graphic

Shruti Esto : Graphic and UI/UX Designer

Creative, Graphic Designer, Interviews, , , , 3 comments

Shruti is a Graphic Designer based in Chandigarh. She is born and brought up in Shimla and studied animation & design from Arena Animation Shimla. Specializing in Digital Marketing Collaterals, User Interface Design, info graphics and Graphic Designs. She builds clean, appealing, and functional interfaces which comply with the latest web standards. She is  working in the industry for last 3 years. As a professional graphic and web designer, she brings a range of art and design disciplines to every project she works on.

“I am a Graphic Designer based in Chandigarh, But that’s just a part of it. Design is my life. It’s my roller-coaster. Without it, my world would be black and white.  After completing my course, this love of creating lead me into various directions which included becoming a vfx artist and animator. As soon as I was introduced to the world of digital graphics however, I fell in love.” I’ve got one foot in the world of digital media one in UI/UX, and a love for both.”

Why are you a Graphic Designer?
I’ve grown up like any other kid watching cartoon network or pogo. That time I always wondered how does these things are created what’s the idea behind this but never thought of making it as my career. I always wanted to something creative but it was never clear to me what. So here I’m still learning and creating something creative every day.

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Maya Pillai : Interview With A Photographer/Graphic Designer/Artist

Graphic Designer, Interviews, Photographers, , , , , 3 comments

Part-time photographer, part-time cat-stalker. She pays her bills by training school teachers in the art of Design thinking and creative classroom techniques. She burns the midnight oil while trying to figure out how best to combine pencil with a roll of film.
Why are you a Communications Designer?
I have always loved to talk, take pictures and draw. In that order. So becoming a communication designer just sort of happened without my doing much.

Did you attend school for fine art or design?
I went to Symbiosis Institute of Design for their undergraduate program in Graphic design, following which I went to the National Institute of Design to pursue a masters in Photography.

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Apeksha Gupta : Graphic Design

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Apeksha has conceptualized and executed projects for prominent brands across different industries. Her heart lies in branding and identity, illustrations and typography. She loves to experiment with different medias. Design takes her to another world, another place all together. Dog Lover. Divergent. Imaginative.

Why are you a Graphic Designer?
I think I have always had a strange attraction towards art, drawing, colors and paints. It has been more than an interest since I was a kid! Also, I think it gives me pleasure to fix what I feel needs to be, be it a TV remote that’s not working or a ‘not so happy’ person’s mood! I like listening to people and helping them out in any way that I can! And I think I can do both by being a Graphic Designer!

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Deepikah Rahul Bhardwaj : Interview With A Designpreneur

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Deepikah is a designpreneur based in New Delhi. She grew up in Delhi in the 90’s and studied communication design from Pearl Academy. After creating a docu-graphic film for UNESCO for her dissertation project, she moved to Mumbai to work at MTV as a motion designer for 4 years. After working with various TV channels- MTV, Nickelodean, Disney; She moved back to Delhi to be closer to family. After a failed attempt at running a startup in partnership; she now works independently from her home studio creating bespoke brands, illustrations, motion graphics and more. She feels in today’s times, networking and collaborating is an essential part of the creative growth process.
A little about yourself:
I am all over the place. I like to call myself a design entrepreneur. I work independently on projects from various media and tend collaborate with the best people in business to create small manageable teams of creatives for every project. In this way, I end up being able to do a lot of different kinds of things without limiting myself to the abilities of a fixed team, like in a studio or a company.

Why are you a Graphic Designer?
I like beautiful things and systems. I like beautiful things in beautiful, seamless systems.

Did you attend school for fine art or design?
I was the first batch of Communication Design that graduated from Pearl Academy.

