Annapoorna

We were a part of a great journey of developing an identity with an NGO that works in the area of providing a balanced, nutritious meal to young schoolgoing children. Unfortunately this never went into production, nonetheless would like to share the process here.

Brief : A simple and clean identity shall communicate the purity of thought, clean and quality food.
Brand archetype -
Innocent : wholesome, pure, trustworthy, honest, optimistic
Caregiver : selfless supportive, generous, nurturing, altruistic

Process : After some internal discussions, the name Annapoorna was aptly chosen as it is the Indian goddess of nourishment.



Our initial thoughts were along these keywords or guides-

Food for the soul
Goddess Annapoorna’s golden pot and ladle
Health Pyramid
Pure and Fresh
Mother’s nurturing care
Food for growth
Serving and receiving
The Bowl of Compassion

These thoughts visually translated thus :



After discussing these with our client it was mutually agreed to pick the three directions that had potential and develop those further. After some more rework these were the qualifying ones :



However at this stage too, we still felt there was more that could be explored. The pot and the ladle concept was interesting but not there yet. The health pyramid needed a bit more to it. The mother's hand was just not it.

So we started looking for fresh ideas along with working further upon these ones...

The pot and the ladle went through a series of form corrections to make it look a little less forced and more comfortable visually.



It finally looked close.



The pyramid concept looked better integrated and proportionate.



Besides these, some more routes were developed.

+Motherly nutrition+




+Joy of Giving+




+Nutrition for Better Life+




+Motherly Love+




This is where the story of this project was left hanging and we wonder as we look back, if it was to be then which one would it be?

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!

Identity Design for H&FS

Change is inevitable and to adapt one must evolve.

To re-design the identity for H&FS, a 25-year-old organization that has been working in the hospitality sector, the challenge at hand was to also determine to what extent was this change acceptable to it's beneficiaries and stakeholders.

Their old logo, we felt lacked concept thought and precision. The initials H, F & S stand for Hospitality, Food and Service (the full form however they have seldom used as they prefer it short). Hence our initial attempt was to make a mark that would visually speak for their prime business activity.

This exercise eventually got our client to rethink this proposal and they went for a more character driven approach. We sat to pin-it together in words that could define this persona.

This lent itself to these directions.



These were primarily derivatives of the elements from the old logo. However only the last one amongst these seemed like a possible direction, as it was the maximum the client was willing to move away from the exisiting identity.

We explored with typography and zeroed in on these options.



However, determined to somehow create a mark that could stand by itself we have stretched it a tad bit more.



And the client is excited!

Working on the stationery. Will share in another post soon as soon as it arrives from the press.

Span Telecom's new brochure

A quick turnaround assignment was to design a brochure for Span telecom. A Delhi based firm that imports technology solutions to India.

We had only a couple of hours to design and print ready these before they could fly to Barcelona for the grand telecom fair. And fly they did!

Sumangal 2011

When approached to design a calendar for 2011 for the Kalpataru group this year, we were delighted to be a part of this journey once more.

The group is well known for it's premium quality and style of construction. India-centric themes have been the highlight of these calendars for many years giving the group a profile that it is also rooted in culture, which is well received and appreciated. It is hence challenging to conceptualise a theme that is equally evocative and stunning year after year to bewilder the audience. However we all were keen to experiment as we did the previous year. And after a few rounds of internal brainstorming, meetings and presentations we were able to focus on a still broader concept, that was - symbols of prosperity in India.

We called it Sumangal 2011 - Painted prayers from folk India.



Research on this subject broadly indicated that the meaning of these symbols emerges from various faiths/beliefs from different regions of India with an unmistakable folk flavour. And hence came the inspiration for the rendition of these symbols in various Indian folk styles of expression.

We narrowed down to studying various "wall paintings" as they seemed an apt subject for our client, who's primary business is that of real estate. As we looked more and more we understood that these were not mere symbols for the artisan painting it but almost silent prayers of well being. And hence we got a title for the theme.


Some initial sketches and scans

Here is a glimpse of the calendar copy that has just arrived at the studio.



The calendar comes with a bookmark and pocket calendar. We opted for a red foil stamping for the title only. Otherwise appearing black it magically reflects the red sheen against light. Against an earthy rustic background, it adds richness. A similar feel is created onto the calendar flyleaf inside.

Each leaf inside has been given a special touch using various different inks and printing techniques to give the hand painted illustrations more volume.


Thermography in white on the shankh imitates rice paste.


Florescent green ink in leaves of the kalpavriksh lends extra freshness


Thakur ka ghar beautifully encases the deity in the house through Sohrai painting


Abrasive UV on a yantra gives it a tactile feel giving power each time it is touched


The kamal motif in lippan kaam imitates the mirror work See process


The surya spreads its radiance in a PVC Gold screen.


