Dipendra Baoni, Founder, Lemon Design on ‘Humane’ Design

Dipendra Baoni is no stranger to interesting design challenges. From a truly mass brand like BookMyshow to a sustainability powered brand like Vresorts, he has worked with a clutch of brands that have tried to make a serious impact in their segments.

Fueled partly by the design nous of Dipendra’s firm, Lemon Design. A firm believer in getting the design/er on board really early in the process, Dipendra laments the fact that for too many people, design continues to be seen as a way to make the product or process ‘pretty’. It is and should be a lot more than that.

At Iamrenew, we concur, and truly believe that design can be the difference between a product that actually helps, and a product that can literally be an obstacle, rather than a help.

To take a completely unrelated but relevant example, how many people know that the sign = was designed by Welsh mathematician Robert Recorde? Because he simply tired of writing ‘is equals to’ repeatedly in his calculations! That is how simple, yet far-reaching the impact of design can be.

In the sustainability space, Dipendra likes to give the concept of ‘Humane’ versus ‘Human’ design, which is what we are used to hearing. The difference, says he, is in how design needs to go beyond just immediate human needs, to be in sync with the broader environment too. In other words, a form must follow function, a simple dictum that seems to get lost regularly even in these times when the design is enjoying a period of greater awareness and appreciation.

In conversation with Iamrenew