As technology continues to advance, the use of AI in the creative space has become increasingly prevalent. As a result, the role of designers and writers is rapidly evolving. After extensive research and thinking on the use of AI in the creative space and its impact on the creative people around it, I have come to realize that while these tools can assist with certain tasks, it’s important to remember that true talent and passion will always survive. In order to thrive in this tech-driven world, designers and writers must stay informed about trends, continuously learn and grow, and bring a human-centric approach to their work. In this guide, we will explore the key strategies for success in the era of ChatGPT and AI.

1. True talent and passion will always survive: It is important to remember that in the era of ChatGPT and AI, your unique skills and interests are what set you apart from the rest. The technology may be able to assist with certain tasks, but it cannot replace true talent and passion. By staying true to what you love and what you’re good at, you’ll be able to create work that stands out and resonates with your audience.
2. Keep an eye on trends: In order to stay relevant and competitive in the field of design and writing, it is important to stay informed about current trends. This means keeping up with the latest design and writing techniques, as well as staying aware of what’s popular in the industry. By doing so, you’ll be able to create work that is both current and innovative.
3. Keep learning: The field of design and writing is constantly evolving, and in order to stay ahead of the curve, it’s important to continuously learn and grow. This can be done through attending workshops and conferences, reading industry publications, or taking online courses. By continuously learning and expanding your skill set, you’ll be able to create work that is both cutting-edge and highly valued by clients.
4. Bridge the gap between AI and human creativity: One way to differentiate yourself in the field of design and writing is by leveraging the power of AI to enhance your own creativity. This can be done by incorporating AI-generated elements or techniques into your work while also infusing it with a human-centric approach and unique ideas. This will result in work that is both technologically advanced and innovative, setting you apart from the competition.
5. Study real people and real stories: In order to create designs and writing that truly resonate with your audience, it’s important to study real people and real stories. This means understanding the needs and desires of your target audience and creating work that speaks to them. By doing so, you’ll be able to create designs and writing that truly connect with people and make an impact.

The rise of ChatGPT and AI technology presents both challenges and opportunities for designers and writers. By staying true to your passion, keeping an eye on trends, continuously learning and growing, and bringing a human-centric approach to your work, you’ll be able to create designs and writing that stand out and resonate with your audience. Remember that true creativity and unique ideas will always be valued, and that by embracing the technology, you’ll be able to create work that is both cutting-edge and highly valued by clients. With the right mindset and approach, you can thrive in the era of ChatGPT and AI.

Your Brand Name should Reflect Your Brand Story

About one year ago, a client came to us with a problem. He wanted to start his own fashion apparel brand for women in India. He had a lot of vague ideas but did not know where to begin the process of making this new brand. During the course of discussion he described with absolute clarity how he designed his apparels. We listened with fascination as brought his ideal woman to life with minute descriptions of how she would be dressed.

Inspired by his unique ability we decided to come up with a name for this woman. Her name was Ragonic. A combination of designer’s name Rahul and his iconic woman, hence Ragonic.

Your brand story deserves an a brand name that captures it. Your brand deserves a brand name that is unique and has a message in it.

With our vast experience working with in the SME sector we have noticed how little thought proprietors give to selecting their brand name . Their callousness is appalling. Your brand is your work, naming it appropriately is showing that work respect. Here are a few things that we keep in mind while coming up with relevant and impactful brand names.

Account For Acoustics

There is no point in keeping a brand name that is too complicated to pronounce. This happens often in the SMEs sector. Especially, in the fashion and engineering sectors where in an effort to sound ‘foreign’ brands come up with names that are too complex for a common Indian person.

Case In Point:

When an Iron and steel manufacturer approached us with question of their Brand Name we suggested is ‘Metalogic’. A simple combination of the words Metal and Logic the name subtly highlight’s the brand’s expertise. The most important aspect of the name is its acoustics. Metalogic is very easy to say and therefore, easy to remember.

Think Local Before You Go Global

The city where the brand intends to be operational matters a lot in picking a brand name. The brand name needs to blend in perfectly with the milieu of the city and its ethos.

