2015, when we had the awards for the first time..plan was to have it only online..no event and no real trophy to be handed over. Obviously we had not worked out any revenue model for the awards, but wanted to have “Indias best Design Studio Awards” anyway. We made a digital trophy and mailed it to winners. Many called to check if they get a real trophy, many also called to check when the awards ceremony was.
IBDSA Digital Trophy 2015
A few businesses called saying they would be interested in sponsoring the event if we had one. This year we finish Six years of Publication of POOL Magazine and we realised we have never had a POOL party. And then we got planning to IBDSA 2016 (another story).
Discussions on the Trophy revolved around a very strong Idea, and very evolved manufacturing and finish. In my heart strong and evolved always meant simple. We zeroed on Egg as a concept..thats the beggining of anything..its the seed, it is possibilities and potential, a bit humorous in cultural context (Egg also means zero), but then zero is the biggest number and potential for creative people..Egg was it.
IBDSA Trophy 2016
We were keen to bring in the local touch, Pune has a artisan community that does this traditional handbeating of copper and make objects. Rashmi Ranade of Coppre got the eggs done from the Artians for us. Then we started to look or the base. After many sketches and material renderings, we decided on the most ancient material, wood. Shrikant Nivasarkar got the wooden batons hand done at his wood workshop in Pune. We are now experimenting with Vynil and digital printing, or Digital metal engraving for the graphic part.
We are pretty happy with the fact that this looks like a very simple Trophy, but within its simplicity is story of our city (Pune), craft, hand work and high tech machinery. The Egg as an idea remains universal and still simple. Plan is to stick to this as the trophy for next year too, but that depends if we have another brainwave or not.
