Suitcase Design

Challenge
VIP Industries (Aristocrat) wanted to launch a new product in the 'volume driver' hard luggage segment to increase its domestic and export growth. This hard luggage design was targeted towards the traveler with a heart for rough travel.

Elephant Research
Design Team shadowed and observed users of hard luggage at transit points, cloak rooms, car boots, conveyor belts, staircases, escalators and so on. The design research also included understanding buying decisions. In–depth interviews were conducted with the users to get to the core of functional & psychological concerns. Ergonomic considerations were plotted to make the bag as user friendly as possible.

Elephant Solution
The design effort was aligned towards providing
user-friendly features for the budget conscious traveler while giving him contemporary and robust aesthetics. This was achieved keeping the overall product light weight. The suitcase has been designed and launched in two sizes, 31" & 27" and in a number of colors.

The design solution incorporates many innovations:

• The number lock, placed at an angle can be read easily irrespective of the suitcase being kept in the vertical or horizontal position.
 
• A push button activated handle that quickly releases to become a pull out handle for easy free wheeling.
 
• The shell of the suitcase has been designed to prevent rain water from trickling into the insides.
 
• Weight of suitcase is lesser than any other in the same category.
 
• Castors are protected by built-in design features.
 

Launch
The suitcase was successfully launched under the brand Carlton in UK and is being sold in India as Admiral with encouraging results

Lux Festive Glow

Challenge
Unilever wanted to launch a LUX variant with local beauty secrets, the key content being a traditional mix of herbs used during festivals for a glowing skin. Challenge was to adhere to the international guidelines of Lux packaging and yet differentiate by enhancing local proposition.

Elephant Research
Design team studied the ethnic visual clues related to festivals to capture actionable insights. The key content of this variant is called ubtan (State of Uttar Pradesh), Utane (Maharashtra State) & Nalagupindi (State of Andhra Pradesh).

Elephant Solution
Naming for this variant was done by Elephant. It is called Festive Glow with a descriptor in three scripts for a warmer connect with the audience. This may be the first time that Lux packaging contains three languages! The packaging design cues festival symbols and colors with silk red backdrop with gold patterns & logo in Gold. Local-global was the over-riding theme.

Results
A successful launch that increased market share and also managed to establish a connection with
the audience.

Global Recognition

Rebrand 100 Awards
Electronica Corporate Identity Elephant Strategy + Design was recognized for designing one of the world's best rebrands in the second annual ReBrand 100 Awards announced recently. Elephant was recognized for successfully enabling Electronica Ltd to announce a clear transformation for the better in meeting strategic objectives. Electronica limited is a leading machine tools and allied equipment company with a global map. The jury believed that the rebrand exercise was intelligently executed and gave ample evidence of the positive transformation across organization, specific business units as well as product lines.

18 countries and 41 industry sectors entered this year's annual awards.

Worldwide Identity Book
The Worldwide Identity book features Design Excellence rooted in local culture from forty countries selected by an international panel of ICOGRADA board.

Team Elephant takes pride in being part of this book and representing design from India. Corporate identity programme done for Bajaj Auto and an innovative terracotta cookware with non-stick coating branded as Nirlep "Bhoomi" are featured in this book.
 
 

Saturday Evenings: Calligraphy Workshop

Our young designer Taruja, conducted a presentation and workshop on calligraphy for the Elephant Team amongst the palm trees. This workshop got the teams away from computers to the brushes, papers, free strokes and dripping colors. It was hugely enjoyable and Taruja has got requests from everyone for more!