BENGALURU, February 2026 — In a world built on colors, patterns, and psychology, the “Brut Table – Adobe Creative Cloud Edition” has brought together India’s leading design minds to dismantle the myths of brand building. From the founders of Co-Design and Studio Sorted to digital product experts at Swiggy, the verdict is clear: a logo is the last thing a designer should think about.

The “Personality” Before the Pencil

For the elite designers behind India’s biggest brands, the process begins far from the drawing board. Rajesh Kejriwal of Co-Design and the team at Studio Sorted emphasized that brands are essentially people—some are funny, some are cynical, and others are strictly functional.

The panel revealed a counter-intuitive secret: postpone the visual design. By diving deep into strategy first, designers avoid the trap of “recycling” old inspirations. The goal is to answer three questions: What is it? Who is it for? And what emotion must it evoke?

139 Iterations: The Royal Enfield Secret

The episode provided a rare look into the perfectionism required for global icons. During the rebranding of Royal Enfield, the designers revealed they performed 139 iterations on the “R” in the logotype after the client had already signed off on the final version.

The reasoning? “One day, this will be at a traffic light… if it’s not right, I’ll kill myself,” joked one designer. This obsessive attention to detail ensures that the brand survives the “test of time,” much like the enduring mascots of Amul or Fevicol.

The AI Revolution: Support, Not Replacement

As Artificial Intelligence reshapes creative industries, the panel showcased how they integrated tools like Adobe Firefly into their workflow. From generating 360-degree product mockups to creating the “grumpy cat” mascot for Swiggy’s InsanelyGood (formerly Snack), AI is treated as a “high-speed support tool.”

However, a significant boundary remains:

• What AI can do: Rapidly blend styles, generate mood boards, and handle “garbage-in” brainstorming.
• What AI cannot do: Enter a boardroom and convince stakeholders why a specific design is the right strategic move for their future.

Fonts to Ban and Lessons Learned

The conversation turned “fiery” during a rapid-fire round where designers called for a permanent ban on the Jokerman and Arial fonts, labeling them “weird” and “functional but soul-less.”

For aspiring students, the veterans offered a reality check:

1. Work in a studio first: “Build your superpower before you build your own spaceship.”
2. Accounting matters: The hardest lesson learned early on wasn’t about design—it was about business.
3. Don’t fall in love: Never become too attached to your own designs, as the brief can (and will) change after the third meeting.

Bottom Line

The era of “just making it look pretty” is over. Whether it’s designing an energy drink for Bangalore’s traffic-weary commuters or a modern Indian grocery brand in New Zealand, great design is about consistent world-building. As the panel concluded, a brand is truly successful when you recognize it even if the name is missing.