NetBramha Studios

The Indian National Flag is a symbol of India's sovereignty, unity, and diversity.

👉 Colors and Symbolism: The saffron represents courage and sacrifice, the white symbolizes truth and peace, and the green represents faith and chivalry. The Ashoka Chakra represents the eternal wheel of law.

👉 Proportions: The flag has a ratio of 2:3 (width to length), and the Chakra is a navy blue wheel with 24 spokes.

👉 Evolution: The design of the Indian National Flag has evolved over time. The current design was conceptualized by Pingali Venkayya and was modified over the years to its present form.

👉 Material and Construction: The flag is made of khadi, a hand-spun and hand-woven fabric, which symbolizes India's commitment to self-reliance and sustainability.

👉 Usage Guidelines: There are strict guidelines for the usage and display of the Indian National Flag, including rules regarding its size, color, and positioning.

The sari is a Indian garment that consists of a long piece of cloth draped around the body in various styles.

✅The design of the sari is highly , with numerous ways to drape and style the garment.

✅Cultural Significance: The sari is deeply rooted in Indian culture and tradition, serving as a symbol of grace and elegance.

✅Regional Variations: The design of the sari varies across different regions of India, with each region having its own distinctive style.

For instance, the Kanjeevaram sari from Tamil Nadu is known for its rich silk fabric and intricate zari work, while the Bandhani sari from Gujarat is characterized by its tie-dye technique.

✅Modern Adaptations: While the basic design of the sari has remained largely unchanged for centuries, there have been modern adaptations of the garment to suit contemporary tastes and lifestyles.

What do you like about the design of the Sari?

The Rock Garden in Chandigarh began as a personal project of Nek Chand, a local government official, in 1957.

Chand began collecting and repurposing waste materials from demolition sites around the city.

The design of the Rock Garden is characterized by its layout, with winding pathways leading visitors through a series of interconnected chambers and terraces.

Some key design features about the Rock Garden 👇

👉 Natural and man-made elements: integrates natural elements like rocks and waterfalls with man-made sculptures and structures.

👉 Creative reuse of waste material: Use of recycled materials such as broken bangles, tiles, and ceramic pots to create sculptures and mosaic artworks.

👉 Representation of Indian culture: Sculptures and installations depict scenes and figures from Indian folklore, mythology, and everyday life.

👉 Material origins: The materials used in the construction of the Rock Garden were primarily collected from demolition sites and waste dumps around Chandigarh.

What do you like about Chandigarh’s Rock Garden design?

😱 A game that has more possible board positions than atoms in the observable universe.

Go, also known as Weiqi in Chinese and Baduk in Korean, originated in China 2,500 years ago.

The game is played on a grid board with black and white stones, emphasizing   in design yet offering deep   complexity.

Players take turns placing stones on the board to surround and capture their opponent's pieces while expanding their own territory.

Go offers a rich gameplay experience, requiring strategic planning, spatial reasoning, and  . The number of possible board positions in Go is around 10^170, surpassing that of chess and other games.

Go is deeply ingrained in East Asian culture and has been used as a metaphor for life, philosophy, and strategy.

Go's   design, strategic depth, and   significance have made it a beloved game worldwide.

Any iconic game board designs you think we should feature? 💯

Remember kindergarten?

Vibrant & playful - these spaces served the role of being more than just classrooms.

They played the role of the teacher.

Sounds intriguing doesn’t it?

In the early 20th century, Dr Maria Monterssori, an Italian physician & educator, disrupted the learning ecosystem by transforming the learning space into a teacher itself.

In Montessori teaching methodology, materials are designed to be simple, beautiful, and engaging, allowing children to learn independently.

Here’s why this   is the most widely accepted teaching pedagogy

Child (user)-centered approach: Allowing to explore and learn at their own pace, rather than following a predetermined curriculum.

Engaging experience: Classrooms are equipped with a variety of hands-on materials and activities that are designed to children and encourage learning, discovery, & exploration.

Multi-Age Classrooms: Allowing younger children to learn from older peers and older children to develop skills and empathy.

Environment as a Teacher: With careful paid to the layout, organization, and aesthetics of the space.

Probably one of the best examples of a timeless design, with its roots in India, Snakes & Ladders is a simple board game, enjoyed by people all over the world, of all age groups.

Moksha Patam - as it was called in ancient India, was used as a moral and spiritual tool to teach the concept of karma and destiny.

Over the centuries, Snakes and Ladders evolved from a religious and philosophical tool into a popular board game enjoyed by people around the world.

The design underwent various modifications and adaptations to suit different cultural contexts and preferences.

