In this edition of our student journeys, Alefiya Kantawala, a talented brand identity designer, shares her transformative learning journey. Know all about her entry into the world of Graphic design and her capstone project.
“I'm an introverted person... but this process, and the projects have given me confidence to, you know, speak up for that which I know, the knowledge which I have.”
Back with another insightful student journey, this time we are in conversation with Alefiya Kantawala, an AND learner who has completed the PG Diploma in Graphic Design (Part-Time) course with us. Come along as she shares her design process, project insights, and experience at AND Academy in this engaging student interaction.
Here’s an overview of our conversation:
- Alefiya’s background and interests
- What drew Alefiya to AND Academy?
- Project Brief
- Walkthrough of her Project
- Process for creating brand assets and logos.
- Challenges faced by her on the Project
- The top three aspects of her experience at AND Academy
- Her career aspirations as a Graphic Designer
- Advice for aspiring Graphic designers
Q1. Alefiya, you have a fascinating background. Can you tell us about your journey and what initially sparked your interest in the design world?
Hi, I'm Alefiya Kantawala, a PG Diploma in Graphic Design student at AND Academy. My design journey has been a winding path of discovery. Growing up, I was always the person who doodled on the last pages of my notebooks, sketched in my free time, and was ever curious to paint something. After my tenth boards, I took up the science stream for junior college and then pivoted to architecture. However, after two years of studying, I realized that structural design was not my forte. Deciding to move away from a four-year course was huge, but I had to accept that the path wasn't for me. So, I pivoted towards Arts and completed my graduation in 2023 with Psychology and Literature as my majors.
After that, I realized I needed to brush up on my artistic skills; I couldn't just let that passion go away. I decided that I wanted to pursue graphic design. During my graduation, I was exposed to many social media handles of designers and lettering artists, which inspired me even further. Immediately after graduation, I began searching for online courses that would allow me to earn a diploma. I knew I didn't just want to learn the technical software part of it; beyond that, I was looking for structured learning and hands-on projects that would help me grow professionally.
Feels like design is the path you were always meant to follow.
Q2. What drew you to AND Academy, especially after exploring other online and offline institutes?
I discovered AND Academy through an app post and visited their website to explore the curriculum. I was surprised to find that this online institute offers a wide range of courses, including part-time and full-time options, as well as different tiers such as certificate, diploma, and PG Diploma. I was really curious to know more, so I went ahead with the process, and here I am.
What really motivated me was that AND Academy offers more than just technical skills. I had come across a few other institutes, both online and offline, but they were extensively focused on just the software. I didn't want just that; I wanted a more holistic learning experience.
In the interview session for this course, I was provided with links to projects and showcases. I was exposed to all these structures and saw how the learning happens. It was clear to me that I had to enroll in this course. It was something that, from the start, helped us build our basics and then develop our projects and portfolios. Additionally, the placement support, alongside the job guarantee that came with the PG Diploma course, made me decide to enroll.
That’s amazing. Everything you’ve shared perfectly aligns with our values.
Q3. Let's dive into your brand identity project for a makeup event. We've heard great things about it! Can you describe the project brief?
Sure. The project brief was to design a brand identity for an event, and I was assigned the makeup theme. I opted for a makeup event organized by Nykaa. The first step was to research makeup festivals, aiming to understand their nature, purpose, and significance. This involved learning about how these events are organized, where they take place, and their overall purpose. We had to highlight all of that in our research.
Project Brief
Then, we had to understand the target audience and create user personas. We also had to define a USP for the event. This was step one, where we created everything and then redesigned our brief. My initial brief was to create a vibrant and inclusive brand identity for this makeup fest, with an emphasis on education, entertainment, and networking. But as I went deeper, I focused mainly on celebrating self-expression. Through my visual trend study and other research, it became clear that the celebration of self-expression was the most prominent theme in this industry.
Your brief shows every step clearly.
Q4. Your research seems incredibly in-depth. Can you walk us through how you developed the core strategy and visual direction for the brand?
Yes, the research was quite comprehensive. I conducted a trend study on several brands, including Rare Beauty and Fenty Beauty, and also examined a virtual event hosted by Vogue. This helped me understand the current visual landscape.
Project Moodboard
Moving forward with the visual design process, we needed to create a concept mood board. My boards were mainly focused on celebrating self-expression. The idea of "the power of you" was highlighted, emphasizing that "you are enough, and you are unique." That is your superpower. We also had to highlight keywords for the event. There were three main concepts, one of which was sustainability, a significant trend. However, I chose not to focus on that because sustainability is now closely tied to almost every brand; it has become a basic necessity to be eco-friendly.
So, we then moved to the Design Inception Sheet. This is where we figure out the context, the personality of the brand, and the visual elements. The identity I was creating had to resonate with the brief. It had to be bold and vibrant, as it's a celebration of self-expression. Each person has an expressive personality, and the brand needed to reflect that boldness. To have our own voice is to be bold, so there had to be vibrant and bold colors, as well as some bold strokes.
Color Palette
For the color palette, I had two ideas in mind: a harmonious color scheme and a vibrant, dynamic one with uplifting tones. The tone of voice had to be empowering and inclusive. I included dynamic words in the identity, like "unleash," "create," and "empower." The goal was to inspire. The core message was that beauty isn't about perfection; it's about self-expression. I took inspiration from Selena Gomez’s Rare Beauty for this. I also wanted to incorporate gradients for a soft, modern feel, and textures like glitter or matte to resonate with the makeup theme. The photography had to be inclusive, and if there were no products in the shot, the models had to have a bold, central visual to draw attention.
Yeah, that’s quite interesting.
