Enduring Emotions into Brand Strategy with Ashwani Kumar.
In a competitive market, every business aims to develop innovative products and experiences that fulfill the needs of the market, users, and all the other stakeholders. However, keeping up with the dynamic demands of the users and leading a team of designers to develop a successful product that can create a positive impact is an arduous task. Designers need to evolve with an open mindset to empathize with the users and meet their dynamic demands with a successful brand strategy to create value for the business. So how can designers adapt to the changing needs of the users and develop effective products? In the 73rd episode, we interact with Ashwani Kumar, Chief Design and Packaging at ITC Ltd, to learn more about this theme. From sales and marketing to product development focused on design and packaging to design leadership, he has changed several product categories. With over three decades of experience in design and marketing, he holds expertise in packaging, brand management, business strategy, product development, and much more. Let’s know more about his journey and experience in the latest MIT Designeering Series Podcast episode, “Enduring Emotions in Brand Strategy.”
Rohit Lalwani: In the process of finding challenges, every designer builds a knowledge base that drives their work. It influences their design decisions, determines and sets the parameters of the product successes as well. It is about developing a common language for the entire team to use when discussing project design. When you conduct further investigation, you may discover that the problem is not the actual problem in that scenario. Could you brief us on how can we designers deal with it and quickly shift the gears to the real problem?
Ashwani: It is all about being flexible. I have experience for instance. We had been working on a project and we did a tremendous amount of work. We went out of the way to creating some amazing concepts, prototypes, innovation, ideas, thoughts, etc. The team worked so hard that we never thought for a moment that we were not on the right track. We believed in our work, my team and we worked for days and weeks at the project trying to get the best for brief. At the moment we started our presentation, tables turned, and the very first line threw us off making us realize that there was something wrong with what we had done and what was expected. For the moment, it was like an earthquake under our feet, but we became steady. We started listening to what was being said. We started understanding what was being commented upon and then we started appreciating what was being said. We came out of the meeting much enlightened and though a lot of work had got wasted, ultimately we realized it was for the good. We should not get too bogged down by something not happening right or something not going the way we had thought about it.
We have to move on, stop shedding those tears, and get on with it, that is very important and for this to happen we have to be flexible.
Rohit Lalwani: The field of design has progressed in leaps and bounds. It might be hard to manage a team of designers that all work towards the same goal. There should not be more complexity added to the product than the actual problem that the consumers have. All the stakeholders engaged in the product developing process must be involved to attain this goal, which is also a challenge in itself. I wish to know what do you find the most challenging about creating designs while managing large teams or securing stakeholders’ approval?
Ashwani: The biggest challenge is ensuring that the brief does not change. When you start some work, you have a thought and an idea and then while you are working on the project and your team is totally into it, then suddenly people who are working on the briefs or strategies, start thinking something else, then they want to add something else and then the course changes and then you start looking at it differently. Anything you wish to do, any discussions you wish to have, research is you need to conduct, do it before you carve out the brief for yourself. Once you have carved out that brief, let it not change and that is extremely critical. How would you ensure that you do not make people change their minds? Because they can say, “I do have a right to make a change, it is needed, we are dynamic, we need to make a change.” And then what happens?
You have to accept changes and need to move on because then if you do not want to change, you will then become like a block and you will be able to carry on the work.
At that time you have to ask for new timelines, new budgets, you have to say openly that now the brief is changing, it means that we need to do a new set of work. It needs, if you will, we will require a new set of budgets and you must be very open about it. These are important principles when it comes to working in the area of design, where there are so many stakeholders and so many people involved.
Rohit Lalwani: At MIT group of institutions we have coined the term ‘Designeering’ a unique combination of design and engineering. Do you think both of these concepts can convert and meet on the same page and help young designers achieve something exceptional?
Ashwani: Yes, both have to work together, if you do not have engineering combined with digital you will get no solution. In most companies, you cannot progress until you have both teams working in tandem. You need to have your idea, your thought your concept, your creativity going at the same time, you have to find engineering solutions to make it happen, to make it convertible and manufacturable, especially when you are talking about large quantities. Therefore, both have to work and have to be together. If the designers remain in this space and say that no, what we have created needs to be done exactly like that, then I am afraid that it would not happen.
You have to accept that change that comes in with the engineering, because when you have to manufacture when you have to take it to a large manufacturing setup, what you have thought of may not be workable. Then a new drawing comes in a little bit of change comes in here and there and then you need to accept that change, but just remember one thing, do not let your concept get diluted completely. Let the two together, come out with a superior solution.
Honestly, it does happen and it does work, instead if you are rigid and say no, I want my design concept to be just exactly the way I have thought of then you are unlikely to go very far because then you will create a boundary and people who have to actually have to manufacture and engineer it, will not be able to help you out. Therefore, it is about that wonderful synergy, design, and engineer. You guys have coined it just right. My compliments to you.
Our speaker Mr. Ashwani has given us deeper insights into the fields of Design and technology. To know more, head onto our full Podcast episode. For more details, do visit our profile.