The gameplay symbolizes the journey of life, where players ascend the ladders through virtuous actions and descend the snakes through sinful actions.

The design incorporates an element of randomness through the use of dice, adding excitement and unpredictability to the game.

Visual elements such as colorful illustrations, vibrant game boards, and engaging characters contribute to the overall design appeal of Snakes and Ladders. .

The game helps develop counting skills, strategic thinking, and social interaction among players, making it a valuable tool for learning and development.

Simple yet deeply symbolic, meaningful, & exciting - Snakes & Ladders brings the best principles of game design into a simple board of 100 grids.

And to think of it, it originated in Ancient India!.

What other famous Designs originating from India can you name?

Tell us in the comments!💯

If you suffer from 🕷 (fear of spiders), this post is not for you.

However, if you do belong to the non spider-fearing demography, this design story might tickle your bone.💡

It's true when they say nature is the best source of for designers. From monuments & structures to one of the most famous , inspiration has ben taken for it all.

An engineering marvel and a source of inspiration for designers, builders, & scientists the spider’s web is an innate example of how nature exhibits its design skills with utmost and excellence. 🕸

Here are the reasons why we consider the spider’s web an iconic design - from both strength & utility perspectives

✅ Material strength - Spider silk is renowned for its high tensile , elasticity, and lightweight nature.

✅Structural strength - Each strand maximizes strength & durability while using minimal material, with each arrangement having high resilience against external forces.

✅Functional Design: The design of a spider's web is inherently , serving as both a trap for catching prey and a means of communication through vibrations 📳

✅Versatile design applications: The design principles of spider webs inspire various technological advancements, architectural structures and medical devices

✅Evolution: Each species has evolved its own unique method of spinning webs, resulting in a diverse array of designs optimized for different hunting strategies and environmental conditions.

✅Efficient material usage: Spiders utilize silk proteins to minimize material waste while maximizing structural integrity. This efficient use of resources reflects a highly evolved design strategy, optimizing both strength and utility.

What fascinates you the most about the spider web design? Tell us in the comments! 💯

From the Indian independence struggle to Bollywood to ramp shows - this humble handspun has seen it all.

With its characteristic rough texture, slubs & irregularities - Khadi’s charm & authenticity speaks volumes about its significance for Indians.

The word khadi comes from “khaddar” aka “hand-woven fabric”, and mention of this & similar handspun can be found in Indian texts such as the Rigveda & Arthrvaveda.

What makes Khadi a milestone design?

✅ Empowering: Provides livelihood to millions of weavers & artisans, championing textile industry in India & the world.

✅ Historical significance: Khadi became a symbol of India’s independence movement, as Gandhi adopted khadi as a non-violent weapon against British Rule.

✅ Eco-friendly: Khadi is inherently sustainable and eco-friendly, as it is made from natural fibers and produced using low-impact, methods.

✅ Versatility: Khadi textiles are versatile and can be used to create a wide range of products, including , accessories, home furnishings, and industrial materials.

✅ Fashion and Design: Khadi has transcended its historical and cultural associations to become a of chic, sustainable fashion and ethical design.

Love khadi? Have any interesting stories/trivia? Share with us in comments!

💥 Walkman walked so that the iPod could run. (Pun intended)

In 1979, Sony’s co-founder Masaru Ibuka, disrupted the way people consumed by designing the world’s first ever walkie-talkie inspired audio contraption that soon became a hashtag icon (not to mention a status symbol for “coolness”).

His hashtag stemmed from his own desire to enjoy music on long flights without disturbing his co-passengers.

In the USA, it was initially marketed as “Soundabout” due to concerns about the name's translation and potential confusion. However, the name soon caught up & still brings back sweet nostalgia of the hip 80s & 90s.

Here are a few qualities that make Walkman a truly hashtag design

✅ Disruptive design : Changed the music landscape forever

✅Compact : Fits in your pocket

✅Portable : Carry it everywhere

✅Intuitive interface: Simple & user friendly operations

✅Empowering users: Gave them more liberty & individuality

✅Enduring legacy: Long-standing cultural icon

✅Accessibility: Affordable price point, intuitive interface

✅Iconic aesthetics: Sleek, modern, & minimalist design

✅Predecessor : Of more iconic designs - iPod, Iphone, etc

What’s your favorite thing about the Walkman? Tell us in comments

From grass to tracking apps, & hygiene has come a long way.

Historically speaking, cotton, wool, & other such materials have always been a part of the routing across cultures, however, , as we know, started taking shape in the early 20th century.

