Designed this way podcast is an initiative to start candid conversations with designers and other creative folks, to bring out the stories about the realities of living a creative life. Not just the stories of courage, hard work and success but also the stories of mistakes, rejections and doubts. These wide-ranging conversations also reveal the diversity of thoughts, practices and opinions that exist in the creative world.
Made by Kawal for young creatives and creatives who are young at heart.
It's designed this way.
Tara Kelton is an Indian-American artist living in Bangalore. She investigates forms of drawing and the relationship between human and machine in light of new technology and tools of image production. Her practice focuses on the diminishing role of the human in contemporary society as it is being replaced by automation, AI, and digital mediation, and the remote control of labor by Western bodies and corporations. Tara is also co-editor of the publishing series Silicon Plateau, an art project and publishing series that explores the intersection of technology, culture and society in Bangalore.
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Tara Kelton is an Indian-American artist living in Bangalore. She investigates forms of drawing and the relationship between human and machine in light of new technology and tools of image production. Her practice focuses on the diminishing role of the human in contemporary society as it is being replaced by automation, AI, and digital mediation, and the remote control of labor by Western bodies and corporations. Tara is also co-editor of the publishing series Silicon Plateau, an art project and publishing series that explores the intersection of technology, culture and society in Bangalore.
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Priya Kuriyan is a renowned children's book writer-illustrator and comics maker. She is the author of the comic book Ammachi's Glass, and the author of the picture book and children's adaptation of the writer Perumal Murugan's acclaimed novel Poonachi. Kuriyan was the recipient of the Big Little Book Award at the Mumbai Literature Festival in 2019.
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Priya Kuriyan is a renowned children's book writer-illustrator and comics maker. She is the author of the comic book Ammachi's Glass, and the author of the picture book and children's adaptation of the writer Perumal Murugan's acclaimed novel Poonachi. Kuriyan was the recipient of the Big Little Book Award at the Mumbai Literature Festival in 2019.
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Neethi is an illustrator, muralist and surface pattern designer based out of Bangalore, India. She has illustrated for companies like Google, Instagram, WeWork, NPR, Whatsapp and Mahindra, amongst others, and is currently a Creative Partner at studio How About That! Bright, fantastical, pattern-infused still life and exaggerated interior scenes are a recurring theme in her work. She aims to captivate and transport her audience into these worlds. In this episode, we discuss her life, designing for spaces, the nuances of creating mural art, illustration design, and much more.
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Neethi is an illustrator, muralist and surface pattern designer based out of Bangalore, India. She has illustrated for companies like Google, Instagram, WeWork, NPR, Whatsapp and Mahindra, amongst others, and is currently a Creative Partner at studio How About That! Bright, fantastical, pattern-infused still life and exaggerated interior scenes are a recurring theme in her work. She aims to captivate and transport her audience into these worlds. In this episode, we discuss her life, designing for spaces, the nuances of creating mural art, illustration design, and much more.
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Pulak is the founder of PulakB Design, a studio that specializes in Branding, UI design and Storytelling. Over the last 11 years of his career, Pulak has worked with various brands and renowned design studios. Pulak’s client list has gone on to include art festivals, fin-med-edu-tech startups, hotels, healthcare and wellness brands, paper companies, magazines, contemporary artists, street culture brands, FMCG brands, alcobev brands, architecture firms, sports organisations and more. A total nerd at heart and a constant craftsman by practice, Pulak deep-dives in novel crafts and sub-culture explorations regularly. He practices cooking, mixology, street photography, urban sketching, and off-late, coffee science, data driven espressos, water chemistry and generative digital art.
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Pulak is the founder of PulakB Design, a studio that specializes in Branding, UI design and Storytelling. Over the last 11 years of his career, Pulak has worked with various brands and renowned design studios. Pulak’s client list has gone on to include art festivals, fin-med-edu-tech startups, hotels, healthcare and wellness brands, paper companies, magazines, contemporary artists, street culture brands, FMCG brands, alcobev brands, architecture firms, sports organisations and more. A total nerd at heart and a constant craftsman by practice, Pulak deep-dives in novel crafts and sub-culture explorations regularly. He practices cooking, mixology, street photography, urban sketching, and off-late, coffee science, data driven espressos, water chemistry and generative digital art.
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Nidhi is a multi-disciplinary creative based out of Washington, D.C. She applies design methodologies to reimagine civic infrastructure. Her value centered practice focuses on deconstructing nebulous concepts, bringing people together, and breaking down complex problems—for better and equitable services. She has spent the past four years in the local government. She has collected a range of partners, collaborators, and clients in the last few years, starting from ArtCenter College of Design, City of Los Angeles, Cedars-Sinai Cancer Research Center for Health Equity, Stanford University, Stanford Impact Labs, to Montgomery County Government. The few hours she has left in the day she uses to mentor design students through Designmatters at ArtCenter or Coding It Forward during the summer.
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Nidhi is a multi-disciplinary creative based out of Washington, D.C. She applies design methodologies to reimagine civic infrastructure. Her value centered practice focuses on deconstructing nebulous concepts, bringing people together, and breaking down complex problems—for better and equitable services. She has spent the past four years in the local government. She has collected a range of partners, collaborators, and clients in the last few years, starting from ArtCenter College of Design, City of Los Angeles, Cedars-Sinai Cancer Research Center for Health Equity, Stanford University, Stanford Impact Labs, to Montgomery County Government. The few hours she has left in the day she uses to mentor design students through Designmatters at ArtCenter or Coding It Forward during the summer.
