In this edition of our student journeys, Shivani Khurana, a talented graphic designer, shares her transformative learning journey as she enters the world of Graphic design alongside a detailed walkthrough of her capstone project.
“The biggest learning was the convergent and divergent thinking that we learned... For all projects I now take up, even my freelancing projects, I think about this and apply the learning.”
Back with another insightful student journey, this time we are in conversation with Shivani Khurana- 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:
- Shivani’s background and interests
- What sparked her interest in Graphic Design?
- Project Brief
- Walkthrough of her Decathlon Project
- Process for creating moodboard, and logos.
- Challenges faced by her on the Project
- Top three aspects of her experience at AND Academy
- Her career aspirations as a Graphic Designer
- Advice for aspiring Graphic designers
Q1. Shivani, tell us a bit about your journey. What was your experience in textile design like, and what interests do you have beyond design?
Hello! I’m Shivani Khurana. My journey in design has been one of evolution. I started my design career about five or six years back as a textile designer. I worked in the industry for some time as a print designer, and then I realized that I wanted something different, something more. So I switched to graphic design. It’s a funny story because when I was applying for design colleges for my bachelor's degree, I never even looked at visual communication as a career option. I thought, “Okay, not this.” But now, I see myself in that industry, and I just laugh, thinking “Why didn't I opt for this career back then? I studied textile design for four years, and now I’m studying graphic design”.
My professional background is rooted in my undergraduate studies, which focused on textile design, specifically the application of soft materials. I studied at the Indian Institute of Craft and Design in Jaipur. It’s a craft-based institute, so I worked very closely with craftsmen and studied a wide range of different crafts. I was, and still am, really passionate about crafts. Deep down, I want to bring some change and contribute my skills to that industry. I feel I can put in more as a graphic designer compared to a textile designer. After college, I worked for a year and a half at Shambhavi's print design studio in Jaipur- a well-known establishment. After doing all that, I realized something else was also needed.
Outside of my profession, I am more of a nature-loving person. I love fitness, and sports like Badminton and Yoga.
Sounds like you found your true calling in design
Q2. What pushed you towards graphic design, and why did AND Academy's mentorship-driven, live-class model appeal to you?
After my job, when I was looking for other options, I knew that marketing and related fields were something I enjoyed. But, I didn't want to go in the typical MBA direction; books are just not my thing, and I know I am a creative person.
During that time, I came across a few Instagram accounts of educators who were posting their work related to graphic design and logo design. That clicked with me. I saw the interesting typography and realized they were incorporating marketing and using their creativity to build brands. That was my Eureka moment. I thought, “I want to do something like this." I realized branding is something I'm interested in.
In the past, I had tried studying through YouTube and did a couple of fashion projects by myself to test my skills. But after that, I realized I wanted some one-on-one mentorship-led guidance, which YouTube couldn't provide. There was nobody who could help me understand what is right, what is wrong, and how I can improve. I was just learning and applying skills, but the feedback part was missing.
That’s when I was searching for options. After doing my undergrad for four years, I was unwilling to pursue a two-year master's in design. And having already relocated for my undergrad and job, I didn’t want to move to a different city again. So when I found AND Academy, it fit well with all my needs. They offered live, interactive classes, which meant I didn't have to relocate. Initially, I thought the one-and-a-half-year course was a bit long, but now I realize it is absolutely worth it. I have friends who did shorter four- or six-month cohorts elsewhere, and when I compare my learning to theirs, it's very different. AND Academy teaches in-depth; that takes time and definitely makes a difference.
That's wonderful, everything you mentioned truly reflects what we stand for.
Q3. Let's dive into your branding project for the Decathlon-sponsored fitness event. Can you describe the project brief and your initial research?
The project was about designing a logo and other assets for a brand. We were given a couple of different themes to choose from as a batch – there was a sports event, a filmmaking event, a food festival, etc. We had to choose one we were more interested in. I enjoy fitness, so I chose the fitness theme.
Design Approach
The context given to us was of a fitness event sponsored by Decathlon. My first step was to start with research to understand the landscape. I looked at the trend of marathons in India – the Delhi Marathon, half marathons, and 10K marathons. I started my branding from there, and also looked at brands like Decathlon and its sub-brand, Decathlon Play.
