Indian design has never been bolder

Working as a Brand designer for more than a decade (wow, that makes me sound old) has exposed me to a hundred brands and a shift of an era.

Clients went from playing safe and following convention to actively looking for ways to stand out, break rules and add personality into everything they build.

And honestly, I don't think this shift started with design.

I think it started with us.

Let's zoom out with me for a moment.

Ten years ago, aspiration looked very different.

Success looked different.

Even taste looked different.

Most brands wanted to be seen as polished, clean and "international"

Looking global was the goal (and the only direction people knew)

Looking Indian often felt like a compromise or rather traditionally boring.

Walk into a cafe in 2015 and you'd probably find the same dark wood furniture, chalkboard menus, exposed brick walls and a logo that could belong to almost any cafe in the world (ew, it better not!)

Go to a supermarket and you'd see brands competing to look cleaner, sleeker and more premium than the one next to them or trying to get the next celebrity face to look more valuable.

The safest path was to copy someone that had already succeeded.

"you got katrina? let me get kareena.."

now what does the present look like?

We have more people discussing coffee origins than ever before.

More people drinking pour-overs than instant coffee.

More people choosing locally roasted beans over imported labels.

More people traveling not just to destinations, but to experience restaurants, cafes, design and local stores.

Consumers have become curious.

and curiosity leads to seeking stories, not just products.

They want to know who made it, where it came from, why it exists and what makes it different.

And when consumers change, brands follow.

Brands today are no longer trying to appeal everyone.

They're trying to be remembered by someone.

I'd also like to be that cliche person who brings in social media to the mix..but, it's true.

Ten years ago, your competition was the shop next door.

Today, a founder in Pune is competing for attention with brands from Mumbai, Seoul, Copenhagen and New York - all on the same Instagram feed!

When everyone has access to good design,

good design stops being the differentiator (this has been such a new learning for me)

Personality becomes the differentiator (mentally, highlight this!!)

and that's how personality has taken a center stage..they talk about a place, a culture, a founder's story, a unique point of view.

And that's what excites me most about this era.

Not that Indian design is becoming louder..but truly becoming bolder..un-ashamed and free spirited.

I don't say this lightly, but I believe Indian design is finally writing its own narrative on the global stage (our chunni has become a scandanavian scarf remember?)

Not because we're finally catching up (going outwards)

But because we're finally becoming ourselves (going inwards)

I now get excited when founders start their brief with "I once tried sewing a shirt from my mother's saree..and building a brand for people who identify with me, can we have a brand language that comes from my personality?"

"I am starting a neighborhood cafe and can the branding be inspired by this dog that used to sleep here before we took up this space?"

why not..where's the limit..and when has storytelling relied on logic?

lastly,

if you're a young/aspiring founder reading this..

know that founder's today aren't asking asking, "What does a successful brand look like?"

They're asking, "What story can only we tell?"

Don't start with what your competitors are doing, that era has passed.

Start with what makes you different.

Is it a childhood memory, a family recipe, a neighborhood legend?

This inward thinking..might just make you global!

Thank you for reading my blog and hope you learnt something of value today.

I tried to keep it as informative as possible and would love to hear your feedback, suggestions and good movie recommendations in the comment section.

Follow along for more blogs and if you like to buy me a coffee, do check out my shop :)

Love,

Ria.