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Somnath Bhatt is a designer, artist, and writer who lives between Ahmedabad and New York City. His work has been shown at MoMA PS1, Art Week Dubai, India Art Fair, the ICA London, and Mécènes du Sud Montpellier-Sète, among other venues. Selected clients include Instagram, the New York Times, The New Yorker, Reebok, HYEIN SEO, and the musicians Nicolás Jaar and Mitski. Currently he is an Art Director at Bloomberg. He also works as a contributing editor at MOLD Magazine and AIGA Eye on Design. Somnath believes in the power of the unseen, the chaos of myth, and that labor has the right to all it creates.
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Somnath Bhatt is a designer, artist, and writer who lives between Ahmedabad and New York City. His work has been shown at MoMA PS1, Art Week Dubai, India Art Fair, the ICA London, and Mécènes du Sud Montpellier-Sète, among other venues. Selected clients include Instagram, the New York Times, The New Yorker, Reebok, HYEIN SEO, and the musicians Nicolás Jaar and Mitski. Currently he is an Art Director at Bloomberg. He also works as a contributing editor at MOLD Magazine and AIGA Eye on Design. Somnath believes in the power of the unseen, the chaos of myth, and that labor has the right to all it creates.
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Parimal is an Indian Type and Graphic Designer. Parimal has designed some retail typefaces with ITF i.e Indian Type Foundry and Typotheque. Some of the notable typefaces he has designed are ITF Gujarati, Lava Devanagari and Katana. Katana is among one of of my favourite typefaces.
He is also working on a typeface for Sharda Script, a script native to the Kashmir region.
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Parimal is an Indian Type and Graphic Designer. Parimal has designed some retail typefaces with ITF i.e Indian Type Foundry and Typotheque. Some of the notable typefaces he has designed are ITF Gujarati, Lava Devanagari and Katana. Katana is among one of of my favourite typefaces.
He is also working on a typeface for Sharda Script, a script native to the Kashmir region.
Read More About Parimal
Anurag is a product designer based out of Bengaluru. He worked at Uber India as a Senior Product designer for over 5 years. He is known for his work on Uber Lite, Uber Bus and Phone call to ride. Before Uber, he worked briefly at Twitter and Microsoft. Now, he’s a co-founder of an on-demand interviewing platform called Intervue. Besides Design, Anurag also has a strong passion for Food. His love for food landed him at Le Cordon Bleu in London, where he pursued a professional culinary course. And he has also worked briefly in professional kitchens and Michelin Star restaurants. On this episode, we talk about Anurag’s interest in design and food, and about how he balances them both.
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Anurag is a product designer based out of Bengaluru. He worked at Uber India as a Senior Product designer for over 5 years. He is known for his work on Uber Lite, Uber Bus and Phone call to ride. Before Uber, he worked briefly at Twitter and Microsoft. Now, he’s a co-founder of an on-demand interviewing platform called Intervue. Besides Design, Anurag also has a strong passion for Food. His love for food landed him at Le Cordon Bleu in London, where he pursued a professional culinary course. And he has also worked briefly in professional kitchens and Michelin Star restaurants. On this episode, we talk about Anurag’s interest in design and food, and about how he balances them both.
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Khyati graduated from the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad and has since, gone on to work across disciplines, often exploring the edges of all things visual for clients including Instagram, Snapchat, New Yorker Magazine, the New York Times, Samsung, PRINT, Wework, Adobe and Apple. Her work is playful, emotive and dimensional and has been featured in publications such as WIRED, Vice, Communication Arts, Fast Company, Creative Review, It’s Nice That and Wepresent among others. Khyati was one of Print Magazine's 15 New Visual Artists under 30 in 2017, was chosen as the Artistry Creator of the Year at Adweek’s Creator Visionary Awards, and is a Young Guns 19 Winner. On today’s episode, we talk about her journey as a designer & visual artist, about her idea of curating her career to pick as many skill sets as possible, we try to peek into her design process and how she thinks.
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Khyati graduated from the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad and has since, gone on to work across disciplines, often exploring the edges of all things visual for clients including Instagram, Snapchat, New Yorker Magazine, the New York Times, Samsung, PRINT, Wework, Adobe and Apple. Her work is playful, emotive and dimensional and has been featured in publications such as WIRED, Vice, Communication Arts, Fast Company, Creative Review, It’s Nice That and Wepresent among others. Khyati was one of Print Magazine's 15 New Visual Artists under 30 in 2017, was chosen as the Artistry Creator of the Year at Adweek’s Creator Visionary Awards, and is a Young Guns 19 Winner. On today’s episode, we talk about her journey as a designer & visual artist, about her idea of curating her career to pick as many skill sets as possible, we try to peek into her design process and how she thinks.
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Aarman Roy is a young visual artists and graphic designer from New Delhi, India. He is currently pursuing a BFA in Design from School of Visual Arts, New York. Along with his partner Charu, Aarman Co-founded Akademi Magazine, a leftist print and web publication dedicated to politics, art, culture and society. Aarman overlooks Creative Direction at Akademi. With the tools of graphic design, Aarman liked to create work that’s diverse and beautiful, and the kind of work that pushes aesthetic boundaries. On this episode we talk about how he was about to become an engineer and then how he found his true calling in Design. We talk about the design education he’s pursuing right now, about his work experiences, we deep dive into his process of creating the amazing work he does for Akademi magazine.
