Layout Exploration

I wanted to give a gradation of shades to the brochure like the parched mud in Little Rann. So I have tried this format and using it created a brochure layout for front and back both.

Visual Explorations-3

 Brochure Cover Page Design

Pencil sketched layouts

CONCEPT-1 

The frame shows a photograph of land divided in boxes. While in between are routes and footprints of wild ass and the jeep trails. The Little Rann is a blend of the human settlement and the animal diversity so more trails could be drawn around the boxes to depict the salt pan worker community, the migratory birds etc.

 CONCEPT-2

 The cover page shows the vast stretch of land showing the jeep trails and the wild ass walking across it. It suggests that here in the LRK the species and humans live together in harmony. Moreover the trails of jeep indicate a journey into the wilderness of rann. With the Jeep ride comes the chance to explore, do photography and be a spectator to the unique Kutch.

CONCEPT-3

This frame is a 90 degree rotated shot of the previous exploration. Here there is emphasis on movement and depth. There is a mystery as no other image is present. This frame intends to first pull them towards this brochure and then challenge them to undertake a journey to the LRK. 

CONCEPT-4

Its a picture taken from the back seat of the jeep. The back window shows the beauty of the desert. I found the click very interesting and thought that a simple way to tell people about the place would be by the way one actually experience it-through the jeep ride!

CONCEPT-5

Two wild asses looking at you and far ahead you have glimpses of salt mound surrounded by parched land below and clear blue sky above. A rare and a peaceful destination in Gujarat-isn't it?

CONCEPT-6

I found two different actions of running by wild ass. So I thought of keeping a clear background with an image of the never ending land and in the foreground a sequence of alternate movements of wild ass.

CONCEPT-7

I came across an image with a barren land and just a patch of grass cover. So why not use it and do a little play with the typography. The title could come there in a well-structured way and give it some silhouette like feel.  

CONCEPT-8

A rough outline of LRK and a cluster of the birds animals and humans all huddled at one corner calling out to us to come and see them. Tourism is very much needed for the upliftment of human beings there. So on behalf of humans even the birds and animals invite the readers.

CONCEPT-9

LRK is a magical land-full of mirages, exposing us to a phenomenon one can hardly imagine. As a part of my experience while travelling there, I felt that while moving one could see the land ever changing. Things kept appearing and disappearing and reappearing. Sketching out a sequence of images where the top most shows an open eyes looking at a stretch of land. Below that the eye blinks and all is black. In the third panel the eye again opens to see a different setting and in the last one the eyes enlarge. Its surprised to see the nature's magical performance! It is basically trying to ask the viewers to expnad their vision by seeking to go for the unexplored territory of LRK.

Digital Layouts

CONCEPT-10

We had stopped at a village on the outskirts of the desert. Inspite of the land's barrenness the people were filled with happiness on seeing us. One of the villagers welcomed us in his hut and offered to us a "plate of tea." It is said that in Gujarat when tea is offered in plates it is a sign that your no longer considered a guest but a part of their community. I was very much touched and filled with gratitude for those villagers. So here's an image showing that LRK welcomes everyone with open heart and treats them as though they belong to its community.

CONCEPT-11

There is an emptiness, a feeling of nothingness. For people who wish to go for a quiet weekend, LRK could be a possible option. Sometimes too much of noise and the fast pace of life can suffocate us. It is at this juncture that people should take a break and calm themselves to get rejuvenated. A two day visit to LRK can heal those months of exhaustion as it brings you closer to nature and tranquility.

CONCEPT-12

The life of salt pan workers is a simple one. They wake up in the morning work all day and come back and sleep. No scope for entertainment, no scope for any other activity besides the basic activity of eating, drinking,washing and bathing. On the lines of simplicity I tried to explore a cover page which is very simple and minimal. The mounds of salt aligned neatly was what I could imagine. It is symbolic of the saltpan workers and the endurance they go through of every day they are living. 

CONCEPT-13

Line of horizon, lines of upsurge, lines of undulation, lines

of boredom, routes of flight all surround the LRK. I wanted to experiment with patterns and lines and this is what I tried to come up with to express the Little Rann.

