Stampness of a stamp

Stamp collection, Team Mobius

Initial experiment: Sharmila
Linguistic hedges, Radhika
Typicality test, Aniket
Feedback and analysis, Aditi
Cropped Images test,
Feedback and analysis,
Taxonomies,
MoodBoards,
Product Statement,
Contemporary+ Indian+ Revenue+ Stamp
Towards final designs.
What is the
stampness of
a stamp?
The Stamp
To find out what is stampness of a
stamp, we chose 32 stamps out of
Radhika’s collection. They contained
stamps from the colonial days till date.
With these stamps we
conducted two experiments-
Linguistic hedges and typicality test.
People sorted the stamps based on
looking at each stamp for a while and
based on their prior knowledge. The fol-
lowing insights were obtained by
interveiwing 20 people:
Results of tyicality test and linguistic hedges:

Very typical Typical Not so typical Not so atypical Atypical

Truly

Technically

Loosely
Cropped stamps
Once insights were obtained regarding
stampness of stamp, an experiment was
conducted where in cropped stamp im-
ages were used.
This was done inorder to push the im-
ages out of their stamp context and
analyze them further.
People sorted these images based on
parameters such as flavour of image, the
colours, texture, elements, printing style
and technique. Also they tried to put a
context to each image- to what situation
would each image fit the best. Follow-
ing are the images presented and the
results thereafter:
Observations:
• The younger interviewees tend to look at all stamp images
at once and chunk them into categories, by process of el-
emination at times.
• This might tend to become a bit too random and chaotic.
• People tend to begin chunking with the stamps they have
never seen or feel are remotest on stamp radar put them
into loosely speaking stamps category and then proceed
with further stamps.
• People recognised stamps as stamps many a time due to
the perforated border and not essentially due to the con-
tent.
• A pattern of stamp classification had emerged based on
replies from various interviewes but the those who collect
stamps gave just the opposite feedback. For them rarer and
remote the stamp the more likely it is to be remembered
and identified.
• Lot of stamps emerged to be deviants as in they invited
equal contradictory reactions.
Insights:
• Perforrated edges is the most easily identified trait of a stamp
• Other indicators are presence of denomination, country name
and year.
• Presence of the post-office circular ink mark is also indicative
of a stamp.
• Dull, diluted muddy coulours are asscociated with stamps so
also is half tone and relatively cheaper production techniques
like monochrome.
• Themes like national leaders, freedom fighters, socio-political
images are indicative of stamp.
• The presence of a national emblem, colour muroon and a tex-
ture is indicative of a revenue stamp.
• Though advancement in technology has thrown up several
possibilities as regards printing etc multi coloured images,
high quality photographic images etc are not associated with
stamps.
Taxonomies
Stamp as visual representation
collector’s item
national identity
revenue generation device
government document
Product Statement: to evolve a Contemporary+ Indian+ Revenue (governmentness)+ Stamp+ design

Contemporary Indian Revenue (govternment- stamp Design

(In India) ness)
India+ solar energy Traditional artefacts Digits Perforated border Lines
Pink Chaddi campn. Mythologies National emblems Denomination Dots
Gay pride parade Architecture Muroon, Navy blue year Textures
Chandralekha Symbols+ icons Linear textures Monochrome Shapes
2006 floods Jwellery + Bindi Govt. Documents Lines/ textures Colour (& schemes)
Dabbawalaas Tribal Art(efacts) Intaglio printing (govt. Themes: Personalities, Principals of design
documents) flora-fauna, monuments,
socio-culture-politcal
Local trains Embroidery line drawings Depth of field
Terrorism Body Art half tones perspective
Nandigram, singur Festivals + Rituals economy printing Form
Youth % India= 60 Film & media Semiotics
Chandrayaan Rangoli/ aipan
Mumbai sealink Schools of art
Vehicle graphics
Food
Yoga
Flora & Fauna
Performing Arts
National Leaders
Identity: Flag,
currency
Towards the design

Typical Moderate Atypical

(desired member)
INDIA
INDIA

2009
2009