Graphic Design
My first few jobs were almost entirely graphic based, and I had a tremendous amount of fun discovering its uses for corporations, the medical industry, the f&b industry, events, and the occasional esoteric request. With the advancement of interface design over traditional media, however, I feel the need for graphic design as a physical medium is steadily waning. Still, I provide this service as a constant opportunity to improve both the world & myself.
It begins with a good brief
When doing custom artwork, it can be difficult for both parties if the correct expectations are not set. I learnt this (like most things) the hard way, and to demonstrate how tedious it can be, I’m going to speak about my experience with a single client. He ran parties and needed a 2-4 posters a month. We planned well in advance, and began work on one poster at a time. The first poster took all of 14 iterations… and the client ended up going with artwork #1. The second poster took 23 iterations. The third poster took 19 iterations. The fourth poster took 17 iterations. To this day, I cannot believe I did another 3 posters for the dude… but I did, and it taught me the value of understanding not only what the client is saying, but critically, what they are visualising. I set about learning how to extract high quality briefs before beginning any work, and I’m satisfied to say that everyone is happier for it.
It’s process driven
The process at work in logo design
Once established, the brief acts as an ever-narrowing funnel for the expression of design intent. By putting our objective at the beginning, it is possible to chart out a series of discreet steps needed to reach the objective. Once agreed upon, each step then undergoes exploration, review, iteration and decision, with both parties (that’s you and I) contributing the relevant input at each step. The idea is to promote transparency between us, to co-develop the brief, and to nip deviations from our desired journey before they lead us to dead-ends.
It’s tailored to your budget
The flip-side to transparency and co-developing with clients is their tendency to want to explore every detail to their satisfaction… and not trust the designer’s word that certain avenues are not worth the time or effort it would take to develop them.
Over time, I realised that it is prudent to be upfront and let literally everybody on the internet know that if you wish to explore the nuances of the concept to your hearts’ content, then you must be prepared to pay me appropriately to spend the time on your bespoke exploration experience!
Snapshot: Urban Planning
In 2016, I worked with a couple of smart young urban planners and an activist group on the state of waste mangement in the southern Indian city of Bengaluru. We condensed several documents into a mostly visual report, infused with bite-sized information, key metrics and a pop of colour to brighten up an otherwise-bland piece of communication.
To browse the full report, go here.
F&B Residency
2014 - 2019 / Resident Design Ninja
Nasi and Mee is a fantastic restaurant chain that serves authentic Asian cuisine across multiple cities in India, and has seen significant success since its opening in 2013. I worked with the client for 5 years, building the brand’s visual language and assisting in the dissemination of its philosophy and voice to both customers and employees. My work for them covers literally everything a growing restaurant business needs; branding assistance, menus, posters, food photography, advertisements, hoardings, physical and digital promotions, platform digitisation, presentation decks, designer training & guidance, outlet deployment, liasing with multiple vendors across administration, consultancy, on-ground execution… the works. We faced and overcame multiple challenges, both external and internal, to constantly produce content that delighted customers and reinforced a growing brand image. Today, the brand has opened 4 additional outlets, has been featured by multiple lifestyle magazines, and continues to innovate its cuisine and its content.