Designers of India: The Work Culture We Promote

Recognizing the people behind the work, nurturing young talent, and building a stronger design community.

Having worked in the design industry and now building my own studio, there is something I have felt strongly about for a long time: designers in India deserve greater recognition for the work they do.

As a designer myself, I understand that what we create is rarely just about the final product. Behind every design are hours of thought, research, experimentation, problem-solving and countless decisions that may never be visible to the person experiencing the finished piece.

Yet, more often than not, the recognition goes to the brand, the company or the person at the top, while the people who contribute to the work remain in the background.

I have always felt that we need to do better.

I understand that an employer hires someone for a role, pays them a salary and expects them to fulfil their responsibilities. That is how a professional relationship works. But I also believe that the value of a designer's contribution cannot be measured by their salary alone.

Recognition, encouragement, trust and the freedom to express ideas are equally important. They help people grow, find confidence in their abilities and develop the courage to think beyond what they already know.

And I believe this is where we, as founders and people building design businesses, have a responsibility.

We have the opportunity to create work cultures that do more than simply get the job done. We can build environments where young designers feel comfortable sharing their ideas, where their efforts are acknowledged, where mistakes become opportunities to learn, and where good work is recognized regardless of who has created it.

A young designer entering the industry today may not have years of experience, but that does not mean they lack ideas, imagination or potential. Sometimes, all they need is the right environment, a little encouragement and someone willing to trust them with an opportunity.

We should remember that confidence is built over time, and the way people are treated in their early years can shape the professionals they become.

As founders, we are not just building companies. We are also influencing the people who will eventually shape the future of our industry.

And this matters beyond any one firm.

India has extraordinary creative talent. If we want Indian design to make a stronger mark on the global stage, we need to invest not only in our products, brands and businesses, but also in the people behind them. We need to nurture young designers, encourage original thinking, acknowledge individual contributions and create opportunities for talent to flourish.

Every firm has many people contributing to its journey. There may be a founder whose vision started it all, but there are also designers who develop that vision, artisans who bring it to life, and teams whose collective effort makes the work possible.

Every person matters. Every contribution matters. And every person who helps build something deserves to feel that they are a part of it.

This is the kind of work culture I believe we should be promoting, one where ambition and business growth go hand in hand with respect, encouragement and recognition.

I know that building such a culture is an ongoing process. It requires awareness, intention and a willingness to question practices simply because they have always been done a certain way.

But change has to begin somewhere. And as founders, we have the opportunity to begin within our own organizations.

For me, the success of a design firm should not be measured only by the work it produces, the clients it serves or the recognition its brand receives. It should also be reflected in the people who grow within it, the confidence they develop and the opportunities they go on to create for themselves and others.

If we want to take Indian design forward, perhaps we need to start by looking a little closer to home, at how we treat, encourage and recognize the designers working alongside us.

Because building the future of Indian design is not just about creating better designs. It is about creating the right environment for the people who will design that future.

And that is the work culture I believe we should promote.

Mona Ranjan 
Founder | Anom Studio Atelier