Premjit Ramachandran
www.100hands.net


Tell us a little bit about your background?
I went to business school and sold investments for a while. It became the knife on my back. I gave it up and went looking for "the real thing". I started by working in a recording studio and producing promotional material for the artistes in the label. That's when I realized graphic design was interesting. So, I learnt Macromedia Director and produced a self-promotional CD-ROM, which I sent out to some of the hot advertising agencies in Dubai. Luckily, McCann Erickson in Dubai was starting their interactive division and I was offered a job. J From then on, it's been an intriguing web of consumer deception. He he!

Where are you from?
Originally Indian, lived in Dubai most of my life. I am the frozen chicken.

Design education:
None. All self-taught.

What inspires you?
Clouds, the color of melancholy, fresh clear water, the first rain smell, colored paper, white, sunshine vs. sunset, John Maeda, Mac aesthetic, love-life fountains, morning dew, leaves and trees, carry bags, cups, angular shapes, architecture, analog devices, digital madness, Scandinavian design magazines, British signage, Pentagram, the bleeps of Radiohead, the poetry of Sylvia Plath and the voice of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan.

Being a part of the film industry, what software do you currently use for your final editing?
I am still trying to become part of the film industry. I have written a script for a short film entitled "Look here, Kunigunda" (Bergman fans will dig the title). I am a sucker for the Final Cut interface. I will try and master it when I have more time on my hands.

Do you think that traditional art styles transfer across well to graphic design?
I think this was the most obvious transition.

Describe a flash site that is overused?
2advanced.com too advanced for me. I don't really dig the extreme technological aesthetic. I am a sucker for minimalism. And I think it works well. Look at Europe!

With broadband a household necessity, do you still think it's important to cater to dial-up and 56k users?
I think till the time comes when dial-up is completely out, there needs to be a consideration given to it. Globally, I don't think dial-up should be considered a target market. But now I am back in India and dial-up comprise a major percentage of Internet users. So, basically, I am stuck in a moment I can't get out of.

What do you do besides design?
I am a musician. I started a band when I was in India called "if...". I composed all the music, wrote the lyrics, played the guitar and sang. Woah, I should have played the trumpet too. My band comprised of a bass player, a violinist, a drummer and me. Have a look at http://if.100hands.net for more information about the band and to download the music. I also love art cinema. While in Dubai, I collected many art movies on DVD and also started a film club, which was a totally exhilarating experience. Understanding and dissecting cinema was so much fun.

If design and art did not exist what profession would you most likely be?
I would probably be a scientist.

What do you like/hate about the net?
I love interaction. Knowing that the end-user is king puts a smile on my face. I hate bandwidth. Look at TV. You can do anything and don't need to worry about file size, downloading time, etc. I am waiting for the time to come when television and computer become one entity. Oh, won't that be fun?

We've been seeing a lot of video incorporated into flash these days, what are your thoughts on that?
I think it's a great opportunity. The marriage of video and flash is a dream. Once the issue of bandwidth is overcome, I think all the little Minotaurs will start running on the field. It will be one big collaboration of lines and video.

Do you prefer technologically advanced sites or sites with simple but good design?
The latter. Design is so important to me. I live for good type and nice straight lines.

How important is actionscipt for the flash designer?
I think it's a great way to explore user interaction and the wonders it can do. I wish I was good at it. I think it's a great thing to know. But, the way I see it, creativity is something that cannot be learnt but programming is.

What are your bad personal and design habits?
I love small type. Too many people have complained. Why can we not have small type? Because it doesn't communicate? Alas! Personally, erm, I get attached to people too quickly and end up getting hurt. I have a fragile angel heart.

Design styles you dislike:
As I mentioned earlier, I am not a great fan of the whole futuristic wave of graphic design. If you can communicate your message clearly and in as much simplicity as possible, you're in. Concept is king. As someone said, graphic design can never rise above its content. That is so true.

How would you like to be remembered?
I would like to be remembered as a creator. I am not God, but you got to model yourself after someone. Now who said that?

Do you have any new projects coming up that you can tell us about?
I was working on an interesting visual commentary on maps called "disembodiment" and had plans to take it to another level. I created 8 original artworks and had them displayed at an exhibition when I was in Dubai and working in-sync with a local art community there called 9714. I also intend on making a short film, as I had mentioned earlier. This is my dream. It's a bubble and I don't want it to burst because we all do think in bubbles don't we?

Favorite drink:
The humble corona.

Final comments:
Find your city within the city.

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