After in field presentations, we returned to Malavli. Students had time to rest and shower and then put on their traditional saris and kurtas. Raksha and Moshi (the fantastic ISAC cook) helped the women put on their saris.

From left to right: Mike, Maya, Vanessa, Sarah, Felipe, Monifa, Zimeng, Arielle, Anna, and Kylie in our saris (women) and kurtas (men).

Felipe explains the final design his group created with Sadhana and the community.

Mike, Vanessa, and Arielle present the playspace their group designed with KESBO.

Mr. Ali, founder of KESBO, presents a certificate of completion to Anna.

We then went to the studio where students set up for their formal presentations. Savita, Mr. Ali, and the founder of Chetna joined us as guests, along with ISAC staff. The students created digital presentations capturing their entire process from beginning to end product. This included the interviews they conducted with key stakeholders in the community, sketches, keywords and insights, finalized budgets, as well as other activities and inspiration that happened along the way.

At the end of the presentations, ISAC staff presented each student with a certificate of completion in recognition of their work over the last three weeks. Both the ISAC staff and I talked about the uniqueness of this pilot program and how excited we are to make this happen and continue to go forward in the future. We recognized the time given and opportunity granted by the partnering organizations. With out their openness and willingness to give students access and flexibility, the program would not have been possible. We also talked about the students’ tremendous work and commitment to seeing their projects through and giving something of meaning to their adopted communities.

From the studio, we traveled down the road to a rented facility, where ISAC set up a lovely meal al fresco in an open courtyard. We ate delicious food and celebrated the end of a successful program and amazing, enlightening experience for all of us. Our guests from the partnering organizations joined us in the celebration.

After dinner, ISAC surprised us with a DJ. We spent the rest of the evening perfecting our Bollywood dance with Raksha as our dance leader showing us new moves, as well as traditional folk dances. We danced as the stars came out. This was a perfect ending to great experience – total immersion in Indian culture mixed with diligent, rewarding design work and a lot of fun!

The final day of the course came very quickly. Today, the students presented the finished projects to their partnering organizations, key stakeholders, peers, instructor, and ISAC staff. It was a full, exciting day. A rented bus picked us up in the morning and we first traveled to KESBO. Here the students celebrated the opening of Unity Park, the playspace they co-designed and named with the boys and Mr. Ali. The students described their inspiration for the project and demonstrated its various uses. Then they invited the boys to play! We all enjoyed playing in the new space – from trying out the swings and monkey bars to testing the tire obstacle course and racing each other on the racetrack. The best part was watching the boys of all ages and abilities use the play structures together and help one other.

The students were thrilled to see their design come to life and completed. It is functional, it is in keeping with the limitations and challenges of the climate and landscape, it utilizes mostly reused materials, and came in under budget. The students put their own blood, sweat, and tears into building the playspace – from digging holes to mixing concrete, moving boulders to playing and working alongside the boys under the intense Indian sun.

The playspace was completed for under $200 CAD. Most importantly it included the ideas and input from Mr. Ali and the boys, who will be benefiting from it the most. The students completed an implementation plan that explains to the boys and Mr. Ali how the playspace was designed, how it can be used, and ideas for future expansion.

Then, as a group, we traveled to Sadhana. We were greeted even more enthusiastically than usual by the many children who have been a part of the Sadhana student group’s activities almost everyday for the past two weeks. The students displayed the banner created by the kids, as well as printed business cards and letterhead, which together highlight the versatility of their new logo design and identity for Sadhana.The surprise element to the presentation was the arrival of the freshly printed saris and kurtas delivered by Ravi, the textile printer. He arrived on his motorcycle to personally deliver the finished textiles.

The students talked about their experiences designing with Sadhana and the surrounding community. Savita talked about how much she and her staff learned from the students and about what design can encompass. She is pleased with the design and how it can be used to further the work Sadhana does to fight for the rights of all people, particularly those living in the cantonment areas. Savita handed out roses to each one of us thanking us for our work and contribution the organization
and the community.

