How to Align Your Creativity with the Client’s Vision?

When we talk about the early years of Bifrost—especially that first year—it was just Rishabh and me (Tejal), figuring things out as we went. What’s interesting is that neither of us came from a traditional branding background. Rishabh came from game design, and I came from industrial design. So yes, we had strong portfolios, but in completely different industries. What drew us to brand identity was the chance to create an impact that felt both personal and tangible.

We didn’t start with glamorous clients or big budgets. Most of the work was small, modest, and honestly, on shoestring budgets. But we were saying yes to almost every second project—not to fill up our calendars, but because we wanted to prove how our design thinking, even without branding pedigrees, could genuinely transform businesses.

And it worked. Helping small brands show up differently, watching a business owner light up when their brand finally reflects their vision - became the fuel. That was the reward. And I think even today, that mindset hasn’t changed. We’re still not chasing the size of the project - we’re chasing the size of the impact.

So, it wasn’t a single project that defined it, it was a pattern. Every time we leaned into storytelling that felt culturally sharp, pop-inspired, or slightly irreverent, the response was different - more engaged, more excited. That’s when it clicked: Bifrost’s identity wasn’t just visual, it was emotional. It was personality-driven.

From the start; we saw branding as a form of honest expression. For a bakery, that meant capturing the warmth and quirks of the chef himself. For a beer brand, it was the grit and brotherhood of soldiers. That’s the kind of depth we chased - not just “a look,” but a soul.

In the beginning, we did try playing it safe. But the work that stood out - the work people remembered—was always the one where we let the personality of the brand lead. That’s when we stopped just designing brands and started building moods that moved people.

Brands are never built on trends, brands create trends. There will always be countless me-too brands chasing what’s popular, but the ones that truly stand out are those rooted in originality and purpose.

Staying original isn't easy - especially when it's tempting to copy a “reference” and follow what’s already working. But we’ve learned that the moment you start chasing a story—something meaningful that connects deeply with your audience—you stop needing trends. You start creating them.

For us, growth came by doubling down on that belief. We didn’t scale by chasing viral aesthetics or mimicking what was trending. We scaled by being intentional—by building brands that had something to say. And when that voice is strong, the visuals follow in a way that feels fresh and timeless, not just fashionable.

In the long run, originality isn’t about being different for the sake of it—it’s about being true. That’s what resonates. That’s what lasts.

Constraints are part of the creative process, not separate from it. They’re not roadblocks, they’re frameworks. Our approach is to decode the intent behind the constraint.

1. Is it fear?

2. Budget?

3. Legacy baggage?

Once we understand that, we bring original thinking within that box—and then subtly stretch the edges of the box itself. The client gets what they need, and we get to move the needle.

Our process lets us listen for contradictions. If someone says they want “minimal” but shows me a reference full of colour and texture, we know there’s more to the brief. We ask a lot of “why” questions early on, even if they seem basic. And we always try to get them to talk about their audience, not just their product. That’s where the truth, the story, the meaning behind the brand is hiding. Most clients don’t lack ideas, they lack clarity. We help surface it.

Our aesthetic is bold, but not loud for the sake of it. It's bold because it's intentional. We tailor our design language to amplify the brand’s core voice, not override it. It’s like dressing a character—you don’t wear the same outfit to every story, but your styling DNA still shows. That’s what we aim for - distinctive, but not repetitive.

Collaboration doesn’t mean creative surrender. It’s about alignment. We involve clients early in the thought process—before anything visual is even touched. When they see the strategy behind the ideas, they become allies, not obstacles. And honestly, the best work we’ve done came from co-creation, not just execution. It’s a dance, not a tug-of-war.

We don’t sell “risk”, we sell impact. If we can show that a bold idea makes the brand more memorable, more shareable, more loved - it stops being a risk and starts being a reward. We often show two directions—one expected, one brave—and then let the story behind each do the convincing. More often than not, they choose bravery.

The first thing is: don’t take it personally. Feedback is rarely about you - it’s about fear, perception, or communication gaps. I try to understand what’s not working for them rather than why they didn’t like it. That reframes the conversation. Also, sometimes your second idea is better. Not because you compromised, but because you unlocked a new layer. Feedback isn’t friction, it’s fuel.

We once had a client in the safety gear space - very traditional, very product-first. The brief was rigid: show utility, no frills. But, we reframed the conversation around aspiration, not just protection. We made the brand feel like a modern-day superhero utility—sleek, bold, empowered. They were sceptical at first, but the response they got changed their outlook. That brand—NEOSAFE—is now one of our proudest case studies.

You know it when both sides feel a sense of ownership. The client looks at the work and says, “This is so us,” and we look at it and think, “This is so Bifrost.” That intersection—that’s magic. It doesn’t happen every time, but when it does, you can feel it. The brand doesn’t just look right—it feels inevitable.

Clarity is your best friend. Set the tone early—what you do, how you work, what they can expect. Overcommunicate, but don’t overpromise. And protect your energy. Not every project deserves your full soul—learn to pick your battles. If something feels off in the beginning, trust that instinct. You’re not just building projects—you’re building your reputation. Let it reflect your voice.