6

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Feature

Saturday, December 21, 2013

Eye on design
An interview with Ionsketchs 17-year-old founder, Atif Ahmed Akkhor

Tasnuva Amin Nova n

t the age of thirteen, when most teenagers are caught in the race to be part of the cool group at school, Atif Ahmed Akkhor started toying with graphic design on his brothers hand-me-down computer. I quickly discovered my knack for it, Atif said. After devoting a few months to teaching himself the nitty-gritty of graphic design, entrepreneurial Atif realised he could monetise his skills. In 2009, Ionsketch, the design studio he co-founded, was born.

more than the demands of a growing body, hormones and mood swings. The ever-present pressure of living up to parental expectation could be deterrent enough for most young people, keeping them from pursuing farfetched dreams. But when I met Atif, my notions about the average Bangladeshi teenager were completely altered. This young man knows his capabilities and his limitations too. Atif decided at age 15 that he could never be anyones employee because he is not good at taking orders. He was gifted with leadership qualities, and did not want to waste them by following instructions. As he walked me through his adventurous journey as a self-starter, I could see how he came to find entrepreneurship so liberating.

Point of focus
I love designing. Graphic designing is my way of engaging with designs and designers. As I learned about graphic design, I began to realise how poorly designed the things around me were. I knew I could fix them. My passion for designing coupled with the urge to address a real problem led me to start my own company. Atif gleefully admits that he has never taken any professional courses, and is entirely self-taught. Ionsketchs design for Bangladeshs World Expo 2012 pavilion in South Korea Australia, New Zealand and Switzerland. His young and vibrant team was overjoyed when they landed the project to design the logo for Bangladeshs World Expo 2012 Pavilion in South Korea. Gradually Ionsketch started to establish its brand name among local and multinational companies in Bangladesh. portunities, as I also have my studies to concentrate on. Atif is currently enrolled in Bir Shreshtha Noor Mohammad Public College, and finishes his school work before going to the office. Among the milestones achieved, there were lows in Atifs journey as well. He takes some time to explain the struggles he and his team experienced when they first launched as an advertising agency earlier this year. The first two companies Ionsketch worked with did not turn out to be the best clients. But the prodigy continued with his dream of making a name in the advertising field.
courtesY

talent and determination they can walk the rest of the path for themselves.

Perspective
While he needs to wait one more year to legally claim ownership of the company he founded, Atif needs no license to dream big. Atif currently has 15 employees, both full-time and part-time, working for Ionsketch. It is a brand unto itself now. In the future, Atif wants to get involved with more start-ups, using his knowledge, experience and insight to help young starters. He is already involved with two new startups. He also wants to pursue further studies after completing his HSC exams to show his peers that it is possible to do something big while continuing to study. His advice to those with passion and the will to make it big, regardless of social barriers, age, gender or family background, is: Not everyone will become an entrepreneur, but an entrepreneur can come from anywhere. And his or her vision could change an entire industry, country or even the world. l

Initial sketches
Ionsketch had a modest beginning. Atifs father later bought him his own laptop after seeing the budding designer in his son. Gradually the company started to grow, with international clients seeking Ionsketchs help. Soon it was time to hire more people and acquire office space and equipment. Recalling his initial days, Atif said: I started with a passion for designing, but now I am attempting to change the industry of graphic design in Bangladesh.

Not everyone will become an entrepreneur, but an entrepreneur can come from anywhere. And his or her vision could change an entire industry, country or even the world
The jubilant teen also shares his experience dealing with offers for mergers and external investment from local as well as foreign companies. From such attention, Atif realised the potential of Ionsketch, but has declined all those offers. Losing control of something you dearly love is very painful, he said. Also, I did not want the additional pressure that comes with these op-

courtesY

Backup
What does it take for a school-going adolescent, equipped with nothing more than talent and passion, to start his own firm? Atif modestly says, My biggest support system has been my family. Their unwavering assistance helped me get through tough situations. A little encouragement from the people around can go a long way to push young maestros to success, which the youth of our country crave for. With

Since then, Ionsketch has grown by leaps and bounds, making a name for itself as an advertising agency among national and international clients. Now 17, Atif is a shining example for youngsters in Bangladesh. He already has four years of experience running a business, which is indeed something to be proud of. The average teenager battles with

Golden ratio
With its first few contracts, Ionsketch managed to attract clients from the US,

Sparking a change: Bangladeshs first female welder

A beacon of hope for a remote village

Syeda Samira Sadeque n

n a small village in a corner of Barisal lives Bangladeshs first international certificate holding female welder, Nupur Hawladar. Just 23 years old, Nupur now knows how to join metals, make materials and create sparks in a field that has traditionally been predominantly a mans arena. Nupur married at a young age. Despite passing her SSC exams with a 3.19 GPA, she was unable to continue her education due to financial restraints. Her husband, Biplob Hawladar, was jobless when they married.

