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Mr. Ashish Deshpande : Founder Director & Principal Designer -Elephant Strategy + Design,  12 March 2009
 

 

Mr. Ashish Deshpande
 
Founder Director & Principal Designer -
Elephant Strategy + Design

 

 

PackagingConnections: What is your educational background? How did you get involved in the Packaging industry?
Mr. Deshpande: I am an Industrial Design Graduate from the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad. I specialized in Product Design. While studying design I undertook a course in Package design. One module out of this course was taken by Professors from IIP, Mumbai. One of my first package design projects was an insecticide bottle. As a designer, we have to take the onus to deviate and make our products & package responsible. Making the package childproof, drip proof, easy to pour and highlighting the “caution” areas of using the highly corrosive chemical took as much effort as did the Product brand and communication.    
 
PackagingConnections: Your key activities at work?What is the most rewarding part of your work?
Mr. Deshpande:I lead the product design & package structures team as a principal designer. My key job is to provide strategic direction to the design projects, control quality of output and delivery, keep the design team well groomed and motivated.
Whenever there is an opportunity for me to translate user needs into products and see the design work in use and people benefiting, it gives me immense satisfaction. User gratification based on my design is a great reward for me.
 
Packaging Connections:What unexpected costs and headaches have you had to deal with?
Mr. Deshpande:In the design world, people talent and time are key resources. Managing design talent efficiently is a challenge. Talent always needs to be channelized to deliver to specific user and business needs. This has to be done at a smart speed. Time spells cost in business situation and design is a business tool. Iterations are never welcome and hence having well oiled and innovative processes towards design delivery is a focus area we have been working on towards consistent improvement.  

 

Packaging Connections: Your key achievements? 
Mr. Deshpande: Achievement comes in various forms. When we packaged technology into a product which could help thousand users on the streets in rural and urban India to charge cell phones without electricity, it is an achievement of sorts. Empowering people to travel with robust, low cost luggage which packs in more and helps you travel efficiently is also an achievement as is packaging of beauty at 1/6th. of a US dollar for the bottom of pyramid, Indian woman of substance. So are the various Indian and international awards we have won. 3 of our package design projects were winners in Re Brand Awards and one got Asia Star award for pack design recently. I would also consider 20 years of successful demonstration of the power of design to Indian Industry also an achievement. 

 

 
Packaging Connections:what is one thing about the industry that you would change?
Mr. Deshpande: Indian Industry has worked hard to be where it stands today in the Indian and global scenario. We have been safe players by nature. The more we as an industry change this mind set to experiment and take a few risks, the more there would be chances of our producing products and services of global recognition.
From a quality driven manufacturing industry, we need to quickly move towards user driven and innovation led manufacturing industry. This is a calculated risk path, we as an industry must embark upon. This is the change which will redeem the efforts of our industry. 

 

 
Packaging Connections:What are your views on the status of the packaging industry in India? What is the way forward?
Mr. Deshpande:Packing industry has come a long way. There is a huge infusion of materials and manufacturing processes which have increased the reach of products, enhanced the shelf life, help create differentiation and contributed generously to the growth of the manufacturing economy. As our consumption grows there would be proportional rise in the need of packaging solutions. Are we creating unwanted garbage, are we depleting any precious resources, are we taking away traditional way of life, are we reducing or creating new job opportunities? It is a good time to keep analyzing as to how sustainable is our packaging effort? Sustainability is a good question we must keep asking ourselves and work towards making each packaging solution a sustainable innovation, as an activity. This is being responsible and in my opinion the only way forward.
 
Packaging Connections:Could you share with us your key plans for the future?
Mr. Deshpande: We are working on a 2020 vision to deliver design. A vision which will make design of packaging and products responsible, sustainable, communicate meaningfully and at the same time being intuitive. Can we create more for less? This will remain the key intent and focus for the next few years. Developing processes that will aid us to carry out structured need and business innovations will be our key aim for the future.
 

Packaging Connections: What has been your biggest challenge? How did you overcome?
Mr. Deshpande: Our biggest challenge till today has been to convince the industry about the rich benefits of using design as a key differentiator in the market. Design is an investment and like any other, requires patience. Very often one sees industry resorting to shortcuts. The industries which have invested into design, it has paid off sooner that estimated. We have painstakingly compiled business data and case studies in design. These are sufficient proof that design is not skin deep and works as a force multiplier. The other effort has been to tackle the entire ecology of an industry business through design. Making sure, that the sensibilities of a product, rub off on the package and are in sync with the communication while helping to carry out retail.

 
Packaging Connections:What are three important tenets that you work by when beginning a new packaging project? 
Mr. Deshpande: I use a simple 3 point overlapping model to understand any packaging project brief. First is the Business intent, second is the user need and third is the technology benefit. Though these three seem distinct and watertight, it is the overlap between the three areas where in lies the opportunity to innovate and create a differentiated pack. I believe that this simple model lays a strong foundation of a successful project.
 
 
Packaging Connections:Your packaging dream?
Mr. Deshpande: I tend to draw a lot of inspiration from the wonders of nature. If one looks around a simple banana or a coconut, they present to us a ready recipe for a great package design. Nature packs, grows, preserves in the most sustainable and effective manner. The whole experience of peeling a banana is so great. Nothing goes waste. Every little part of the banana is used and consumed.
I dream of a package which will exactly mimic nature. That day I believe we would have done justice to our unique and beloved planet.

 

 
 

 


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"Here we bring the interviews from the packaging experts who have done something different at their workplace in packaging and ready to share their packaging challenges. You can also recommend people known to you or if you would like to be covered. Kindly email the details to info@packagingconnections.com with brief details about your recommendation/yourself and contact details, our P-interview team will then be in touch to take it forward."

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