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Notes

Short thoughts from my journal on design, business, life, and the concepts I’m learning.

Note 005 ╱ 28 December 2025

Importance of a Good Brief

I've seen teams fail at having a proper brief, and then they work in different directions. Designers make assumptions. Clients expect one thing, design team deliver another. Everything becomes subjective. Revisions pile up because no one agreed on what success looks like in the first place. Everyone wastes time fixing things that could have been clear from day one.

A brief is the foundation. It shows us the full picture before we even start the actual work. A confused brief is just as bad. When the goals are vague or contradictory, the work reflects that. We end up chasing moving targets. The project drags on. Creative energy gets burned on rework instead of actual creativity.

A good brief changes all of this. It connects creative work to clear business goals. It makes us think beyond making things look pretty and focus on what actually works. It answers the why before we touch the how.

There's no universal template. But there are topics worth covering. Audience understanding, emotional strategy, value proposition, execution approach. Questions like who's the audience? What emotion do we want them to feel? What do we need to learn before we start? These questions keep everyone on the same page and set expectations early.

The brief is where the story begins. It helps us understand why we're even doing the project in the first place. Without it, we're just guessing.

We've been using a set of questions to write proper briefs for every project. Fill them in with as much detail as possible. It makes everything that comes after easier.

Check our template here.


I've seen teams fail at having a proper brief, and then they work in different directions. Designers make assumptions. Clients expect one thing, design team deliver another. Everything becomes subjective. Revisions pile up because no one agreed on what success looks like in the first place. Everyone wastes time fixing things that could have been clear from day one.

A brief is the foundation. It shows us the full picture before we even start the actual work. A confused brief is just as bad. When the goals are vague or contradictory, the work reflects that. We end up chasing moving targets. The project drags on. Creative energy gets burned on rework instead of actual creativity.

A good brief changes all of this. It connects creative work to clear business goals. It makes us think beyond making things look pretty and focus on what actually works. It answers the why before we touch the how.

There's no universal template. But there are topics worth covering. Audience understanding, emotional strategy, value proposition, execution approach. Questions like who's the audience? What emotion do we want them to feel? What do we need to learn before we start? These questions keep everyone on the same page and set expectations early.

The brief is where the story begins. It helps us understand why we're even doing the project in the first place. Without it, we're just guessing.

We've been using a set of questions to write proper briefs for every project. Fill them in with as much detail as possible. It makes everything that comes after easier.

Check our template here.


I've seen teams fail at having a proper brief, and then they work in different directions. Designers make assumptions. Clients expect one thing, design team deliver another. Everything becomes subjective. Revisions pile up because no one agreed on what success looks like in the first place. Everyone wastes time fixing things that could have been clear from day one.

A brief is the foundation. It shows us the full picture before we even start the actual work. A confused brief is just as bad. When the goals are vague or contradictory, the work reflects that. We end up chasing moving targets. The project drags on. Creative energy gets burned on rework instead of actual creativity.

A good brief changes all of this. It connects creative work to clear business goals. It makes us think beyond making things look pretty and focus on what actually works. It answers the why before we touch the how.

There's no universal template. But there are topics worth covering. Audience understanding, emotional strategy, value proposition, execution approach. Questions like who's the audience? What emotion do we want them to feel? What do we need to learn before we start? These questions keep everyone on the same page and set expectations early.

The brief is where the story begins. It helps us understand why we're even doing the project in the first place. Without it, we're just guessing.

We've been using a set of questions to write proper briefs for every project. Fill them in with as much detail as possible. It makes everything that comes after easier.

Check our template here.


Note 004 ╱ 27 December 2025

The Signal of Trust

Products and their design in the same industry or with a common audience all look so similar. It's a signal. When something looks familiar, it tells people, "This is legit and worth your time." They expect it to look a certain way, and that familiarity builds trust.

People aren't just buying products. They're seeking this signal. The status markers. Whether they want to maintain where they are or move up, they're looking for something that feels familiar. Something that reminds them of what they already know and trust. Our job is to give them that feeling, but make it fresh enough to feel new and distinctly ours.

The vernacular matters. If we don't speak the language our audience expects through color, typeface, photography, copy, and more, we're immediately outsiders. It's like showing up to a conversation and not knowing the local slang.

That's what a good designer gives the audience. A way to fit in. They make what's expected because they understand the audience. They know what people are used to seeing, what makes them feel comfortable.

And a great designer knows when to break expectations. They'll talk differently, but not so differently that you lose the people you're trying to reach. It's a balance. Familiar enough to connect, bold enough to stand out.

Products and their design in the same industry or with a common audience all look so similar. It's a signal. When something looks familiar, it tells people, "This is legit and worth your time." They expect it to look a certain way, and that familiarity builds trust.

People aren't just buying products. They're seeking this signal. The status markers. Whether they want to maintain where they are or move up, they're looking for something that feels familiar. Something that reminds them of what they already know and trust. Our job is to give them that feeling, but make it fresh enough to feel new and distinctly ours.

The vernacular matters. If we don't speak the language our audience expects through color, typeface, photography, copy, and more, we're immediately outsiders. It's like showing up to a conversation and not knowing the local slang.

That's what a good designer gives the audience. A way to fit in. They make what's expected because they understand the audience. They know what people are used to seeing, what makes them feel comfortable.

And a great designer knows when to break expectations. They'll talk differently, but not so differently that you lose the people you're trying to reach. It's a balance. Familiar enough to connect, bold enough to stand out.

Products and their design in the same industry or with a common audience all look so similar. It's a signal. When something looks familiar, it tells people, "This is legit and worth your time." They expect it to look a certain way, and that familiarity builds trust.