Throughout the project the students learned about the power of imagery and the importance of a clear message to further an organization’s work. They worked through the challenge of distilling a huge amount of information and complexity to not only design a final image but also include the community and staff in the process. They took a logo one step further by integrating their design into culturally familiar forms – the sari, kurta, and henna. By doing so, they gave it more dimension and the opportunity to communicate in a way that just business card or poster alone could never do. Their work will help to visually unify a community and strengthen its message so that it can be heard and positive change can continue to be made. The students did this in under three weeks and spent less than $100 CAD.

On Thursday night, we had a night of mehndi, designs on the hands and feet using henna. ISAC staff member, Farooq, invited his daughter’s friend who is a trained menhdi artist to the yellow house. She brought her books of designs and allowed each person to pick out a design for their hands and/or feet. She is busy this time of year, doing henna for weddings, as well as other for various festivals. She works quickly and is very talented.. We all loved the henna designs that she did for us.

Arielle has an intricate design drawn on her hand using henna.

Monifa, Arielle, and Vanessa show her mehndi designs.

Today was the students’ last full day to finish their projects with their organizations. The KESBO group set off early to finish painting the climbing structure and tires and to create the rope net. Yesterday’s trip to the hardware store for more paint and rope produced a rainbow of colours. The boys requested bright colours, specifically: yellow, pink, and lime green to complement the swing sets, which the students have already painted red, yellow, and blue.

By the end of the day, the playspace was completed! The students painted the structure and tires and weaved a strong, colourful net for the boys to climb. They created a running track down the middle of the space, with a green starting on on side and a red finish line on the other. The finished product truly transformed the space. Before the paint could dry, the boys were already creating out their new playspace – laughing and playing together

A pile of used tires of various sizes is transformed into a colourful obstacle course.

Arielle, Vanessa, Anna, and Kylie create a knotted rope net strong enough for the boys to climb.

Mike paints a green starting line for the race track that extends down the middle of the playspace.

Muneer tries out the new tire swing.

The Sadhana group divided into two. One group set off for Sai Chowk, a town three train stops from Dehu road. They met with a Ravi, textile printer and owner of Surabhi Textile Printing & Designing, who agreed to create a silkscreen and screen print the group’s design onto two saris and a kurta. Monfia, Zimeng, Raksha and I had the opportunity to look at samples of the kind of work Ravi produces, which includes everything from hand painted saris and hand embroidered embellishments for traditional wedding suits to t-shirts for rock bands.

After learning about the work the students are doing for Sadhana, the Ravi decided that he would not be making a profit on the project. He agreed to complete the printing with less than a 24 hour turnaround and charge just for his costs, because he wanted to be a part of this project. He explained that he received help to start his business and now that Surabhi is a successful company he enjoys giving back – the students’ work is just one of the various projects he chooses to sponsor.

Looking at samples of the Surabhi Textile Printing's work.

Zimeng looks at an example of one of the silkscreens the Surabhi has created for a detailed fabric design.

Samples of hand embroidered beadwork.

(from right to left): Ravi's brother, Anil, Ravi, and the rest of his team at Surabhi.

The other half of the Sadhana group traveled to Dehu Road to work with the kids from the cantonment area. Using their handmade silkscreen, carved woodblocks, paint, ink, and fabric, Maya and Felipe invited the children to create the Sadhana design with their hands using paint and fabric. Collectively, they created a banner and printed handkerchiefs boasting the newly designed Sadhana logo. This was one more way the students included the community directly in the process of designing and creating a representative identity and message for Sadhana. The children’s involvement summed up the participatory design process – fun, chaotic, a bit messy, but ultimately rewarding and resulting in an authentic end product.