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Codesign: Agency Profile

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Codesign : By Rajesh Dahiya and Mohor Ray, Founders of Codesign

What made you start Codesign?
What made us start Codesign, what has sustained it so far and what we continue to look forward to is the same – a desire to keep growing through the work we do, without being compartmentalised by scale, media and trends. The idea was to create a rich environment that encourages asking questions and rethinking briefs, with the rigor of hands-on ‘making’. An important thread that has always stayed strong, is the love of content—making sure that design is building on appropriate and rich content, and not acting as a prop for it.

Tell us about your designers. Did they go into fine art or design schools? How do you pick them up?
All the designers in our team currently are graduates from design schools. However this is not, nor has been, a pre-decided condition of working with people. We look at people’s work, and even more importantly how they approach it; build on it—and how they can inspire us back to push our own boundaries.

At the heart of our work is people, and that’s where we look for inspiration—in the way they live, the dreams they dream, the things they trust, the things that make them happy. Through conversation and observation, there is much that we learn which inspires our work. The composition of the studio is diverse by choice, brings several influences and interests, from music and food to crafts and calligraphy, into play with each other. This often brings surprising, new flavours into the way we develop ideas.

In short, there’s no checklist. It’s work, it’s partially gut instinct and it’s a shared dialogue between both a potential hire and us on expectations, responsibilities and the future.

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Yatish Asthana : Interview with a Graphic Designer/Illustrator

Creative, Illustration, Interviews, , , , , 2 comments

Yatish is an Illustrator, Infographist and Graphic Designer . He has a Bachelor’s degree in Animation and Multimedia from Birla Institute Of Technology, Mesra , Ranchi . He has grown up watching all classic cartoons which inspired him to chose creative career.

Apart from Sketching and doodling , he loves spending time with friends and watching movies.
You can see his works at his portfolio site online.

Why are you an Illustrator?
I have been sketching since my schooldays. I am really happy being into a profession which has still kept the “small kid” inside me alive. I am paid for doing what i love to, and that’s the best part for me being an illustrator

Did you attend school for fine art or design?
I attended Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra, Ranchi and studied animation and multimedia.

You have a distinct style of illustration. How long did it take you to develop your style?
I keep experimenting with my art style. I think its good to experiment. You always get something new and unexpected which adds value to your style. I have been sketching since long, but last two two years have been prominent in this aspect. I am still working on betterment and refining of my style.

Were there any particular role models for you when you grew up?
My grandfather. He has always been an inspiration. Also the amazing colleagues and people whom i have worked with.

Who was the most influential personality on your career in Illustrations?
My family and friends. They have always supported me and my career choice. They have inspired and motivated me a lot. Besides them , the amazing artists whom I have interacted with on social media or personally. There is always a positive response while talking to any artist . I really appreciate them all.

What made you decide to become a freelance illustrator? When did you start freelancing? Do you illustrate for advertising?
Although there are plenty creative agencies out there, still very few offer illustrations in specific. So its big opportunity and option for illustrators to freelance. I have been working since last 3 and half years.
I have worked with Media groups like Mail Today (India Today group) and HT Media group.
I have worked on a number of projects varying from merchandising, custom artworks to commissioned sketches.

Are many advertising agencies getting illustrations made these days? Do you work more with agencies or publishers?
Yes, illustration design is getting popular day by day. Today, more brands want their promotion/advertising to be done in form of illustrations, be it digital or traditional. It catches more attention than normal trend.
I have been working with News Media groups since last two and half years.

Was there any time when you wanted to quit Illustrations?
No. I never get bored of illustrating.

Have you considered turning your illustrations into toys?
I would love to 🙂 It would be great to see my paper artwork turning into cool toys.

Any other Indian Illustrators who you admire?
I have grown up seeing cartoons by Mario Miranda and RK Laxman . They have inspired me a lot. I also follow artists like Dattraj Kamat, Amit Tayal, Abhishek Singh, Faisal Mohammad. I try to learn and gain most from these artists.

Do you have any favorite fellow illustrators or resources relating to your fields?
There are a number of amazing artists i follow. Pascal Campion, Kerby Rosanes, Mattias Adolfson, Chris Sanders are few of the superb artists i admire.