People aren't just buying products. They're seeking this signal. The status markers. Whether they want to maintain where they are or move up, they're looking for something that feels familiar. Something that reminds them of what they already know and trust. Our job is to give them that feeling, but make it fresh enough to feel new and distinctly ours.

The vernacular matters. If we don't speak the language our audience expects through color, typeface, photography, copy, and more, we're immediately outsiders. It's like showing up to a conversation and not knowing the local slang.

That's what a good designer gives the audience. A way to fit in. They make what's expected because they understand the audience. They know what people are used to seeing, what makes them feel comfortable.

And a great designer knows when to break expectations. They'll talk differently, but not so differently that you lose the people you're trying to reach. It's a balance. Familiar enough to connect, bold enough to stand out.

Note 003 ╱ 20 December 2025

Action, alertness, and commitment

Building a business is about action, alertness, and commitment. Here’s what I’ve learned from building Fetus, an IP brand:

Cashflow matters. Keeping the money moving, knowing where it goes, planning ahead, and never letting it stall. Cycling funds is more important than chasing revenue and profits.

Over-communication with the team and audience helps avoid surprises. Clarity, reliability, and keeping promises are essential.

Staying alert and sharp means paying attention to details, acting fast, and always delivering what’s planned. No fake promises.

Going beyond the basics with extra effort makes a big difference. Passion, drive, and fire are what keep things moving.

Making customers feel valued by going the extra mile is the heartbeat of any business.

Owning tasks, making decisions fast, and taking responsibility is key. No blaming, no excuses.

Knowing the audience is crucial. Marketing is about connecting, understanding their needs, dreams, and pain points, and making the product and message about them.

No shortcuts. No pretending. Real work, real commitment, and real passion are what it takes.

Building a business is about action, alertness, and commitment. Here’s what I’ve learned from building Fetus, an IP brand:

Cashflow matters. Keeping the money moving, knowing where it goes, planning ahead, and never letting it stall. Cycling funds is more important than chasing revenue and profits.

Over-communication with the team and audience helps avoid surprises. Clarity, reliability, and keeping promises are essential.

Staying alert and sharp means paying attention to details, acting fast, and always delivering what’s planned. No fake promises.

Going beyond the basics with extra effort makes a big difference. Passion, drive, and fire are what keep things moving.

Making customers feel valued by going the extra mile is the heartbeat of any business.

Owning tasks, making decisions fast, and taking responsibility is key. No blaming, no excuses.

Knowing the audience is crucial. Marketing is about connecting, understanding their needs, dreams, and pain points, and making the product and message about them.

No shortcuts. No pretending. Real work, real commitment, and real passion are what it takes.

Building a business is about action, alertness, and commitment. Here’s what I’ve learned from building Fetus, an IP brand:

Cashflow matters. Keeping the money moving, knowing where it goes, planning ahead, and never letting it stall. Cycling funds is more important than chasing revenue and profits.

Over-communication with the team and audience helps avoid surprises. Clarity, reliability, and keeping promises are essential.

Staying alert and sharp means paying attention to details, acting fast, and always delivering what’s planned. No fake promises.

Going beyond the basics with extra effort makes a big difference. Passion, drive, and fire are what keep things moving.

Making customers feel valued by going the extra mile is the heartbeat of any business.

Owning tasks, making decisions fast, and taking responsibility is key. No blaming, no excuses.

Knowing the audience is crucial. Marketing is about connecting, understanding their needs, dreams, and pain points, and making the product and message about them.

No shortcuts. No pretending. Real work, real commitment, and real passion are what it takes.

Note 002 ╱ 06 December 2025

Purpose > Routine

All the advice about routines and discipline feels a bit overrated. Sure, routine helps, but purpose goes much deeper. It bends with the day, changes with life, and still feels right.

When I live with purpose, I don’t have to force a routine. I just find my rhythm. Some days are fast, some slow, but it always feels like it matters. 

Discipline might break, but purpose keeps evolving in a way that makes sense. Like nature, it flows. Trees don’t follow a schedule, but they keep growing anyway.

Lately, I’ve been thinking about living in a way that feels more human. Making mistakes, feeling regrets, finding joy. Slowing down with empathy for yourself, for others, for every living thing. Because just being alive in this universe is already so rare.

Note 001 ╱ 04 December 2025

Birth of New Aesthetics

We treat business as art. Operations are art, too. We make things because we want to, and because we can. Not for money or recognition, but because there’s a creative energy inside us that needs to come out.

There’s a real excitement in making something cool. No one asks or forces us. We trust our own opinions and let our personalities shine, without holding back.

Things that are easily accepted are usually average. We’re not impressed by things that look the same or feel the same. That’s why we have a manifesto that is not just a forgettable line on our about page, but a real purpose behind everything we do.

‘Birth of New Aesthetics’ is why we create. It’s about always moving forward, always trying something new. For us, creative work is a process that never stops evolving. 'Birth of New Aesthetics' means taking the old, mixing ideas, and making something no one has seen before.

Who knows? Maybe someone on the other side of the world will see one of our designs and create something entirely new from it. Sometimes, we take an old product, upgrade it, and build something new from it. Because for us, every creation is just a starting point for what comes next.

Open to new work, curious ideas, or slow conversations.

Reach out at pradhyumnkag@gmail.com

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Open to new work, curious ideas,
or slow conversations.

Reach out at 
pradhyumnkag@gmail.com

instagram

linkedin

Open to new work, curious ideas, or slow conversations.

Reach out at pradhyumnkag@gmail.com

instagram

linkedin

005╱Importance of a Good Brief

004╱The Signal of Trust

003╱Action, alertness, and commitment

002╱Purpose > Routine

001╱Birth of New Aesthetics

005╱Importance of a Good Brief

004╱The Signal of Trust

003╱Action, alertness, and commitment

002╱Purpose > Routine

001╱Birth of New Aesthetics