Upload
avni-sethi
View
215
Download
1
Embed Size (px)
DESCRIPTION
This essay asses the family planning campaign's visual material in the social, political and design context. It addresses interpretation as well as symbolism within the given context.
Citation preview
AReviewofFamilyPlanningMaterialDesigninIndia
Papersubmittedinpartialfulfillmentofrequirementsofthecourse“HistoryofGraphicDesign”atSrishtiSchoolofArt,Design&Technology
AvniSethi,3rdyearSangamaInterdisciplinaryLab
21March2011
Page2of9
TableofContentsA. Introduction................................................................................................................................. 3B. FamilyPlanningandtheOriginofContemporaryDesigninIndia ...................... 3C. TheRedTriangleLogo ............................................................................................................ 3D. QuestforaEuropean‐StyleGrassrootsModernity..................................................... 4E. TheKeyRoleofDAVPandFilmsDivision
inDevelopingIndia’sDesignCulture................................................................................ 4F. DAVPandtheFamilyPlanningprogramme .................................................................. 5G. Far‐ReachingImpactoftheEmergencyExcesses ....................................................... 6H. ContentAnalysis:Imagery..................................................................................................... 6I. ContentAnalysis:Messaging ................................................................................................ 7J. TheContemporaryPoster:AlignedwithNeo‐LiberalConsumerism................. 7K. InterplayBetweenStylingand(Printing)Technology ............................................. 8L. Conclusion:DesignasAdjunctto(Social)Marketing ................................................ 8M. Bibliography ................................................................................................................................ 9ListofIllustrations1. TheoriginallogooftheFamilyPlanningprogrammeinIndia.............................. 32. Graphicsofthefamilyplanningcampaigninitsearlyyears.................................. 43. Theubiquitous‘fourfaces’FamilyPlanningmassmediacampaign................... 54. Themodified‘redtriangle’logo.......................................................................................... 65. PosterspublishedbytheDirectorateofFamilyWelfare,circa1993 ................. 66. Aone‐child‘happyfamily’image,withagirlasthesolechild .............................. 77. PublicityimagefortheSaathiyaintegratedfamilyplanningservice ................. 88. Arecentposterandadvertisementshowinghighnarrativecontent
anduseofdigitalimagingtechnology .............................................................................. 8
Page3of9
A. Introduction Thispaperisareviewofgraphicdesignmaterialpublishedfor,byandundertheFamilyPlanningprogrammeofIndiaovertheyears–usingvisualreferences(mostlyposters,butalsowallpaintingsandprintadvertisements)collatedfromvariousinternetsources.Thepaperintendstoanalyzeboth,contentaswellasform,inthisoverview–intermsofthepoliticsunderlyingthemessagingaswellastheselectionofstyleandaestheticsoftheform–asevidencedintheposters.Further,itattemptstocorrelatethesewiththehistoryandevolutionofthediscourseofdesigntheoryaswellaspraxisinpost‐independenceIndia,andwithaglanceatcontemporaryIndiangraphicdesign,advertisingdesignandfineandappliedarttrends.Throughthis,itishopedtodemonstratehowdesigninIndiaoriginatedhighonidealismandaesthetics,butovertheyearshasto‘stooplow’–intothepopularandcommercial–inordertoremainviableandperceivedasrelevant,whileremainingingenuoustothepoliticalaspectofitsdeployment.B. FamilyPlanningandtheOriginofContemporaryDesigninIndiaTheFamilyPlanningprogrammeinIndiawasintroducedasearlyas1951‐52,withtheadventofthefive‐yearplansystem,andcommunicationwasconceivedasavitalcomponentforittobesuccessful.IntheearlyyearsoftheIndianstate,thereweretwoformsofdesignactivitysponsoredbyit–adaptationofcolonialartefactsanddesignsforanindependentIndianidentity,andcommissioningofentirelynewartefacts,monumentsanddesignsinalignmentwiththevisionofIndia.Inthepre‐independenceera,Indiangraphicdesignhadcloselyfollowedwesterntrends,butalsoindigenousmovementsintheartsliketheBengalschool.Muchofthedesignworkproducedduringtheindependencemovementreflectsthis.Afterindependence,thistrendgotadaptedfromnationalistictonation‐buildingmessaging.Muchofgovernment‐commissionedmassmediaandpubliccommunicationfollowedthistrend,includingtheFamilyPlanningprogrammeaswell.ThecityofNewDelhimightbeupheldasaninstanceoftheformer,while
thecityofChandigarhmaybeupheldasaninstanceofthelatter.C. TheRedTriangleLogoOneoftheearliesticonsofthisprogrammeisitsjustifiablyfamous‘RedTriangle/LalTikon’logo(fig.1).AttributedtothefirstAssistantCommissioneroftheIndianFamilyPlanningprogramme,DeepTyagiaswellastheNationalInstituteofDesignandcommissionedduringthefourthFive‐YearPlanperiod(1969‐1974)1,thislogomanifestedthe
1OnthewebsiteoftheMinistryofFamilyWelfare:“ItwasduringtheFourthFiveyearPlanthatcommunicationeffortsbegantobemuchmoremeaningful.ThefamousRedTrianglesymbolforfamilyplanningwasconceivedduringthisperiodandanationalcampaignwaslaunched…”athttp://www.mohfw.nic.in/dofw%20website/family%20welfare%20programme/iec.htm.
