Design Collection

Medley of Cheap and Effective Systems

Frugal innovation, known as jugaad in Punjabi, is the South Asian notion used to adapt to the environment and make do with what you have; it comes from necessity. The point of it is to be long-lasting, even though it has makeshift qualities to it; low-cost materials are functioning in place of high-cost materials. I came up with four defining principles of jugaad. My body of work emulates each of these principles; a medley of cheap and effective systems.

Jugaad Frugal Innovation Makeshift Materials Systems Value Form Fast Cheap Effective Practice

Graphic Design

Jugaad Principle 01: Type Roti

Jugaad Principle 1: using materials/systems against their original intent in service to your needs. Wanting to create an experimental typeface that embodied the concept of using alternative materials and methods, I cooked letterforms into roti... More

Textiles

Jugaad Principle 02: (Semi) Permanent Phulkari

Jugaad Principle 2: giving an item a new value/form after its expected lifespan. The idea for this sewed piece of fabric was to use shopping bags that had no use and turn them into a designed artifact that encompassed not one, but many ideas I’m... More

Jugaad Principle 03: Envelope

Jugaad Principle 3: creating a fast and cheap—but effective— workaround (a makeshift). Having photographed found designs created by non-designers, I needed to showcase them. I wanted to present these images in a poster format, but getting stuck... More

Jugaad Principle 04: Kennedy Road Strip Malls

Jugaad Principle 4: design practices without design school. Strip mall shop signs are the perfect example of how small businesses need designs in a cost-effective manner. They hire someone who creates cheap designs and gets the job done. And... More

Work by

Arshdeep Kang

Graphic Design

“How does one design within limitations? By turning adversity into opportunity. Look at what you have and see how you use it to your advantage. ”