Exploring brand design as the chaos amidst simplicity

Taking cues from Manish Bhatt’s (literally) unspoken presentation at the Pune Design Festival, we explore how one can harness the full potential of brand design.

Design is anything that is out of the ordinary. It might be chaotic or simple, as long as it is different from the rest around it, it is ‘design’. This was the crux of the presentation put forth by Manish Bhatt at the recently concluded Pune Design Festival. One of the biggest takeaway being: Design was the Industrial Revolution. We take a leaf from the presentation to explore how businesses can make use of brand design to stay unique.

What stands out is that Bhatt did not speak a word during the 258 slides presentation, putting a white tape over his mouth and letting his design do the talking.

Bhatt’s presentation

The industry veteran deconstructed design appeal and extended its scope to collaterals and concepts. He mentions how in a world of brick and mortar, steel is design. Dwelling in political commentary, he puts forth the concept of right and left from the perspective of design — how the clutter of each helps the other rise. Design is a stare in a space where everyone is looking away. It is disruption or rearrangement of elements against the backdrop of context, to blend in or stand out.

We attempt to apply his tips to industry examples in a bid to understand the power of design in marketing.

Typography

Last year, Facebook changed its corporate logo to go for one that is all-caps and uses uniquely crafted letterforms. The social media giant described it as one built on a stable structure using a consistent stroke width. It is supposed to reflect stability, clarity, and optimism — qualities that the corporate office wants prospective collaborators to associate the brand with. Typography helped them put forth a comprehensive design that spoke what they want people and businesses to hear about their brand.

Elements

Understanding your audiences and developing your brand design according to their taste is an essential part of brand communication. For The Man Company, a campaign featuring Ayushmann Khurrana did the trick. The actor poetically explores the concept of a modern gentleman in a recorded performance, putting forth his vulnerabilities and triumphs. The video proved to be a key element in the brand’s communication.

Packaging

Chocolates across the spectrum have stories behind their packaging and constituents, evolving with time across geographies. Last year, Cadbury came up with an idea to produce limited-edition Unity Bars where they would serve consumers with four flavours of chocolates in one pack. The got concept got popular because of the message they were able to put forth, one that could resonate with consumers, globally.

Bhatt’s presentation

The industry veteran deconstructed design appeal and extended its scope to collaterals and concepts. He mentions how in a world of brick and mortar, steel is design. Dwelling in political commentary, he puts forth the concept of right and left from the perspective of design — how the clutter of each helps the other rise. Design is a stare in a space where everyone is looking away. It is disruption or rearrangement of elements against the backdrop of context, to blend in or stand out.

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