What inspired the name “Witchcraft,” and how does it reflect your approach to design and branding?
On the Name: Science was witchcraft to those who didn’t understand it. But it works, and that’s what matters. Any act that is hard to explain can be called witchcraft. But you cannot deny the existence of the act itself. Whether you over-intellectualise, explain simply, or put it out as a magic or trick: the outcome is still reality.
At Witchcraft, instinct comes first. A design should stand on its own. One shouldn’t need a ten-slide presentation to explain why something feels right. It just does. A blue-and-yellow palette doesn’t have to symbolise “trust” and “energy”—sometimes, it’s just a damn good combination for your market and client.
On the process: Each project carves its path: spend weeks immersed in research, sit in a dark room for a week straight with your thoughts, or ask your mom to throw an idea. It bends, twists, and shifts, but there’s always an answer.
I trust the journey. All rationale fails if your instinct says otherwise. If it feels right, dig into the why—the reason will reveal itself. Your instinct can be like multiple things. But if the instinct and reasoning can volley back and forth? That’s when the magic happens. You reach your singularity.
Does Witchcraft operate solo or collaborate with others? If solo, how do you handle everything from strategy to execution?
Everything under Witchcraft is done solo —naming, strategy, copywriting, logo design, custom lettering, visual language, packaging, illustration, motion design, 3D, creative direction. Witchcraft has a design partner: Chariot. They are a UX/Product Studio. Aakash (The founder) is a dear friend and ensures that the visual vision of witchcraft can translate to effortless digital experiences. Websites for Neon and All-In are done with him.
As a self-taught designer, I built my skill set through sheer necessity; picking up every technical skill I could and sharpening it until it was presentable. Fortunately, I learn and work fast.
It’s been a steep learning curve, but I’ve always enjoyed the process of figuring things out and it keeps the outcome sharp and precise. I didn’t have many opportunities to collaborate because I’m pretty unconnected to the industry. I’ve been invited a couple of times to work as a creative director on projects with other studios, but Witchcraft’s portfolio has been completely independent.
That said, six months ago, I brought in a junior assistant to handle final extensions and streamline daily tasks. Because my process is so hands-on, I only take on a few projects at a time, each lasting a quarter to half a year.
Typography plays a crucial role in branding. How do you select or design typefaces that align with a brand’s identity while balancing creativity and legibility?
Typography is everything. The first thing I googled when I decided to become a designer 10 years ago was: “What separates a good designer from a great one?” Google answered: Typography. So, I started consuming type-books, studying typefaces, and trying to understand their flavour and purpose. To take deeper control, I started hand-lettering custom words. Drawing type and comparing it to the craft of the Titans, showed me what choices lead to what outcomes.
Over the years, I’ve filtered through thousands of fonts and built a library of font personalities. After the brand strategy phase, I already have a sense of where and how the brand will communicate. Some sample questions are like:
How much will the brand talk?
Where will it talk?
Is it meant to be read or scanned?
Are certain words or phrases more important than others?
These set the functional guardrails. Then, I consider the brand’s other visual elements—Will it use diverse colours? Heavy illustration? Dynamic layouts? These set the visual guardrails.
The first instinct is always to pick exciting fonts—the kind you can’t wait to show off and use. But as you start bringing in the guardrails, the true match emerges. It’s a process of testing, refining, and comparing until you find the one that just fits.
And like earlier, it’s a volley between instinct and rationale until you reach the singularity.
Do you experiment with unconventional typography or materials in packaging? If so, how do you balance innovation with functionality? Could you share a project?
I experiment with type often—whether it’s the logotype for Neon and TopDog, the refined typography for Sleepy Owl’s packaging, or the full type system for Skyway. But I wouldn’t call them unconventional. To me, unconventional means pushing type into the realm of art—where legibility takes a back-seat to stylised expressionism. Haven’t had the right project-purpose fit for that yet.
