As we unravel the multi-faceted artistry of Chandhine Senthilkumar, join us on a journey that spans the traditional and the contemporary, brushes and pixels, and the fine arts as well as graphic design.- Read ahead for her interests, motivations, aspirations and her learning experience at AND Academy.
“I consider myself fortunate to have witnessed a group of individuals growing together [during my AND Academy course], supporting and inspiring one another along the way.”
Ever wondered what drives an artist to venture beyond conventional artistic expressions? Well, I’d wondered the same until I had the pleasure of interviewing Chandhine Senthilkumar, a talented fine art graduate turned graphic designer and got the chance to delve into her fascinating creative evolution.
Chandhine brought to our interaction a deep passion for her interests, strong artistic roots, her experience of working on projects, and some quick quips, turning it into a delightfully stimulating conversation.
Below is the list of things we discussed, so feel free to pick and choose if you must, but if you’ll take my opinion on this one, I’d say don’t miss even a beat of Chandhine’s mind or journey!
Contents:
- 1) A transition from fine art graduate to designer
- 2) Chadhine’s interest in graphic design
- 3) Why she decided to learn with AND Academy
- 4) Her experience of working on projects
- 5) Print & Publication project
- 6) Visual Brand Narrative project
- 7) Key takeaways from projects
- 8) Favourite aspects of learning design at AND
- 9) Post-course transformation
- 10) What's next for Chandhine
Please tell us a bit about yourself and your journey from an artist to a designer, Chandhine.
First of all, I must say that I am honoured to be here today!
I hail from Chennai and have pursued the fine arts academically. During my time at Stella Maris College, where I pursued my undergraduate degree in visual arts, I dived headfirst into a world of paint, paper and canvas. However, it wasn't until two years ago that I found myself venturing into the digital realm of design, an avenue I initially approached with scepticism.
After successfully navigating through the initial challenges of venturing into visual arts, an exciting transformation began to unfold. As time passed, I began to cultivate a genuine appreciation for the digital medium. Its rising popularity and the unforeseen enrichment it brought to my skill set captivated me. I couldn't help but notice how exposure to the digital medium added a whole new dimension to my artistic prowess. It was an eye-opening journey that gradually revealed to me the untapped potential of digital art, and opened my mind to exploring its possibilities.
That is really interesting!
How and when did you discover that you had an interest in design?
By the time I’d completed my undergraduate degree, it was amply clear to me that I had a profound fascination for digital mediums. The capabilities and accessibility of these mediums had an undeniable allure. It was at this point that I decided to pursue design - a decision rooted in the understanding that this field clearly had the potential to take my creative expression to new heights.
Although, now that I think about it, the decision might have had its roots even further back in my past. As a school student, one aspect of the educational landscape never failed to captivate me: drawing, or more precisely, the art of sketching. To me, sketching has always been captivating of its own accord, unaffected by outside influences. So maybe it was inevitable that as a natural, gradual progression, I would pursue art and/or design.
Encouraged by the unwavering support of my family and friends, I moved toward higher education and a career in the fine arts and, eventually, design. Looking back, I'm immensely grateful that I didn't proceed with my applications for a BBA or a BCom degree programme, and instead embraced my true interests.
Talking to people who take ‘the road less travelled’ is always inspirational.
So why did you decide to pursue your design education at AND Academy?
When it came to choosing the institute for my further education, I approached the process with utmost diligence. Extensive research became my trusted ally in this endeavour. Among the various institutes I considered, AND Academy caught my attention. I delved into the website and explored its social media handles in an effort to gather as much information as possible. However, it was the opportunity to directly connect with Ms Soumya Tiwari, the Graphic Design Course Lead at AND, and the exchange that followed, that solidified my decision to learn to design at AND.
The conversation with Soumya surpassed all interactions with educators I had encountered in the past. It was an authentic and profound exchange centred around my learning goals, ambitions and the trajectory I envisioned for my career and personal growth. What struck me most was the alignment between the institution's objectives and my aspirations. It became evident that AND was committed to providing personalised guidance and an educational environment that nurtures individuality and fosters growth among all its learners. This honest and enlightening discussion propelled me to choose AND and assured me that I would receive an education tailored to my needs.
My genuine desire to dive deeper into the realm of graphic design led me to enrol in the PG Diploma course in Graphic Design. While I anticipated that the curriculum, duration and weekly classes, coupled with the hands-on projects, would come with their own set of challenges, I recognised their importance in honing my skills. Balancing the commitment this course demanded with my existing responsibilities proved to be demanding yet necessary. I understood that embracing these difficulties would ultimately contribute to my growth and proficiency in the field.
Sounds like you must have had a jam-packed schedule!
Speaking of the projects, how was your experience of working on them?
My experience with the projects can be described as valuable yet challenging; it was a whole lot of both! Even when fatigue set in, I couldn't help but feel an incessant drive to immerse myself in the project work. It seemed like there was always some research or reading to be done, all of which played a crucial role in understanding and executing the projects effectively.