CONCEPT-14

When one looks at the Little Rann, one often remarks at the rich fabric of the land. The parched pieces of land seem like puzzle pieces neatly fit together. I wanted to give a 3D feel by giving the entire LRK seem like a piece of puzzle standing out. The white silhouette of wild asses further express the identuty of Little Rann.

Visual Explorations-2

Looking at the visual elements, photographs, illustrations and icons enhance the effective delivery of information. People first generally get attracted to images and form and then grow their interest further.

Little Rann is known for its birds and I tried portraying them in different forms.

A DETAILED PEN SKETCH

A SIMPLIFIED OUTLINE

A COLORFUL PAINTED STYLE

Visual Explorations-1

THE FORMAT
Deciding on the format was very important. So I felt a brainstorm session was needed where I could explore on the various kinds of format.

Post the brainstorming, working on actual explorations was my next step. After referring various books, I wanted to come up with a brochure which is very unique just like the LRK itself. I wanted it to give the feel of parched land where saltpan workers stay and also the wetlands where flamingos dwell for the winters. I studied the various folds and then went on to implement some ideas. 

Concept 1

In this kind, the ecology aspect would come on one side and the salt pan works and travelling information would on the other side. A panaroma shot could be used throughout the length to give the feel of the expanse and the never ending land. Possibility of page size: 2.75" x 5.5".

Pros:

1. Easy to handle.

2. Cheap Printing Costs.

3. Smooth flow of reading.

Cons

1. Redundant. Not exciting.

Concept-2

I tried going experimental. When we skew our eyes, the LRK appears to be a little triangle. Based on this I thought why not do a triangle shaped brochure. It could also depict the beaks of the birds.

Pros:

1. Interesting form.

2. Playful.

 

Cons:

1. Expensive usage of die cutting.

2. Wastage of paper.

3. Wear and tear of the pointed edge. 

4. Can cause confusion while reading.

Concept-3

The vastness of land could be expressed through the width of the brochure. Here an interesting take could be the moment you open the brochure you see contrasting features of the land. Once when it is deluged in monsoon and the other side when it is extremely hot and the crust of the earth is cracked. This contrast could be maintained all throughout in that direction. The ecosystem in LRK is very unique and this kind of brochure could possibly showcase it.

Pros:

1. Easy to handle.

2. Cheap Printing Costs.

3. Smooth flow of reading.

Cons:

1. The rectangular shape could be considered boring and too done.

Concept-4

What if you are travelling and your travel guide has a large clear map, neatly fed information and pages where you could jot down your experience or doodle! So after some thinking I came to the idea of making an A5 booklet consisting of 4 pages of information a turkish folded map and a couple of blank pages. 

Pros:

1. Mutlipurpose;

2. Element of surprise as the map pops out in the middle.

3. Handy + Informative + Fun.

Cons:

1. Pasting of the map from one side might lead to that part of paper getting wasted.

Visit To GEER Foundation

With the structure of content more or less decided, my guide, Chakradhar advised me to further clarify on my objective. The project wouldn’t give me much scope to work further in terms of social and welfare aspects.I decided to keep a target group defined by youth (age group 16-30), photographers, bird watchers, ornithologists, environmentalists, travel enthusiasts. Accordingly the content had to be prepared.The problem had been identified and researched. However some qualitative and quantitative information was needed. I decided to approach the GEER Foundation and collect all possible information available in context and understand the scenario further.

GEER (Gujarat Ecological Education and Research Foundation) is situated in Gandhinagar. Gujarat Ecological Education and Research (GEER) Foundation was formed by the Forests & Environment Department of Government of Gujarat to undertake activities like ecological education, ecological research, natural history interpretation, management of sanctuaries and national parks, and establishment of protected areas. The institution is committed towards research and betterment of the flora and fauna in the country.

I met Mr. Bharat Bhai Pathak, the director of GEER, and explained him the project. His primary concern was regarding the project’s purpose as he feared it to be like another Disaster Tourism or Slum Tourism. However I warded off his fears as I explained him the scale at which promotion of Little Rann is needed.

