Good Design is Good BusinessWith a genuine intent for discourse, dialogue and exchange of design ideas, we can make things happen

In India, the design industry is not as evolved as it is globally. Traditionally, architecture and design practices have shied away from communication activities, persisting instead, in reclusive brilliance. However, in today's globalized markets, creating opportunities for design as a business and facilitating it becomes crucial. As architects, graphic designers, product designers or even artists, most often, one believes that "my work speaks for itself". While the image is probably the most vital component for the success of a Design business, stuck in the everyday rut of work, meetings, deadlines and ensuring the deliverance of good design, often we do not tap into our strengths and how that can be a path to growth. In the current scenario of information overload, originality & creativity simply gets lost in the deluge of data produced globally.

Gap Between Design and Practice

It is imperative to come from a design background to understand the culture, pressures and aspirations of design studios and recognise the gap that exists between design and practice. The biggest barrier to success for design firms is rarely creativity; Securing visibility for good work greatly helps in fostering public appreciation- and effectively leads to the growth of the firm. With a genuine intent for discourse, dialogue and exchange of design ideas.

Challenges of a Global Phenomenon Within a Local Context

Globally, strategic communication practices are quite common. To keep pace with rapidly changing practices and be at par with new values of the global economy, it is important to step back and innovate. In the current scenario of information overload, originality & creativity simply gets lost in the deluge of data produced globally. From the notion of the value of communications activity in this industry to the curation of content to working with internal teams to manage and position the content- It was and still continues to be an uphill task. But by believing in the importance of the narrative, story-telling, the non-negotiable aspect of content, and imbibing ourselves as the back-bone of each of our clients and not treating our own selves as consultants or agencies- pan-India success has been achieved. Bringing forth India's most renowned firms to the global forefront and young talent to the vanguard, they seek to change the notion of Indian designers shying away and instead, putting India's design talent on the global map, creating worldwide opportunities for deserving practices, by equipping them with competitive tools. By engaging with academia, the steps have bridged the gap between design as an industry and design education as well. As they say, "the clients' victories are the biggest testimonials- when they win national and international awards, we know we have been successful.'

Eat Love Pray and Most Importantly Live - Design

Life today, no whatever at what juncture or domain we are in, allows us more exposure than our parents' generations- opening up a multitude of opportunities. The pressure to succeed in our generation was immense- It made us resilient and hard-working, even if was at the cost of not having as much fun. The learning, of course, has been immense too. As Tanya Khanna says, "Today, it is crucial for us not overprotect the younger generations, and in our efforts to help them lead better lives than ours, prevent them from sometimes learning the hard way. The real lessons of life come from the people around us, from experiences and from each other. Coming from essentially a services background, and no insights into entrepreneurship- it has been a huge learning curve- with multiple heartaches, sleepless nights and literally no holiday- But if It is only those hours of work that have resulted in success. Moving out of the comfort zone with no sight of success or monetary goals ahead- is what entrepreneurship is.'

Never Stop Learning

Entrepreneurs should not become egoistical with success; stay grounded, stay willing to Learn. Learning never stops. The market is always changing and to believe that one has perfected it all simply through indicators of monetary success would be the biggest deterrent to growth. On a more spiritual note- honesty and a focus on quality is what brings trust from clients and more work. A good word always goes a long way.