crossword

Thought behind the thought
Crosswords are fun! But at times, they really try your patience. Words just don't seem to agree with each other. They refuse to sit next to each other, or if they fit in, push others out of their way, leaving empty spots. But one just has to persevere. Finally, there comes a word that sets things right. And the whole puzzle just falls in place at once.
Just like life .....

About architecture and Design
Crossword lovers would surely like to see this happening in their neighbourhood!

With a large crossword puzzle installed on the side of the structure, this building in Ukraine has an address that no one can get wrong. Created as a part of a city-wide art installation, clues to the puzzle are scattered all throughout Lvov. You'll have to find them one by one if you're hoping to solve the giant crossword. Designed as a way to encourage people to visit the town's interesting locations, they're distributed among popular city landmarks, like theaters, monuments and museums.

How do you know if you got the answers right? You'll have to wait till nighttime, when the combination of the installed lighting system and the fluorescent paint fills up all the boxes with the correct answers. Measuring 100 feet in height, it is truly a sight to behold, especially when set against the backdrop of the evening skies.

Credit and source of information
http://www.coolthings.com/ukraine-building-gets-a-100-foot-crossword-puzzle-that-solves-itself/

chemistry

Thought behind the thought
Chemistry was one subject that I simply couldn't befriend at school. All the chemical formulae and equations, quite simply, puzzled me. I just could not balance the information and make sense out of it. Somehow, I did swim through the curriculum but it left a gaping hole in my brain!
Looking back now, a good thirty years since I last met Chemistry, I think she taught me some important life lessons! That you always need to balance out seemingly unrelated things .... or they balance themselves out eventually, even if you can't figure out how! And most importantly, she taught me that "Reaction" is everything. It runs the whole show. Whatever the action, the reaction is what leads to the final outcome. And that is so true with life.
How one reacts to words, events, people, situations ... determines the final outcome of your life. Not what happens to you, but how you react to it. That is everything!

About Art and Design
The concepts that once seemed so difficult to understand, are depicted here in such an innovative way! That is the power of graphics! It can turn abstract ideas in to something very interesting and easy to understand! I wish our text book illustrators took a clue or two from these amazing science illustrations!

Pablo Bustos AKA Wirdou (the creator of these fantastic illustrations) is a young designer from Madrid, Spain. He's a total geek, and loves anything related to the world of gaming, movies or TV shows. He majored in Biology some years ago, which explain his many science-related designs, with a special focus on mixing pop culture and science.

 Freddie Mercury

 Heavy metals

Noble gasses

Krypton Man

Credit and Source of information
Wirdou: Fun science by Pablo Bustos  http://wirdou.com/

http://www.neatoshop.com/artist/Wirdou#listing?tag=819807

choice

Thought behind the thought

Choice is the latest buzzword. Everyone seems to be talking about it. Of course, it is important to exercise your choice, in every matter concerning your self. We do have a right to act as per our wish. But isn't  it our responsibility of making the right choice, and also the responsibility to see that it does not affect someone else?. Many a times, we forget that there are other issues involved, and other people too, who probably do not get the space to exercise their choice because we have exercised ours!

About Design
'My Choice' a short film that has become a rage on social networking sites today conveys to women, the message of being control of their own lives , especially Indian women, who see their rights  trampled upon in all walks of life. This film has inspired an amazing advertisement for 'Amul' that captures the spirit of the film, and adds that layer of subtle humour that 'Amul ads' have always  been known for.

From the first Amul hoarding that was put up in 1967, Amul advertisements have never falied to put a smile on one's face. Their tongue in cheek commentary on social and political events has brightened up many a day.The round-eyed, chubby cheeked moppet who is the protagonist in these ads has over the years taken many 'avataars', all of them equally appealing.

It all began in 1966 when Sylvester daCunha, then the managing director of the advertising agency, ASP, clinched the account for Amul butter. The butter, which had been launched in 1945, had a staid, boring image, primarily because the earlier advertising agency which was in charge of the account preferred to stick to routine, corporate ads.In India, food was something one couldn't afford to fool around with. It had been taken too seriously, for too long. 

Sylvester daCunha decided it was time for a change of image.The year Sylvester daCunha took over the account, the country saw the birth of a campaign whose charm has endured fickle public opinion, gimmickry and all else.

one of the first amul hoardings

In 1969, when the city first saw the beginning of the Hare Rama Hare Krishna movement, Sylvester daCunha, Mohammad Khan and Usha Bandarkar, then the creative team working on the Amul account came up with a clincher -- 'Hurry Amul, Hurry Hurry'. Bombay reacted to the ad with a fervour that was almost as devout as the Iskon fever.