How many are actually aware that it is a scarce patch of land for a fraction of the year and wetland for another. How many know that 60% of the salt produced in India is an outcome of the hard labour put in by the salt pan workers here. The Little Rann has a strategic location being on the bird migration route with a paradise of birds that visit every year.

Bharat Bhai assigned Mr. Mehul who would look after all the information, photographs and the maps I needed for that place. I was also allowed access to their library where I found ample information.  I also spoke to a senior scientist Mr. Ketan Tatu with whom I had a brief discussion on the ecosystem of LRK.

Questions poised were:

What is the reason behind increase in the number of wild asses?

Forest Department has been playing a very important role in protecting the species. They do regular surveys and checks. The strict vigilance on their well being has lead to their increased population. Moreover the growth of prosopis adds to the source of food for the asses. The pods of this desert shrub is eaten by them. It also acts like a cover for the animals to rest and hide.

What is the scope of LRK in terms of ornithology, photography and bird watching?

There is definitely a very wide scope. The wild ass sanctuary and the Kutch desert together form a pool of biodiversity which attracts both resident and migratory birds.

How is the climate impacting its ecology?

Any climate study takes a long period of study and data and collection. Since India does not have enough long term data, the study is a challenge. The scenario in India is related with the scenario outside and then conclusions are inferred. However with Global Warming, the sea level will rise. This poses a great threat to LRK as it is at the sea level. A wetland is an area which remains partly covered in water and partly exposed for different time periods respectively. However with increase in sea level the water body could rise and convert the wetland into a water body. Salinity of the soil would increase and the terrestrial ecosystem could vanish altogether.

Do the forest officers ensure safety of the animals within the sanctuary?

 Yes they have been keeping a strict vigilance on the movement of the animals.

All these gave me valuable insights that could reflect in my final end product.

Content Development

Initial Process

The scope was extremely vast and I felt clueless as to how do I start compressing the information. So I decided to revisit the initial objective i.e eco-tourism. Listing down all aspects of the project helped me categorize the information and chalk out 5 different categories.

However later after further trying to decode my target group I felt instead of keeping it for children, the young generation could be seen as a possible target group. They are enthusiastic, adventurous and curious. 

After speaking with Dhwani, my senior at NID the need to give information its hierarchy was also thought of. It was essential to decide what information would be given more importance than the other and by doing so content was further re-organized. 

Post Jury Feedback

The entire trip and other findings made me realise that it is only at the initial level that a child can be embibed with the qualities to respect nature and the fellow humans. It is at this stage one can be taught to grow up as a concerned citizen. The very children who live a few kilometers from the salt pan are unaware of the fact so how is it possible for people sitting in the far end to understand their problems.

After discussing the issue with my guide, it was decided that there are two ways by which the situation can improve:

1. A poster campaign 
2. A brochure

A campaign would cater to a larger audience and specially for the urban youth whereas a brochure would be for the children residing in the vicinity of salt pans as well as the nearby towns. At the end of semester, the jury observed that the project was a sensitive one and thereby they felt that there were various issues which could be further analysed such as:

• The necessity of promotion
• Defining an effective solution for their development.

However they appreciated the aspect of finding the problem and the conviction to redress it. The salt pan workers need immediate help and there has to be some action which goes beyond a campaign.  

Field Visit

Day one

17th March, 2012

It was 4:00 in the evening when Ruchita, Nachiket and me met at the NID main gate, set for our all important field trip to Halvad, one of the biggest salt producing areas of our country. I was looking forward to an experience to be had. We headed on towards Gita Mandir where we were to board a bus for Halvad. At a
distance of 150 kms from Ahmedabad, the bus left the city at around 4.15 and at 8.30 we were received and welcomed by Mr.Ayubh at the Halvad bus stand. The CEE Campus where we had to put up for the next3 days was about 3 kms from the Halvad bus stand. On arrival at the CEE campus and having just stepped out our jeep I had barely gazed up when I saw thousands of stars peeping out from the sky. It was a sight, a sight breathtaking to see. We settled in at our provided CEE lodging, the campus very well maintained and clean. I could hardly wait for the morning to come and start my survey of the salt pans.