You have such a wide experience as a top working professional. What advice do you have for aspiring creative professionals? Would you advise them to take on Illustration as a career option? Is it paying well enough?
Practice and Patience !! Keep experimenting with your art style and most importantly ENJOY your work !
Being illustrator is amazing career choice ! It would surely pay you good if you are working hard .

Mac or PC?
I have worked both on Mac and PC, but PC is more comfortable for me.

Who would you like to take out for dinner?
Any pretty girl who would love to join. 🙂

What’s on your iPod?
Honestly, I don’t have any specific choice when it comes to music. I usually switch on the music at low volume and work. It adds a background and creates a peaceful environment to work.

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Sheel Damani : Interview With a Graphic Designer

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Sheel Damani is a communication design consultant.

She loves telling stories. And tell them very fast. At work, she comes wearing a long chain of ‘Whys’ — her favourite pass time is to tell people how design can change the world. Not with Helvetica but with the overused jargon ‘design thinking’ which is another fancy term for thinking in context. She loves editing more than writing. Evidently, OCD to clean/align is one of her natural traits.

Why are you a Graphic Designer?
Because I wanted to be a designer. Graphic design just happened to be the discipline that I started with.

Did you attend school for fine art or design?
Yes. I have a Bachelor in Design (Fashion Communication) from National Institute of Fashion Technology, New Delhi.

You have a distinct style of Design. How long did it take you to develop your style?
I don’t intend to have a distinct style. Its bad if I have one. Design is not meant to communicate about a designer. It is meant for the users. It should be in their style.

Were there any particular role models for you when you grew up?
My role models were always people around me. My family and teachers. I always wanted to be like my (elder) sister. I copied her all the time.

Who was the most influential personality on your career in graphic design?
Just one name is insufficient. Words by Michael Wolff have lasted with me since Design yatra 2010. His approach to design, detail and human perceptions add a lot of perspective to a designer’s work. There are two people who made my work more exciting along the way. One used to be my creative head in Goa, Anurashi Shetty. She introduced me to the art and importance of writing. The second one is my current team’s head from New Delhi, Abhishek Rai (@Abhishek_Rai). He has introduced me to design as a discipline like no other. Designing for a user and talking about it are two different things. It is now that I have learnt to design for a user. Long way to go still.

When did you start freelancing?
I started freelancing in 2012 from Ahmedabad.

Was there any time when you wanted to quit graphic design?
Yes. When I had just started working. I always felt I am not good enough. Slowly, I realised the only way out was practicing more. Working on several projects and identifying where I fit in best to help people.

Are many advertising agencies hiring graphic designers? Do you work more with agencies or publishers?
I work with startups and SMEs. My strengths along with visual aesthetics are analysis and writing. I work on projects related to branding, info graphics, communication strategy and marketing for businesses. Currently learning a lot in the field of digital marketing. The team I work with from Delhi has launched a tool for brand managers — www.buildyourcommunity.co

Do you have clients who give you steady work or do you advertise for new clients often?
Fortunately, there has been no time to advertise for new clients. I have to share availability and follow up in most cases to get projects. I have been working with Shack Co. from New Delhi and their tool BuildYourCommunity for nearly two years. They have a fantastic way of working remotely.

Any other Indian graphic designers who you admire?
There are plenty. Orijit Sen, Nina Paley, Amardeep Bahl (Museum design), Kriti Monga, Broti Bhattacharya, Satwik Gade and most of my friends.

What advice do you have for aspiring creative professionals? Would you advise them to take on graphic design as a career option?
Most of the kids who ask me about design are attracted to some ‘cool’ factor associated with it. As all the people in this world say, it is a lot of hard work — I would say the same. But it’s the kind that gives you great joy. Now, I know why its a cliched. Yes, it is a good career option. Graphic designers are good storytellers and the world needs them 🙂

Do you think Clients are opening up to keeping aside a decent respectable budget for design work? Do you think clients are understanding that they need to invest in Design as a communication tool and also to cut the clutter, and that good design comes at a price?
Largely, yes. Startups definitely see value in it. ‘Good design is good business’ — an IBM belief, shared by many more companies now. Thank God 😉

Mac or PC?
Mac. Always.

