Hasta La Creative!

Multia is studio full of colours, passion, play and ideas.

Is Multia Studio primarily into identity design and brand communication? What all services do you provide?
We absolutely love to create a face and a heart for a business. It is exhilarating when we are able to give a business an identity that is unique and conveys what the clients endeavour as effortlessly as possible and sticks. So, yes, we do identity design, brand communication, web branding and print media. We also provide content and other allied services.
 
Tell us about your designers/animators. Did they go into fine art or design schools? How do you pick them up?
If they like triangles and Din, we hire them. But jokes apart, our concern is not just about being ‘pretty’ or about what kind of qualifications you have or what hotshot school you are from. The important thing is taste. It is about having an eye for something that is interesting, something that would speak to us and to a larger world. You can learn the craft, but taste and feel are generally innate. You can’t take a course on it. Also, a good designer has that instinct to soak in what is cool, smart and durable. It is something that shows early.

How would you define the design style at Multia Studio?
Good design is a sublime voice. For Multia, God is in the details.  Its the colours & simplicity that people remember Multia for.
 
Were there any particular role models for you when you grew up?
My father. He exposed me to good art and music early on in life.

Any International design workshops?
No, not yet.

How has digital affected your traditional print design work?
We embrace the constantly evolving possibilities of digital design, and approach it with the same attention to details as we do in print. Designers have to produce work which is commercial and can be distributed throughout the world and the only way to do this is through the use of digital technology.

Do clients see design as a value addition to their products?
We are trying to convert them. The thing is, it is something so essential and true and eventually even the staunchest critic will come around.

Do you wish we had a design event in Mumbai?
Yes. Why Not? In fact, there should be one in Pune too. Design is everywhere, so should the events.

Who was the most influential personality on your career in graphic design?
David Carson and Joshua Davis while I was studying.

What made you start Multia Studio?
My family made me believe that I need not take up a job and must start my own studio. My husband, who is also an artist, always asked me to keep at it whether the going was good or bad.
 
How important is the focus on good design at Multia?
It is the only thing. It is everything. We are so deep into design that even while sending out mundane things like mails or word documents we make sure good fonts are used. Design isn’t something that you do on machine and move on. It is something that you live and breathe daily. If you don’t do that, it won’t happen naturally.  Every time you are conscious, design hits you!

 Are you working with any advertising agencies? Any brands?
We have plans to tie up with an international agency by next year end.

What do you feel about the state of design in India? Do you feel that our collective aesthetics need to improve?
I think it is picking up. People are getting more conscious about it more than ever. See, design per se has always been around, but sensibilities have changed. Today, it is not just about India. It is about seeing the world as a whole because of the way we are all connected. But, overall, people are getting pretty conscious about design. They are willing to look beyond their backyard.

I would also like to add that since what we do is judged subjectively by most, it is difficult. A business owner may look at a design and consider it in a manner that he or she thinks is practical. For instance, we have been asked on a few occasions why we “overprice” our logos, after all it is just a “just a logo”. That is a tough one to explain. It is the face of your business. It is a how people will recall you and remember you. It will define your place in the world, your success. Working on a logo is hours of research and understanding a business in order to know what will suit a business and send the right message. It is about jumping hurdles and finding new territories. It is not just a mash of things put together conveniently. A logo is the simplest way of turning the abstract quality of a business into something that is real. A logo is an undeniable symbol. It is your business, your success

Any other Indian graphic designers who you admire?
We like Bombay Duck Designs, Loco Popo and Grandmother.

What advice do you have for aspiring creative professionals? Would you advise them to take on graphic design as a career option?
Design is becoming very important all across the world. Now, graphic design students have a variety of options to specialize in. They can choose traditional print media to App design. Graphic Designers have seen huge success by building apps like Pinterest, Airbnb and Path. So, students in India should be exposed to all this and see how large the world of design is.

Who would your design team like to take out for dinner?
Our team would definitely like to take Paul Rand Mike Matas & Jim Lee.

What’s on the company iPod?
Zero7, Coldplay & Radiohead

Mac or PC?
Mac.