A moradi or peacock guards the walls of the meena tribe from rajasthan


A cluster of ten fish or matsya bless for good luck in marriage


A mrig or a deer symbolising man in harmony with nature


The seat of the rajput warrior on an elephant sparkles with gold foil stamped embellishments


The dharmachakra spreads the wisdom rendered in tibetian wall art style with effects imitating wood through a special UV


The magical spectre of the tarpa nritya captured with silver screen for the trees

With each of these folk symbols resting on its owner's desk we hope it brings them good fortune all round the year.

Experiments with random materials : Lippan Kaam

This year around we have had the fortunate chance to experiment a lot with some projects. Mostly they are experiments with materials, printing and paper that I have already shared in my previous posts.

This one is a fresh arrival at the studio and I am excited to share it here.

For a project we wanted to replicate a particular motif rendered in Lippan Kaam : Mud work from the walls of Kutch, Gujarat, India.



This work is actually created on the walls with a clay and dung mixture, motifs are created in bas-relief mostly freehand by memory by using palms and fingers pinching and shaping the mud mixture. The white comes from the sand of this marshland that is rich in salt content. The motifs are inspired from the rich and famous embroidery patterns and once the walls are done they look stunning with mirrors embedded in the mudwork, much like the embroideries itself.

And as much I was aware of the painstaking effort in creating these from my last visit to this breathtakingly beautiful place, where would one find the exact materials here in a city like Mumbai?

And so we did this little experiment...

On a ply-board we pasted a basic outline in a black and white print of what we wanted. Then carefully pasted a white chord (used to hold pyjamas) along this outline. Even though it seemed rather simple till then, it was tricky to get the intricate bits correct. For this reason we had to alter the design several times over.

Once this was ready, we made a mixture of plaster-of-paris and glue with water to pour over this basic framework. Getting the right viscosity here was important as we tried on a small patch first. Too thick would fill up the spaces and the chords would not stand out in relief and if too thin the POP would crack instantly. After pouring the mixture over, we still had to shape it with what we could get our hands on, but mostly very patiently with fingers. And then, wait for it to dry and settle.



Did think of sticking mirrors in the mud work but realised it would never show up in print correctly. So I left this issue to be dealt with at a later stage.

Even though the original art is an all white and a simple play of textures and relief work we tried giving some colour to it on Photoshop and were happy with the results.



Once we were done touching up our artwork the issue of replicating mirrors popped again. We succeeded in resolving this issue by using highly reflective silver foiling in the areas...and viola! It looks authentic as and stunning!



Can't wait to share the rest of this project. Shall do in another post real soon.

Diwali Greetings Design

: Designed for Kalpataru Group :


: Designed for DesignMembrane :


: Designed for Square Foot, Classic Floorings Pvt. Ltd. :

Diwali, the festival of lights has just gone by and we are just back from a short vacation too. Would like to share some festive greetings that we had fun designing.

Based upon a mythological story - Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth emerges from the churning of the ocean with the kalpavriksh. Designed for the Kalpataru group. The illustration style is inspired from the stencil art of Mathura, India called Sanjhi. The message inside is a salutation to the goddess lakshmi in sanskrit delicately calligraphed by hand and refined on Adobe Illustrator. This is how the card took shape...



We had the chance to do some post production experimentation with printing on this one. Though we would have loved to have the main image in gold foil and embossed, there was little time to do so. We experimented with printing in PVC gold, keeping the colour combination a simple red and white and also in thermography to give it a raised feel.




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Our card this year was simple, wishing everyone prosperity(lotus-symbolic of goddess lakshmi) and enlightenment(diya or lamp). As it works both ways(up and down) it is subtly symbolic of the fact that the key to life is about maintaining a fine balance; prioritizing between acquiring wealth and enlightenment - both means to prosperity!




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Diwali, literally means a line of diyas. And on this simple concept was based our design for Square Foot - a flooring company. We chose the brand colours itself for better retention and recall of the brand itself to whoever received the greetings. The line inside in Sanskrit - "Tamaso mah Jyotirgamaya" translates as "may light prevail over darkness".

Do hope you had a sparkling diwali night as well :)

Award for Kalpataru Desk Calendar 2010

We are glad to hear that "Dharohar" the desk calendar we designed for Kalpataru for 2010 has won the print-shop, Parksons Graphics an award for Printweek India Social Stationery Printer of the Year.

"The judges loved the Kalpataru Desk Calendar...The 13-leaf calendar with a flyleaf and envelope strictly followed the client’s instruction – use special effects solely for enhancement and not for inteference of the design. Such jobs are indicative of a printer’s role. Print is not merely reproduction. It is geared towards exploring ideas, techniques and design collaborations."

Congratulations to the brilliant job post-production!