A happy by-product of World War I, Cellucotton, a highly absorbent material, used widely for surgical dressings & bandages, found its way into changing the lives of girls & women across the world.

Kimberly-Clark, the American paper company that developed cellucotton, sought to repurpose this for civilian use, thus the 1st ever sanitary napkin brand “Kotex” was born.

But what makes Kimberly-Clark’s bandage-turned-menstrual-hygiene-innovation (and its successors ) an ?

✅ Innovative functionality: First-ever commercial product that addressed the unique needs of women during

✅ User-centric: , discretion, and ease of use for women.

✅ Portable: Easy to carry, easy to handle, easy to dispose, fits easily in purses/bags

✅ Cultural impact: The shift from traditional methods to disposable sanitary napkins represents a change in cultural attitudes, contributing to increased awareness and open discussions about menstrual health.

With more menstrual safety & protection, women could now live more flexible, , & free lives.

Which other design/invention has had a similar cultural & social impact for women?

Tell us in the comments.

Imagine there’s an internet blackout. You can't access your gpay, phonepe, paytm, etc. What would you do?

👑 “Cash is king” they say.

In India, the king was born in the 1860s. The history of the Indian currency note dates back to the British colonial period, where various forms of the paper notes were introduced.

It was only around 1969 when the notes we all know today, the Mahatma Gandhi Series, were introduced, to commemorate Mahatma Gandhi’s 125th year birth anniversary.

The front side of the notes features a portrait of Mahatma Gandhi and the Ashoka Pillar emblem. The Indian currency note has evolved various times over the years, with different and meanings behind it.

The design elements behind the Indian Rupee note include:

✅ Color scheme: The different denominations are distinguished by distinct colors. For example, the ₹10 note might have a predominantly orange color, while the ₹100 note is violet, the 200 note is orange, and so on.

✅ Security features: Indian currency notes incorporate various security features to prevent counterfeiting. These include watermarks, security threads, latent images, microlettering, and optically variable ink.

✅ Indian Heritage Themes: The reverse side of each note often features images that represent India's rich cultural heritage, historical events, or prominent personalities.

✅ Symbols - In 2010, a new symbol for the Indian Rupee (₹) was officially adopted. This symbol is a blend of the Devanagari letter "र" (ra) and the Roman capital letter "R," representing the identity of the Indian currency.

✅ Diversity: Indian currency notes display denomination values in both Hindi and English numerals. The reverse side often features languages representing India's diverse linguistic heritage.

More than just legal tender, the Indian Rupee note proves to be a testament to the Reserve Bank's commitment to both financial integrity and visual elegance.

Which feature of the Indian note do you find fascinating?

Tell us in the comments.

Designing a app, or any app, for a billion+ population in India is a herculean task.

languages & cultural contexts, digital pe*******on, along with health being a critical yet essential service, reimagining doctor-patient interaction & a 100 other healthcare experiences was arduous path.

Yet 4 million+ users later, Practo has emerged as a winning healthcare app, with more than 50 million appointments booked every year.

How did Practo bridge the gap between an average Indian & the complete gamut of healthcare products?

📄 Robust Research: Practo revamped their app by starting their design process from scratch, aka, redoing their massive , resulting in more insightful user personas, user stories & experience maps.

❤️ Empathy-driven designs: Building trust is critical to any healthcare app. Practo ensured that they built & features in accordance with how Indians view healthcare & what their expectations are.

🏥 Convenient healthcare: Quality healthcare, at the tap of a button - Practo ensures that it's super easy to book appointments, gain quick access to health records, make insurance purchases & more.

What other features of Practo make it 1.5 Million+ Indians’ first choice of healthcare app?

Tell us in comments 💯

🍔 Burgers? 🍟 Fries? 🥤Slushie?

What’s the first name that comes to your mind when you think of fast food?

Embracing simplicity, efficiency, and a bold design, McDonald's has not only the fast-food industry but also etched its brand into the global cultural landscape. 🌏

Let's take a trip down memory lane to explore the roots of its iconic design and the Speedee Service System.

One of its key features was of the menu. 📑

The founders recognized that offering a limited selection of consistently high-quality items would streamline operations and reduce waiting times. ⌛

The system incorporated assembly-line production techniques borrowed from manufacturing processes.

Each worker had a specific task, such as
- flipping burgers
- assembling sandwiches
- managing the fryer
contributing to a more workflow.

The McDonald brothers emphasized standardization in food preparation and service. Every detail, from the cooking time of burgers to the thickness of milkshakes, was carefully standardized to maintain across all orders and locations.