That was the first of the many topical ads that were in the offing. From then on Amul began playing the role of a social observer. Over the years the campaign acquired that all important Amul touch.

Here are some 'Amul Hits' that have entertained, as much as enlightened!

Sc strikes down Sec 66A ! - March'15

Proposal to revive Mumbai’s night life ! – Feb’15

Kejriwal’s landslide Delhi win !

Indo-US ties sky rocket! – Jan’15

And some archival ones too!

On Railway Minister Laloo Parasd Yadav's proposed populist Rail Budget - July'04

On Wimbledon Champions 2004: Men's Singles winner-Switzerland's Roger Federer & Women's Single winner-Russian Maria Sharapova - July'04

Controversy surrounding Adam Gilchrist accusing Sachin Tendulkar of not having a sporting attitude & being a liar, in his about to be released autobiography - Oct'08

India's nuclear strength. 1998

During the period when FSI was being misused. 1982

On compulsory sterilisation introduced during Indira Gandhi regime. 1976

Do visit the site links for more...

Credit and Source of information
http://www.amul.com/m/amul-hits?s=2015

http://www.amul.com/m/amul-topical-story

pool

Thought behind the thought
We have all been through this! When we first learn how to swim, and till we gather the courage to venture anywhere beyond 5 feet deep, we find comfort and safety at the shallow end of the pool. Here, we can try to float our body for a while, but safely touch our feet to the ground, if we can't! The confidence that comes with the knowledge that you are not going to drown shows in the way we splash with abandon there. 
But eventually, we do take the plunge, reinforce our confidence and make a serious attempt to overcome our fears our drowning. Once we befriend the water and stretch our capacities, the deep end does not seem that far or deep enough. It is at the deep end then, that we surface with grace, humbled by the enormity of the challenge that we took up and met!

About design
Swimming pools are not just places where we could have fun swimming, they are also fun to design! And it shows, in all these images of amazing pools around the world.

The pool at San Alfonso Del Mar, Chile is probably the largest pool in the world being 3000 feet long, and descending 115 feet deep as you cover the length.

The 'Infinity Pool" at Rangali Islands, Maldives seems to have no edges and visually merges with the beautiful vast ocean that it is built next to.

The pool at Ubud Hanging gardens in Bali,  Indonesia gives you a two fold, terraced experience of being above the valley as you swim, or being one with the amazing greenery in the valley.

The underground pool at Umaid Bhavan Palace , India designed lavishly beneath the 345 room palace, that was the largest private residence in the world!

A set of three pools (with cold, warm and hot water) at Intercontinental Hotel, Hongkong.

The Blue Lagoon Geothermal Spa in Iceland is fed by super heated mineral rich water vented from the ground near a natural lava flow and is claimed to have healing properties.

The infinity pool at Sky park at Marina Bay Sands, Singapore  is perched at 55 stories above the ground level, offering an incredible swimming experience.

The Nemo 33 pool in Brussels, Belgium was formerly the deepest pool in the world at 108 feet. It is used for recreation , filming and diving instruction and has a system of underwater caves with temperature maintained at a constant 96 deg F.

The Ocean dome in Miyazaki, Japan is an indoor artificial beach with a simulated sky roof, artificial sand and also the world's largest wave pool.

The design of swimming pools also requires amazing technology to support it. Whether it is a temperature controlled pool atop a structure or underground , it is a feat of technology as much as it is a feat of imaginative design! Swimming pool design is therefore as much science as it is art, a challenging creative exercise!


Credit and Source of information
http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/design/g594/worlds-18-strangest-pools/?

choices and fate

Thought behind the thought
Don't we realize, too late at times, that we have made a wrong choice? And that we have totally missed the bus, or changed the track because of the choices we made? And then we wonder 'What if......." 
Life puts you through an examination, where there is no answer key to any of the questions asked. If there is one, it comes to you only at the end, after all the choices have been made, and your fate sealed. So, make your choices with utmost care, because they are finally going to chart your journey and decide your destination!


About Design
If you thought making choices as an individual is difficult, think about making choices as a community! How difficult it is for a group of people to make the right choice, considering all the diverse views and opinions, and also the diverse ambitions and aspirations. 
That is exactly why the planning and design of cities becomes such a complex process, with so many alternative case scenarios developed for the very many choices that are made in the urban design process! What if you could predict future urban scenarios accurately based on the matrix of choices? 

That is what the "Urbanology Online" Game, designed by the BMW Guggenheim Lab does!

Urbanology is a game that examines the complex ways in which cities develop. It puts you in charge of your own city by presenting you with a variety of real-world urban dilemmas. Every decision you make impacts your city negatively or positively; often in ways you might not expect. 

