Pushkar Thakur
Founder - The Grafiosi & Origin One
Pushkar Thakur is the Founder of The Grafiosi and Origin One. A self taught designer, he is strongly motivated to elevate Indian products and services and give them a level-playing field alongside International products. His studio specializes in Identity Creation and Branding. Keep reading to get an insight into his life as a designer.
Tell us about The Grafiosi? What do you guys do? How long has it been?
About The Grafiosi—elevating Indian products—Gap in current Indian products with International products—On being "Chalta hai"—Understanding Clients' products
What made you venture into Branding and Identity?
There are so many answers to this question actually. So, how I got into design, is purely by accident. It literally started off as a hobby and while pursuing that hobby in college—I started with this music magazine and design became about music, bands, concerts and everything else around it. I was always conscious of what I was doing and as my design world revolved around music, I realized that’s not necessarily just where I want to apply design and since I hadn't studied design, I was still learning while growing. I didn't know that there are so many spheres of design but I knew there is more and I wanted to explore, so I started freelancing for a bit—got this offer of working for Lowe Lintas, tried advertising design but didn’t like it much. I didn't like the way the structure of an advertising agency works, where you're alienated as a creative person from the client, the market, and sort of work on a paper brief and that is the only interaction. I dislike the fact that there is no research and what you do is—go to a library, pick up good looking ads which might work, go to a stock photograph website and plug them together and the ad campaign is born. I felt that because design can do so much more, it has the potential to create a massive change then why do these half-baked things? I left that and I thought the only way it would work is if it is done my way and therefore, the birth of The Grafiosi.
The Grafiosi Interior Office Space
How have things changed over the years?
I've matured!!(laughs).
I was 21 when I started. I was young, lots of ideas, lots of drive and fire to work and it really served me well because at that time, back in 2005 there were what—a handful of graphic design firms? I was this young nobody, not from a design college, doesn't have an alumni, who's slowly inching towards doing good projects and before you know it you're competing with everybody else and you're taking their projects. The market was also ready for a fresh perspective to redefine Indian design by moving towards more contemporary and minimal aesthetics.
Over the years it’s been a journey of learning. For me, it's important to understand what the client does as in, if I can’t experience the same, you can't sell it because you have to remember that the core of doing graphic design is that you are working with someone to sell that product or service to someone else and that’s vital. It is a business like any other business. If it’s not going to sell, it’s bad design! Understanding that is really important. The client is someone you're gonna work with, they've been in that industry longer than you have in their field, so they come with a perspective and you as a designer have to understand that perspective, then use your own outlook and apply it to create a better product.
What obstacles have you faced over the period of 12 years?
There are many moments like that. I guess life’s like that with ups and downs. Retrospectively, I am still waiting to create a bigger team of people with autonomy to make decisions, so we'll be able to handle a larger volume of work. We end up saying no to so many people because we are tied down with so many projects. The government doesn't help our industry at all. Despite being a small set up, our paperwork is tremendous and we don't have that kind of manpower to handle it efficiently. It's the practical business aspects of running a business that have bogged us down.
Pushkar's workspace and interiors
What project are you working on?
Currently we're rebranding a multi-million dollar industrial concern, creating the identity for 50 years of The Park Hotels and working on this beautiful wine project, where we're developing about 19 different wine brands altogether. That's all I can say.
What is your typical day like?
Monday is like the worst day. We officially start our day from 11am till 6pm, five days a week. Strict about that. You need time for life. You need to have that work life balance. I don't read the newspaper anymore, I've banned myself from that 2 years back. Why is that? It's depressing! I know if the news is important enough it'll make it through to you. So I loosely follow news online. I start my day with a cup of coffee, walk my dog and have my breakfast. Then work- lunch- work and we wrap-up around 6pm. I go for Yoga or Badminton, come back by 8.30-9, have dinner and then it's catching up with family and some reading.
“ So here’s the thing, every three years, you can look back at any work that you did and say, you know what, why did I do this and I could’ve have done this better. Design is very fluid. There is nothing which cannot be changed. ”
What is your favourite piece of work or project that you're proud of ?
