A fusion of the Desi and the Videshi is what they are calling it. Some are crying out aloud about the huge European influence in its form and structure while others still are calling it an expression, a stamp of us as an economic superpower and its announcement to the world. We are talking about the New Rupee symbol that has captured the imagination of a billion Indians and the excitement does not seem to get dimmer in the near future.

The rapture involving the unveiling of the New Rupee symbol is pretty justified, given that it took us this long to come up with something that should’ve been done and dusted with, long ago. Developed nations unwillingly embrace India as one of the fastest developing countries in the world, so for our Currency Symbol to take this form is an expression of solidarity in itself. The amalgamation of the traditional deep rooted Sanskrit with the new age English alphabet (Sanskrit Ra and the English R) makes it a perfectly bilingual artwork that certainly envelops the feel of this 21^st century India. An India that has no bounds and developments are taking place in every nook and corner of the nation. No wonder we aren’t surprised that the whole nation stood up, noticed, understood and applauded this magnum opus of a creation by Udaya Kumar, a lecturer in design at the Indian Institute of Technology in Guwahati.

The best part about this whole news is the initiative taken by the government to involve the people in the creation of a symbol which would represent the psyche and the face of the new emerging India. The process to select the perfect representation of our currency was spread over months of ideation and screening and then culminated in the selection of Udaya Kumar’s creation.

We, as Indians stand at the threshold of a titanic shift in the world economy. Where earlier the American Dollar, the European Pound and the Chinese Yen dominated the global economy-scape, the new rupee symbol is surely destined to shine the brightest or so is the hope.

Amid the celebration of the grandeur of this new rupee symbol, it also faces tough criticism from many people. Michael Johnson, a director at the award-winning London-based design consultancy, Johnson Banks said,” The new symbol fitted with other currency signs but lacked imagination”. I think it’s a B or B plus. Most currency symbols follow an established route now ‑ E for euro, Y for yen, now R for rupee. You could argue that a dynamic emerging economy could have gone for something more unusual and got away with it ‑ I think in the end conservative voices prevailed.”

The Twitter world too was abuzz with mixed reactions. Tweeted one krishashok,” OMG. It’s colonial hangover again(sic).” Whereas known photographer Atul Kasbekar opined,” I think the new symbol for the Indian Rupee is fantastic! Kudos to the design team.” Bollywood Superstar Amitabh Bachchan shared similar views as he tweeted,” And the rupee symbol is fantastic .. !! Our own identity !! GO INDIA !!!”

Colonial hangover or not, the new Rupee symbol certainly once again makes the world stand and take notice of the potential that India holds in its people and its minds; something that could shape the future of the world. The road map has already been laid.

P.S – The New Rupee Symbol (Font) can be downloaded for usage on your computer. Simply logon to http://blog.foradian.com/ and install the new Rupee font on your computer.

To the victor belong the spoils. Now that the world cup has become a part of the sporting and television history with viewership reaching astronomical figures and ad spends reaching maddening heights. Brands all over the world strutted their stuff with every medium they could get their hands on. Television ads featuring the top football players from all over the globe put their best foot forward trying to beat off the competition. Nike and Adidas headed this race with both the sports brands spending heavily on their promotions. Nike, even though not an official sponsor of the World Cup was the biggest gainer with its mammoth 3minute “Write the Future” ad campaign. A study by Nielsen found that Nike created a significantly bigger “online buzz,” a study based on an analysis of blogs, message boards and social networking websites. And, it was best associated with the World Cup than any other brand. Even though Adidas was “on paper”, the official sponsor, but it came a distant second in the race to get the max out of the ‘once-in-a-four-year’ football extravaganza. [...]

With 2010 on the horizon, old website designs are giving way to fresh, trendy website designs. To appeal to the users all the more in your business, you need to add the ‘xing’ to spice up your designs.

For a start, here is a listing of things you can imply.

Typography:

This trend started with a bang in 2009 and will continue. The use of large, exciting fonts would soon be a part of integral web design.

Hand Drawn Sketches:

The web is full of traditional graphics & illustrations. Hand Drawn sketches is a pleasant change. It gives website a simple, unique & personalized look.

Minimalism:

Forget the old school of thought! Website of 2010 would have lots of white space with bold typography and rich colour palate.

Oversized Footer:

The web is already over floated with big footers. The trend would sail through year 2010. Look out for footers with links to RSS Feeds, Social Media apps, company information and much more…

Social Media Sites and Add-ins/Icons:

This has been the big thing of the past. Social Media is booming and would continue to do so! Using apps to build communities, connect to friends, share just at a click of a button is all so exciting!