A design powerhouse, Studio Glyph, founded by Pari Purohit, challenges conventional design and redefines brand strategy. From co-creating brand identities to handling complex briefs, their approach goes beyond aesthetics, driving real impact for businesses.
Can you share the story behind how you all came together to form this creative powerhouse?
After working at several design companies and advertising agencies for over a decade, the founder Pari Purohit became dissatisfied with the way 'business' and design were related. It seemed like a purely transactional and superficial relationship. Having been educated at a design institute that emphasises real impact (NID, Ahmedabad), she was eager to work in an environment that proved design could do much more for business growth. She couldn't find a place that shared this objective. She interviewed at some of the biggest and best companies, but had no luck. This led her to create her own company - Glyph.
Can you describe a project where your creative problem-solving led to unexpected solutions, and how do you balance creativity with client needs?
We have worked on several projects, and before starting any project, we make sure to thoroughly understand the brief. We often challenge the brief to understand the intent, business goals, and thinking behind it. Sometimes, we may find that the problem lies within the brief itself. That's why we co-create the brief with our partners, such as business heads, founders, or marketing heads. They may not have the creative expertise to devise a design strategy that is disruptive or innovative. Therefore, it's important to co-create with them so that they understand the rationale of the design direction and semiotic interpretations by their target audience. We believe that impactful brands are not just the ones with the biggest logos on their packs, as this is an example of a poorly drawn conclusion.
As part of the co-creation of the brief for a new brand, it is essential to identify the specific customer mindset and the intended perception/differentiation for the brand, which we call Brand Positioning. This positioning serves as the foundation for our 'creative explorations,' allowing us to structure the development of ideas. There is a common misconception among non-creative industries that the creative world is unpredictable, unstructured, and whimsical, with ideas emerging out of nowhere. This is wholly untrue.
When a brand's problem is identified, the design language must be used to solve it. The design language depends on how humans interpret signs, symbols, colours, words, and other graphic elements. Designers utilise these elements to elicit or evoke a specific response from the viewer. Once the problem is solved, it meets the client's needs. Our work does not allow much room for personal creative expression, not for us or the individual representing the brand.
How do you adapt your design approach for diverse clients at Studio Glyph?
When our design process is free from presumptions and approaches every problem with a fresh perspective, it becomes universal and category-agnostic. With extensive experience in certain sectors, cognitive bias becomes a concern. Our process ensures that cognitive bias doesn't affect our output. Instead, it enables us to offer unique perspectives, even for categories we've worked on extensively.
Brands that approach us recognize the quality of our approach and choose us based on the rationale of our process, rather than our category experience. We're delighted that they appreciate our methods.
How do you ensure D2C brand longevity and relevance while balancing emerging trends with brand identity and audience connection?
The success and importance of Direct-to-Consumer (D2C) brands is determined by a variety of factors. Simply relying on branding and brand language is not enough to save a brand. While branding can play an important role in setting a brand's direction, it should be designed with the potential for evolution in mind. Brand identity is no longer what it used to be in the 90's. In today's fast-paced communication climate, brand identity needs to be hyper-dynamic and ever-evolving. When we design brands, we don't limit them to a single dimension or a templated approach - we create multiple facets from both a content and visual standpoint. We ensure that our brand guidelines provide ample room for evolution, if necessary.
We keep our approach as flexible as possible because monotony is the death of brands in today's D2C landscape. As a team of digital natives, we strive to understand the boundaries we can push and the areas that require tweaking. Before creating brand guidelines and communication styles, we envision as many possible future scenarios as possible. We always leave room for creative teams to apply their own judgement within the context of the brand, while also ensuring that they don't stray too far from the brand's identity.
How do you ensure consistency in branding across channels and product experiences?
Our brand guidelines are more extensive than most, covering all aspects of how the brand's visual and verbal vocabulary should be translated. However, it's important to note that all of this should originate from a bigger brand idea. So instead of giving a man (brand) a fish (a template), we teach a man to fish. This approach lays down a solid foundation and helps to keep everything in sync with each other. We show how the brand idea influences communication styles, terms and expressions, photography, content types, activation ideas, and physical or ambient elements. This allows our brand partners to build on the principles in creative ways that are appropriate for the context and medium. When all partners start with the same foundational elements, the brand's communication and presence stay consistent and effective.
Can you provide an example of Studio Glyph proposing an alternative solution that addressed a brand's perception without a complete redesign?
Many businesses approach us seeking a design transformation, but sometimes their problems can be solved through communication rather than a complete overhaul of their brand. In those cases, we recommend that they discuss their goals and objectives with their existing digital partners. We have also briefed advertising and media partners on how to address communication challenges for some clients when requested. However, we cannot name these brands due to confidentiality concerns, especially if they are seeking venture capital. We do not want to risk interfering with their ongoing journeys.
How do you ensure packaging designs reflect the brand's personality and stand out on the shelf?