So here’s the thing, every 3 years, you can look back at any work that you did and say, you know what, why did I do this and I could’ve have done this better. Design is very fluid. There is nothing which cannot be changed. You can always go back and challenge yourself to do something different. One of my recent favorite projects had been to work on this hotel property in Chennai where we did almost everything. We named it, created the Identity, did everything from the sugar sachets to napkins, the towels to the toiletries, uniforms, signages and vehicles. The way we do design is that each thing itself is treated as a project in order to create a fluid experience
How has the perspective of Industry changed over the years?
Change in perception—Asian Paints—Being Design Conscious—Design not being part of the budget—Frooti designed by an international brand
What is design for you?
Design is a lifestyle. It’s a way of life.
What process do you follow to create an Identity?
A lot of research. Lot of understanding. How that market works? How that product works? 60% of the work is based on creating a knowledge base. We need to understand the barebones of whatever product we are working on. The rest of it is ideating and a tiny fraction of it is sitting in front of your mac. For a month long project, at least two weeks for studying, a week for thinking and a week for doing.
The Origin One Store
Where do you look to get Inspiration? Favorite Designer or Studio?
Most of my inspiration is from travel. I travel a lot. I don’t have a favorite designer or a studio. For me, it’s very important to be unique. I tend to close myself in so that I don’t get too influenced by anyone. I would rather be influenced by my own experiences than others. Otherwise, you will never know what you want to do.
A piece of work that you envy?
Shit loads! But it’s more like I wish I had been asked to do a certain project. I’m really interested in bringing design into the public sphere. I would love to design for the Railways. It would be immensely satisfying to do a whole project from the website (I don’t know why they need to advertise on that) to the signage system; literally redefining the whole experience. We have one of the largest railway networks in the world but it's so filthy and gives such a bad experience. Why is it like that? We have the money and the resources for it. Design interventions in such spaces is an absolute necessity.
A word of advice for people who want to get into design?
Study. Study a lot. Stop emulating. Stop looking for ‘inspiration’. Be different and show what you can bring to the table. You will find clients that will come to you for your unique sensibility. Essentially, make your work stand out by being good at what you do.
What do you expect to see in the Brand Design community in the future?
The current scenario has an oversupply of designers. There are literally too many people who are into this for pocket money and that needs to stop somewhere. You need to be either consciously doing it or don’t do it. It’s too new an industry. You are spoiling the market for yourselves. Be conscious about it. Do it the right way. Be good at it or why do it
How important is Formal Education in Design?
You are asking the wrong person(laughs) I feel very strongly about education. Be it in an Institution or by yourself but it is required. I spent years learning what you study in college. I dedicated my time to it. It’s very important to learn. Otherwise, it gets really difficult to hire people because you either have people who have really good ideas but don’t know how to execute or you have people who are really good at executing but don’t have good ideas. Also, apart from churning out good ideas, execution is the key. You can have great ideas but if you can’t execute them then it’s useless.
What does The Grafiosi look in applicants while hiring?
We don’t hire regularly. But we do hire. We look at work. Just work. We look at every portfolio that comes in. On our website there is a FAQ section which clearly highlights the way we want the applications to be filled. We want people who are: Interested to work for grafiosi and know about The Grafiosi. Fill the form on the website. We process every application that reaches us.
How do you judge a person’s work/portfolio?
It’s purely subjective. I might like something five others might not like it. I might not like it while five others might—so it’s subjective. I see if the work matches my sensibility and if it does, that’s enough. I like to see clarity of thought. That’s what makes a strong design. Along with that, the execution of thought. Just these two basic principles.
What are you reading currently?
Currently I’m reading ‘Do Androids Dream of electric sheep’ by Philip K Dick. I’m halfway through. It’s set in futuristic time. Kind of dystopian. Still figuring out where the book is going.
Pushkar's Book Cabinet
You have an amazing cabinet of books. Book recommendations please!
Yeah definitely. Read intelligent stuff. Take out time away from social media and read some really good books or articles. I feel dumber than I used to feel 5-7 years back. I consciously try to go offline as much as possible. Important books for me would be ‘The little prince ’ by Anthony Dupree, ‘On the Road’ by Jack Kerouac, ‘The 13 ½ lives of Captain Bluebear’ by Walter Moers and ‘Godfather’ by Mario Puzo.