The vision behind this fitness event was to create an offline, weekend event for people who are busy throughout the week and want a refreshing break. It needed to be a place that was inclusive of every age group – parents, friends, elders, and kids. It wasn't about high-pressure fitness; it was about community and enjoyment.
Your brief lays out each step clearly, showing both clarity and precision
Q4. Can you walk us through how you developed the core strategy and brand purpose for the Decathlon project?
It started with surveys with my friends and acquaintances to understand what would interest them in terms of sports and activities. I gathered a lot of information through podcasts and interviews on YouTube as well. From all this, I was able to categorize different customer segments. One was the "curious beginner," someone who has never been into fitness but wants to start. Another was "working women," a segment that, you know, really doesn't prioritize their health. I've had conversations with a lot of mothers who think doing household chores is enough, but that's not actual fitness. The third persona was a "retired" person, like my recently retired mother, for whom taking care of fitness is crucial.
Project USP
After categorizing these customers, we were able to highlight certain USPs of the event. We identified that it needed to be a community-driven event, have an inclusive environment for all ages, and offer professional training, especially since elderly people would be coming and would need good, safe guidance.
This all fed into what we called a "brand iceberg model." There's a lot beneath the surface of a brand, and this model helped outline all those details. The visible aspects of branding – the logo, colors, imagery – would be derived from the invisible parts beneath the surface. These included the purpose of the event, the core values, the target audience, and other strategic aspects.
This model helped us understand how we would communicate the brand's tone of voice. Depending on the target audience – for instance, if it includes kids – the tone would be very playful. This framework helped. Thanks to this research, I was able to outline all the details and move on to the next stage. The visual aspect, like the logo and typography, all came from this strategic foundation.
Yeah, that's a very cool concept.
Q5. Tell us about your process for creating the mood board, sketching logos, and even developing a mascot.
Okay, so after the research, I did a trend study to understand competitor brands like Huma and Fitter Cult, which are gym chains, to see how they communicate with their audience. I also studied brands targeting the elderly group, and brands like Lego and Club Mahindra with a colorful palette to create a sense of inclusivity and attract families.
Project Moodborad
From all this understanding, I derived a mood board for my project. This defined my logo, the overall mood of my brand, and the typography it would use. I explored a few different directions. One was an energetic, dynamic direction; another was more vibrant, playful, and about togetherness and fun. The key idea was to keep a happy feeling of community and enjoyment. It wasn't about pressure; it was about enjoying the process of staying fit. I wanted people to feel relaxed, not overwhelmed.
Typography Selection
This led to the Design Inception Sheet, where I listed all the research from different phases. It follows a chronological order: the inner circle is the context of the event, the second circle is the mood and personality, and the third circle is how the final branding (colors, tone of voice) is derived from the first two. The tone of voice, for instance, had to be encouraging, supportive, exciting, and energetic.
After finalizing the mood board, I went on to sketch a lot of logo ideas – a gazillion of them! My notepad has even more than what I put on my Miro board. I was ideating on abstract concepts, keeping the key idea of "flow" intact. It shouldn't feel rigid; it should feel welcoming. I did a color palette exploration because I wanted it to be colorful. I also did typography exploration.
Final Logo
I even wanted a mascot for my event, thinking of how the Olympics or Commonwealth Games have mascots that people associate with. I thought of a monkey – a fun, playful animal that all age groups can connect with. I sketched out different ways it could stand, maybe hold a ball. I also explored icons for the brand for communication on social media and brand patterns. After selecting a few ideas and narrowing them down, I finalized a particular logo. The final logo is a 'K' (for the brand name 'Kinnect'), but it also resembles a human in a stretching position, with round edges to look friendly. I also created a version where 'Kinnect' comes along with the 'K' mark. This was just a fraction of the exploration I did.
That’s a clear and thoughtful approach.
Q6. What were the biggest challenges you faced, and the key learnings from this project, especially around divergent thinking?
Yes, there were a lot of challenges. When I was designing the brand iceberg model, it got rejected around 3 to 5 times for sure. I was really like, "Why is this not getting approved? I'm not able to move further!" At that time, it felt like everyone else in my batch was moving ahead, and I was stuck. The reason it was getting rejected was that it wasn't unique. My mentor, Shreyashree Ma'am, kept mentioning that it looked like a replica of Decathlon. It didn't have its own unique aspect or USP. She insisted that I work more on the iceberg model because all the research I had done wasn't properly deriving into a unique brand identity. I'm really happy she guided me through that process, because now my branding speaks for itself.