At our company, we follow a rigorous research process that involves talking to customers (loyalists, lapsers and potential buyers) to understand their triggers and barriers. We also conduct extensive research in the relevant category, breaking down category codes and dominant visual language trends, and validating our hypotheses through one-on-one interactions with customers. Additionally, we keep an eye on trends across multiple categories, through reports and secondary research. Once we have a clear understanding, we work on creating a unique positioning for the brand. This positioning helps us to differentiate the brand and represent it truthfully. As experts in visual communication, we use design, color, typography, elements, space, and clutter to evoke specific reactions from viewers. Our extensive experience in retail and D2C brands has taught us that it's crucial to stand out from competitors and represent our brand positioning effectively within the limited space and functional priorities we have.
This contributes to the strategy we adopt when it comes to devising a visual or design language for packaging and brand.
What design trend or technology are you excited about, and how are you integrating it into your work at Studio Glyph?
AI is an excellent tool for processing large amounts of data. However, for many startups, market research and validation can be a major challenge. To address this issue, we have been experimenting with using AI to validate design language and packaging design.
Traditionally, design has been viewed as a subjective process. But our AI tool can potentially validate hypotheses and provide insights into how semiotics might be perceived by customers. We have tested it in beta for a few projects, and it has received positive feedback from clients. Although we are still refining it, this tool appears to be a great way to eliminate subjectivity from the design process, which is one of the main obstacles to project efficiency.
Sustainability is an important topic in design these days. Are there any sustainable practices or initiatives you are championing in your projects?
We believe sustainability is more than just being 'eco-friendly'. This term is often associated with the environment, but it goes beyond that. It encompasses society, economies, livelihoods, carbon footprints, and much more. We strive to suggest partnerships that can benefit micro-economies, utilize indigenous resources, promote local crafts, and have the lowest possible carbon footprint. Granted, these may not always be feasible for the bootstrapped brands that we work with, but we still make an effort to encourage them. That's the extent of our influence.
We also try to raise awareness and provoke curiosity. For example, many people believe plastic is inherently evil, but the reality is more nuanced. It depends on the type of plastic, its source, whether it's recyclable, and whether it has already been recycled, among other factors. Brands can initiate recycling or reusing programs to promote better disposal. Choosing glass over plastic is not always the most environmentally friendly option, as glass production requires a lot of energy and can lead to waste and breakage during shipping. Therefore, we urge caution and careful evaluation of all factors when it comes to sustainability. It's not as simple as switching to a biodegradable material. We do our best to steer brands towards responsible solutions, encourage prudent material usage, and raise awareness as much as possible.
For designers interested in joining Studio Glyph, what qualities or skills do you look for in potential team members?
Although we consider education and portfolios when shortlisting candidates, we are aware that younger candidates have a longer way to go. Therefore, we are more interested in the candidate's ability to adapt, curiosity about not only design but also social and technological developments, problem-solving skills, propensity for logic, observation, and speed of execution as well as internalizing inputs. We always favor candidates with higher mental agility because they can learn more quickly.
Do you offer collaborative opportunities for designers? If yes, what types of collaborations do you engage in and how can designers get involved?
We always welcome the opportunity to collaborate with creative professionals outside of our organization. We are constantly on the lookout for individuals who bring unique and specialized skills, including photographers, illustrators, typographers, 3D artists, product designers, and others whom we may not have mentioned.
How crucial is fostering a creative culture for a design studio's success and development?
As a creative agency, we understand the importance of fostering a work environment that is free of bias and politics, and promotes healthy debates and camaraderie. We also believe in investing in exposure to events, workshops, and art galleries to nurture creativity. Our formula for creating such an environment includes the following:
Trusting individuals, which tends to promote conscientious behaviour
Distributing glory and praise equally among team members, recognising that projects are rarely accomplished by a single person
Encouraging debate and criticism, as long as it is backed by logical reasoning
Supporting a work-life balance by promoting efficient time management and acknowledging individual interests outside of work
Ensuring team members are happy, as happy employees tend to be more invested in their organisations
What advice do you wish you had when starting out in the industry for aspiring designers?
Designers often choose the profession due to their love for the craft. However, to avoid becoming replaceable, they should also learn the science and psychology of visuals and the business side of branding. Studying past case studies can help designers understand how brands can impact businesses and consumer behavior. Focusing solely on aesthetics without validation can limit a designer's value. Therefore, designers should broaden their knowledge and skills beyond creativity.
Lastly, what's next for Studio Glyph? Any exciting upcoming projects or goals you'd like to share?
We are currently collaborating with some exciting new D2C brands, but due to our iron-clad confidentiality contracts, we cannot divulge much about our work. However, we can confirm that we have some thrilling new projects on the horizon that are set to shake up some giant categories! In addition, we are thrilled to be working on new projects that will take us beyond Indian borders and into international territory on a larger scale than ever before. This is a significant milestone for us. Our primary goal has always been to consistently demonstrate the true value of design and the impact it has on businesses, and we aim to uphold this agenda going forward.