The CEE Campus at Halvad, Gujarat

Day two

18th March, 2012

We started early in the morning around 8.30 for the saltpans accompanied by Mr. Ayubh. We spotted the lonely wild ass on our way, a moment early for us to capture the endangered animal native to southern Asia. We made our next stop at Devji Bhai’s camp for Ecotourism. Devji Bhai, a learned old man hails from the

family of agariyas and claims to know the Little Rann of Kutch extremely well. He has been involved in taking tourists both domestic and international for jeep rides in the desert, a spokesman of the land for many years. Over the years, he feels human ethics has taken a marked change for the worse. Travellers come, take

photographs, run the jeep behind the wild asses and leave! He is terribly upset at such incidents and wants to inculcate how an ecotourist should actually behave, look to appreciate the land/environment for it is. He feels there should clearly be an increase in sensitivity towards the flora and fauna of the place, a basic concern

as expressed. He felt there should be sense of humility and a need to live in sustainability. His primary purpose is to arouse respect for Nature in the hearts of those whom he meets. His words quite simply put were extremely touching.

Mr. Devji Bhai Dharmecha

Gradually as we entered the Little Rann, nature was on with its tricks. Far into the distances all that I could see was how the sky seemed to kiss the earth. It was just spectacular. Mr. Ayubh told us that there would be more promising sights to be experienced as we delved deeper into the desert. While Nachiket and Ruchita worked their cameras Mr. Ayubh went on to explain me the formation of the terrain of Little Rann of Kutch. It was due to tectonic movements that the Gulf of Kutch which was earlier a part of another landmass and not the Indian subcontinent got pushed between the Gulf of Khambat and the western coast forcing the sea which existed between them to disappear and thus form what today is the landmass of Saurashtra in Gujarat. 

The Little Rann of Kutch

He also suggested we discuss the questionnaire I had prepared previously for the salt pan workers to get a more one on one perspective of their lives. It was a general questionnaire that I had made, aimed mostly to probe into their life, their occupation and to know if they were satisfied with the way they were living and whether the promotion of tourism would help them in any way. 

It was amidst this scorching landmass with it severe-increasing temperatures where our country’s 70% salt was being manufactured. I made my first stop at the pan of a labourer whose wife too was toiling along with him. They had a small makeshift shelter where I could scarcely see any objects. Mr. Ayubh called the labourer’s 17 year old brother whose occupation too had been marked by his birth. We sat at the threshold of their tiny shelter and soon Andubha and Balwan Singh, the elderly salt pan workers joined in. I asked them some basic questions on how they were doing, whether basic amenities were accessible to them? Their responses were unsatisfactory and quite negatory. They said that they were not happy and that government was not helping either sending a health check van only once a week. Having to toil for almost 14 hours a day under the unbearable sun, they felt they needed more help. If any occupational or a health related mishap was to occur these people would be rendered helpless. I asked them about what they wanted of their children. They told me that the children were at home and didn’t go to school because they did not have sufficient money to pay their fees. Their occupation presumably was to follow in their parent’s footsteps, work as bonded laborers in the pans. 

Then came the scariest of calculations of my lifetime, the computation of their expenses towards working in salt pans and what is paid to them in return. I fond out that these labourers sell their salt for around 25 paisa per kilo at the start of the consumer chain and we buy it for 15 rupees for the same weight. The remaining 14 rupees 75 paisa gets lost amongst the intermediaries. A lack of education has depleted them of essential marketing skills and thereby their educated traders exploit them day in and day out. For a few moments I had nothing to say. The women too were in a pitiable condition. Having to work in the field all day, they had to go home, cook and also be with their children. I was realizing that the conditions these workers were living in were extremely intolerable and yet they were compelled to make salt and a livelihood.

We went on ahead where I was introduced to Premji Bhai. He has 6 panels of solar cells installed. The energy tapped by them is used to run apump that pulls out water essential for these pans. He also has a few pans on which other people work. I got a chance to meet them and see what they were doing. Their main task was in segregating the salt crystals from the water, water that was extremely rich in magnesium chloride. Both the salt and water are sold quite so at marginalized rates.I tried my hand at pulling the salt apart with the help of a shaft and realized that it was not such an easy task. After a few pulls I felt a strain on my back. If I were to do it for an hour under the grueling heat it would be a nightmare and these men had do it for hours, months and years. Such was the plight!