Case in Point:

A furniture chain in Indore wanted to change its name. Research suggested that its name G-shanti made the brand come across not as a modern retail chain but as a small local store. To give position the brand as a key player in furniture market we suggested the name Urban Daily. The name was an effort to tap into the aspirational and tech-savvy Indori youth. The tech-savvy name ‘Urban Daily’ heralded the furnishings chain into modern category and the result was greater footfalls into the store.

Factor In The Semiotics

Symbols have a deep impact on human psyche. It is the reason why political parties invest so much in building statues and monuments. Semiotics is a study of such symbols and their impact on the psyche. Semiotics is rooted in lived experiences. It is about how culture respond to symbols. Your brand name is your symbol and you need to factor in semiotics to gain traction in the market.

Case in Point

A start with a unique idea for selling clothes and accessories for children wanted a brand name. We took the into consideration the semiotics of childhood and we took into consideration the fact that the decision makers were adults but the target audience where children. The brand intended to target markets across India, however its primary focus was the North. We suggested the name ‘Lukka Chhupi’. The iconic game of hide & seek strikes a chord across the ages. It has a universal appeal and is directly associated with childhood and innocence. This unique name perfectly encapsulated the thought behind the brand and the client was extremely happy with it.

Trend Setters & Trend Followers

There are two types of brand names. Certain brands are poised to become a legacy, while others merely follow the latest trends and are soon forgotten. The best example of legacy brand names would be Amul, Raymond ext. While their branding has now become a part of the national culture, their legacy started with a perfect and simple name.

Case in Point:

When Kesar Tea company approached us to brand their flagship Tea brand we did a thorough research on tea brands across the country. On basis of our research we suggested the name a unique name ‘Red Rhino’. The red colour is the colour of the perfectly brewed cup of tea and Rhino is an symbolises Assam, the place from where the tea leaves are bought from. The unique brand has built a niche audience for itself and has been growing successfully for the last one year.

Emotion And Logic

The two basic drivers of the human mind are emotion and logic. Important thing is knowing what to be emotional about and what to be logical about. Most SMEs chose their brand name as per their emotion. They need to be logical about their names and factor in the customer’s emotions.

Case in Point

Samarth Services was a company that specialised in steralization cleaning. A B2B brand that often worked with biggest names in the medical industry had a name based on the religious beliefs of the proprietor. This diminished their brand perception as their name did highlight the amazing service they provided. On the basis of our research we suggested the name ‘S Clean’ and the brand has managed to bag in new clients ever since.

Legacy Brands

Certain names carry a legacy with them and should not be changed. The best examples of this are Bhagat Tarachand and Keventers. Both the brands have established themselves in the market and need not change their names. However in certain cases product rebranding might be required to tap in to the benefits of being legacy brands.

Case in Point

Tayyabi is a 200-year-old unani medicine brand. They had the same names for the medicine for the last 100 years. The audience obviously could not connect to the names of these old medicines. So we suggested new names to the client with each name making the purpose of the medicine clear to the target audience.

Branding begins with the brand name. Brand names are the first impressions of a brand. It has to catch the essence of the brand identity in it. Remember the old adage “First impression is the last impression” or if you get it right “first impression will be a lasting impression”. Brand name is everything after all the man who coined the famous phrase “What’s in a name?” was Shake-sphere.

A close friend of mine, unlike other people, was always focused on achieving her dream. She wanted to become a fashion designer and wanted to see her clothes displayed on the ramp during the fashion week. She was inspired and passionate about it. It was one of the many things that I was found attractive about her. She walked the distance to achieve her dream. She graduated from National Institute of Fashion Technology at the top of her class. She worked with top designers in the country like Neeta Lulla and Malini Agrawal to get hands-on experience in the fashion industry. When she felt she had enough experience, she even launched her startup. Unfortunately, the startup did not succeed to the extent she would have liked. After marriage and a child, she shifted tracks. She now works for a top retailer in the country and has successfully developed one of its failing fashion categories. Her hard work and creativity as a designer has been recognised and rewarded within the company. However, her dream of making her own fashion brand has been forgotten.

If you asked if she had followed her dreams, she would simply point out that she was a very respected fashion designer in a big retail chain. She would acknowledge the fact that she compromised on her dream, she would rationalize her decision instead.

“Dreams don’t die a natural death, we kill them and our weapons are rationalisations we use to murder them.”

