BACK

Cutting-edge class
In designing a product the human-machine-interface is always the priority for Rajesh Mirajker, who has bagged his fourth international design award, finds Jonathan Davidar.

For over 50 years the Mirajker family in Chennai were expert clothiers and drapers, known for designing clothes with class. Today the old order has changed and tailoring is a mere memory. But the business ethos and ideals of T.S. Rao Mirajker are carried on by his grandson, Rajesh Mirajker, CEO, Mirajker Design, an industrial and transportation design firm.

A glass case mounted beside Mirajker's desk displays varnished wooden measuring scales, pairs of scissors of varying sizes, and tailoring memorabilia of art deco vintage. He keeps these well-worn tailoring tools in sight to remind himself of his family's heritage in creating the perfect fit.

On a mantel in the lobby, an ice-blue iDesign Award stands testimony to his commitment to balancing form and function. In late 2002, Rajesh Mirajker was announced Worldwide Winner for Manufacturing Design Excellence at the International iDesign Awards. This award, instituted by Autodesk Inc., USA, showcases global design excellence.The product entered for the competition was Flowduct Ventura, a domestic water pump, designed for Sharp Industries. Mirajker has a history of doing the country proud - this is his fourth international design award.

The first Indian to win this award, he is elated about his achievement but says simply, "There is so much more that I want to achieve. My vision is to make an impact on the industrial design business."

Mirajker has created design solutions for the transportation and product design business for over 17 years. His desire to achieve more reveals the heart of a purist and a depth that is beyond accolades.

"Product design is an enriching experience. For one, I get to think creatively and apply design principles afresh each time. More importantly, I get the leeway to create fresh designs that meet manufacturers' needs."

Consider Flowduct Ventura, the domestic water pump design that won Mirajker the iDesign Award. The product is a clear example of breaking established industry conventions to create something that smoothly fuses form and function without upsetting the repeatable metrics of production engineering.

The challenge was to work with the existing mechanism and still create a pump with clean lines and contemporary styling. "In general, pumps are greasy, unattractive, industrial-looking devices that are hidden in service verandahs and under staircases. We wanted to change this perception and define pumps as beautifully styled devices that are easy to use and as appealing as white goods used in kitchens."

Whatever the scale of the project, Mirajker infuses creativity with insight to evolve original, viable solutions. A renowned tractor manufacturer wanted Mirajker to design a tractor that would appeal to traditional and design-conscious farmers. So he designed a tractor body that could straddle a wide range of horsepower engines on different chassis. "I used a highly flexible modular design, enabling users to add or remove components as needed. The modularity of the design pushed my creativity to the limit and saved the manufacturer costs for extensive tooling and inventory," he says.

Every project follows the path of creative idea sketches, layout studies, technical drawings, and model building. His systematic approach to design adds intrinsic value to products. In an age where cosmetic appeal is rife, Mirajker makes it clear that he is in the business of holistic design, "It is not a styling job," he emphasises.

The initial stages of each project comprise design sketches that communicate his ideas. "You have to know what you want before touching the computer. The computer is an efficient, productive tool providing you have the ideas first."

Mirajker uses Autodesk Inventor and Mechanical Desktop to create 3D models of parts and assemble them to create the complete product. "When I'm well into the design stage, if a part needs to be modified, all components connected to the part automatically get changed - both at the component database and the entire product assembly. This gives me freedom to swiftly and accurately make on-the-fly changes."

Three-dimensional virtual models give the modeller a clear idea of what a product will look like. "Software enables a realistic portrayal of the product - materials and shapes speak for themselves," he says. This ensures better quality models in less time.

"People come first, before the product," he adds simply. In every project, Mirajker designs products around user/operator comfort. The human-machine-interface is always the first priority at Mirajker Design. He is now exploring ways in which to design for the highest percentile of user and work backwards to ensure optimal usability in differing environments. "I would like to have the facility to provide a total service package," he says.

His vision for the future is to have his own workshop for building prototypes. A sleek, futuristic sports car is parked on his drawing board and waits to be released. It is Mirajker's car and is ready to race into the future from his own workshop.