Figure1.TheoriginallogooftheFamilyPlanningprogrammeinIndia.
Page4of9
nation’sneedforaprogressiveandcontemporaryidentitythatitcommissionedfromitsdesigninstitutions.Thelogo,anabstractionoftheyonifromTantraandcolouredredforfertility,becameaninternationaliconforFamilyPlanningintheyearstocome.D. QuestforaEuropeanStyleGrassrootsModernityAlongwiththelogoweredevelopedthesoon‐to‐beubiquitousiconsofa‘small,happyfamily’comprisingaman,awoman,andtheirsonanddaughter–renderedinagraphicabstractstylecomprisedofcirclesstraightlines(fig.2).Interestingly,inastudy2onthecommunicationeffectivenessofafamilyplanningcampaigninnorthIndia,respondentsdescribedtheseiconsas‘monkeyfaces’andexpressedtheirdislikeforit.However,itisapparentthattheseshouldearnacclaimfromthedesignpractitionersandideologuesofthetime,foritshighlyinternationalgraphicstyling,yetimbuedwithIndiancoloursandcalligraphy.
E. TheKeyRoleofDAVPandFilmsDivisioninDevelopingIndia’sDesign
CultureTheDirectorateofAdvertisingandVisualPublicity(DAVP)wassetupundertheBritishgovernmentafterthesecondworldwarinordertoserveasthePublic
2UnpublisheddissertationbyBhargava,Yashodhara:“Anevaluationofafewofthefamilyplanningposters”,LadyIrwinCollege,UniversityofDelhi1968;citedinRao,KamalaGopal:“StudiesinFamilyPlanning:India”,AbhinavPublications,NewDelhi1974.Quote:“Theyoungerwomenobjectedtothecartoonlikefaceswhichtheycharacterizedasmonkeyfaces,themessage(doyateenbus)inPosterC,andthepresentationoftheloopinPosterB.TheredtriangularsymbolonPosterDapparentlycommunicatedverylittle.”
Figure2.Themodernist,abstractedandhighlysimplifiedgraphicsofthefamilyplanningcampaignin
itsearlyyears.
Page5of9
RelationsaswellasAdvertisingAgencyofthegovernment3–inotherwords,asitsofficialpropagandamachinery.Afterindependence,theDAVPreinventeditselfasa“catalystofsocialchangeandeconomicgrowth”andisthedefaultserviceagencyforCentralGovernmentministriesanddepartmentsfortheirpublicityandmediaproductionneeds.TheothermajoroutreacharmfortheIndianstatewastheFilmsDivision,setupin1948.RegionalaswellasHindicinemawerealreadypopularwellbeforeindependence,andtheFilmsDivisionbeganproducingnewsfeaturesandissue‐baseddocumentariesthatweremandatorilyscreenedpriortoeverycommercial/popularfilmscreening.Betweenthem,theDAVPandtheFilmsDivisionprettymuchdefinedthemediaimage&presenceoftheIndianstateforthefirsttwodecadesafterindependence,andtheIndiandesignestablishmentwasoftenacollaboratorandproviderofcreativeideas.4F. DAVPandtheFamilyPlanningprogramme
TheDAVPwasthechiefpropagatoroftheFamilyPlanningprogrammeinIndia,andundertookamassiveandconsistentcampaigntoreachoutitsmessagetoeverypossiblenookandcornerofthecountry(fig.3)–inanagewhenmassmediawasjustbeginningtotakeshapeinIndia5.Thiscampaign,combininginternationalmodernismwithvernacular,representsinmanywaystheparticularvisuallanguagethatwassoughttobeinventedandappliedbyandforthenation.Itseemedtomakesense–thelanguagewasminimal,simpleandabstract–sothatitcouldovercomeorbypassthemultitudesofIndianlanguagesandvisualtraditionsintoasinglenational
coda.Itcouldalsobeappliedwithleastdistortionbyhand.Designpromisedtodeliversuchavisiontothestatethroughitssupposedlyscientificprinciplesand
3SourcedfromtheDAVPwebsiteathttp://www.davp.nic.in/davp_history.HTM.4VikasSatwalekar,ex‐DirectorofNID,reminisces:“WithBobGillitwasquiteinterestingashewasboughtintoworkonafamilyplanningcommunicationscampaignwiththeministryofhealth.Andthat’swhereIgottheopportunitytogetinvolvedwithvisualcommunicationsatadifferentlevel,morethanjustadvertisingorpuregraphicdesign.”Sourcedfromthe‘DesigninIndia’websiteathttp://www.designinindia.net/designthoughts/teachers/vikassatwalekar/interview.html.5Wooster,MartinMorse:“FordFoundation:FounderofModernPopulationControl”,CatholicFamilyandHumanRightsInstitute,NewYork2004.Quote:“Thiswasthecampaignofthe‘fourfaces,’afourmemberfamilythatsymbolizedhowhappyparentswouldbeiftheylimitedthemselvestotwochildren.Advertisementsforthiscampaign,McCarthywrites,wereplasteredon‘billboards,buses,locomotives–anythingthatmovedandmanythingsthatdidnotwereadornedwiththenewsymbolsinanattempttoraiseconsciousnessaboutcontraceptiveuse.’”