Rationalisation used to Procrastinate

1. I am going to work on my dreams…just not tonight.
2. There isn’t enough time
3. There isn’t enough money
4. I don’t have enough expertise
5. The industry is shit!
6. I need the security
7. I will do this one thing before working on my dream

Like every other ‘killing’ there is a motive behind this crime. Our motivations for these rationalizations become clear when we scratch beneath the surface.

1. We want to be comfortable. Comfort is a far bigger dream killer than fear.
2. Next is, of course, the fear of failure.
3. Lack of patience
4. Fear of taking risks
5. Loss of faith in oneself

And many others follow. The primary reason is always comfort and a lack of patience.

The myth of ‘sacrifices’

While sacrifices have to be made in the real world to achieve our goals. Not everyone has to make them. This myth created by the media and films often shows the protagonist sticking to his dreams against insurmountable odds. This not required in the real world. The real-world needs you to nurture your dreams and believe in yourself. Dreams take a long time to realize and you need rational strategies to keep yourself going in the direction that you choose.

Here are a few strategies to keep your dream alive.

1. Make a Dream Task sheet

Like every other work you do for your home and your office, you need a daily task sheet to achieve your dreams. The famous comic Seinfeld made it a habit to write 100 words daily. It did not matter if they were good or bad. Just write 100 words every day. You need similar, simple goals to stay in touch with your dreams.

2. Follow the latest trends online

Staying connected to your field online is the best way to keep your dream alive. This allows you to meet people who are in the same situation as you and allows you to explore the field of your choice at your pace.

3. Bring it in your conversation.

Let’s say you took up the job because you wanted some financial stability. It is important not to forget your dreams in the comfort of a steady paycheck. It is important then keep talking about your passion and keep in touch with that inner curiosity. Who knows you might someone at your workplace who shares your interest. These people become your link to your inner voice.

4. Understand that it takes time

To excel at something requires patience and dedication. If you are patient with yourself you will find the dedication to do the same thing again and again till you get it right.

5. Little bit everyday

Realization of your dreams is a long process. This means you don’t have to achieve the whole thing in one big leap. You just need to take one step every day for many years to achieve that dream. So think about the one step you have to take today and everything else will fall in place.

These four simple strategies will keep you on track even if the circumstances in your life are not ideal for the pursuit of your dreams. The important thing is to keep at it. Nurture your dreams every day like you nurture a tree or a plant. Wait patiently without complaining and watch as your efforts bear fruit. Don’t kill your dreams with petty rationalizations give them alive with your dedication.

Often people resist the change, and this change is not the organisational or a technological change, it’s the change within, many a times I have heard people saying I have been like this since my childhood or all of my friends in my life have accepted me like this or my behaviour is same as it was in my last organisation even say the dressing is not important have been dressed like this since so many years and everyone has accepted.

Does everyone really accept you the way you are? Or is it a myth?

If you live in desert and you travel to snow world, will you really wear the same cloth or behave and eat same as you were doing when you were in desert- the answer would be a BIG NO, same is the case in life, when we move from one city to another, one organisation to another one friend circle to another, it’s a call for a change, and if you will not change yourself you will definitely face the challenges of acceptance.

The solution is wearing a different coat for different situation, and when I say coat- it’s the behaviour or ‘personality’ and not your character. You need a different personality for your friends, your organisation, for your team, for your clients for your professional life and for your personal life.

The most important thing here is to accept that it’s time to change or it’s a call to wear a different personality.

When I suggest a change to your personality, I mean the external elements, mostly. You chore values and beliefs need not change. The best example of this is when you change your job and go to a new organisation. You have to adapt to the tone of your new organisation otherwise the office culture will reject you. However, your work ethic itself will remain the same.

Then there is the concept of signature style. This has to be cultivated over a long period of time. The best example of ‘signature style’ is Ranveer Singh. He carries himself in a particular manner with particular grace. People sometimes comment on his dressing sense and his behaviour. However, he does not care.

You also need proper guidance to create a signature style. After all even your personal style needs to tailor itself to an event.

One of the best examples of style failure is Pakistan’s captain meeting the queen of England in his traditional attire. He wanted to make a statement, however, it completely failed to impress the audience. Instead, he was reprimanded for breaking protocol. Hence, even while making a signature style, it is important to tailor your style to the occasion.

