Encapsulate Indian culture in a small image: Udayakumar on '₹' symbol and more at ICFK

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As a consultant, I've primarily been working on identity design, which is what clients look for. I’ve had the opportunity to handle several such assignments. The client plays an important role in the design process; you need to accept and respect what the client needs. As a designer, you have to be empathetic and mindful of their requirements. Ultimately, it's the client who pays for the project, so you need to satisfy them while also considering the objective of the assignment. When you start working on it, if the client understands your capabilities as well as their requirements, you can find a balance. It’s not that whatever you say is the right thing; sometimes you might fail. So, you have to understand where you stand. The goal is to fulfill the objective of the task at hand; it's not about your own ego as a designer. You need to see what the task is, what the objective is, and what the requirement entails. I see myself as an intermediary who facilitates the process for the client so that they are happy with the outcome. Client satisfaction is important, and their input is valuable. You take it along with the process, refine it, and grow along with it. It's not that whatever you do is the best thing out there; you learn from people and share your learning through your work. If they accept it, that’s great; if not, you modify and see what can be improved. It’s about blending your ideas with their vision.

This is what we teach in communication design. I teach identity design, and there are different types of logos you can categorize. Some are monograms, which are typically the initials of a company or person. Then you have logo marks and word marks—either with graphics or just text. For instance, Google has a primary text logo but keeps changing it dynamically based on events or people. Logos are different types, and you need to see what is appropriate for the context of your design. When a client approaches you for an identity design project, you have to understand where it will be used and who it is for. Based on that, you make design decisions about whether to use just words, graphics, or a combination. You explore all options to determine the best outcome. Through various design iterations and interactions with the client, along with user studies, you can figure out the best choice. You also need to understand the users; you should conduct user studies to grasp their requirements and how they perceive the design. Even after completing the design, getting user input before making a final choice is crucial. The user is an integral part of the process.

I don’t really have regrets. For every design I work on, I invest a lot of time and energy. Whether it’s the Rupee symbol or any identity design, I challenge my creative abilities. That’s how I see it. I want to express myself and bring out my potential in terms of creativity while being appropriate for the context in which I'm designing. There’s not much to regret; however, sometimes you may want to make changes. As a designer, there’s nothing that is fixed and done with; you often want to improve your work. As you grow, you learn and mature, and you might notice things you missed earlier, which you may want to enhance. This is true for most works, even the Rupee symbol. While I did my best at the time, I think I could refine it even better now. For the best work, I think it's obvious that the Rupee symbol stands out. 

Calligraphy is constructed, while handwriting is more about simply writing. Having good handwriting is not necessarily related to calligraphy because calligraphy involves a structure. My understanding is that calligraphy requires tremendous practice and patience; only then can you master the art form. In that sense, there is a difference between calligraphy as an art and handwriting in general.

I took up calligraphy because I am fascinated by it. Being interested in design and typography, I appreciate letters. I find it intriguing how calligraphers manipulate letters to create different compositions. I’d love to practice it myself, but time is a factor. Calligraphy requires dedication and consistent practice. The more time you invest in practice, the better you get at it. However, personally, I sometimes struggle to find that time. But whenever I can, I try to practice because I love letter forms and compositions. I’m very much into visual communication and design, which draws me to calligraphy.

From a young age, I was into art—drawing and sketching. I even had my own solo exhibition at school when I was in sixth standard, probably around eleven years old. My teachers encouraged me a lot. I studied at a boarding school called La Chatelaine Junior College in Valasaravakkam, Chennai, where my teachers motivated me. I started on my own, and they began to appreciate my work, encouraging me to hold exhibitions and participate in school events, whether it was Rangoli or any other design work. I won a lot of school competitions, which fueled my interest. Later, one of my teachers, Vijaya Lakshmi Madam, suggested that I consider architecture, which would align with my creative abilities. So, I thought, "Why not pursue architecture?" That’s how I got into the field, and later I continued on to design. Of course, architecture is also a form of design. So I just continued that.

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Many still regard calligraphy as a niche art. Is that really the case? How do you encourage people to take it up?

Firstly, you need to have a passion for it. You need to love it. Once you start loving it, you’ll want to learn more, practice, and with your passion and dedication, you can definitely become a good calligrapher. Within calligraphy, there are many different styles, so you should find the one that suits and interests you. If I had to summarize it in one word, I would say- patience.

Designing and branding are both very vast topics and something that is constantly evolving... What do you have to say to people who want to take up calligraphy or are newly into the field?

Both of them have similar lines, but both of them are very vast topics to explore. Creativity, skill set, and all those elements might overlap, but branding requires a different thought process, and calligraphy requires a different thought process. Branding, in itself, is a subject that is very vast and involves a lot of learning. Before getting into branding, there's a foundation that you need to build. You must understand visual design principles and various other aspects, like user study and market study. A lot goes into branding. It's not something a beginner can just jump into after completing a design program; it takes time to really understand how branding works. It's a mix of marketing, visual design identities, and many other elements.

In that sense, branding requires a different thought process. Also, one of the main things is that it is not a single person's work; it requires a lot of people. It’s a team effort, I should say. While I can handle certain aspects as a designer, you also need a good number of people to help build that brand. When you're doing it for an organization, you need expertise from various fields to contribute to the branding process. You can't build a brand on your own, especially if you're looking at a bigger brand; it definitely requires a team.

However, calligraphy is different. You can just have your own room, a table, ink, a pen, and whatever tools you need, and you can practice. From there, you can become a great calligrapher. It requires a different thought process as well. You need to have patience. Branding is mostly commercial, but calligraphy may not necessarily be commercial. If you want to make a living as a professional calligrapher, there is definitely a commercial angle. But if you want to do it as a leisure activity or as a learner, and enjoy calligraphy while being happy about it, that's a different thing.

So, those are the differences I see. But there is nothing stopping an individual from doing both and excelling in both.