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Aarman Roy is a young visual artists and graphic designer from New Delhi, India. He is currently pursuing a BFA in Design from School of Visual Arts, New York. Along with his partner Charu, Aarman Co-founded Akademi Magazine, a leftist print and web publication dedicated to politics, art, culture and society. Aarman overlooks Creative Direction at Akademi. With the tools of graphic design, Aarman liked to create work that’s diverse and beautiful, and the kind of work that pushes aesthetic boundaries. On this episode we talk about how he was about to become an engineer and then how he found his true calling in Design. We talk about the design education he’s pursuing right now, about his work experiences, we deep dive into his process of creating the amazing work he does for Akademi magazine.
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Lisa joined Itu Chaudhuri Design (ICD) soon after her graduation in 1997 from the National Institute of Design (NID), where she studied Visual Communication, and has been a principal at Itu Chaudhri’s Design for over a decade. Lisa leads their UI/UX projects, both ERP and editorial, maintaining a keen, yet skeptical eye on novel developments. Lisa has taught and judged at the NID and and has been a jury member, moderator speaker at UX events. On this episode, we talk about the series of events that led to Lisa becoming a designer, her experience at NID, how she joined ICD as an intern and then worked there for more than two decades. We talk about some projects Lisa has led, her concerns about the world of UX and about the new challenges a design agency like ICD faces in the 2020s and much more.
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Lisa joined Itu Chaudhuri Design (ICD) soon after her graduation in 1997 from the National Institute of Design (NID), where she studied Visual Communication, and has been a principal at Itu Chaudhri’s Design for over a decade. Lisa leads their UI/UX projects, both ERP and editorial, maintaining a keen, yet skeptical eye on novel developments. Lisa has taught and judged at the NID and and has been a jury member, moderator speaker at UX events. On this episode, we talk about the series of events that led to Lisa becoming a designer, her experience at NID, how she joined ICD as an intern and then worked there for more than two decades. We talk about some projects Lisa has led, her concerns about the world of UX and about the new challenges a design agency like ICD faces in the 2020s and much more.
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Balaram is a veteran industrial designer and educator. He was among the first batch of trainees at the National Institute of design. Later he served as a senior faculty and Chairman of Education at the NID. After retiring from NID, he served as a Dean at DJ Academy of Design, Coimbatore. He also helped in the formation of the Craft Development Institute in J&K. Currently, he is the Director of SASI Creative Colleges, Coimbatore. Apart from his contribution to design education in India, he has practiced industrial design for objects/products critical to Indian masses - like a Bicycle, Bullock Cart, Stone-top, Bamboo Duster, Tongue Cleaner etc. He has also published a book compiling his thoughts and academic papers named ‘Thinking Design’. On this episode, we talk about his surreal childhood, the history of Design in India and his love for designing critical ordinary objects that affect the masses.
Read Balaram's Blog
Balaram is a veteran industrial designer and educator. He was among the first batch of trainees at the National Institute of design. Later he served as a senior faculty and Chairman of Education at the NID. After retiring from NID, he served as a Dean at DJ Academy of Design, Coimbatore. He also helped in the formation of the Craft Development Institute in J&K. Currently, he is the Director of SASI Creative Colleges, Coimbatore. Apart from his contribution to design education in India, he has practiced industrial design for objects/products critical to Indian masses - like a Bicycle, Bullock Cart, Stone-top, Bamboo Duster, Tongue Cleaner etc. He has also published a book compiling his thoughts and academic papers named ‘Thinking Design’. On this episode, we talk about his surreal childhood, the history of Design in India and his love for designing critical ordinary objects that affect the masses.
Read Balaram's Blog
Kalapi is an Indian typeface designer and font engineer. He graduated from The Faculty of Fine Arts, MS University Baroda. And he later pursued his post-graduation in Typeface Design from University of Reading, England. In 2016, he joined forces with friend and fellow University of Reading graduate Gunnar Vilhjálmsson to set-up Universal Thirst, a design practice specialising in developing typefaces for writing systems of the Indian sub-continent. Universal Thirst has designed multiple latin and Indic bespoke typefaces for various companies, brands and events. Soon, they’re releasing their own latin and Indic retail typefaces. On this episode, we talk about Kalapi’s life, design education and type design work. We talk about his foundry Universal Thirst and the business of Type Design. Kalapi also shares with us his opinions and knowledge about functional and aesthetic aspects of Type Design.
Read More About Universal Thirst
Kalapi is an Indian typeface designer and font engineer. He graduated from The Faculty of Fine Arts, MS University Baroda. And he later pursued his post-graduation in Typeface Design from University of Reading, England. In 2016, he joined forces with friend and fellow University of Reading graduate Gunnar Vilhjálmsson to set-up Universal Thirst, a design practice specialising in developing typefaces for writing systems of the Indian sub-continent. Universal Thirst has designed multiple latin and Indic bespoke typefaces for various companies, brands and events. Soon, they’re releasing their own latin and Indic retail typefaces. On this episode, we talk about Kalapi’s life, design education and type design work. We talk about his foundry Universal Thirst and the business of Type Design. Kalapi also shares with us his opinions and knowledge about functional and aesthetic aspects of Type Design.
Read More about Universal Thirst
Sneha is a young designer, art director and illustrator, based out of Bangalore. She graduated from the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad with a specialisation in Graphic Design. Sneha has worked with various design studios and tech-companies. She also worked as an in-house designer, and later, Creative Lead at Unacademy, an education technology startup that has grown into a unicorn and household name. Soon, Sneha will be starting Prophecy, a design consultancy while she also pursues her many side-projects. One of them being Tip Top Type Tips a whimsical newsletter on typography. On this episode, talk about the series of events that led to becoming a designer, her experience of working as an in-house designer, her side project Tip-Top-Type-Tips, her ace personal branding skills and much more.
