Brand Value

ISSUE: 130

A first-generation Indian American, Badal Patel believes her cultural influences add meaning and purpose to her work as a designer and creative director

How has your cultural background shaped the way you design?

BP: Design is about problem-solving and having different perspectives is always great when thinking of a solution. My hyphenated background as in Indian American allows me to think, communicate, and be inspired in different ways. Culture is what adds meaning, character, and depth so I always try to tap into that through all the design phases.

How do you balance creativity and the commercial side of it?

BP: This is a challenge because as designers we tend to be so passionate about the work that we get lost in the hours, days, and months we spend tweaking it. If you’re working a full-time job, it might not be as big an issue, but once you start freelancing or working independently you quickly realize how important it is to have boundaries and deadlines. It’s very important to set a specific scope of work with dates attached to keep yourself in check so you’re not operating at a loss. It’s definitely tricky to navigate and I’m still learning how to get better at this.

How do you overcome a creative block?

BP: By simply not doing anything related to the project. Depending on how much time I have, I might opt to go out with friends, get dinner, go for a walk, watch a movie, or if I don’t have time to spare, I’ll switch to a different project that needs to get done. Giving your brain a break is an important part of the process!

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