The Speedee Service System was an innovative approach to fast-food service delivery. It departed from the traditional model of lengthy wait times and extensive menus, setting the stage for the fast-food industry's evolution.

McDonald's continues to adapt the Speedee Service System to changing consumer preferences, technological advancements, and market trends.

The introduction of self-order kiosks, digital ordering platforms, and delivery services are examples of ongoing iterations to meet modern customer expectations. 📈

What are some other designs that you think revolutionized food service designs? Tell us in the comments! 🍔

When Ingvar Kampard from Elmtaryd & Agunnaryd (IKEA) started a small mail order business, little did he know, his brand would become synonymous with exceptional .

The design story of IKEA is rooted in the principles of simplicity, functionality, and affordability. Ingvar Kamprad's vision was to create well-designed that could be easily transported and assembled by customers.

Thus, the world’s first ever flat-pack design concept was born - something that how furniture were transported & assembled. 🛠

But the one thing that separates IKEA from any other furniture brand is their holistic customer experience - one that starts from innovative product designs to unique .

Here’s how IKEA continues to champion end-to-end user experience for this staggeringly expansive global customer base: 🌎

✅ Flat-Pack Concept : Reduces cost & environmental impact

✅ Self-Service Model: Encouraging customers to explore the showroom & products

✅ Room Settings: Realistic room settings, allowing better visualization

✅ Product Range: From furniture to kitchenware, everything under one roof

✅ Småland Play Area: Supervised play allowing parents to shop without concerns.

✅ IKEA App: AR, furniture placement, shopping lists, and more!

✅ Clear Signage: Making it easy for customers to navigate through the showroom

✅ Swedish Food Offerings: The in-store restaurants serve traditional Swedish meatballs.

What’s your favorite thing about IKEA?

On day #1 of we talked about the of Mumbai Dabbawallas.
Today, we talk about the design of what they were delivering - The Dabbas (Boxes).

Synonymous with food storage, Tupperware is a invention by a chemist named Earl Tupper (hence, the name Tupperware), that can be traced back to the 1940s.

Equipped with holistic knowledge on plastics Earl went on to design a completely novel & durable plastic with an air-tight lid that expelled air & moisture, keeping the food fresh.

A pioneer in the usage of Polyethylene Plastic, the Tupperware company created something so that it became a talk of the town - be it across Tupperware parties or the Apollo Missions by NASA.

But why is the design of a simple airtight box so important?

✅ Identified critical user pain points (frequent food spoilage) and innovated something to solve it

✅ It was both sturdy & lightweight to ensure a free experience. With a lifetime warranty factor, Tupperware created a trust factor like no other

✅ The stackable-cum-modular design makes it a storage utopia

✅ The vibrant colors ensured high visual & aesthetic appeal

✅ The product was demonstrated & marketed among target users in their own environments

✅ Tupperware has made efforts to introduce eco-friendly products and promote sustainable practices

✅ Tupperware evolved with evolving needs - innovations such as FridgeSmart containers & microwave-safe technology

What more can designers learn from this humble kitchen essential? Tell us in comments.

Rebellious & provocative.

The two words one would hardly associate with religion. The two words one would readily associate with 🎸. However, there is one thing that brings these disparate elements together.

In 1970, when The Rolling Stones were on the prowl for a & memorable logo, they happened to stumble upon John Pasche, a student at the Royal College of Art who went on to create the historic logo.

Tongue & Lips.

Taking heavy inspiration from Goddess Kali, the goddess of death & destruction, the Rolling Stone logo was inducted into the Design Museum in London as one of the "50 Designs that Changed the World."

Here’s why “Tongue & Lips” is a in logo design for creatives everywhere.

✅ Conveys the rebellious, provocative, & bold nature of the band (aka, the brand) easily by clever use of the right colors & visuals

✅ The logo is simple making it versatile & easy to recognize across both print & digital media

✅ The logo transitioned from being the of a specific band to turning into a cultural symbol for rock & roll music across the globe

✅ A great logo is the one people remember. Its simplicity & lends to its memorable nature & enduring success.

Summarizing what The Rolling Stones logo teaches designers

A logo should be:
- Simple
- Unique
- Memorable
- Relevant

Also, don’t hesitate to take inspiration from the most unlikely things!

From books to Big Billion Days, this ecommerce giant has come a long way.

Started by former Amazon employees, Sachin Bansal & Binny Bansal, Flipkart is India’s response to global e-commerce giants - including the founder’s “alma mater” - Amazon.

For a huge chunk of the Indian crowd, Flipkart is/was the entry point into the world of online shopping. With close to 50% growth, year-on-year, especially across tier-2 & 3 Indian cities, Flipkart is one of the most popular online shopping destinations in India.