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Sneha is a young designer, art director and illustrator, based out of Bangalore. She graduated from the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad with a specialisation in Graphic Design. Sneha has worked with various design studios and tech-companies. She also worked as an in-house designer, and later, Creative Lead at Unacademy, an education technology startup that has grown into a unicorn and household name. Soon, Sneha will be starting Prophecy, a design consultancy while she also pursues her many side-projects. One of them being Tip Top Type Tips a whimsical newsletter on typography. On this episode, talk about the series of events that led to becoming a designer, her experience of working as an in-house designer, her side project Tip-Top-Type-Tips, her ace personal branding skills and much more.
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Anant is a creative entrepreneur and design evangelist from New Delhi. He is an alumni of Wanganui School of Design. New Zealand. He started his first company Inchworks at the age of 23. Currently, he is the Co-founder of The Irregulars Art Fair and creative agency called Bakheda. On this episode, we talk about Anant’s journey as a designer, about the ventures he started and his opinions on design entrepreneurship. Anant also shares with us his personal tips on networking, time management and work-life balance.
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Anant is a creative entrepreneur and design evangelist from New Delhi. He is an alumni of Wanganui School of Design. New Zealand. He started his first company Inchworks at the age of 23. Currently, he is the Co-founder of The Irregulars Art Fair and creative agency called Bakheda. On this episode, we talk about Anant’s journey as a designer, about the ventures he started and his opinions on design entrepreneurship. Anant also shares with us his personal tips on networking, time management and work-life balance.
Connect with Anant Ahuja
Ishita is an illustrator and graphic designer from New Delhi. She is a graduate of the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad and is currently pursuing her masters in Illustration as Visual Essay at the School of Visual Arts, New York. She loves to document moments from her life and travels in her sketchbooks. She co-authored and illustrated - The Girl who went to the Stars and Other Extraordinary Lives, a book published by Penguin Random House, India. On this episode, we talk about Ishita’s journey as a designer and about how she acquired the obsessive habit of documentation through sketching. She also shares with us her struggles in finding a right work-life balance and her efforts to build sustainable work habits.
Read more about Ishita Jain
Ishita is an illustrator and graphic designer from New Delhi. She is a graduate of the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad and is currently pursuing her masters in Illustration as Visual Essay at the School of Visual Arts, New York. She loves to document moments from her life and travels in her sketchbooks. She co-authored and illustrated - The Girl who went to the Stars and Other Extraordinary Lives, a book published by Penguin Random House, India. On this episode, we talk about Ishita’s journey as a designer and about how she acquired the obsessive habit of documentation through sketching. She also shares with us her struggles in finding a right work-life balance and her efforts to build sustainable work habits.
Read more about Ishita Jain
Ashwini is the co-founder of Elephant Design, India’s largest independent integrated design consultancy with offices in India & Singapore. On this episode, we talk about Ashwini’s journey as a designer, how and why she started Elephant Design with her friends. She also shares with us the thought and process behind some key projects created by the studio. We discuss the unique challenges of being a design entrepreneur in India and about sustaining India’s oldest and largest multi-disciplinary design company against all the odds.
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Ashwini is the co-founder of Elephant Design, India’s largest independent integrated design consultancy with offices in India & Singapore. On this episode, we talk about Ashwini’s journey as a designer, how and why she started Elephant Design with her friends. She also shares with us the thought and process behind some key projects created by the studio. We discuss the unique challenges of being a design entrepreneur in India and about sustaining India’s oldest and largest multi-disciplinary design company against all the odds.
Read more about Ashwini Deshpande
Ritesh began his career advertising while at Wieden+Kennedy, Deutsch, and Saatchi & Saatchi and has since transitioned to leading Product Design and Branding in-house at mission-driven startups. He recently led a 360-degrees rebrand of a dog food startup called Pet Plate with Sagmeister & Walsh and R/GA, while serving as the Senior Director of Brand & UX. Currently, he is working with Serial Box, where he is (re)designing, (re)building, (re)positioning, & (re)branding the platform. On this episode, Ritesh shares with us the story behind how he got into the world of design. He takes us through the Pet Plate’s branding process, from the time the startup decided to rebrand, to deciding on the right design agency for the task and about the partnership with Sagmeister and Walsh (now known as And Walsh). He also talks about the importance of measuring the impact of design and how it can transform our industry. He also talks about diversity, inclusion and equity in the world of design.
Read more about Ritesh Gupta
Ritesh began his career advertising while at Wieden+Kennedy, Deutsch, and Saatchi & Saatchi and has since transitioned to leading Product Design and Branding in-house at mission-driven startups. He recently led a 360-degrees rebrand of a dog food startup called Pet Plate with Sagmeister & Walsh and R/GA, while serving as the Senior Director of Brand & UX. Currently, he is working with Serial Box, where he is (re)designing, (re)building, (re)positioning, & (re)branding the platform. On this episode, Ritesh shares with us the story behind how he got into the world of design. He takes us through the Pet Plate’s branding process, from the time the startup decided to rebrand, to deciding on the right design agency for the task and about the partnership with Sagmeister and Walsh (now known as And Walsh). He also talks about the importance of measuring the impact of design and how it can transform our industry. He also talks about diversity, inclusion and equity in the world of design.
Read more about Ritesh Gupta
Kimya Gandhi is a type designer from Mumbai with a passionate interest in Indic type design. She is an alumnus of National institute of Fashion Technology and Industrial Design Centre, IIT Mumbai. She got her professional start interning at Linotype in 2010. Over the next few years she freelanced for several type foundries catering to their multi-script requirements. In 2015, she became a partner at Mota Italic and now focuses on Indic and Latin designs for retail and custom corporate projects. On this episode, we talk about Kimya’s journey as a designer and about some of her key type design projects. She also talks about the unique challenges of designing fonts for Indic scripts and about business aspects of the type design industry.
