Designing To Delight

As Global Head of Design, GCPL Design Lab, Darshan Gandhi leads an award-winning team of inter-disciplinary designers in their quest to transform brands and create delightful experiences for consumers in a rapidly evolving market

What, in your opinion, shapes a delightful design experience for a consumer today?

DG: Optimization: It’s the key factor for future design solutions. This is absolutely essential to save disproportionate time, and to do more in life more effortlessly.

Non-fussy and super-easy-to-use solutions anchored in latest trends: That would mean cost savings, compactness, and ease of use in addition to hi-tech, minimal and green solutions without compromising the best-in-class experience. The expectations of consumers are very high. Designers really need to pull their sleeves up as creating delight has become harder with changing technology, environments and lifestyles.

Of course, distinctive esthetics and aspirational brand positioning play a huge role in the FMCG sector too.

What has been the role of design education in your career?

DG: If you have a creative gene, problem-solving mindset and an architect attitude, then design education fuels you with more tools, mediums and principles to shape the ideas more methodically. Most importantly, it brings a planet- and human-centric perspective to the center of every design decision you take.

I studied Interior Architecture before doing a Post Graduation in Lifestyle Product Design at the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad. I still enjoy quite a bit of space design as and when I get a chance. Doing a GMP program from Harvard Business School further helped my design practice at GCPL with more business relevance and objectivity in how one can better lead an in-house design function. Overall, I like the diversity and variety in my work, which keeps me creatively stimulated.

Tell us about your journey at Godrej.