The Sadhana student group is striving to create a strong visual symbol that will represent Sadhana both to those it works with in the cantonment communities, as well as externally to politicians, other cantonment areas in India, and international organizations about the importance of pushing for human rights for all people. Through research, testing, and iteration, the group has developed a final concept and is working to create several ways is which to use this visual identity. Through traditional dress on a printed sari and kurta, as a woodblock design that can be used with henna on the body, on t-shirts and small flags, as well as on business cards, letterhead, website and on Facebook.

Zimeng and Maya sand blocks made from a freshly hewn Banyan tree. The students visited a local lumbermill in the morning to get woodblocks to use for carving their design.

Monifa traces the group's logo design for Sadhana onto the woodblock.

Zimeng carves a woodblock that will be used as a stamp for henna and for printing on fabric.

Maya prepares two 8ft long peices of sari fabric onto which the group will print their Sadhana symbol.

On Tuesday night, students took a break from working on their projects to watch a popular Bollywood movie, Dabangg, starring heartthrob and campy action hero, Salman Khan as a “rowdy, mischievous, and sometimes crooked cop” (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1620719/). We loved the over-the-top fight scenes and the great dance numbers.

Our group’s favourite scene from Dabangg – the “Incredible Hulk” meets “Old Spice guy”…

The students started to implement the results of their participatory design process at the KESBO site. The day started with a meeting with a local welder, who will build the climbing structure from the students’ design.

With help from the boys, the group got a great deal accomplished. By the end of the day, the swingsets, which had previously sat unused were cemented permanently in the ground, the holes for the tire obstacle course were completed, paint and other supplies were purchased and delivered to the site, and the construction of the climbing structure was almost complete.

An electrical short caused a delay in the welding for the day. Luckily, the ISAC staff’s extensive network of connections allowed them to bring in a skilled electrician to fix the problem. The electrician generously donated his time to KESBO when he learned it was an orphanage.

Students show design to the local welder.

Iron poles the students bought from the scrapyard and had delivered to KESBO.

Students and the boys move raw materials in place to begin fabrication.

Fabricator welds the climbing structure designed by the students.

The climbing structure begins to take shape.

Vanessa prepares a hole for the swingset.

The boys use the wheelbarrow to transport gravel to mix concrete for the swingsets.

Vanessa works with Muneer to mix concrete for setting the swingsets permanently in place.

Swingsets are set in place with concrete and ready for painting tomorrow.

Kylie digs a hole to place the tires for the obstacle course.

Sarah, Anna, and Vanessa set tires in place for an obstacle course.

Mike and Vanessa high five with Muneer and Muhammad after a long days work.

By the end of the day on Monday, students from both groups were tasked with finalizing their designs and then determining the supplies and resources needed to complete their proposed projects by Friday.

The Sadhana group prepared their final designs to share with Savita. They then traveled on the train to Lonavala to look for materials needed to create a woodblock and for sari and kurta fabric on which to print their design.

Sadhana group's designs

Sadhana group's esimated budget for finishing the project.

The KESBO group simplified their design and worked with ISAC to find a welder who could fabricate a climbing structure for their proposed playspace. They traveled with Farooq, ISAC staff, to a metal scrapyard in nearby Kamshet where they were able to buy the iron needed and have it delivered to the KESBO site.

Students' revised design for a climbing structure at KESBO.

Site plan for the new playspace at KESBO.

KESBO group's budget estimates for completing the playspace.

On Thursday, we were visited by OCAD University Vice Preseident of Academics Dr. Christine Bovis-Cnossen and Dean of the Faculty of Design Dr. Gayle Nicoll, two champions of this pilot Design Abroad: India course. In the morning, Christine and Gayle visited the students working with KESBO. They observed as the students shared the next iteration of their playspace design with KESBO founder, Mr. Ali. They toured the KESBO campus, and the students showed Christine and Gayle the site of the proposed new playspace, which will include a climbing structure, swing sets, and a tire obstacle course. A game the students taught the boys at KESBO as a group activity and way to transcend language and culture barriers is “stella ella ola.” Christine joined in this large, joyous circle game that included all of the boys and the students.