We then decided to head back to the CEE campus. On our way back we stopped at a village Mr. Ayubh had some work at. I noticed the enthusiasm he had to meet people, sit with them and listen to how their life was going. There was a deep concern in him as he went around meeting people. Finally when we reached the campus, Mr. Ayubh and me sat down to discuss our further plan of action. I told him how overwhelmed I was after experiencing what I had today and how I wanted others to come and see this as well. I realized that somewhere down the line the awareness regarding one’s own history and geography was really missing.

How something as basic as how salt is produced and that too in such harsh conditions? These incidents have to be an eye opener for all of us who take the rich gifts of god for granted, who are so consumed by the greed to consume and consume.

I strongly feel that the children while being educated should also be exposed to the practical domain of such activities. They should see what and how and where things happen. There are basic scientific experiments we all encounter as kids, something as simple as to how to grow plants. We take a seed and sow it and then observe its growth over time. But what about other basic essentials? Are we too scared to see the truth or are we being too ignorant and just don’t care. Because if we don’t we should! 

Children of the age group 12 to 15 could be taken to these salt pans as a part of study tours so that they can see for themselves the plight of these workers. They should develop concern for how things work and grow up as conscious citizens leading their land to a better place. For this purpose I think that a travel kit can be designed for these children. These travel kits supplemented with information of the place would help generate among the children and at the same time their parents, an interest and a sense of awareness of the place. If every unit of society becomes familiar with the situation, possible steps can be taken against their exploitation. Mr. Ayubh then showed me a presentation on how the Center for Environment Education works, its various environmental and social programs.

Sitting with the agariyas and sharing their concern

Day Three

19th March, 2012

As we were to head back to Ahmedabad today we decided to set off for the salt pans one more time. We first stopped at a pan where the trucks had tanks loaded onto them pulling in the magnesium chlo- ride rich water. Meeting another worker at his salt pan, I briefly asked him about his alternative skills but he said all that he knew was the job of “majdoori”.

Mr. Ayubh also had his companion Mr. Shamad accompanying us today. We took our jeep further into the desert. The land got hotter and I could spot mirages into the distance. I couldn’t quite comprehend the diversity of the environment, the mystique of nature. I felt I experienced heaven on earth. It was something so

unforgettable. Nothing could be seen save the parched land opening up its cracked lips begging for some respite. But everything happens on its own time. Before I got further lost in my thoughts, we concluded that we had seen enough of the desert and decided to set off for a school located at a distance of 15 kms from the desert. As we were touring back we encountered a family living in the desert. Their house seemed like a bundle of ragged clothes, worn out. One could feel nothing in them inspite of the clutter of utensils and their essentials, the only marked items of the household.

We reached the primary school where I met its principal and explained to him the reason why I was there. I seeked his permission to speak to a few children of the school. The children in their sixth standard seemed quite elated to get an unexpected break from there on going science class. After a brief interaction with them I figured that they all were aware of the desert but they hadn’t really been there. They knew that salt was produced there but they dint know how.

All these factors compel me to create something that will lead to the spread of knowledge of the Little Rann and the plight of the workers there. I want to take upon the role of being able to sensitize people all around the Little Rann as well as in the towns and cities of Gujarat and

India.

 Interacting with the children at a primary school

From left: Nachiket, Ruchita, Mr. Ayubh, Mr. Shamad and myself

                         

Research and Information Collection-3

After a week of convincing Ruchita, photography student at NID and Mr. Ayubh of CEE, the dates were finally decided for the trip. I even discussed my itinerary with Mr.Ayubh. According to him, if I was to understand the problem, I would have to visit the agariyas and listen to them in person, see how they were living. He decided that we’d be visiting the salt pans and then further work on the issue. I prepared an itinerary and approached chakradhar. He was pleased with the arrangement and taking his best wished  I set off for my trip on the 17^th.

