What You Need. 1Love

Daily password for WiFi access.

@ Guru Hotel, Anjuna, Goa.

Choice is good

Indus Ind bank has made one small addition in the ATM process. Many a time for me, the ATM has spat out a single 1000 rupee note, and that is as good as having no money on you.

By building this one additional step, the ATM allows people the choice to choose denominations.

Good, or unnecessary additional step?

People see. People do.

When there is little litter, fingers get pointed at the perpetrators. But when there is more, it is just a socially acceptable way of getting rid of your ATM receipts.

Dynamic rates. Dynamic offers.

For a cut throat market where one rupee here and there could cost you a customer, handwritten slates are the best way to stay up to speed on the daily rates.

Multilevel security

If you want to get inside, you need all four keys.

Noticed at a quaint building in Fort, Bombay, by Javed.

Climbing to the top of the human pyramid

Mid-tier Govindas with harnesses that let others climb above them in the human pyramid. #gokulasthami #janmashtami

Pillow talk

With just a simple improvisation, your backseat snooze could be more comfortable.

(Picture by Amy, paymes on instagram)

Excuse me, Waiter.

In the standard Udipi restaurants that do brisk business during lunch hours, getting attention of the waiter is a much practiced art.

A huge mirror on the wall at this Shiv Sagar in Bandra somehow resolves that issue, and much more. Sure, it makes the restaurant look bigger, but people are actually using it to make better eye contact with the waiter and catch his attention faster.

In this case, the mirror adds a sense of control to the entire dining experience, which then positively affects your perceptions of the service in the restaurant.

So, the next time you’re in Bandra, go here, and trust the mirror to get you fast, exemplary service.

Contrasting driving cultures

In a land where the BMW and a bullock cart use the same roads, signboards have to make sure that everyone gets the message.

Low on battery?

One big anxiety on the highway, apart from running out of fuel, is running out of battery charge on your cellphone.

Here’s what every highway rest stop should include – a smiling cashier who offers to charge your phones in the safety of his counter. For free, of course.

And, with a wide range of charger options, you are certain to find one for your phone.

Finding Left and Right

At some point in time, we have all been frustrated with earphones, and my biggest peeve has been the L, R mismatch. I loved a few earphones for their sound, but the irritation of looking for that faded L and R, just so I can wear them right has stayed with me.

I bought these cheap Philips earphones because they partly solved the problem. But then, came the trick of remembering if L was Blue or Red.

And, when the L and R faded away with use, I was back to where I started.

A few months ago, I bought a pair of Sennheisers. Within a week of wearing it, I made a discovery!

With just a subtle structure change in L and R, this earphone incorporates a haptic differentiation. So now, I just have to run my finger along the edge of the earphone. If it tilts to the right, it goes into my right ear. If it tilts to the left, it goes into the left ear.

What better way to find L and R in the dark, you say?

(Apple earphone picture from Giovanni Erick’s flickr)

The silent channel

Via Flickr:
How can we design more engaging tv watching experiences in public, crowded and noisy places where inevitably, the television is always on mute.

Huge implications for content generation and advertising, even as you start thinking about it.

Thoughtless acts

Even as she laid breakfast on the table, my mother realized she had forgotten the coaster. So, what did she do?

Engineering Delight!

Once you get off the flight and trudge towards the baggage claim, the fight for carts starts. Either they are too far away from the belt, which doesn’t give you first dibs on the perfect spot, or else they are crammed away on the side making it difficult to separate two carts. And while you’re at it, the crowd swells up around the conveyor belt, leaving you behind.

Delhi Airport has created an interesting intervention to tackle this situation.

As you approach the conveyor belt, the carts are already stacked around it. No more insecurities of not finding a cart, or being left behind in the rush. Get there early and pick a cart. What better way to invoke the peak-end rule of designing experiences?

Lovely gesture, wouldn’t you agree?

(Thanks to Mayank, who was so delighted at Delhi Airport that he shared this picture on facebook)

Repurposing the General Compartment to feel like home.

These Unreserved Compartments on trains can take a toll on babies, as they sit through long journeys in overcrowded environments that are unfamiliar and intimidating.

In an effort to calm down this one wailing baby, the mother unpacked one of her sarees and turned it into a makeshift cradle for the kid. She then rocked the baby to sleep as the train moved on to its next destination.As some of us jostled for space, the baby found itself the most comfortable spot for the journey.

And, on the way, there’s enough entertainment to keep you occupied.

 

Where’s my cuppa steaming tea?

If you travel around Kachch, Gujarat, you see most roadside stalls selling tea in saucer measures, never in cups.

At a bus halt, you’ll find the server with a handful of saucers in one hand, while the other holds a jug of steaming tea. No cups. He does brisk business walking around offering tea to patrons, after handing them the saucers.

Seen this anywhere else?

Repurposed office space

Its brisk business for these lawyers all day at the Registration Office. This is the tried and tested method to fill out forms then and there.

Better pizza eating experiences

Hey, you pizzaholic. If you haven’t seen this yet, here’s a couple of interesting things happening around your pie that makes your pizza eating experience better.

Take for instance, this ;Winner of a much-deserved Red Dot Design Award, the Paper Dish. It takes the greaseproof sheet found between a pizza and a cardboard box, and turns it into a miniature paper plate. This ;clever design helps keep your fingers clean, while you gorge on the pizza; no napkins needed.

While we are on the topic, here’s something else that helps you eat the pizza and also store it for later. Behold the Greenbox. The top of the box breaks easily into four serving plates; the bottom of the box can then be repurposed into a storage device for the rest of your pizza.

GreenBox – Pizza Box – Product Promo from Green Box on Vimeo.

But, if you still feel the need to be messy, just wear a white shirt on which, you can clean your saucy fingers.

Photo from Gizmodo. h/t to @thinzzzy for the paper dish link

Protecting with symbolism.

Lord Murugan’s weapon, the vel (spade) adorns the entry passage to his temple at Chedda Nagar, in Chembur, Mumbai.

A quick excerpt from Wikipedia says this about his weapons.

Kartikeya symbols are based on the weapons – Vel, the Divine Spear or Lance that He carries and His mount the peacock. He is sometimes depicted with many weapons including: a sword, a javelin, a mace, a discus and a bow although more usually he is depicted wielding a sakti or spear. This symbolizes His purification of human ills.

His javelin is used to symbolize His far-reaching protection, His discus symbolizes His knowledge of the truth, His mace represents His strength and His bow shows His ability to defeat all ills. His peacock mount symbolizes his destruction of the ego.

There’s also some interesting points about the controversy of Murugan being an Aryan or a Dravidian deity with respect to different Northern and Southern myths, if you’re keen to read it.

Locking orientation at rest.

I simply pulled the strap over the grip so that my camera remains downright. Else, it would keep swinging around my shoulders.