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Telling stories through Branding

A graphic designer who weaves stories together to create a brand

Pallavi Nopany 1 Stories

Wednesday May 04, 2016 , 4 min Read

Pallavi at the studio

I started out my career as an engineer, only to get disillusioned very soon about how engaging I would find my job. So one day, as do many engineers, I quit my job at Infosys and began my journey experimenting. I studied music, theater, even did a 1 year diploma in dance at Attakalari, and did an administrative job at a popular dance studio in Bangalore, just to be around creative people. It was there that I realised that what I really enjoyed about my job, was making posters and presentations on photoshop.

A few more months went by, and I started playing more and more on creative software, and one day started to intern at an ad agency sans payment. It was a big downgrade for me from my previous jobs that paid me rather well, however, through many hours of online tutorials, and watching people work, I taught myself the art of creating brands. Its been 6 years since, and I've never looked back.

I love the process of meeting a client, and catching that vision of their dream and finally arriving at an identity for their organisation. It feels like magic, to create something out of nothing. All the brands I have worked with, have a story to tell, and I've found my niche, to be able to tell that tale well.

Often times, a branding process is equated to just creating a logo. But a logo is sometimes just a symbol, if its not in its environment. What I love doing, is creating the visual language, that serves as an environment for that logo. With patterns, fonts, typography and imagery, it gives the logo its home, where it is king of its castle.

A few years ago I partnered with a hugely accomplished designer, Bakula Nayak, who taught me the most valuable lessons on the business side of things. Together we formed Pack of 2, and we still remain the best of friends, though she has now moved on to becoming a full time artist, and has left the company to me.

One of my latest brands developed is a small pizzeria at Church Street , Bangalore, called Brik Oven. I often sit there and doodle, and watch people's reactions when they open up the menu (designed by me) or go through the posters in the store. There's always a smile on their face, and these are the little everyday accomplishments that encourage me.

Branding for Brik Oven

For me this process is magical, to give life to an idea, and to watch it develop into its own personality. If I may be bold enough to say so, it is like giving birth, and watching this child grow joyfully. However, I have to say that starting with a blank worksheet is always nerve wracking. I find endless excuses to procrastinate that phase, till I just have to sit on it, and come up with workable concepts to elaborate on! Once that fire is kindled, there is no stopping it going places, and growing into different forms. It helps me to take ideas from various disciplines. I find myself often meandering on pinterest, jumping from one topic to the next, till suddenly something hits me and I find a starting place. However, it is a myth that artists work on inspiration. In my experience, artists have to put in the hours, and create inspiration.

Branding and packaging for The Indian Spicery

My current engagements include a project to design a coffee table book for the Govt of Karnataka, authored by a knowledgeable IFS officer, and I really look forward to vicariously living in the forests of Bhimgad, through the vivid images collected by the Forest Dept!

painted map for Luxmi Tea Co.

For anybody who is looking to create a career in graphic design, I recommend the tutorials at sites such as www.lynda.com and www.skillshare.com. These have been immensely helpful for me to learn the tools of the trade, as well as the nuances of design. More than anything, I would recommend just putting yourself out there, and doing a bunch of projects, as nothing teacher better than experience.