We had the distinct pleasure to interview award winning designer Farhat Datta about their original and creative Language Icon design work. Farhat Datta is an award-winning communication designer, that makes our world a better place with their original language icon works.
Farhat Datta ("FD") answered Design Interview ("DI") questions about their award-winning work Language Turnstile Language Icon. Interview questions prepared by Frank Scott.
FD : The main idea was to create an Icon that universally stands for 'selecting a language of your choice' particularly for the internet, for websites that can be viewed in several languages. The inspiration was the form of a turnstile which being a single element, has numerous planes through which one can flip, just like flipping through choices to get the language of your choice on a website, for example.
FD : The main focus was to design something that may have a chance to be used universally, to feel the sense of achievement that one feels when something that one has created is being used by so many people in everyday life.
FD : It would be great if it was accepted as the Language Icon universally and used a such.
FD : I worked on many other ideas at first. It took me a number of days to land on this element as the inspiration. Once it occurred to me I knew I had found a good visual representation of how to depict this abstract concept.
FD : This concept came as an inspiration to me and I was excited about how it fit the design requirements, I enjoyed working on it.
FD : This design can be used universally.
FD : This is the type of work that I am usually involved in, so it suited me to do it.
FD : no, there were no other designers.
FD : The users of the internet are the main users of this design.
FD : it is simple and direct. It conveys plainly what it needs to therefore it stands apart.
FD : the turnstile being the inspiration, that is what I chose as the name.
FD : I worked on a sketch pad first, (always), then scanned it in and created the electronic file on Illustrator CS4
FD : The design has a certain movement to it, which echos the turning of the turnstile. It conveys a 3 dimensional feel to it.
FD : I worked on it alone.
FD : The technology helps to make it look crisp more easily as it is an icon design and needs to be clean and easily scaled down while retaining all it's clarity.
FD : I researched which scripts are more popularly known by people visually. I researched on elements that had a turning and changing action to them and I sketched a lot.
FD : The biggest challenge was to come up with an icon that visually depicted this abstract concept and the fact that it needed to be scaled down to very small size too was a challenge, as only simple elements which appear clear weather small or big in size, were going to work, at the same time the idea to be conveyed was complex.
FD : This competition itself was organised through this international platform.
FD : I learnt that when you are stuck for ideas, it is exactly the time to dig deeper, as the solution that works is often just on the other side of the road block.
FD : Just that it was so much fun!