Figure3.Theubiquitous‘fourfaces’
FamilyPlanningmassmediacampaign,createdin1968byFrankWilderandD.
K.Tyagi.
Page6of9
methods,proveninEuropeandtheUS,andreadyforexporttothenewly‐independentcountriesofAsiaandSouthAmerica6.G. FarReachingImpactoftheEmergencyExcesses
However,theequityenjoyedbythislogogotseverelytarnishedduringtheEmergencyperiodinthe1970sinIndia,afterwhichitgotassociatedwithstatebrutalityandoppressionandhadtobe‘forciblyretired’anddevelopedintomoreacceptablevariants,suchastheoneshownhere.ThelaterlogosoftheFamilyPlanningprogramme(whichitselfgotrenamedtoReproductiveandChildHealthprogrammeandmanyothers,post‐
Emergency)rejectthestarkabstractionoftheredtriangleandinsteadinsertahumanelementtherebyevokinganarrativeandemotionalvalue,whilstretainingthetriangularmotifinordertodrawonthehighrecallvalueofthelegacylogo,minusitsnegativeconnotations(fig.4).
H. ContentAnalysis:ImageryThecoloursusedintheearlycampaignswereEuropean‐inspired(red,yellow,black)butalsoresonatedwithadominantlyHinduaesthetic.Thewoman’siconwasshownwithaprominentbindi,whilethemanhadaprominentmustache–anothercommonHindumarker–orasinthecaseoftherelativelymorerecent
6Exemplifiedbythe“IndiaReport”authoredbyCharlesandRayEames,commissionedbytheGovernmentofIndiaandfundedbytheFordFoundation.ThefullreportcanbereadattheDesignObserverwebsite,athttp://observatory.designobserver.com/entry.html?entry=12692.
Figure4.Thetainted‘redtriangle’logowasmodified,butretaineditscorerecall.(FromtheDept.ofFamilyWelfarewebsite)
Figure5.PosterspublishedbytheDirectorateofFamilyWelfare,circa1993.(Source:PBS.orgwebsite,http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/worldbalance/campaigns.html)
Page7of9
postersinfig.5–showingaclearlyHinduchildmarriageinprogress7.Thisneednotbereadasasinisterconspiracy,becausethereligiousantagonismofIslam(andsomestreamsofChristianity)tocontraceptionwaswell‐known8,andthesecularstatewoulddonothingtoovertlyoffendthesesectionsofitspopulation.However,overthetimesitbecomesevidentthatthismodernistapproachwasnotentirelysuccessful.Theabstractionandthestarkrepresentationofonecommunitycreatedmoreantagonismorindifferencealtogether,andthedesignidealisminthewakeofthenewly‐formedstateseemstogivewaytoahumblerpragmatism–inparticular,agrudgingacceptanceoftheeffectivenessofpopularforms–beitcinema,television,illustration(frompulpnovelsormagazinesandAmarChitraKatha)orotherfolkmedia.I. ContentAnalysis:Messaging
OneofthemajorelementsincorporatedwithintheFamilyPlanningprogrammeistheemphasisonafamilywith(“just”)twoorthreechildren,andtheshifttoonewithjustoneortwochildren.Also,inthefirst‐generationfamilyplanningmessaging,theidealfamilywasshownashavingonesonandonedaughter,butinrecenttimestheemphasishasshiftedtoshowingjustonedaughter(seefig.6)–andadvocatingthecauseofthegirlchild.Obviouslythen,thisisinresponsetothestill‐poorgenderratioinmanystatesofthecountryandthewidespreadpersistenceofabortingafemalefetusbasedonsexdeterminationtestingduringpregnancy.However,asisevident,thestylingofthepostershascomealongwayfromthesterileabstractionoftheearlydaystoastrongsentimentality
