Design that solves, design with a purpose

An empty canvas, a vivid color palette, dynamic tools, and fancy theories; all coupled with creative liberty; is this what defines design? To answer to what defines design I strongly believe, design is not just some good-looking visual or product but it’s a multi-layering of approach, concept, communication, and aesthetics. It’s about how well any brand integrates with the environment, emotionally connects with the consumers, and builds a positive eco-system to survive in the ever-evolving marketplace.

I feel Brands designed with no purpose; though designed well seem frivolous, as they lack a system, a story, and don’t stay for a longer time. So how does one make a brand ownable? Design alone doesn’t help solve all the problems when it comes to creating a memorable brand experience. When I say brand experience it involves the process right from defining the purpose or objective of its existence, need, appeal among competition; the positioning (where does the brand belong -whether a brand is me too, challenger, cutting edge, specific to certain audiences, etc.); designing the concept as per consumer demographics; developing a stronger copy platform or messaging and in the end deliver a strong brand with good recall value. While doing so, one must remember as a rule of thumb a brand can become ownable only when it involves the right storytelling, unique design architecture, and system, category (competition) codes to bring familiarity, and thoughtfully chosen design elements to stand out.

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For all those young designers, freshers, creative minds out there, this might seem like a humongous task and also feel overwhelming; which is absolutely normal; just try to absorb the essence of the brand. Observe brands from various categories, follow design trends (graphic styles, treatments, colors, mood boards, typography, tone of voice, design presentations, and so on). Out of category design insights (for eg: if you are creating a packaging design for a hair oil brand, you must do a deep dive into hair care brands like shampoos, serums, hair masks, hair color to get a hang of how these brands and product showcase themselves) and lastly do a thorough research of who your consumer is.

While you are at it, totally focused don’t over-stress on following a particular trend just because it’s been listed on some fancy website or the whole world is wrapped around in it. Evaluate whether any trend resonates with your brand and then adopt mindfully. Nowadays I see designers have become extremely self-sufficient with social media being their backbone, feeding them with great design knowledge. But what I really think that they fall short of is the right comprehension and execution. Following something that looks new age doesn’t make your brand distinctive or modern, but just another run-of-the-mill product. Before adopting any trend or applying a design logic I always contemplate whether it is appropriate, depending on the personality of the brand and of course the target consumer.

Therefore, as a design thinker, I believe that all brands can’t be treated the same. They can’t or can go minimalistic, black & white, neon, ultra-modern, transformative, fluidic, evocative, or even simple massy. Every brand has its own space and importance and as a designer, one must add value and meaning to it. Happy and mindful designing everyone!

Ms. Prachi Bhagwat