Postcard from Gurugram
Arushi Kulkarni, design director at brand consultancy NH1 Design, chats to Transform about the city of Gurugram in northern India and the design scene in the country more generally.
Gurugram is known for being a financial and technology hub, but the popular Sultanpur National Park is also not too far away. From which parts of the city do you draw most inspiration?
Inspiration comes from varied sources ranging from the culture – comprising a mix of people from around the world including a large Japanese and Korean expat population – to the modern architecture, the rapid urbanisation with lots of brand-led advertisements and billboards to zip past, the large young population out and about at the cafes, pubs, bars, and the close proximity to Delhi, the national capital.
Our studio, situated in the Aravali Creek, serves as an open space for design discussions and critiques, having coffee in the garden, with sightings of rare species of birds thanks to the Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary being in the vicinity. Lunch conversations are rich with multiple points of view, with the team coming in from all parts of the country.
What would you say is distinct about brand design in Gurugram compared to other Indian cities like Mumbai, Bangalore and Kolkata?
Design has become a well accepted field in the country overall.
The primary mode of brand communication in our metro cities is largely English and hence global. However, we respect the diverse cultural fabric of the country by using vernacular scripts for branding when relevant to clients. Since we are situated in the heart of the country, we get clients from all over India and the world. Most brands are not hyperlocal so the work we do needs to cut across various cultural and economic strata. The film industry and colonial and art deco architecture in Mumbai, the booming tech start up scene in Bangalore, art movements such as the Bengal School of Art in Kolkata are local influences.
In the case of Gurugram, the people make this city. Gurugram is fairly cosmopolitan, and due to it being a corporate hub there’s a lot of intermingling of global and local cultures as well as a need for universality in branding. This also reflects the discerning taste and increased spending capacity of its inhabitants. One can also see Gurugram’s rapid urbanisation in the sheer number of luxury real estate offerings and related print and digital ephemera strewn across the city.
Do you find clients in India are happy to take creative risks? Or are they more risk averse?
We are as brave as the work we do.
We make it a point to present bold and cutting-edge options to our clients – you would be surprised how many Fortune 500 clients are taking brave design decisions. However, it is definitely easier to push for such work for brands that cater to a niche, smaller audience. Demographics do play a major role in shaping design decisions, especially in a diverse country like India.
For us, good design needs to be accessible and should communicate the core brand message. It is backed by attention to craft and detailing, a strong system and comprehensive repository of brand assets, all while finding a way to make people smile. The purpose of design is intent and we find it important to ensure that our work is not just aesthetically pleasing but also solves for business needs.
What major changes have occurred in the Indian design scene over your ten years in the industry?
Today, there is more global attention on the Indian design zeitgeist. There has been a huge shift towards building design systems that allow for all mediums, and an increased emphasis on scalability from the physical to digital realms.
There is a higher focus on motion design, 3D storytelling and experimental and custom typography – with lots of inroads being made in regional scripts and revival of vernacular type specimens. There is a rising adoption of new technologies and the need to leverage tools like AI while still retaining a human touch.
