Blog DESIgn MASALA
By Vaijayanthi Iyengar - May 23, 2012
Although the concept of social networking on the web has been steadily active for only the last decade, the phenomenon of social networking is ancient. Social networking thrives on an inherent need of people to know about each other’s lives. As stated by Danah Boyd a social media researcher at Microsoft Research “We all poo-poo the reunion, but secretly, we really want to know what happened to Bobbi Sue.” People are curious about other people and social networking gives them a dynamic platform to see what is happening in everyone’s lives. Current technology is playing a role of an enabler to suffice this basic need. Many physical and virtual arenas have played the role of social enabler and facilitated people to interact with each other. For example, a job portal where one can recommend a colleague’s work, a coffee table for sharing pictures of graduation with friends and family and an MMORPG where flirting with other avatars is made safe.
Blog DESIgn MASALA
By Harsha Kutare - April 13, 2012
While the internet and the buzz of social networking sites have helped like-minded people find each other and build online communities, there still is an extended arm to these social communities. It involves live interaction with multiple viewpoints, ardent discussions and debates with an eye open towards creative innovations.
Blog DESIgn MASALA
By Ramprakash R - April 5, 2012
Over the last 4 years I have had the intriguing experience of witnessing many of my close friends entering marital bliss. These unique moments have been captured, documented and stir fond memories of some wonderful stories.
Blog DESIgn MASALA
By Sanket Bindle and Hannah Regier - February 29, 2012
Healthcare is one of the most critical needs for the human race. In India, as elsewhere, a few are fortunate to have access to the best facilities while many others don’t have access to even the basic healthcare needs. Today there are not only medical professionals that are contributing to bridging this gap, but also a multitude of technology, business and design professionals contributing in the form of new and innovative ideas, products and services. In India, where there are only six physicians for every 10,000 people, the conjunction of different disciplines in healthcare services is important in order to augment the human reach with scalable technological and service interventions.
Blog DESIgn MASALA
By Jon Snydal - January 8, 2012
Truck painting and decorating has emerged as a vibrant form of folk art in India. Thought to have started in Pakistan, the practice has spread to all corners of India. These “painted ladies” of the Indian highways have captured the imagination of many photographers and have even inspired a Monopoly spinoff called Truckopoly.
Blog DESIgn MASALA
By Ramprakash R - December 2, 2011
Do you ever feel irritated with something in your neighborhood? …when you are in transit? …on a street near your workplace that you frequent often? We come across many things that annoy us and make us wish things were different. Taking a cue from Gaurav's thoughts on street side religious art, small steps to ensure civic well being can go a long way.
Blog DESIgn MASALA
By Hannah Regier - November 5, 2011
In the spirit of Halloween, my colleague Shayak and I set out on a tour around Bangalore focusing on finding masks in whatever context we can. We welcome tangents, in fact we are more interested in the tangents than the masks themselves. The search takes us through layers of the city, and behind each mask Bangalore reveals some of its charming, alarming and idiosyncratic personality.
