For Zero Period Session 2 held on 21st September 2022, we were thrilled to have veteran of industry Chella Pandyan, COO Healthkart with us to share his thoughts and perception of the role of design in brand building and the evolution of the visual grammar of brands in an evolutionary economy.

We are all aware of the power of a brand and how it influences not only how we perceive things but also how we want ourselves to be perceived. Sighting a very simple yet powerful example of a humble black coffee in a small white paper cup, a CCD cup and a Starbucks cup, Chella brought to light the differences in perception of each coffee and how they not only have an impact of badge value, but also trigger differences in taste purely due to the cup it resides in. Re-enforcing the importance of good design and how it builds trust, Chella helped teams understand how a good-looking juice bottle instilled enough trust to induce purchase in a consumer purely through it’s appearance and key communication messages. The persona created around a brand and the story it tells, has the power to not only acquire new customers but also retain and engage them. Paperboat being a classic example. A well packaged product not only makes you trust the brand but it also instills desire.

As artists and designers it becomes important to be sensitive to consumer psyche and behaviour patterns across purchase cycles and also their relationship with a product or brand. Designers have the ability to determine how consumers must walk down the isle in a store to their interaction with a product itself. It is this power that one must leverage to create larger impact and finding these intangibles lie with designers.

Lastly, Chella also emphasized the importance of practice. Citing an example of Pandit RaviShankar who despite having an emergency through the night, still took out time the next morning for his Riaaz and his professional commitments, was proof that he was Pandit Ravi Shankar because of his discipline and daily ritual. Hence, respecting your craft and nurturing it can only make you better at what you are good at.

If you would like to present a case study or idea jam with us, write to us at info@designanswers.in and we”ll be sure to get in touch