Manoj Phulambrikar.
With a career spanning nearly four decades, Manoj Phulambrikar has quietly shaped visual communication across industries-from global brands to grassroots initiatives. Known for his belief that simplicity is the ultimate sophistication, his work blends artistic insight with strategic clarity. Now, extending his creative voice into literature with his novel Paper Boat Journeys, he reflects on a journey that moves seamlessly between design, advertising, and storytelling.
Your design philosophy emphasizes simplicity in the final output despite a complex creative process. How did this approach evolve over your career?
Design simplicity is sophistication made practical. You throw several balls at a person, and they won't catch any. Throw one, and they likely will. Ditto with a communication message. Clarity of thought drives creativity, whether in logos, exhibitions, or web communication. Over time, practising design, working in advertising, engaging with art and photography, and immersing yourself in life shapes your aesthetics.
You've worked with global brands like Unilever, Guess, and Benetton. What were some defining moments or campaigns that shaped your creative journey?
Double ice-cream scoops of different colours, and crayons forming a two-storey showroom, announced a Benetton store. For a dishwashing liquid, a film showed skyscrapers built from washed dishes, demonstrating how one bottle cleans thousands of dishes. Garlic among strawberries cautioned you not to take freshness for granted; use deodorant when around other people. Each work becomes a play of imagination, an experience.
With experience spanning industries-from banking and airlines to software and jewellery-how do you adapt your creative thinking across such diverse sectors?
You recognize the need behind the work and its value to the customer. Interior graphics for a software firm should enthuse employees and foster belonging. Those visuals must grow on you. When a bank offers a car as a lucky draw for a credit card, the advertisement shows a car with a gold or platinum card in place of the number plate. I thrive on this diversity.
You founded your design consultancy in 2002. What vision did you have when starting it, and how has it evolved over the years?
I wanted to do belief-led work. Clients recognize good design and advertising when they see it. With my design education at NID, experience in a petrochemicals conglomerate, and work in advertising agencies, I wanted to fully practise what I had learned. The work ranged from software and retail to an art museum. Now, after almost three decades, I take on only a few select projects.
During your time at Lowe Lintas and BatesPangulf, you handled both visual design and messaging. How important is it for a creative professional to balance art direction with copywriting?
Words and visuals have a symbiotic interplay, and emphasis depends on the work. Communication is always a "message". Messaging is the abstract canvas, while copywriting is its finite form. Visual design can also carry meaning on its own. I love literature as much as art direction, so for me it was a natural journey. It helps when a visual person becomes comfortable with language, and a copywriter develops sensitivity to art direction.
Early in your career, you worked on socially impactful projects like safety awareness post-Bhopal and promoting drip irrigation. How did these experiences influence your perspective on design and communication?
I applied my design learning to real-life situations. Industries are often surrounded by age-old villages and informal construction - a complex social context. Communicating with people with low literacy, without creating panic or allowing political misuse, was a challenge. Writing a communication report on drip irrigation for the Planning Commission offered a window into policy, while multilingual communication at the ground level supported marketing. This exposed me to policy frameworks, business complexities, and the clarity needed to translate them into meaningful design solutions.
You've mentioned that honesty is essential for creativity. How does this principle reflect in your work and approach to advertising?
Honesty means being true to your creative expertise, making every piece of work the best it can be. I also refused work on cigarettes and fairness creams as they conflicted with my beliefs, even though these clients contributed to agency revenue.
As a board member of design schools, what changes do you see in today's design education, and what advice would you give to aspiring designers?
Design schools are evolving as platforms for exposure and experimentation. While technology continues to influence design, a designer must give it meaning. Since it's a passion-led field, that involvement is important. At its core, design sits at a fulcrum between opposites: art and technology, logic and randomness, reason and emotion.
You transitioned into writing and eventually authored a novel. What inspired you to explore storytelling, and how does writing differ from visual communication for you?
I love literature and have written scripts in the past, so the transition was natural. Over time, characters formed in my imagination, and I started committing their voices to paper. Character and story are like two strands of DNA that grow together. Visual communication is narrowly focused; a novel is multi-dimensional and layered with meaning. You write, then write over it again, like tracing paper where earlier lines remain faintly visible. The novel Paper Boat Journeys explores these layers.
After nearly four decades in the industry, what continues to inspire you creatively, and how do you define success at this stage of your journey?
Creativity is a search, and that search leads to discovery and learning. This continues to inspire me. Success lies in creating work of high standards that serves its purpose, whether it is the personal satisfaction of a painting or a design solution that benefits the end user.