Read more about Kimya Gandhi
Kimya Gandhi is a type designer from Mumbai with a passionate interest in Indic type design. She is an alumnus of National institute of Fashion Technology and Industrial Design Centre, IIT Mumbai. She got her professional start interning at Linotype in 2010. Over the next few years she freelanced for several type foundries catering to their multi-script requirements. In 2015, she became a partner at Mota Italic and now focuses on Indic and Latin designs for retail and custom corporate projects. On this episode, we talk about Kimya’s journey as a designer and about some of her key type design projects. She also talks about the unique challenges of designing fonts for Indic scripts and about business aspects of the type design industry.
Read more about Kimya Gandhi
Seyi Olusanya and Damilola Marcus are the founders of Dá Design studio, a brand identity design studio from Lagos. Dá Design believes in pushing the boundaries of brand expression in Nigeria, testing the zeitgeist and most importantly, creating effective communication. On this episode we will talk about Damilola and Seyi’s journey as designers, about the formation of da design studio and about the iconic work created by the studio. We will also talk about the unique challenges and opportunities of operating a design studio in Nigeria.
Read more about Dá Design
Seyi Olusanya and Damilola Marcus are the founders of Dá Design studio, a brand identity design studio from Lagos. Dá Design believes in pushing the boundaries of brand expression in Nigeria, testing the zeitgeist and most importantly, creating effective communication. On this episode we will talk about Damilola and Seyi’s journey as designers, about the formation of da design studio and about the iconic work created by the studio. We will also talk about the unique challenges and opportunities of operating a design studio in Nigeria.
Read more about Dá Design
Rajesh Dahiya is a designer, brand consultant and design educator. He graduated from National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad and later he pursued a Masters programme at Interaction Design Institute, Ivrea in Italy with specialisation in Interaction Design. In 2004 he started his own studio Codesign. The studio designs identity and communication to connect ideas and people, creating impact for brands and value for organisations. Since its inception, the studio has worked across industry sectors and scale. On this episode, we talk about Rajesh Dahiya’s journey as a designer. He tells us how and why he started his studio - Codesign. He also shares with us the thinking and process behind some of the key projects that the studio has created thus far.
Read more about Codesign
Rajesh Dahiya is a designer, brand consultant and design educator. He graduated from National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad and later he pursued a Masters programme at Interaction Design Institute, Ivrea in Italy with specialisation in Interaction Design. In 2004 he started his own studio Codesign. The studio designs identity and communication to connect ideas and people, creating impact for brands and value for organisations. Since its inception, the studio has worked across industry sectors and scale. On this episode, we talk about Rajesh Dahiya’s journey as a designer. He tells us how and why he started his studio - Codesign. He also shares with us the thinking and process behind some of the key projects that the studio has created thus far.
Read more about Codesign
Neha is the founder and principal designer of NH1 Design, which is an integrated branding consultancy firm from Gurgaon. What makes NH1’s work unique is the emphasis on the design approach that focussed on storytelling, touching emotions and creating thoughtful experiences. On today’s episode, we talk about Neha’s journey as a designer and about how she started her own design practise - NH1 Design. She also shares with us the thinking and process behind some of the interesting work that the firm has created so far. And this episode is filled with great advice and tips from Neha, which are really helpful for young creative professionals.
Read more about NH1 Design
Neha is the founder and principal designer of NH1 Design, which is an integrated branding consultancy firm from Gurgaon. What makes NH1’s work unique is the emphasis on the design approach that focussed on storytelling, touching emotions and creating thoughtful experiences. On today’s episode, we talk about Neha’s journey as a designer and about how she started her own design practise - NH1 Design. She also shares with us the thinking and process behind some of the interesting work that the firm has created so far. And this episode is filled with great advice and tips from Neha, which are really helpful for young creative professionals.
Read more about NH1 Design
Jasjyot is an illustrator who is inspired by an explosive neon mix of fashion, music and pop culture. His work chronicles around themes of body image, sexuality and self love. On this episode, we talk about Jasjyot’s life and his journey towards becoming the amazing artist he is now. We talk about zines, illustrations and fashion. Jasjyot shares with us some extremely personal experiences that had a formative impact on him.
Read more about Jasyot
DISCLAIMER : The episode contains explicit content.
Jasjyot is an illustrator who is inspired by an explosive neon mix of fashion, music and pop culture. His work chronicles around themes of body image, sexuality and self love. On this episode, we talk about Jasjyot’s life and his journey towards becoming the amazing artist he is now. We talk about zines, illustrations and fashion. Jasjyot shares with us some extremely personal experiences that had a formative impact on him.
Read more about Jasjyot
DISCLAIMER : The episode contains explicit content.
Itu Chaudhuri completed his bachelor’s degree in architecture from SPA, Delhi, but left that profession to pursue his interest in Graphic Design.He is the founder and principal designer of ICD - one of the best design studios in India. He runs the studio along with his partner Lisa Rath. Since its inception, the studio has created a huge body of work, across many design disciplines that go beyond the purview of graphic design. On this episode, Itu talks to us about his journey as a designer. He talks about the transition he made, from being an Architect to a Graphic design professional and he talks about starting his own studio. He also talks about the importance of writing down our thoughts and about conscious explicit thinking. Itu shares with us the stories behind some notable client projects the studio has produced.