Who would you like to take out for dinner?
Tough question 🙂

What’s on your iPod?
Khichdi of bollywood, soft rock, coke studio, devotional and instrumental. I am not kidding.

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Adil Siddiqui : Designer

Creative, Interviews, , , , , 2 comments

Adil Siddiqui is a Mumbai based Pixel Builder aka Designer. He is currently working with a startup called Genii where he Designs User Interfaces and Build User Experiences, he also makes simple and fun illustrations in his free time. He is very creative and passionate in whatever he does, loves his friends, loves Mumbai, loves Mustang 1967 and loves Chicken(deep fried).

His personal illustration / graphic design work can be found on his Tumblr and recently he has started posting some of his professional work on his Behance.

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Why are you a Graphic Designer?
Well honestly I don’t know, I never thought I will end up being one. I was one of those who never use to think about my future and what I wanted to do with my life. In college I studied Commerce and then Computer Science. I had no idea what I was doing until I stumbled upon Photoshop and Illustrator and all of a sudden I developed a keen interest in designing. ( I still can’t believe I became a designer)

Did you attend school for fine art or design?
Nope.

You have a distinct style of Design. How long did it take you to develop your style?
I’m still developing it, I normally scribble my ideas on paper and then develop them directly in illustrator. I’m horrible at traditional way of drawing so I use a Wacom tab to draw digitally which gives me the liberty of ‘ctrl + z’.

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Uttam Sinha : Graphic Designer

Illustration, Interviews, , , , , one comment

Introduction – “I want to be the best graphic designer in the world.” “I want to win every award that exists, from Cannes to D&AD.” “I want to be the next big thing.” Well, if you think all this matter to Uttam Sinha, you’ll be disappointed. Here’s a guy with no such ambitions. All he wants to do in life is to bring smile in people’s faces, with his work, or without it. His mantra in life is very simple: create work that’s loved by all.

Why are you a Graphic Designer?
Honestly, I never desired to be a graphic designer. It all started with the doodling on he back pages of school notebooks, and gradually one thing led to the other. Frankly, I still don’t consider myself as a graphic designer. I am more engrossed in the work I do, rather than the designation people give.

Did you attend school for fine art or design?
I did my bachelors from College of Art, New Delhi.

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Chaiti Mehta Designs

Interviews, , , , , , , , 15 comments

Chaiti Mehta, founder of Chaiti Mehta Design (CMD) in 2009, discovered herself in the world of design when she began communicating a message both visually and conceptually. Calling herself as purely a designer, she creates forms and patterns out of brands, our of love, out of passion.
Her work spans brand identity and development, art direction, packaging, printed matter, interactive, art-projects and exhibitions. With her clientele in India, New York, London, and Dubai, she works closely and collaboratively with them who want their brands to speak. She allows a direct thought-process, approaching design holistically.

Her work has been awarded and published by curated design publication; Book of the Year, Volume Four (Praquin, France), Asia Pacific Design No. 7 (Sandu Cultural Media Co.,Ltd. Hongkong/Guangzhou/Beijing and Design 360°- Concept and Design Magazine). Featured on the front cover of India’s noted design magazine, The Kyoorius Design Magazine 7 and The Kyoorius Design Showcase 2011-12.

Why are you a Graphic Designer?
I usually stumble at being called a Graphic Designer and come up with all sorts of complicated explanations and words. I’m purely a designer. One who can define a color, a type and a form. The kind of graphic design majority of people relate to is not only about brochures, catalogs, logos and all of that. It’s about a Process. It’s how it works. Knowing the real power of holistic design and experiencing its maximum. In short every piece needs to have an Understanding of Design, a perception and experimentation. Hence I chose this path.
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