OCAD U VPA Dr. Christine Bovis-Cnossen and Dean of the Faculty of Design Dr. Gayle Nicoll observe as students present their design sketches for a proposed playspace to Mr. Ali, founder of KESBO, school and orphanage for boys.

The students' concept sketches for the new playspace.

Arielle Bourret-Klein, Mike Lewis, Anna Kolesnikova, VPA Dr. Christine Bovis-Cnossen, Kylie Thompson, and Vanessa Hausman tour the KESBO grounds together.

Christine and the students form a large circle with the boys from KESBO for a game of "Stella ella ola."

In the afternoon, the OCAD U VPA and Dean visited the student group working with Sadhana. They met the founder, Ms. Savita Jadhav, and then toured the nearby cantonment area. They observed the students meeting with various members of the community as they asked for feedback about different symbols representing Sadhana and its work in the cantonment areas. The symbols stemmed from the participatory design sessions conducted earlier in the week with the community and staff members of Sadhana. Based on this stage of the process, the students will further develop other iterations of the symbol as they work to finalize a strong visual representation of Sadhana and its mission.

Students survey cantonment area residents to get their feedback about different symbols representing Sadhana and its work in the community.

Design Abroad: India instructor Sarah Tranum, Felipe Sarmiento, Zimeng Lu, VPA Dr. Christine Bovis-Cnossen, Maya das Gupta, Dean of Faculty of Design Dr. Gayle Nicoll, and Monfia Charles in the cantonment area near Dehu Road, Maharastra, India.

The KESBO design team worked from their research and interviews to determine a direction for their design project. They found that the creation of a designated play space is a needed and wanted addition to the KESBO campus. While the boys who live at KESBO play in the open space between the main building and dining hall there is no designated space that encourages interaction, especially between boys of different ages and abilities. This led to preliminary ideas and sketches of potential built structures that could encourage creative play across age groups and athletic ability.

They brought these sketches to show Mr. Ali and the boys. Through discussions, further questions, voting, and sketching on the part of the boys, the team was able to find a clear direction for their design proposal. The next step is further refinement of the concept incorporating the boy’s drawings, comments, and Mr. Ali’s feedback and discussion of available materials and resources.

The team shows preliminary sketches for play structure designs to Mr. Ali.

Aftab, ISAC staff, helps the students delineate the site of a designated playspace on the KESBO campus using lime powder and string.

Arielle shows the boys the different ideas for play structures at the site of the new playspace.

Each boy voted for his favourite design by placing a stone on the corresponding sketch.

The boys voted twice: first, en masse, and second with a secret stone ballot with each boy choosing his favourite design without the other boys seeing his vote. Both votes were tallied to determine the most popular design.

The team then asked the boys to draw other ideas they have for the playspace. Several drew a cricket field; Aftab and the boys explained the basics of the game to Vanessa.

Raksha, ISAC Program Coordinator and Bollywood dancer extraordinaire, taught us the moves to a popular Bollywood movie song. We danced, sweated, laughed, and perfected our routine…next step Mumbai Bollywood Studios!

Raksha shows us a sample of one of the popular Bollywood dance moves.

Raksha leads us in dance - she is a great dancer and teacher!

Students working with the human rights organization, Sadhana, delved into ethnographic research today, interviewing key members of the organization and the surrounding community. By designing specific questions and ways to interact with their interviewees, the students gathered important insights about what the organization means to those its empowers.They will use this information to shape their design process as they work to develop a strong visual identity, which will encapsulate the strength and impact of Sadhana. Maya, Felipe, Zimeng and Monifa will return to the community tomorrow to take their research to the next step.

Zimeng interviews one of Sadhana's social workers, who works closely with the community on various human rights issues.

Monifa talks to Savita Jadhav, founder of Sadhana, about the the communication needs of the organization.