The basic idea of the Gregorian, Tamil and Islamic calendars has been retained. Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
A cherished cultural artefact – the classic daily wall calendar – that was once a staple in every Indian home, takes a reimagined avatar. Called Lost and Found, it has been designed by Aakash Selvan, Jameela Habib, Shakti Mathav and Dev Abhishek of whoisthem.co, a Coimbatore-based multidisciplinary studio. It is an ode to the simple joys of every day. In the revised version, the team has retained the core idea of three calendars – Gregorian, Tamil and Islamic – but with a fresh, modern twist.
One of the main attractions is the reconstruction of the beloved pativaithiyam (Grandma’s Wisdom) segment has been reimagined as ‘Pati Says’ where she tells jokes, shares tidbits about life and lovingly checks in on you every day. Akash says, “Understanding the way people live today, we have redesigned the calendar as a desk-friendly version rather than a wall-mounted calendar, while maintaining the satisfying tradition of tearing out pages every day Is.” of the design process. “Since it was an approximately 400-page calendar, we were conflicted about the idea due to the amount of paper wasted. We decided that if we went ahead with this we would only use recycled paper. And, we achieved it. Good design is also about taking responsibility for our planet,” he explains.
This new calendar also works as a flipbook. Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
This new calendar also serves as a flipbook, where anyone can view the cycles Anna Sell a variety of items throughout the year. “It could be a playful touch for people who enjoy a little distraction or need something to distract them,” says Shakti, who conceptualized the calendar.
From the texture and weight of the paper to the precise tilt of the stand, every detail was carefully refined through numerous samples and prototypes. Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
He says, “Design must evolve, if not it becomes obsolete. With this calendar we’ve tried to bring our own ideas to how it could evolve, while staying true to the parts we still love about it. Redesigning a classic item that hasn’t changed at all in such a long time was a big challenge in itself because there was no reference to understand what could work and what wouldn’t.
With each element, the aim was to live in the present rather than emphasize the past or future. Akash says that in reimagining it, he also realized that although the traditional calendar had great value, it could not be retained. could. With the changing landscape of design and lifestyle, and eventually found itself forgotten in drawers. “Great concepts are only the beginning of good design; The real impact lies in implementing them effectively. From the texture and weight of the paper to the precise tilt of the stand, every detail was carefully refined through numerous samples and prototypes,” explains Jameela, one of the co-founders.
Redesigning the perfect calendar has been a challenging task. Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
There are 396 days in the calendar to celebrate and add value in 2025 and beyond. Along with 365 days, there are also some special pages like A Fun Day for Pongal, Valentines Day, 1st May, April Fool’s Day etc.
Price ₹599. Call or WhatsApp 7708988777 or visit their Instagram page @whoisthem.co
published – December 06, 2024 04:26 PM IST