The same goes for packaging materials—haven’t had the opportunity to use different materials but I did get to craft a custom glass bottle for Sleepy Owl’s instant coffee. For that project, I studied the physical properties of glass, the way it melts and the mathematics of volume and weight distribution. We wanted to make the tallest bottle with the volume constraints of 100g while making it completely own able to the brand. That was a delightful challenge where the client trusted me purely because of their faith in my design thinking. Very grateful for that opportunity.
Your packaging designs are impactful. What’s your process for creating stand out packaging that tells a brand’s story and includes subtle ‘micro delights’ for a better user experience?
First, I start by listing every possible point of communication with the consumer. Then come two pillars: Information Hierarchy and Visual Concept. Every variable is evaluated strategically to determine the best order for both the brand and the customer. This opens the rabbit hole phase—an open playground for experimenting with different concepts and hierarchies. No strict rules, just exploration.
Post enough explorations: I prioritise glance ability—how much of the story can be understood in a glance? When that falls into place, we move to second-order questions: What will a customer want to know after picking up the product? These insights shape the side of the pack to flow as a natural extension of the front of the pack.
For me, the SOP and BOP are equally critical. Packaging is a war of space and I want to use every millimetre of it to communicate or add delight. That means fighting for even half mm space in the legal section so that we can add that little bit more breathing room.
Once the core visual concept is locked in, we keep our eyes open for the fun — micro delight (: This can be anything from Easter eggs, to quirky copies to hidden micro-icons. We don’t expect it to catch everyone’s attention. We design it believing it will be ignored: but regardless, if by coincidence someone stumbles upon it: I hope it brings a smile. (:
What excites you most about working with startups, and what unique challenges come with it?
Start-ups are fast-moving and unpredictable. They’re still figuring things out, evolving as they go—and that’s what makes it exciting. This implies that we as creators at the point of inception can influence everything, right down to the name and even the colour of their furniture and even the type of clothes the founder wears. The open-ended possibilities create room for unimaginable creativity.
But with that freedom comes the need for both consistency and flexibility. Using a rigid deliverable list with a start-up creates a cage for them. As the strategy takes shape, unexpected visual touch points emerge. That means pricing and planning must account for a modular scope. You can’t keep revisiting commercials. So the flexibility and guardrails need to be built in at the start.
To not exploit flexibility, trust and mutual respect are key. A strong foundation there makes everything else fall into place.
Startups often face tight budgets and high expectations. How do you balance creativity and practicality when designing for them?
Design should bring real value. Growing up in Marwari family, cost-to-value consciousness is deeply ingrained. I’ve personally advised many clients to hold off on branding!
I naturally put myself in the business’ shoes. With a limited capital and while juggling logistics, product costs, overheads, marketing, team scaling and countless other business variables: is branding the most critical value bringer at the moment?
Good branding is a massive multiplier, but there needs to be a solid base to multiply on.
Once clients understand this perspective, they either take the leap or find a simpler, more practical approach. Not every brand needs a deep strategy from day one—sometimes, a simple-looking pack is enough to start testing the market. Sometimes the client trusts my taste and we cut down on iterations/explorations.
Opportunity cost is real and ever-looming for young start-ups.
On expectation: as I take personal responsibility for the entire project, we clarify the expectations clearly and I’m aware of my limits. Very rarely have I had to go into the iteration cycle hell.
For entrepreneurs, branding can be daunting. What advice would you give to someone launching a brand for the first time?
You sell a product, but you build a brand. Nike stands for athletes and action. It sells socks and shoes. There is an intangible delta between the action and the stance.
Founders often create in this order: Brand > Product > Communication.
Consumers experience it in reverse: Communication > Product > Brand.
People don’t believe in your brand on day one. Having a beautiful logo doesn’t make you a brand either.
Know what you want to stand for—start simple and keep building. Don’t Frankenstein your brand based on trends. If you’re unsure what makes you unique, at least be certain of what you don’t want to be. That’s still a better place to start than sounding like everyone else.
Balancing creativity and finances is no small feat for a boutique studio. How do you ensure Witchcraft stays financially sustainable while continuing to cast its unique creative spell on every project?
The solo nature of the studio gives me the freedom to take risks and experiment. I don’t need to up sell or force-sell to stay afloat. Right now, proving my sincerity and ethos takes precedence over scaling rapidly.