Read more about ICD
Itu Chaudhuri completed his bachelor’s degree in architecture from SPA, Delhi, but left that profession to pursue his interest in Graphic Design.He is the founder and principal designer of ICD - one of the best design studios in India. He runs the studio along with his partner Lisa Rath. Since its inception, the studio has created a huge body of work, across many design disciplines that go beyond the purview of graphic design. On this episode, Itu talks to us about his journey as a designer. He talks about the transition he made, from being an Architect to a Graphic design professional and he talks about starting his own studio. He also talks about the importance of writing down our thoughts and about conscious explicit thinking. Itu shares with us the stories behind some notable client projects the studio has produced.
Read more about ICD
Raj Dongre is a painter from Nagpur, Maharashtra. He primarily practices of Truck art, sign and wall painting. He is also associated with All India Permit, a platform created by Farid Bawa with a mission of reviving, preserving and promoting the vibrant art form of Truck painting. On this episode, Raj talks about his journey as a painter. He talks about the pre-printing era of film poster painting. He shares some interesting insights into his profession. We also talk about the changing dynamics and the future of truck art and truck artists.
Read more about All India Permit
Raj Dongre is a painter from Nagpur, Maharashtra. He primarily practices of Truck art, sign and wall painting. He is also associated with All India Permit, a platform created by Farid Bawa with a mission of reviving, preserving and promoting the vibrant art form of Truck painting. On this episode, Raj talks about his journey as a painter. He talks about the pre-printing era of film poster painting. He shares some interesting insights into his profession. We also talk about the changing dynamics and the future of truck art and truck artists.
Read more about All India Permit
Farid Bawa is a designer from Nagpur, Maharashtra. He is currently working in Amsterdam with the creative agency DDB & Tribal. Few years back he started a digital platform called All India permit, to create a support system for truck artists and to help them gain global recognition. All India Permit is on a mission of reviving, preserving and promoting this vibrant art form. On this episode, we talk about different aspects of truck art. We talk about Farid’s project All India Permit, we talk about the All India Permit road trip and about the future of this art form.
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Farid Bawa is a designer from Nagpur, Maharashtra. He is currently working in Amsterdam with the creative agency DDB & Tribal. Few years back he started a digital platform called All India permit, to create a support system for truck artists and to help them gain global recognition. All India Permit is on a mission of reviving, preserving and promoting this vibrant art form. On this episode, we talk about different aspects of truck art. We talk about Farid’s project All India Permit, we talk about the All India Permit road trip and about the future of this art form.
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Rezaliando (Ando) and Fizah Rahim are the co-founders and design directors of Machineast, a creative studio based in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. Machineast creates rich visual aesthetics for 3D still and motion-graphics with a unique flavour. Machineast has been creating amazing work in collaboration with worldwide creative studios, agencies and some of the leading brands of the world. On this episode, we talk about their journey as 3D artists and creative professionals. Fizah and Ando talk about their struggles with creative burnouts and how they found a work-life balance. They also share their secret recipe for creating unique aesthetics and their approach to client work.
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Rezaliando (Ando) and Fizah Rahim are the co-founders and design directors of Machineast, a creative studio based in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. Machineast creates rich visual aesthetics for 3D still and motion-graphics with a unique flavour. Machineast has been creating amazing work in collaboration with worldwide creative studios, agencies and some of the leading brands of the world. On this episode, we talk about their journey as 3D artists and creative professionals. Fizah and Ando talk about their struggles with creative burnouts and how they found a work-life balance. They also share their secret recipe for creating unique aesthetics and their approach to client work.
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Shubhankar Ray is one the most sought after creative directors and thought leaders in the world of branding. He has developed and mastered a counter-intuitive approach to re-framing and developing modern brands in the 21st century. He started his career as a Scientist, but left the lab early to re-invent and transform some of the world’s top fashion and lifestyle brands including Levi’s, Caterpillar, Camper, Sony and G-star RAW. On today’s episode, Shubhankar shares with us the crazy story behind how he got into the world of branding. He shares his experience of creating a cultural universe around a brand and about designing for fans instead of consumers. He also talks about the influence of Punk attitude and DIY culture on his life and career. And he shares his opinion about the future of branding.
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Shubhankar Ray is one the most sought after creative directors and thought leaders in the world of branding. He has developed and mastered a counter-intuitive approach to re-framing and developing modern brands in the 21st century. He started his career as a Scientist, but left the lab early to re-invent and transform some of the world’s top fashion and lifestyle brands including Levi’s, Caterpillar, Camper, Sony and G-star RAW. On today’s episode, Shubhankar shares with us the crazy story behind how he got into the world of branding. He shares his experience of creating a cultural universe around a brand and about designing for fans instead of consumers. He also talks about the influence of Punk attitude and DIY culture on his life and career. And he shares his opinion about the future of branding.
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Karan Singh is an Australian visual artist and illustrator. He is originally from Sydney but now living and working in Amsterdam. His work is bold and vibrant. He creates a playful interpretation of minimalism particularly focusing on depth and dimension using hypnotising patterns and repetition. His work is very much inspired by op-art movement. His art lives in a variety of mediums, from prints to sculpture to music videos and augmented reality. His client list includes Instagram, IBM, Apple, Air BnB, Nike, the band OK Go. On this episode, Karan talks to us about his work and his life. He shares his thoughts behind his client projects and his personal projects. We talk about his struggles and his triumphs.
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Karan Singh is an Australian visual artist and illustrator. He is originally from Sydney but now living and working in Amsterdam. His work is bold and vibrant. He creates a playful interpretation of minimalism particularly focusing on depth and dimension using hypnotising patterns and repetition. His work is very much inspired by op-art movement. His art lives in a variety of mediums, from prints to sculpture to music videos and augmented reality. His client list includes Instagram, IBM, Apple, Air BnB, Nike, the band OK Go. On this episode, Karan talks to us about his work and his life. He shares his thoughts behind his client projects and his personal projects. We talk about his struggles and his triumphs.