These are people skills and they matter the most. These skills advertise who you are in many ways. These skills ensure that you get a better reception wherever you go and people remember who you are. It is time for you to stop complaining and hone these skills. It will make you a better communicator and it will ensure that you meet less resistance at your workplace and at home.

‘I am Losing my creativity’- this thought is not just in my mind but in the minds of thousands of people around the world. In spite of being in a creative field and being surrounded by creative people, be it in an agency, a production house or marketing communication, many people quit their jobs in search of their creative self and many leave their creative self in the process of searching it. Still, the quest for creativity continues.

Does Creativity really exist?

It’s an old debate- some say creativity is an inspiration, some say it’s just technique. I feel creativity exists and exis by itself as an impulse. It exists in every field. There is no escaping the creative impulse.

Even in a 9–5 desk job like accounting there is need to get creative once in a while. Even a job as physical as cleaning dumpsters might need a touch of creativity. If you are faced with a problem that forces you to come up with a unique solution, then you are being creative to solve your issues.

Kick This Myth ‘Out of The Box’

Many times while interviewing creative people I hear and see in their CV a phrase — ‘Out of the box thinker’ but when I ask them what is the definition of THE BOX, does it really exist. Even if we assume it exists, have they completely explored their box? Perhaps simpler and elegant solutions reside there.

According to me, there is no such thing as The Box. If you have a thought explore it. Even if you think that your idea is derivative, bring it to life. In the process of bringing it to life, you might discover something new.

Let’s take the example of Beer Brands:
Starting from 2001, if we have 5000 brands around the world, each year each brand come up with at least 2 campaign, that counts to 10000 campaigns, in each campaign there will be at least 10 creatives and at least 5 people working on each campaign for 8 hours a day and at least 30 days, that equals to 100,000 creative with 50,000 people involved in it taking almost 12 Ml man hours. It’s 2019 so in 19 years alone 1,900,000 creatives have been done, and people are still coming up with new and innovative ideas, and will be forever, so do you really think a box exists?

I am in creative space still I am losing my creativity.

The other day I met a friend of mine, an art director, he was looking very low. Let me assure you he is really creative and efficient in his work. I asked him what happen but he hesitated in telling. I asked him to join me for a coffee and cajoled him into a discussion.

He said he was not getting good ideas, the only question he kept asking himself is why he is here, doing the same kind of job again and again. “I don’t have anything left to explore, but what to do I have a family to look after and bills to pay.”

But was it the real issue- NO. the real issue was his creative satisfaction.

There are many reasons why a creative person feels he is losing his creativity in spite of being in the creative space. Reason can be client requirement and feedback, manager’s interference in the creative process, inadequate brief, lack of tools and training, time to explore the ideas and brainstorming or may be the pay scale.

Instead of getting trapped in a feeling of inadequacy it is important to explore what makes your creativity tick.

How to get the creative satisfaction and get the creativity back?

My father used to say, “when in doubt go back to the basics”. His advice has served me well over the years. Every time I have felt my creativity stagnate I have reverted to my original sense of creativity.

My creative journey started with writing poems for myself. I still maintain a dairy. When I feel my creativity draining I turn to my poems for my inspiration. I churn out verse even if it feels foolish. This gets me back in touch with my original creative self.

What is your original creative self?

For some, it might be that old habit of playing the guitar. For some, it might be sketching in their books. Indulging in this activity for the sheer sake of creativity helps refresh your mind.

I invite you all to consider this, that all your creativity is derived from that original sense of wonder that you felt as a child doing a particular activity. For me, that sense of wonder was writing my poems. My entire creative-self rests on this basic foundation.

Go back to your basic creative self and unleash those old creative juices.

Years of client feedbacks and meeting ‘industry standards’ takes away that sense of wonder associated with the creative process. For some, it becomes a mechanical, formula-based action.

It is important to re-kindle that initial sense of wonder with the creative process. This will happen only when you get back in touch with Original Creative Self. Creativity has always been an exploration of the Self. If you are feeling that your creativity is bankrupt, then perhaps it is a sign that you have moved away from your original creative self.