But what makes the UX of Flipkart so distinct, efficient, & robust that it registers ~ 300 million users every year? Let’s examine:

- Flipkart understands cultural context: Knowing Indians’ hesitation over digital payments (> 10 years ago), Flipkart introduced the “Cash On Delivery” option.
- Flipkart is forever improving: Be it from design, technology, or consumer behavior trends, Flipkart doesn’t shy away from welcoming regular updates & improvements across the platform
- Flipkart owns its end-to-end user experience: With its in-house logistics channel, Flipkart ensures the last mile delivery is swift, seamless, & hassle-free.
- Flipkart has high vernacular reach: Understanding the linguistic diversity of India, Flipkart has incorporated multiple regional languages into its platform.
- Flipkart has a bright, happy visual identity - With its vibrant color contrast of blue & yellow, the ever-so-memorable yellow shopping bag (name: Diggy), easy navigation, & product discovery, Flipkart is the go-to destination for millions of online shoppers.

What elements do you think makes Flipkart a great example for design case study?
Tell us in comments.

Google, Apple, Youtube, & Amazon.
There is one company that beat these tech behemoths in their own game.

With the sheer power of user experience.

Founded in 2006 in Stockholm and named after a portmanteau of “Spot” & “Identify”, this leading music streaming service is the 79th most valuable company in the world, by market cap (read: $23.88 Billion).

So what makes Spotify a scintillating example of product design? Let’s see

- Intuitive Design
- Personalized playlists
- (Eerily!) Accurate recommendation algorithms (Discover weekly, Release radar)
Robustly data-driven
- Listening experience catered to each individual’s preferences
- Seamless music discovery
-Dynamic & responsive UI
-Visually engaging experience (despite being a music-only app)
- Social elements such as collaborative playlists
- Diverse range of content - music to podcasts
- Instantly recognizable brand identity (bright green logo)
- Global accessibility with numerous languages & cultural contexts built in
artist-centric features empowering musicians with audience data insights
- Spotify Wrapped - Yet another masterclass in taking personalization to a whole new level

What’s your favorite thing about Spotify?
Tell us in comments

“Let’s put a pin on it”

Here’s a detailed analysis of how a cliched, corporate jargon spawned one of the most creative logo (for probably the most creatively inspiring brand).

Pinterest’s success can be attributed to a singular factor. It brought back the memories of people pinning letters, lists, recipes, announcements on actual boards. A great example of taking inspiration from regular, physical designs to build digital products.

But today, we will focus just on Pinterest’s logo.
- A simple white pin on a red background.

- Great contrast.

- Attention-grabbing color.

- Minimalism with a cursive font. A great blend of tradition & modernity.

The P in the logo which is also a Pin is strategically crafted to resonate with Pinterest's core purpose.

- The logo nudges users towards the act of pinning images on virtual boards.
- The colors represent love, passion, and curiosity within creative community (while also democratizing creative inspiration)
- The subtle design choice of stylizing the elongated tail of the "P" as a needle adds depth, reinforcing the platform's functionality and enhancing its storytelling aspect.

TL;DR - The logo checks all the boxes. It's creative. It talks about how to use the platform. It grabs attention. It has a whimsical storytelling side. It's unique. And its stands outside the sea of app icons on your phone.

Tell us in comments, what do you think of the Pinterest app?

Do you currently live with flatmates?
Do you often face trouble with paying rent?
If yes, this design story might be of your interest.

During the 2008 recession, when Brian Chesky, Nathan Blecharczyk, and Joe Gebbia were struggling to make ends meet, aka afford rent in San Francisco.

That’s when they came up with a crazy idea - of renting out their air mattresses during a design conference in the city.

With air mattress, came breakfast.

And with that the most disruptive design in the travel industry.

The beginning of Air Bed & Breakfast, or Airbnb, couldn't have happened at a more perfect time. The recession made people
- Look for cheaper places to live (guests)
- Look for sources of side income (hosts)

So how did Airbnb take this great idea & scale it globally?

- Robust service design for end-to-end staying needs (searching, booking, stay, reviews), aka not just room booking but a holistic travel experience

- Positive & intuitive experience for complete gamut of users - hosts & guests

- Safety of users given utmost importance - verified accounts, secure payments etc

- Sense of community, diversification into “experiences” & “trips”, empowerment of hosts, & many such value additions

- The service design takes into account the diversity of its global user base - availability in multiple languages, considers cultural nuances, & personalization

As a designer, what design inspiration can you draw from Airbnb? Tell us in comments.