                                                                                               The Trip Itinerary

Research and Information Collection-2

The drafted essay was taken to CEE where I met Mr. Atul Pandey, Programme Director for Rural Programmes Group and CEE West. I first introduced myself and then explained him the reason for me being there. It has always been my wish to serve the impoverished people and help them out of their misery. Being a graphic designer I could do so by making their plight heard through generation of awareness. Mr. Pandey told me about some problems they were facing and said that till date there has been no information kit of the place. No maps, no information of the villages in that area-all this leading to a problem of less communication. He also gave me contacts of two key people currently working in the Little Rann of Kutch and told me that I could avail their help if needed. He strongly recommended that I visit the salt pans, stay there for a minimum of 2 days, spend 2-3 hours with the Agariya families, and then assimilate the whole problem. He told that even they wanted to raise the awareness but due to lack of funds they have been unable to do so. He said that once I am back from Kutch I could meet him and discuss some plans which could be actually implemented and worked upon. 

After the meeting I spoke to Chakradhar, my guide. He told me that I would have to arrange for photographers who could come along and help in doing the shoot. I would also need to set up the defined objectives of going to Little Rann, prepare an itinerary and see that my objectives are met from the trip. I would also have to start looking up travel brochures and information kits. Study of existing travel kit, its variations, printable ones both national and international ones had to be done.  

Research and Information Collection-1

At the primary stage of information collection it was first advised to establish my target audience. The strength of each group under target audience had to be pre-established and approached accordingly. The questionnaire was prepared and then people were approached. 

IIM road and Central Mall at Ambavadi was visited on the first day and on the second day I went to Alpha One mall at Vastrapur. In total I got 31 people to fill the questionnaire. After getting it filled I prepared an excel sheet and put in the data I needed and those which had to be analyzed. I found that out of 31 people 24 knew about the place and only 6 had actually gone. Most seemed to know of it through word of mouth.  All the six had visited salt pans. They were excited about the never ending land, the jeep ride of sanctuary, the pure whiteness which surrounded the landscape. The average rating given was 3.3 out of 5.

With all this information I met my guide and we began our discussion. He asked me to draft an essay on whatever information I had processed out of the survey. So that the synopsis would help me for current action planning and future reference. On the basis of the feedback especially on what the people who visited that place liked a visual representation of that place could be derived and for that photographs of those places and themes would be needed. Thus a purpose now had to be brought in for me to visit the salt pans. For this it was decided that I go and speak at the CEE ( Centre for Environment Education) and tell them about my project. Explain them firstly that this project has been on a hypothetical state. The primary objective is to make the unrecognized sector grow, for which promoting their awareness is essential. Moreover if the awareness spreads and academic excursions take place then there is a greater chance of children becoming conscious citizens. They will get a chance to see how a basic commodity of their house is getting produced and at what cost. Considering such issues I would have to approach the CEE with the essay.

Project Proposal

The periphery

The Little Rann of Kutch Wildlife Sanctuary, has salt plains, caused by flooding of the Rann by sea, river and rain water; punctuated by highlands called bets, above the monsoon flood mark where scrub flora and grasslands offer a refuge to wildlife. This is one of the largest wildlife sanctuaries in India, spanning some 4950 sq ft in area.This is the only home for the endangered Asiatic Wild Ass, locally known as “Ghudkar” which is the member of wild horse family. The Little Rann of Kutch is also known for its traditional salt production and various references mention this to be a 600 years old activity. Salt produced in the Little Rann is known as 'Vadagaru' salt.

Objective

Owing to the uniqueness of the area and the existence of the rare and endangered species such as the Wild Ass, the area has being considered to be declared as one of the world heritage sites. However with the declaration of the area as a biosphere reserve the agariyas face a problem of eviction from their land.Agariya

and the wild asses have coexisted in this Rann for centuries. There are instances where Wild Ass has taken the shelter near salt pans to protect itself from poachers. Agariyas (salt pan workers) have a strong role in

protecting and conserving Wild Ass, why can they not co-exist?

• Awareness of the Wild Ass Sanctuary needs to be promoted.
• The co-existence of the two communities needs to be studied and measures to sustain both has to be highlighted.

Proposed Methodology

Tentative Deliverable

• Booklet
• A supplementary leaflet with ticket
• Poster
• Pamphlet