Alongside the engaging live sessions held every week, the projects provided a continuous stream of assignments that kept me fully engaged. Despite juggling freelance projects on the side due to my professional commitments, I found myself devoting extra attention to the course projects, and the impact this had on the quality of my work was palpable.
The sheer variety of projects I worked on throughout the course brought tremendous rewards. It was like stepping into a vast landscape where graphic design thrived across diverse verticals, allowing me to explore and understand fundamental concepts through hands-on application. Let me share an example that vividly illustrates this.
One of the earliest projects I worked on was called "The Leaf Project". Little did I know that it would serve as a powerful introduction to the concept of the iterative process. Even as I, in my own view, dug in my heels, I realised that continuously refining and revising my designs based on feedback and experimentation was the only sure shot at success. This was a transformative lesson - an experience that not only honed my skills but also deepened my understanding of the depth of graphic design.
Another standout experience was that of working on the Brand Identity project, where we had to study the Cadbury brand in detail and then conceptualise and design various collaterals for a Cadbury eatery. What made this project particularly captivating was the significant emphasis on research, which, I must admit, I thoroughly enjoyed. In truth, I was actively engaged and invested in this project from the get-go and enjoyed every step of the process.
Through such projects, I was able to gain invaluable exposure to the multifaceted world of graphic design, witnessing its impact in various domains. Each project became a stepping stone, allowing me to bridge the gap between theory and practice, ultimately shaping me into a more versatile and adept designer. It was a time of growth, where the combined weight of my dedication and the valuable guidance I received from the course elevated the calibre of my work.
I didn't know you were so interested in the research aspect of the design process.
Oh, I didn't know either! Partly the reason I was excited throughout the course was the fact that so often, I was doing something I had never done before. Every day brought a new set of experiences and, with it, new learnings.
“It is going to be tough to pinpoint any one thing because I loved everything about my time at AND Academy!”
Could you take us through your Print & Publication project?
I would love to!
In the Print and Publication project , we had to create a print brochure for an architecturally significant building/monument, so I couldn't resist choosing the Government Museum in Chennai. This architectural marvel has not only stood the test of time but also embodies a profound connection to our roots, which is often overlooked in today's rush to modernise. Personally, I have always been drawn to earthy tones, and the museum's presence in Chennai served as a constant reminder of the importance of staying grounded and rooted. So, quite naturally, I decided that the Government Museum would take centre stage for my project.
Curating the content for the brochure was also a research-oriented endeavour. I meticulously gathered images of the museum, along with compelling information and intriguing facts about the site.
The distinctive shape and colours of the building played a pivotal role in guiding my choice of the shapes, folds, and colours for the brochure design. During this project, I had the opportunity to explore the use of a platform called Miro, which proved to be an efficient tool. It enabled me to document the design process with clarity, a process that had previously eluded me during my brief encounter with it in the fine arts space.
During my time working on this project, I had the pleasure of meeting Ragini Siruguri, one of my mentors at AND. Our discussion revolved around her work at Tara Books. Inspired by our conversation, I decided to scrap my initial ideas and started experimenting from scratch with colours, cuts, folds, paper finishes and typography. The result was a design outcome that truly pleased me.
At AND, I was fortunate to receive a robust foundation of knowledge, coupled with consistent guidance from mentors, which transformed the design process into second nature for me. The invaluable feedback loop allowed me to gain fresh perspectives and insights along the way. It was through this iterative process of receiving feedback, reflecting and refining that my skills as a designer were honed.
You have designed a brochure that truly compliments the aesthetics of the historic building you chose. Bravo! What it has also done is left us wanting more.
Could you also take us through your Visual Brand Narrative project, please?
“This turned out to be the most intense research project I had ever taken on.”
Sure! As mentioned already, I had chosen to study the Cadbury brand for this project, which required me to conceptualise and create collateral for an eatery of the brand. I had the opportunity to collaborate with a fellow AND learner for this project. The initial research required us to closely study the brand’s history, typography, language, personality, values, marketing strategy, brand ambassadors and overall positioning. We ended up covering a wide variety of vertices like colour, pricing, taste and packaging along the way. Even though our research efforts at this stage weren’t structured, we were able to conclude that all of the campaigns, advertisements and marketing material - found online or elsewhere - were strongly tied to Cadbury’s core values.
A thorough study of Cadbury’s video materials (advertisements), user comments on these videos, news articles and a large number of brand web pages helped us understand the brand from its own perspective as well as that of its users. Armed with all this information, we proceeded to choose the type of eatery that we wanted to design - a resto-bar called Tipsy Bean.
During the next stage of the process, we carefully laid out the demographic and psychographic profiles of the audience we aimed to engage and target. By doing so, we gained a clear understanding of who our target audience was, their characteristics and their preferences. This strategic step played a vital role, as it helped us narrow down our focus and tailor our efforts to create a design that resonates specifically with this audience. With this aim in mind, we set about trying to ensure that our messaging would create a meaningful connection with our intended audience.