thatevokesmultiplenarrativesincludingthatofthepopularcinema.ThesepostersandtheirstylingremindsoneoftheLatinAmericanmuraltraditions,amarkedshiftawayfromEuropeanmodernity.J. TheContemporaryPoster:AlignedwithAdvertisingMovingonfromtheMalthusiandoomsdaytheoriesofthe1960sand70s,therecentmaterialsdevelopedfortheFamilyWelfareprogramme(therecentavataroftheFamilyPlanningprogramme)nowemphasizethequalityoflifeenjoyedby
7Theheadlineoftheposteronthelefttranslatesas“Istheirmarriageatthisageappropriate?”andthengoesontosay“Underagemarriageisnotappropriate…”8Ahmad,Shakeel:“MuslimAttitudeTowardsFamilyPlanning”,SarupandSons,NewDelhi2003.Quote:“(M.E.Khan)noticedthatreligionisabarriertothe(Muslim)adopters.TheyholdfasttothedoctrinaireconceptthatfamilyplanningisagainstIslam.ToacceptcontraceptionmeanstofightagainstGod;eventhinking(of)stoppingtohavechildrenisarevoltagainstGod.”
Figure6.Aonechild“happyfamily”image,withagirlasthesolechild.
Page8of9
thefamilyunit(representednowasacouplewithnochildren,fig.7)–thankstocontraceptiontechniques.Thismodealsoresonateswithcontemporaryadvertising,whichadvocatesinstantgratificationandunapologetic
individualismandhedonisticvalues,asopposedtothe‘dutytosocietyorthenation’moralityofearliergenerationsofadvertising,particularlystatepropaganda.K. InterplayBetweenStylingand
(Printing)TechnologyTheshiftinprintingtechnologyisalsoreflectedinthestylingofthematerial.Fromflatandprimarycolours,whicharesuitableforhandpaintingorscreen‐printing,thetechnologyshiftedatsomepointtooffsetandgravureprinting,whichallowedforfull‐colourcollateral.Intandemalmost,thestylingshifted
frombasicgeometricshapesandiconstorealisticrepresentations–richinnarrative,andevocativeofcinemaposters–correspondingtoanevolutionintheaesthetictoaformthatisclosertothepopularimagination. ThisstyleseamlesslyblendsinwithnewtrendslikephotographyandtoolslikePhotoshopbecomingincreasinglyusedinproducingmaterial,asintheexamplebelow(fig.8).
L. Conclusion:DesignasAdjuncttoMarketingThepresentstatus,therefore,seemstosuggestaconvergenceof‘highdesign’and‘popular/folkart’towardseachother.Theloftyprinciplesofclassicaldesign
Figure7.PublicityimagefortheUSAIDsupportedSaathiya
integratedfamilyplanningservicetargetingyoungpeople.
Figure8.Arecentposterandadvertisement,showinghighnarrativecontentand
useofdigitalimagingtechnology
Page9of9
haveyieldedtotheneedsandcontextsofmarketingtothemassIndianpopulation,whereasthepopularformshaveadoptedsomeoftheprinciplesoflayoutandorganizationespousedinmoderndesign.Itisstilldebatable,however,whetherthishasincreasedtheefficiencyandefficacyofthecommunicationmaterial,becauseIndia’spopulationgrowthcontinuesatanalarmingrate,andchangesareattributedtodevelopmentandeducationratherthancommunication.Thisalsoposesquestionsaboutsocialcommunicationincontrastwithmarketing,whichboastsofseveral‘behaviourchange’projects,albeitinconsumptiontrends.M. Bibliography• Ahmad,Shakeel:“MuslimAttitudeTowardsFamilyPlanning”,SarupandSons,
NewDelhi2003.• Guha,Ramachandra:“IndiaAfterGandhi:TheHistoryoftheWorld’sLargest
Democracy”,PicadorIndia,NewDelhi2008• Rao,KamalaGopal:“StudiesinFamilyPlanning:India”,AbhinavPublications,
NewDelhi1974.• Wooster,MartinMorse:“FordFoundation:FounderofModernPopulation
Control”,CatholicFamilyandHumanRightsInstitute,NewYork2004.