Clients work directly with me—the person thinking, designing, and problem-solving. That personal connection builds trust and respect for the competence. That has gratefully been kind to me through referrals. Until last month, my digital presence was non-existent (still pretty ghostly, to be honest).
When it comes to branding, how do you ensure consistency across different touch points, from digital assets to physical packaging?
A brand needs a visual range—two extremes where it still looks like itself. Under maximum limitations or full creative liberty. The key is choosing the right balance of visual assets based on the brand’s challenges and opportunities.
Sometimes, a bold logo is enough to anchor consistency. Other times, a thin strip of colour does the job. In some cases, multiple elements share the weight—icons, typography, layout, or even copy. That way, if certain elements are compromised due to practical constraints, others can step in to maintain the brand’s integrity.
The design industry is competitive, especially when working with startups. How do you differentiate Witchcraft from larger agencies or other boutique studios?
People work with people. They trust people. I don’t have a vast network or deep industry connections. And I’m immensely grateful for the clients who take the leap of faith to trust me.
I take full responsibility for materialising their vision. Whether there are hiccups in the process, whether, we need to do something a little more to get that “oomph” factor — They know they have me there: no administrative hurdles. So far, it’s been going decently. There is a lot to polish and improve. But it’s a journey, not a destination.
Collaborating with start-ups can lead to exciting growth opportunities. Can you share a success story where your work made a significant impact on a start-up’s journey?
Absolutely.
Neon: After a full re-brand, their podcast grew from 9K to 230K+ subscribers within a year. Website engagement also saw a sharp rise, with average visit duration increasing from 10-15 seconds to 50+ seconds.
Sleepy Owl: A noticeable spike in retail sales post-redesign. The new bottle has raised the perception of quality remarkably for the brand. (I haven’t collected exact metrics from the founders, but feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.)
Go Zero: Sales doubled post-branding, and with peak summer approaching, even greater growth is expected.
Petcrux: A brand selling exclusively on Amazon with no website or ads—yet packaging alone drove rapid sales growth and strong market traction at launch.
All In: Became a hot topic in the VC space, with 8+ venture capital firms reaching out after the re-brand, with the brief: I want an “exciting” brand like All In.
Comet: The visual strategy and identity positioned them head to head with the titans of the industry. (Huge credit to the founders—the mark alone can’t create this level of impact.) Each of these start-ups had a strong product. The branding simply gave them the voice and presence to match.
Studio culture plays a big role in creativity. Whether it’s just you or a small team, how do you cultivate an environment that encourages fresh ideas and experimentation?
Two guiding principles:
Competence is transferable.
We’ll figure it out.
If you’re passionate about games, merchandise, motion, sound—let’s explore it. Build mastery, then find unexpected ways to integrate it into design. Why not learn perfumery? Or music production? If it excites you, let’s experiment. Sensory branding? Let’s try it. Creativity thrives when fueled by genuine curiosity and joy.
Build yourself: design resides in your existence, not in your theories. A dancer who plays music will feel rhythm differently than ‘just’ a dancer.
I’m currently training three Latin styles, learning music composition, experimenting with fusion cooking, and refining motion design. Maybe sound design will be next. The more you build yourself, the more design becomes instinctive—not just theoretical.
Because at the end of the day: Competence is transferable. And we’ll figure out how to transfer it one way or another.
For designers dreaming of starting their own studio, what lessons have you learned in running Witchcraft that you’d like to share with them?
“A rose by any other name is just as sweet.” Whether you call it a studio, freelance, creative partnership, or solo-preneurship—it’s just nomenclature.
What truly matters is the word own.
Running your own studio means embracing volatility. Projects will come, and then they won’t. You’ll build a team, and people will leave. You’ll do your best, and sometimes it won’t work. But then, out of nowhere, you’ll land the deal of your life.
Lock in for the uncertainty. Do it because nothing else excites you as much. Do it because you thrive on responsibility and ownership. Do it because you love building something from the ground up. And above all, be grateful for every client who trusts you.