Then came the concept development phase of the project. All decisions concerning the identity of the eatery, including its traits and personality, had to logically link back to the values and core messaging of Cadbury. We came up with three complete concepts, with a set of brand names, taglines, motifs, and logos for each. We had the freedom to approach this bit digitally or use traditional mediums (pen and paper) and I chose to move forward digitally. In this process, I went one step ahead and created a mascot as well, since by this time I’d taken a strong liking to cartooning.
All of the work at this stage was then shared with our peers, for them to share their views, comments and feedback. This was extremely helpful - since all of us were in the same boat, peer reviews were often starkly different from the feedback we received from our mentors. For instance, I was hung up on using the shades of colour that are typical of Cadbury, but my batchmate showed me why that wouldn't work for my project and pushed me to experiment with different colour palettes.
Towards the end, we finalised a concept and finished it off by drafting a comprehensive set of brand identity guidelines. This turned out to be the most intense research project I had ever taken on in my entire life. And it was also the best one. Here is my favourite mock-up from this project.
What would you say are your key takeaways from these projects?
The Print and Publication project profoundly changed my thought process, pushing me to explore beyond any limits I’d set for myself. Engaging in the design process revealed hidden stages that would have otherwise remained invisible. I learned to venture into uncharted territory, imagining design changes in spaces that seemed untouchable. It transformed my approach to embracing the unknown and breaking free from conventional norms, resulting in remarkable and unexpected outcomes. I think I learnt to explore beyond what seemed to be possible and eventually design fearlessly without being bothered by what seemed achievable.
I also discovered newfound joy in researching and came to appreciate the immense responsibility that I, as a designer, have in infusing meaning into every aspect of a brand — whether it's the logo, the typography or the colour palette. This realisation deepened my understanding of the art of branding and how a massive brand like Cadbury approaches this creative process. It was a fascinating journey that expanded my perspective and highlighted the significance of thoughtful design in creating impactful brand identities.
What did you love the most about learning design at AND Academy?
It is going to be tough to pinpoint any one thing because I loved everything about my time at AND Academy! Though one aspect that truly amazed me during my journey was the straightforwardness of the feedback sessions with my mentor. Instead of vague statements like "This is good, but it can be better," I received clear and direct feedback. It was refreshingly helpful for me as a designer.
Another thing that stood out was the fact that my mentor pushed me to uncover answers on my own instead of simply handing the answers to me. They nudged me in the direction of the answer, but let me figure it out myself. It's like they held a mirror up to my work, allowing me to see its strengths and weaknesses, and empowering me to find solutions.
The support that the mentors provided was also unparalleled and deserves a mention. There were moments while working on a project when I felt like everything was falling apart, but Prachi Ma'am would encourage me or simply suggest that I take a break for a day. Surprisingly, that day of rest made all the difference and helped elevate my design to the next level.
And the hands-on learning approach employed in the course is truly a game-changer. But what makes it even more impactful is the opportunity it provides for peer learning. This dynamic shifts the vibe from a competitive atmosphere to a collaborative one. I consider myself fortunate to have witnessed a group of individuals growing together, supporting and inspiring one another along the way.
Overall, this experience has been a blend of candid feedback, self-discovery, collaborative growth and continuous learning. It has shaped me not only as a designer but also as an individual, ready to embrace challenges and strive for excellence.
Have you observed any changes in yourself after the course at AND Academy?
Joining AND has been a transformative experience for me. It has provided me with the direction I needed, to stop pursuing experiences aimlessly in trying to find my niche. The course surpassed my expectations, challenging me to grow both personally and professionally.
At first, my primary goal was to learn software, but I soon realised that AND offered so much more. The rigorous curriculum, combined with the guidance of experienced mentors, pushed me to think like a designer and approach every design with clear intention. While there were moments of feeling overwhelmed, the unwavering support from the AND community kept me motivated and inspired.
Through this journey, I have gained confidence in my abilities and developed a mindset of continuous learning and adaptability.
You said something very interesting about wanting to join AND intending to learn to use software programs. Has that undergone any changes?
Yes! At AND, I quickly learned that design transcends software and goes far beyond the confines of what one might find on Pinterest.
Haha, I'm glad we are on the same page on that one.
So, what's next for Chandhine?
Well, I'm excited about pursuing design as a profession. Right now, my goal is to combine my training in the fine arts with my design knowledge to achieve some amazing things. I can't wait to see how these two worlds collide and take my creativity to new heights.
Well, as sad as I am admitting this, I have exhausted my questions for you, Chadhine. And may I say that you handled them spectacularly? Best wishes for resplendent triumphs in all your forthcoming pursuits!
What’s next
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Note: All information and/or data from external sources is believed to be accurate as of the date of publication.
