Hasta La Creative!

Gunjan Rai is a law graduate who loves lettering, doodles and illustrating quotes – be it from her favourite musician or a poet she has never heard of – that she posts under the name ‘elayichi’. She likes cats, desserts, poetry and watching time lapse videos.

Why are you a Graphic Designer?
I love poetry and sometimes a line or two will really strike me and I have to put it down on paper so I can absorb it fully.

Did you attend school for fine art or design?
No.

You have a distinct style of Design. How long did it take you to develop your style?
Wouldn’t say I have a completely distinct style yet. But yeah, more than a couple of years. Challenges such as #inktober pushed me to post regularly and improve on my design. I would look at the work of people I was inspired by and took a little bit from here and there to make my own.

Portrait of Gunjan Rai ‘Elayichi’ by Tiphaine Burguburu.

How did you focus so much on infographic? When did you realise you loved doing it and wanted more of it?
I have always been interested in fonts and during my school I used to love making cards where I could write a quote in my own style. Whenever I see a quote that I can relate to, something that makes me think, I want to put it on paper in my own font and style and think about the way I can write it so the message is communicated effectively.

Were there any particular role models for you when you grew up?
Not really, I was more into books as a child and the only thing I wanted to do was meet J K Rowling.

Who was the most influential personality on your career in graphic design?
Angel Bedi (The Filmy Owl) was a big influence on me. Also, Alicia Souza, Monica Tata and Pranita Kocharekar. Pascal Campion is a forever favourite of course. Also Zen Pencils and Grant Snider’s comics and Maori Sakai.

When did you start freelancing?
I did my first commission a little more than 2 years ago.

Was there any time when you wanted to quit graphic design?
Sometimes when I see other people’s work, because I feel it’s so much better than mine. But any time someone pops into my DMs telling me how much they like my work, I am motivated to continue.

Are many advertising agencies hiring graphic designers? Do you work more with agencies or publishers or direct clients?
I work with direct clients only.

Do you have clients who give you steady work or do you advertise for new clients often?
I have some people who really like my work and I have done multiple commissions for them but mostly it’s new clients.

How do you market yourself?
Social media mostly. I don’t post everyday but I try to post frequently enough and stuff that is important to me.

Any other Indian graphic designers who you admire?
I love Pranita’s work. But also everyone else I mentioned above.

What advice do you have for aspiring creative professionals? Would you advise them to take on graphic design as a career option?
To keep posting regularly and try to network among the right people. I don’t really have an opinion about making a career in graphic design, I think that’s best left for full time designers.

Do you think Clients are opening up to keeping aside a decent respectable budget for design work? Do you think clients are understanding that they need to invest in Design as a communication tool and also to cut the clutter, and that good design comes at a price?
I still feel that sometimes people take art on face value and don’t understand the total amount of work that has gone in it; like a commission involves an idea of how the whole thing is going to look, structure, incorporating the themes and ideas that the client wants in a way that catches your eye, years of practice with pen and colours and of course, the cost and time.

Mac or PC?
PC for me.

Who would you like to take out for dinner?
Anne Hathaway or Mitski

What’s on your iPod?
Indie rock, pop songs and podcasts.

Whats your Twitter Handle?
Elayichi, though I use Instagram more.