Make Me Happy Salads

First time author Zarine Jalil from Salad Stories, tells simple and engaging children stories with cut fruits and vegetables and the viewers can eat it all up at the end of the session. This book is her first attempt at engaging the young audiences. It has many such fun rhymes and easy to do salads for parents and kids alike.

We design directed the cover and the spreads. It was a fun collaboration and we are very proud of the outcome. It is lovely to see children taking so much interest in this one of a kind book and also eating healthy at the same time.

Handlettering all the rhymes took a while but it was worth the wait and effort as it adds to the DIY feel of the book.

Sharing a few spreads here. 

The book is soon available at all leading bookstores near you. Couldn't be a better reason to pick your copy for a kid or for the kid in you.

A series of Dreams : Swapna Shrinkhala

Originating in a mythological tale in Jainism here is a series of dreams we illustrated for some stunning calendar art this year :)

Folding up

Illustrations for a publication that we wanted to share in this space.



The theme was "The Big Change". It was interesting how the pneumonic went across a series of messages and extended the design concept. We certainly did enjoy executing this one!

Measured Change-II

In a previous post sometime back I promised to share how the corporate journal for G&B called CHANGE would be coming along.

Here is a link to the e-journal from the godrej website.

This journal is a medium that unites the huge conglomerate that G&B is. A new theme is given to each issue in which all articles are written by the employees – for the employees and are broadly divided into two sections – the theme based followed by the home based. It is A4 size with 48 to 52 pages required a grid flexible enough to accommodate the varying lengths of articles. This journal also published in marathi language requires a common visual appeal that must carry the essence of the parent brand “Godrej” also mentioned in their detailed brand manual.

We were given two issues from the past to study and suggest how its shortfalls could be addressed.




As one would notice, the covers of the two issues we had were inconsistent in the use of the Godrej logo, the editorial got cropped with the flap closed and thin and inconsistent margins would make articles look text heavy.

Based on such analysis we approached a few sample articles, as varied in nature as possible. We made an initial presentation of our views and suggestions. This basically dealt with how margins and consistency of layout supported by a well-defined grid would work.

Once this was approved, a basic grid was set. It was important to address typography as we had observed too many type variations in the previous issues inspite of the brand manual's clear guides. It was important to set a font size for the heading. sub-heads and body copy particularly for this journal. We derived and defined this from the brand manual itself. A basic tone was set once illustrations began to shape in.

And here are some spreads to share from the issues we have designed.




The flap earlier with the team and the theme graphics seemed bulky so we narrowed it. The editorial column space was reduced so that it doesn't cut because of the flap sitting over


The theme graphics on the flap are always done such that they flow in well with the first article as well so that it doesn't look out of place even when opened along this way


The authors pictures in issues we attempted earlier did not appear in all articles so they were put as aesthetically fit-in the composition. However on the note that it gave the authors their minutes of fame and recognition it was decided to have their pictures in all articles. We feared it would make the pages mundane and leave no flexibility to add graphics to each article hence the grid was modified a bit to accomadate this.


Back covers of earlier issue (top). An attempt to standardize the back cover for each issue since it is a regular feature. Photo credit to the author also incorporated in the last issue(bottom)

We also do these issues in Marathi as well.

Do check the e-journal for a better view of the flow and also the latest issue. There are still many things to be addressed however when it’s a huge corporate such as this, we are collectively working with our client towards a gradual change!

Measured Change -I

We are privileged to be a part of the team working on Change magazine, an in-house publication of Godrej & Boyce Mfg. Co. Ltd. and have been approached to take up its designing. The magazine has been in circulation for many years within Godrej and plays an important role to bind the conglomerate that has several businesses.

Godrej in India is a brandname we have grown up with. Rather synonymous with the iron almirahs and locks. As the new generation at Godrej takeover it is trying to strike a balance between the past and the future. With new ventures to allure the modern-young-urban Indian, Godrej has recently undergone an identity makeover by agency Interbrand.

While designing any piece of communication it is important to stick to the brand guidelines and the magazine is no exception. We at DesignMembrane have read through the extensive brand guide and hope to reflect a positive change!

As we play our part on this issue, would like to share the the cover design...

In each issue there is a theme in focus. The theme chosen is something of interest across sectors for all employees...usually strategy based, in which they discuss case studies so as to inspire employees of other units. There are other articles of general interest as well. For this issue the theme is "Chunks of Change". A strategy used for quicker results. Something that works like quicker short steps to the final goal.

This is the Change masthead.



The "G" symbol works effectively in conveying "refresh,recycle etc." As the word "Change" appears in the theme "Chunks of Change-Projects for Rapid Results" we took this as an opportunity to brand "Change" the magazine. Hence the cover illustration...



The "G" symbol from the masthead twirls for rapid results with the three brand colours.

Will share the story of the spreads and the rest in another post soon.

"A Family for Every Child" OUT NOW!!!

The book on all about adoption in India initiated by the Catalysts for Social Action is the new release from DesignMembrane now on stands at CrossWord and Oxford Book Stores all across the country.

Our cover girl is the beautiful Mohini, an adopted child who looks forward to a bright future . The launch at the CrossWord store at Kemps Corner, Mumbai was an apt beginning to the Joy of Giving week that has just come to an end.





DesignMembrane is happy to support the cause of child adoption in this mini step.

The paperback in greyscale spreads and black and white photographs by Sameer Tawade has some very interesting articles on the subject by people from all walks of life who have had the wonderful experience of adopting, some celebrity adopters like Sushmita Sen (actor), Sandip Soparrkar (choreographer) and Raveena Tandon Thadani(actor) and adoptees with their perspective.





Project closure : September 2009

A FAMILY FOR EVERY CHILD

Catalysts for Social Action, a social welfare organization dedicated to the cause of child welfare is currently focused to influence change in adoption practice. We are honored to be associated with their initiative "A Family for Every Child" that will unveil at the Joy of Giving Week, 27th Sep-3rd Oct 2009.
We have designed the identity for this project which is also the name of the book.

Concept: 'A' for adoption, and 'A' completes a 'FAMILY'.
More updates on the book design and the rest soon.

M.I.C.E. Tourism Planner

"... the cradle of the human race, the birthplace of human speech, the mother of history, the grandmother of legend and the great grandmother of tradition. Our most valuable and most instructive materials in the history of man are treasured up in India."

-Mark Twain

India is in a continual process of upgrading its M.I.C.E. (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences & Exhibitions) facilities. There are multiple plans on the anvil for more world-class convention centers, airports that contest with the best in the world and efforts to team the famous Indian hospitality with customisation as per a visitor's requirement.
One such effort has been initiated by the India Convention Promotion Bureau sponsored by the Ministry of Tourism, the Government of India to launch a planner to list details on the M.I.C.E. destinations for 2009-10. DesignMembrane was approached by its marketing partner, Hotel and Food Service India Pvt. Ltd.(H&FS), Mumbai for design assistance on a publication that would be an exclusive showcase on the above.
Here are a few excerpts from the journal.

We designed the gate-fold cover like a teaser. The die-cut words by Mark Twain reveal a psychedelia of images from destination India underneath.

The opening page with scattered polaroids of the ten M.I.C.E. destinations with their defining landmarks and a spread from the India section.



The planner begins with a section broadly describing all about India, further leading into each city with a list of hotels, other accommodations, convention centers and auditoria preceded by pre/post convention information on what to do and when to come.







Designed with inputs from H&FS team and well printed at Krishna Art, Mumbai.

Project Closure : May 2009