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.