At the end of game play, a custom algorithm takes eight major categories (innovation, transportation, health, affordability, wealth, lifestyle, sustainability, and livability) into account, and then calculates the closest real-world equivalent to the city you've created.

The game experience for Urbanology was developed by Local Projects, and the physical design was created by ZUS [Zones Urbaines Sensibles].

The BMW Guggenheim Lab was a mobile laboratory about urban life that began as a co-initiative of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation and the BMW Group. From 2011 to 2014, the Lab traveled to New York,Berlin, and Mumbai. Part urban think tank, part community center and public gathering space, the Lab’s goal was the exploration of new ideas, experimentation, and ultimately the creation of forward-thinking visions and projects for city life. Through the lens of the themes Confronting Comfort, Making, and Privacy and Public Space, this global project explored how people relate to cities and public space today.

The Lab brought together interdisciplinary teams of emerging talents in the areas of urbanism, architecture, art, design, science, technology, education, and sustainability, to creatively explore, experiment and finally create solutions for cities through participatory processes.

The Lab has traveled to cities like New York, Berlin and Mumbai, and conducted some very interesting experiments and organised events, think tanks and projects based on the urban issues related to those cities. It surely has created a participatory model of thinking for our cities, which is becoming increasingly important and relevant to the design of cities today.

Do visit the site and play the "Urbanology Online" game, to know what kind of future city you would build with your personal choices!

Credit and Source of Infromation
http://www.bmwguggenheimlab.org/urbanology-online
http://engagingcities.com/article/bmw-guggenheim-lab-urbanology-game
http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2011/09/urbanology-an-online-game-to-teach-users-about-sustainability/244875/

the game

Thought behind the thought
Play the game of life. Follow the rules, make your moves. Wherever you may begin , whatever line of action you may follow, be sure to move on and ahead. And most importantly, aspire to win! That is the crux of life.
A game of chess tells us just that. You have been assigned a certain place to begin with. And there are a set of rules  for how you move and where. The only aim is to play the game well and win!

About the Craft and Design
A beautifully complex game, played with equally beautiful boards and pieces!

The game of chess, played world over today, is believed to have originated in India during the Gupta period (280-550 C.E) The words for "chess" in Old Persian and Arabic are “Chatrang” and “Shatranj” respectively — terms derived from "Chaturaṅga" in Sanskrit, which literally means an army of four divisions or four corps.
Chess pieces were actually in the shape of an army of the time. During those times, a king’s army was comprised of hathi (elephants), ghoda (horse), oont (camel),paidal sanik (soldiers) and the Raja (King) and his senapati (general). The commander later became the queen in modern chess after the game reached Europe, though the senapati was the one the most important posts in an Indian king’s army. Much like today’s queen in chess, during the fight the Senapati was the person in charge and also the leader of the entire army. In those days, if the king was killed or captured the defending army had to surrender.

Ivory Chess set, Rajasthan, India

Painted and Laquered wooden Chess set, Rajasthan, late 19th or early 20th century, one side predominantly red, the other side predominantly green, kings as elephants with closed howdahs, queens as elephants with open howdahs, bishops as warriors riding camels, knights as horsemen, rooks as warriors on camels, pawns as foot soldiers, all the pieces elaborately decorated in gilt.

Modern chess players no more use such elaborately crafted pieces for the game. Contemporary Design has an entirely different visual vocabulary than traditional design. From the elaborate to the minimal, from the mimetic to the abstract, design concepts have changed with the times. So have the materials and processes that are used for crafting. 

It is certainly difficult to choose one over the other, both being beautiful in their own way! But one thing is certain, the game remains as engaging as ever ..... inside the 64 square matrix, or outside.

Credit and Source of information
http://www.crumiller.com/chess/chess_pages/indian/IndianPaintedLacqueredFiguralChessSet.htm
http://en.chessbase.com/post/hindi-and-the-origins-of-chess
http://picclick.com/ANTIQUE-VTG-INDIAN-INDIA-GILT-FIGURAL-CHESS-SET-261243854432.html
http://jotarofootsteps.blogspot.in/2013/03/intoxicating-india-2013-jaipur.html
http://www.betterlivingthroughdesign.com/accessories/modern-chess-set/
http://www.chessbaron.co.uk/chess-E2003.htm
http://www.beautifullife.info/industrial-design/creative-tool-chess-set/
http://www.thechesspiece.com/proddetail.asp?prod=Copper%2FSteel-Contemporary-chessmen
http://www.crystalchess.com/cc_collect.asp