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Yah Leng is the founder of Foreign Policy Design, an award-winning design bureau and think tank of artists, scientists, problem-solvers, polymaths, storytellers and strategists. Yah Leng also co-created the official museum store Gallery & Co at the National Gallery Singapore. She is the President of The Design Society in Singapore. On today’s episode, we talk about Yah Leng’s journey as a designer and about how she started the Foreign Policy Design design bureau. We talk about some of the projects created by the design bureau including Brand Guide, Critical Mass, Space Program and Gallery and Co. We also talk about activities based projects like Lumen sessions and The Swap Show. And Yah Leng shares her opinion on design in Singapore.
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Yah Leng is the founder of Foreign Policy Design, an award-winning design bureau and think tank of artists, scientists, problem-solvers, polymaths, storytellers and strategists. Yah Leng also co-created the official museum store Gallery & Co at the National Gallery Singapore. She is the President of The Design Society in Singapore. On today’s episode, we talk about Yah Leng’s journey as a designer and about how she started the Foreign Policy Design design bureau. We talk about some of the projects created by the design bureau including Brand Guide, Critical Mass, Space Program and Gallery and Co. We also talk about activities based projects like Lumen sessions and The Swap Show. And Yah Leng shares her opinion on design in Singapore.
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Gadi Amit is the Founder & President of NewDealDesign, a Strategic Technology Design Studio based in San Francisco. He is the person behind some of the most innovative and market-winning products in the last two decades. Some of the most notable product designs his studio has created include the design of Fitbit, the first Lytro camera, the Google Ara modular phone and Sproutling baby monitor. In 2013, Michelle Obama presented Gadi Amit with the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Award for product design. On this episode, Gadi talks about his life, influences and his value system. He talks about his opinions on technology, design and ethics. We also talk about the design process behind Fitbit and Lytro camera. And Gadi shares his opinions on the future of wearable technology and Cyborg-ism.
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Gadi Amit is the Founder & President of NewDealDesign, a Strategic Technology Design Studio based in San Francisco. He is the person behind some of the most innovative and market-winning products in the last two decades. Some of the most notable product designs his studio has created include the design of Fitbit, the first Lytro camera, the Google Ara modular phone and Sproutling baby monitor. In 2013, Michelle Obama presented Gadi Amit with the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Award for product design. On this episode, Gadi talks about his life, influences and his value system. He talks about his opinions on technology, design and ethics. We also talk about the design process behind Fitbit and Lytro camera. And Gadi shares his opinions on the future of wearable technology and Cyborg-ism.
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Twins Cartoon is the pseudonym of Egyptian artists Mohamed & Haitham El-seht. They are cartoonists based in Cairo and the founders of a platform called Kawkab El Rasameen (Planet of Painters). Kawkab el Rasameen has grown into a large community for local artists and they hold gatherings in the streets of Egypt as well as workshops between professional, underground and amateur artists. The twin brothers have also started a magazine for comic book artists called - Garage magazine. On this episode, Haithem and Mohamed talk about their work, their platform and the magazine. They talk about the history of comic books in the Middle-East and the future of independent comic book artists in Egypt.
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Twins Cartoon is the pseudonym of Egyptian artists Mohamed & Haitham El-seht. They are cartoonists based in Cairo and the founders of a platform called Kawkab El Rasameen (Planet of Painters). Kawkab el Rasameen has grown into a large community for local artists and they hold gatherings in the streets of Egypt as well as workshops between professional, underground and amateur artists. The twin brothers have also started a magazine for comic book artists called - Garage magazine. On this episode, Haithem and Mohamed talk about their work, their platform and the magazine. They talk about the history of comic books in the Middle-East and the future of independent comic book artists in Egypt.
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Anthony is a cross-disciplinary visualiser and thinker. He is the founder and principal designer of Lopez Design, a very well-known multidisciplinary communications and branding firm from Delhi. Lopez design has a diverse team consisting of graphic designers, communication experts, product designers, interior architects, software professionals, writers, motion and digital designers. On this episode, we talk about his journey as a designer. Anthony tells us how and why he started his own studio. And we talk about the work, studio culture and the future of Lopez Design.
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Anthony is a cross-disciplinary visualiser and thinker. He is the founder and principal designer of Lopez Design, a very well-known multidisciplinary communications and branding firm from Delhi. Lopez design has a diverse team consisting of graphic designers, communication experts, product designers, interior architects, software professionals, writers, motion and digital designers. On this episode, we talk about his journey as a designer. Anthony tells us how and why he started his own studio. And we talk about the work, studio culture and the future of Lopez Design.
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Ishan Khosla is a design thinker, visual artist and Graphic Designer from New Delhi. He has strong irreverence towards ongoing design trends and a genuine interest in Indian design ethos. On this episode, Ishan talks about his journey as a designer and his opinions about design in India. Ishan also shares the insights he gathered while working on some of his projects - Sweeping Change(Jhadu Project), Pardesi Project, Sangam and Typecraft project. He also talks about the experience of running his own design studio - Ishan Khosla Design.
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Ishan Khosla is a design thinker, visual artist and Graphic Designer from New Delhi. He has strong irreverence towards ongoing design trends and a genuine interest in Indian design ethos. On this episode, Ishan talks about his journey as a designer and his opinions about design in India. Ishan also shares the insights he gathered while working on some of his projects - Sweeping Change(Jhadu Project), Pardesi Project, Sangam and Typecraft project. He also talks about the experience of running his own design studio - Ishan Khosla Design.