Another challenge was figuring out the visual language. As I mentioned, I wanted it to be colorful and playful, but it shouldn't go in a direction that only children could associate with. It couldn't look like a brand made just for a child, because my target audience was very broad. That is also why I went down the path of studying so many brands, from sports brands to elderly travel brands, to find that balance. All of that helped me eventually.
If I talk about learning, the biggest one was the concept of convergent and divergent thinking. We had a workshop in this module specifically about it. We were using this thinking process in earlier modules as well, but in this module, these terms were really highlighted. Learning to first diverge – explore a gazillion different ideas – and then converge – narrow down to one strong, finalized concept – was a process that helped me. Even now, in my career and freelancing projects, I think about this process and apply this skill.
It’s clear from your reflection that you put a lot of thought into your design journey.
Q7. What were the top three aspects of your learning experience at AND Academy that impacted you the most?
Okay, so the top three most impactful aspects for me were, for sure, the live classes, the mentors, and the peers.
First, the live classes. For this, I'll give you a little backstory. I had done a one-month course from another academy before, and it was just a recorded session. It really didn't give me any learning, just a certificate at the end of the day that nobody looks at. So, live classes were a really important aspect I was looking for, and that's why I enrolled. They helped me so much, even in the branding module. There were times I was stuck, and I could just go to my mentor and say, "I'm stuck, I need some help."
That brings me to the second aspect: the extremely helpful mentors. My mentor, Shreyashree Ma’am, helped me even beyond the classes. We were able to connect, and she was helping me through the process. The review sessions are also a form of mentorship. They help us improve our work through constructive criticism. I have seen destructive criticism in my bachelor's juries, and as a student, you get demotivated. But at AND, it was all about constructive criticism, and that helped me.
The third aspect is the peers. Everyone is supportive. If I just go on my WhatsApp group and tag my mentor or peers and say, "I need some help, I need some feedback," everybody is up for helping in some way. The placement support we get throughout is also impressive.
That's great to know.
Q8. What are your current career aspirations? What roles or industries are you targeting?
During my course at AND, I also started working as a graphic design intern with a studio because I really wanted to apply my skills. Whatever I'm learning, I want to apply it in the industry. After doing that for about four months, I am now freelancing, because with the course, I feel freelancing fits really well.
Post my course, I am still in a stage of figuring things out. I'm not really sure if I'm going in the direction of freelancing or a full-time job. But with a long-term vision, I would say I want to build a career where I'm directly working with the clients. So maybe my dream is to create my own studio. A businesswoman is something I aspire to be.
That sounds really interesting.
Q9. What's your key advice for someone starting a similar graphic design journey?
For me, when I was pursuing my undergraduate degree, I was really not clear on what I wanted to do. I was in a mindset of just wanting to explore. I believe that's a good thing to have- that desire to explore- but it's also important to start getting clarity on it during the process. So my advice would be to just explore and learn as much as possible.
During our modules at AND, sometimes the deadlines are really short. But we just have to keep our focus on learning. If we rush towards just making the submission, we end up doing mediocre work, and that doesn't work. Observing and being patient with the subject you're studying helps.
Also, ask a lot of questions. I feel that helps in the journey. We are all very interactive throughout the class; we just ask questions, and that helps us learn more because we don't know everything. Try not to be shy; just ask.
That’s excellent guidance—start now and adjust on the way.
Shivani Khurana's path from Textile Designer to Graphic Designer is a story of rediscovery and adaptation. Her journey demonstrates that basic art skills can lead to new creative opportunities. Design education and a willingness to learn also play important roles.
Her experience at AND Academy shows how important it is to have supportive mentors and highlights the value of an interactive learning environment. Peer collaboration is powerful, even when learning online.
Feeling inspired by Shivani's journey? Explore how AND Academy's Graphic Design courses can help you refine your skills and build a strong portfolio. Contact our Course Advisors to learn more about our programs and start your own design career today!
Note: All information and/or data from external sources is believed to be accurate as of the date of publication.