Q5. Following that strategy, how did you translate it into the final logo and brand assets? Tell us about your process of doodling, ideation, and refinement.
The research part really helped in coming up with the final concept. Studying existing brands and events, such as Rare Beauty and Fenty Beauty, I noticed they focus on individuals and celebrate each person. So, I thought, why not make the event focused on self-expression and celebrating oneself?
This led to the idea generation phase. We had keywords on our concept board, and had to doodle at least five ideas for each word, eventually coming up with something familiar in all of them. This process led to the final design concept sheet, which emphasized a vibrant celebration of diversity, sustainability, and creativity. I curated two names for the event: "Embrace" and "Resonate," with the tagline "The Power of You."
For the logo design, I went ahead with the word "Resonate." I started by ideating on the word itself, but I also wanted to include something with a makeup flair. So I began doodling concepts that combined creativity and self-expression. An eye or a wing felt right, as it resonates with celebrating and empowering. When you're expressing yourself, you feel a sense of freedom for your own thoughts and personality, so wings were included to represent that.
Icons
After sketching, I came up with a concept where the outline of the wing could also be a silhouette of a face. Both could be included in one visual. I iterated on this, exploring a wing effect and a face silhouette to give it a beauty concept. My mentor suggested I go ahead with the first option, which I also resonated with more. I applied design principles to refine the shape. I was also trying to incorporate the shape of a rose petal, as a rose is a symbol of beauty and individuality. But I realized that the main shape of the wings and face was getting lost in the petal formation, so I removed that at a later stage.
Final Logo
The final logo gives a sense of wings, which symbolize individuality, and a face, which symbolizes beauty. The heart shape achieved by the strokes also resonates with the theme. We also created icons, patterns, secondary logos, and defined the typography. The font used for the logo, "Resonate," is Mirage, and for the display font, I used is Webas New, which is bold and balances with the body copy. Finally, we created a brand guidelines book showing the mission, vision, core values, and how to use the logo, colors, and other assets in different collaterals.
That’s a thoughtful and straightforward approach.
Q6. What were the biggest challenges you faced and the key learnings you gained from the overall experience of this project?
On this project, the most important thing was structured learning. We were introduced to principles and theories and given practice tasks to apply them. That was a valuable learning experience that I will carry forward in my life. Understanding the design process, design thinking, and how we move from ideation to a refined final process was crucial. One extensive ideation is essential for achieving a sophisticated and finalized design or identity.
A personal challenge I faced, especially at the beginning of my module, was communication. I'm an introvert, so I'm not a very talkative person. I wouldn't feel comfortable being on video or speaking confidently in front of my mentors and peers. But the process and the projects have given me the confidence to speak up for what I know. Now, I'm confident in showcasing my work and my views without any second thought and inhibition.
Another challenge came when I was finalizing my logo. Having a clear idea was important. I explored many concepts, wondering if my identity should use an illustration, a gradient, or strong lines and waves. It was difficult to decide which direction to take, but my design philosophy and the brief helped me work through it and reach a final design concept.
Your words reflect the effort and thought behind your design path.
Q7. What were the top three aspects of your learning experience at AND Academy that had the most impact on you?
The first part would be the structured learning process, which had a huge impact on me. I started with a clear direction, not confused, and was very much inclined towards achieving a goal.
Secondly, the creative aspect- it helped us brush up on our creative skills, as well as our software and technical skills. The software sessions across all the modules helped us overcome the technical challenges.
And thirdly, the live interactive classes. I had thought that online classes would be a bit boring, with a mentor just teaching and us taking notes. But it was not like that at all. Taking an online course with live interactive classes was a truly great experience. It felt like we were there with our peers, sharing our thoughts with mentors. There's a very friendly level of engagement and participation from everyone. It doesn't feel like any different from an offline class; we feel connected to our peers even after the classes. The live sessions offer a learning experience where you can ask questions on the spot and get immediate answers.
That's great to know.
Q8. What are your current career aspirations? What roles or industries are you targeting?
I'm looking for a designer position at a private studio or agency. I'm interested in collaborating with a private agency or design studio that handles a diverse range of projects, including various brands. I would like to have some variety in my work.
Oh, that’s interesting.
Q9. What's your key advice for someone starting a similar graphic design journey?
If you are looking to become a professional and gain hands-on industry-relevant projects, consider taking up these design courses at AND Academy. It not only strengthens your basics but also helps you gain confidence to work professionally on real-world projects.
I would also say that my journey from architecture to graphic design was a big pivot. I wasn't enjoying the structured process of architecture; the primary goal of planning a structure was taking away my joy of working on a project. While exploring the arts and having conversations with peers, I realized that graphic design was the perfect fit for developing my art and design skills. I also enjoyed making presentations in architecture school and had done some freelance art projects. All these things led to one another, and I found myself in the graphic design field, where I had so much exposure to many emerging illustrators and artists. For anyone making a similar pivot, my advice is to embrace the exploration, have conversations, and find what truly brings you joy in the creative process.
Excellent point. Just start and make changes along the way. Thank you so much for the candid conversation!
Alefiya Kantawala’s move from Architecture to Graphic Design is a journey of self-discovery and growth. She learned how to combine her artistic strengths with strategic design thinking, opening new creative possibilities.
At AND Academy, Alefiya’s project work helped her build confidence and create a brand identity that is both vibrant and meaningful. With guidance from mentors and support from peers, she discovered the value of structured learning in shaping her design career.
Inspired by Alefiya’s journey? Discover how AND Academy’s Graphic Design courses can help you turn your passion into a professional path. Speak with our Course Advisors today and begin your own creative journey!
Note: All information and/or data from external sources is believed to be accurate as of the date of publication.
