticize my products. Moreover, I believe in open source, I don’t like to keep my designs to my self. Hence an online portfolio is the best way of getting feedback from the people.

Your wife is from a similar field, so is the competition coming from home, or is it challenging to have a like-minded person around?
Being a toy designer, my wife Suhasini carries a lot of design sensibility with her. She is my best critic. She helps me choose the right CMF (color, material, and finish) for my designs as well! There is no competition amongst us but we make sure we both together give the rest of the design community a good competition!

How do you define your style?
“Voluntary Simplicity.”
Off late, I am trying to create ‘formlessness’ and still keep the product for interpretation, and let people use it in their own way. I want to break away from this form, function, form beyond function and form follows function.

Have you ever thought of getting your products manufactured?
My Mug has been displayed in the Museum of Modern Art, MOMA. And is currently traveling to a lot of global destinations as part of the exhibition by INDEX: design to improve life, Denmark. I never had a thought about manufacturing and selling, but off-late people are showing interest in investing in my products…so let’s see what comes up.

Where do you see industrial design stand in India?
We lack people interested in manufacturing original products. Probably the business impact which design can bring it yet to be realized. Let’s stop re-creating stuff and be original. I think the design mark which India Design Council is working on will help.

Apart from the traditional skills, what new skills/attitudes should product designers have in order to survive and grow today?
For a product designer, sketching is a very important skill. If designers can sketch out concepts in front of their clients, it showcases their originality and thinking.

Visual communication and presentation skills are needed as designers need to sell their concepts within the team as well as other teams. The storyboards or portfolios should have less written content. They should have rich images that talk about the products and their contexts of use. They should create world-class presentations in grand style.

Self discipline is a must. It reflects in the way we do our work, and hence must be built in the design curriculum. Students should do things with self-initiative.

According to me, the top 3 things that are need in the students’ curriculum are:

1. Self discipline

2. Good story telling skills and

3. Amazing visual presentation skills.

What message do you have for the next generation of product designers?
Today, it’s not just about designing tangible things, but also move towards intangibles. Excellent styling is now taken as granted, but what you are designing is more important. Future generation of designers should be capable of identifying the users’ latent needs and turn them into wonderful experiences.

What do you think are the biggest challenges working in corporation?
Discipline is needed and is very important. We as designers need to also master the art of selling an idea. We should be able to adjust to corporate culture and still be able to clearly express our thoughts.

In India, what are the key barriers for a designer to work in an industry?
There are no barriers at all. I see all barriers as opportunities.

A day in your life 5 years from now…
I am living in a remote location, where my physical presence is not required for work, but I am able reach anywhere quick.

I am a strategist, an innovator. Most of my services are at a strategic level, I am directing companies where they should be investing. These services are in the domain of innovation; inculcate innovation in employees & helping other innovate.

I am collaborating with multifunctional activities, may be a toy company or a film-making institute.

Do you think your design will change the world?
I am not here to change the world. I intend to sensitize people to see and love small things in life. I want to create small wows! It’s the ‘feel’ that I want to create.

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