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Kruttika is an illustrator, a Graphic Designer, a maker of zines and comics. Her work explores themes of gender, sexuality and intersections of visual design with social impact. On this episode, Kruttika talks about her professional experiences. Her experience of interning at Brainwave Magazine, her experience of working with Dev Kabir Malik and experience as a full-time freelancer. She also talks about the representation of human body in art, about gender and sex education and about creating design for social Impact.
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Kruttika is an illustrator, a Graphic Designer, a maker of zines and comics. Her work explores themes of gender, sexuality and intersections of visual design with social impact. On this episode, Kruttika talks about her professional experiences. Her experience of interning at Brainwave Magazine, her experience of working with Dev Kabir Malik and experience as a full-time freelancer. She also talks about the representation of human body in art, about gender and sex education and about creating design for social Impact. We also discuss about the problems and opportunities in putting your work online and about self-promotion.
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Shiva is a Chennai based type designer, Illustrator and Graphic designer. On this episode, he shares his experience of being mentored by Tal Leming, his experience of interning at Pentagram and other important events that shaped his design career. Shiva also shares his opinions on variable fonts, custom brand typefaces, font names, research & experimentation, the Indian identity and other important topics - like Memes.
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Shiva is a Chennai based type designer, Illustrator and Graphic designer. On this episode, he shares his experience of being mentored by Tal Leming, his experience of interning at Pentagram and other important events that shaped his design career. Shiva also shares his opinions on variable fonts, custom brand typefaces, font names, research & experimentation, the Indian identity and other important topics - like Memes.
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Vaibhav is among the few people creating original animated content exclusively for the Indian Audience. He is the man behind much loved animated angry maths teacher Simpu, the cheerful Chulbuli and the amazing Amaron claymation commercials. He is the founder of Vaibhav Studios. On this episode, Vaibhav Kumaresh talks about how he found his calling as an Animator. He talks about the joys of being a student and the importance of telling our own stories. He also talks about his opinions on the Indian Animation Industry.
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Vaibhav is among the few people creating original animated content exclusively for the Indian Audience. He is the man behind much loved animated angry maths teacher Simpu, the cheerful Chulbuli and the amazing Amaron claymation commercials. He is the founder of Vaibhav Studios. On this episode, Vaibhav Kumaresh talks about how he found his calling as an Animator. He talks about the joys of being a student and the importance of telling our own stories. He also talks about his opinions on the Indian Animation Industry.
Read more about Vaibhav Studios
Mahendra Patel retired as a senior faculty from National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad, in 2003. He has taught at NID for 39 years. Presently, he is an adjunct faculty member at SID & MIT-ID, Pune. He has worked on type design development for numerous Indian Scripts. He has also created Map design and Signage system design for many Indian cities, states, exhibitions and other places of interest. On this episode we talk about the highlights of his life, how he discovered the discipline of graphic design at National Institute of Design, his long association with Adrian Frutiger and his experience as a design educator.
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Mahendra Patel retired as a senior faculty from National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad, in 2003. He has taught at NID for 39 years. Presently, he is an adjunct faculty member at SID & MIT-ID, Pune. He has worked on type design development for numerous Indian Scripts. He has also created Map design and Signage system design for many Indian cities, states, exhibitions and other places of interest. On this episode we talk about the highlights of his life, how he discovered the discipline of graphic design at National Institute of Design, his long association with Adrian Frutiger and his experience as a design educator.
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Mira Malhotra is a graphic designer, visual artist and founder of Studio Kohl. On this episode, Mira Malhotra talks about her journey as a designer, how she discovered her voice as an artist and her love for Indian Aesthetics. We also discuss about the impact of social media on Artists and Designers. You’ll hear from her about the things she learnt while working on many different projects and while running her own studio. This episode is filled with many other interesting topics of discussions and surprises for you.
Read more about Studio Kohl
Disclaimer : The episode contains explicit language.
Mira Malhotra is a graphic designer, visual artist and illustrator from Mumbai. She has her own design practice in Mumbai called Studio Kohl. On this episode, Mira Malhotra talks about her journey as a designer, how she discovered her voice as an artist and her love for Indian Aesthetics. We also discuss about the impact of social media on Artists and Designers. You’ll hear from her about the things she learnt while working on many different projects and while running her own studio. This episode is filled with many other interesting topics of discussions and surprises for you.
Read more about Studio Kohl
Disclaimer : The episode contains explicit language.
Mohor Ray is a designer, alumnus of the National Institute of Design (Ahmedabad) and the co-founder of brand & communication design practice, Codesign. On this episode, Mohor Ray talks in-depth about the creation of the book 'Dekho', an anthology of inspirational conversations with designers in India and about creating meaningful self-initiated projects. She also talks about curation and documentation of design in India.
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Mohor Ray is a designer, alumnus of the National Institute of Design (Ahmedabad) and the co-founder of brand & communication design practice, Codesign. On this episode, Mohor Ray talks in-depth about the creation of the book 'Dekho' and about creating meaningful self-initiated projects. She also talks about curation and documentation of design in India. This episode was recorded at Studio Codesign in Gurgaon, India.
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© Kawaldeep singh
All the views, opinions and statements expressed by the guests/participants are their alone and are not subscibed to by Designed this way or Kawaldeep Singh.
© Kawaldeep singh
All the views, opinions and statements expressed by the guests/participants are their alone and are not subscibed to by Designed this way or Kawaldeep Singh.