Use Rubber At Night- A Design Story

Introduction to Shantanu Suman

Use Rubber At Night: I had written about him almost two years back. His Truckopoly caught my attention. And held it long enough to compel me to search about it and find his portfolio and showcase it on my previous blogpost.  Recently, while pinning some interesting work on my Pinterest boards, I came across this.

It leads me right back to his work. And this time, I couldn’t help but smile when I saw this. It’s on the same concept of Truckopoly, based on Indian Truck art. 

Trucks in India aren’t just a vehicle. They support a big chunk of Indian markets, by ferrying goods all over the country. But most of all, they are homes to the truck owner/driver. The colorful, unique hand-painted decorations on them are proof of their love.

Indian Truck Art

This particular design concept is based on a study that says, there are over 5.1 million AIDS patients in India. Majority of them are truckers. Playing cards is a common recreational activity for these men on the road. Hence trying to convey a message about safe sex via a set of playing cards, seems likes a brilliant idea.

The top of the deck says, “Use Rubber At Night”. It’s taken from the popular phrase written behind almost every truck, “Use Dipper At Night”

Simple and very straight forward!  

The design By Shantanu Suman has been inspired by the hand-painted trucks art. The printing method includes a mix of letterpress and inkjet printing.   Shantanu Suman is an M.F.A. from the University of Florida. He has also won several national and international awards.

In his own words…

I am a graphic designer from India. Currently camping in Asheville. I am working on my new bucket list of places to travel. After working as an art director for over six years in India. I left my job to study design at the University of Florida. During this unanticipated adventure I found myself exploring a long buried love for the vernacular street art of India, and after much toil, made a film to document the truck art of India. Back in high school when asked about my dream job, I was the only one in a class of 35 science students to express my interest in design. And without having a proper knowledge about the various disciplines of design, it was almost an accident that led me to become a graphic designer.

If you want to know more about his documentary film that narrates the story of the Indian truck art, please visit projecthornplease.com. You can see his other work at his website.