Men and women have the same rights, so there should be no difference or barriers in what jobs they get. If men can be welders, so can women
After numerous efforts to find jobs had failed, the two saw an advertisement in the paper about the International Labour Organization (ILO)

supported training in welding, under the education ministrys TVETReform Project funded by the European Union. We were excited at the prospect. There would be six semesters, and it was free because it was a pilot, so we joined, Biplob told the Dhaka Tribune in an interview. Both Nupur and her husband enrolled in the program with 16 other men and two other women. From November 2012 to May 2013, they completed the first two semesters of the program and various other training sessions. They even came to Dhaka for training at Linde Bangladesh, where they had to pay a Tk5,000 deposit, refundable after completing the programme. Nupur said she is proud of her achievement as the first-ever Bangladeshi woman to be a certified welder. I want to do this, and I want other girls to know they can as well. They havent learned that message, and they need to, Nupur said. However, despite holding such a record, both Nupur and Biplob have yet to get jobs.

Feature Desk n

ishad Ahmed and Islam Topu, two graduates of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, have brought light to the village of Sabdi. Not being on the grid, the lack of electricity or cheap fuel for generators for lighting is a huge problem in the villages. But thanks to these two engineers Roshnee project, this modern Dark Age may be coming to an end. The people of Sabdi think their lack of electricity is part of a curse, a view more understandable when one learns of the other great burden borne by the locals: The towns water sources are all polluted with industrial waste.

courtesY

courtesY

Having the certificate means little when there is no job, when I dont have any earnings, she said. She said both Biplob and she have been looking for jobs but have not been lucky in this regard. We were told that with certain trainings, we could have the chance to work outside the country. We even had our passports made, in that hope. But we are still waiting, Biplob said. When she began the training, Nupurs family was apprehensive about her prospects in the field. They said there was little chance she would get a job after the training. She also faced challenges in defying cultural norms and gender stereotypes in a Bangladeshi village. Today, although she was successful in breaking the gender stereotype, she has yet to prove her family wrong. We need the training to pay off. We both need it. We want to implement our learning, and earn from it, said Biplob, who, unlike Nupurs family, has been supportive throughout her journey. I have assisted her in this project, despite our familys discouragement, because I want to break the attitude that girls cannot. Nupur added: Men and women have the same rights, so there should be no difference or barriers in what jobs they get. If men can be welders, so can women. l

Thanks to the two BUET engineers Roshnee project, this modern Dark Age may be coming to an end

But now this curse has become a blessing, for the bacteria within the polluted water holds the key to Sabdis bright future. The natural decomposition of the organic waste in the water produces small amounts of charged particles; with the help of a Roshnee kit, these can be harnessed to produce a weak electric current. The current is enough to provide 12W of electricity per refill, No carbondioxide or harmful side products are created in the process. The kit costs between $3-$4, and comprises a frame, 2 one litre plastic bottles, a light bulb, some wire, a pair of electrodes and a salt bridge. At onefiftieth the price of a solar panel, the Roshnee kit is a viable option for the villagers whose average income is just $160 per year. In the past the shortage of electricity has meant very few young villagers have been able to study. With only a few, who share great ambition, being able to make their way to college during daylight says Abul Hossain, a local primary school teacher.

courtesY

A few students who try to study at night depend on oil-based fire lanterns called kupi. However, the prohibitive cost of the kerosene for a kupi, about Tk6.8 per 100ml, leads to a large number of college dropouts. The dropout rate is particularly high amongst girls, who are then consigned to household chores and early marriage. Rishad, who also runs a marketing blog called Rishadology, has high hopes that his scheme will change all that. Our vision is to provide lights to the 38% off-grid remote village students and women of Bangladesh, to find a way to study at night. The Roshnee kit was nominated as a semifinalist in Dells Empowering Women Challenge (DEWC). The challenge considered 600 projects, with entries coming from over 50 countries. l