Ting is a creative and digital agency based out of Chennai and Mumbai.

What made you start Ting?
A hot summer day, a flat tyre and a long chat was the lethal concoction that killed our jobs and mothered TING!

Back then, we were a bunch of freshers working in different ad agencies, discussing our jobs and how we were all frustrated with serving coffee, cropping images and proof reading. Over that road trip is when we decided to throw in the towel and start our own agency.

Two offices – one in Chennai and the other in Mumbai, our laptops, the friendship, and faith we had built in MICA is the foundation of our passion, our work, our agency; TING.

How did you get started working on brand building and corporate identities? Why not any other form of design.
We can’t say we aimed to start with brand building. We were happy to start with anything that came our way. Till date, we have never said no to any kind of work that’s come our way. Incidentally, our first project was to build a jewellery brand… and that’s how it all began.
Tell us about your designers. Did they go into fine art or design schools? How do you pick them up?
We’ve been very lucky with our team. We’ve faced practically no attrition over 5 years and found some amazing talent through our connections, job portals or by chance. And yes, they have all received formal education from an art school.

What does Ting do which sets it apart?
It’s a competitive field and a lot of agencies are doing some seriously good work. One of the areas we focused a lot on is quick, prompt and honest service. We think speed is one of our biggest strengths; we’ve often wowed our clients with quick deliveries without dropping the quality. So the fact that our clients know we will do our best to serve them on time has in a way set us apart.

How important is the focus on a great brand idea?
It’s important, of course. But we’ve realized it’s not just about a great idea. Execution, feasibility and follow-ups are as important.

Were there any particular role models for you when you grew up?
Shah Rukh Khan (True for all 3 partners, 1 of who will surely disagree)
Who was the most influential personality on your career in Brand Building?
Steve Jobs (Surely true for all 3)

Are you working with any advertising agencies? Any brands?
Some of the more known names we have worked with include: Edelman, HUL, Kaleesuwari, Smaaash, Raj TV and Jewelex. However, we take great pride in working with a lot of startups. We love the energy, ideas, aspirations and the opportunity to truly build something from scratch that come along with a startup.

What do you feel about the state of design in India? Do you feel that our collective aesthetics need to improve?
India as a country, has design rooted in every corner. Our artistry, skills and history is so rich that we should ideally be the source for inspiration for everyone in the world. However, a lot of our new culture flows from the west and we are still adapting to those sensibilities, so if you have to compare, we are still lagards, but we are catching up fast and the exposure to the world through social media, the web, movies, TV shows and access to virtually everything online is helping the cause.

Any graphic designers who you admire?
Manish Bhatt, Uday Parkar and Subhash Tendle. And even though you’ve not asked, Rajan Nair, for copy.

What advice do you have for aspiring creative professionals? Would you advise them to take on graphic design as a career option?
Design is here to stay. Let technology change and trends evolve; good designers will always do well. The only advice we would give anyone is, be really good at something, strive for excellence, there’s enough mediocrity in the world. So work hard and get better at your craft and then the world has a lot to offer.

Who would your design team like to take out for dinner?
Shah Rukh Khan

What’s on the company iPod?
Arijit Singh, unplugged! (At the moment)

Mac or PC?
Take a wild guess 😉