The businesswoman who’s got designs on this year’s C'Wealth Games

No venture capital. No angel investors. The seed for the funding of Bandra-based graphic design consultancy, Karigari Design, was money collected in exchange for filling up questionnaires for college projects.

Sixteen months into operation and still in their “portfolio-building stage”, the team has under its belt, a prestigious assignment — the logo for the Indian contingent participating in the Commonwealth Games in Delhi.

The logo captures the essence of athletics, aquatics and equestrian events, giving each of them the grace and aggression of a tiger — India’s national animal — in motion.

Neha Shah, the founder, was a favourite among seniors at the Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies for getting project-related questionnaires filled, for anywhere between Rs20 to Rs50 per form. “Pocket money never yielded much.

I wanted to make a quick buck right from the start and I knew every penny saved would come to good use later,” says Shah.

After a commerce degree, four stints in advertising and a course from IIM-Ahmedabad, she launched Karigari at an investment of Rs3 lakh — all from her savings, becoming perhaps one of the few founders of a design consultancy who is not a designer.

“Most design houses in India are run by extremely skilled artists. But I’ve always had a flair for design. If you look at the way design and logos are being used by companies today, it’s not just about art. It has to trigger conversations. That’s where I play a crucial role,” she says.

IIM-A’s management education programme helped. “IIM-A groomed me well for the business side of things. It stimulated me to be more innovative in what I do.”

The nine-member team at Karigari, which works out of a cozy office in the heart of Bandra, has designed logos, signage, websites, brochures for projects like Incredible India!, Reliance MediaWorks, Hotel Sea Princess, Lupin Pharmaceuticals, to name a few.

Often, her consultancy’s help is sought by businesses that have been running for generations and are looking for a makeover.

  “We are currently in our portfolio-building stages, so our dedication and attention to detail has to be impeccable. I try to ensure that every pixel is perfect,” Shah says.

Karigari’s first moment of glory came earlier this year when it won at The One Show awards in New York, judged by one of the most difficult to please jury, featuring the who’s who of the advertising and design industry. The winning entry was a business card designed as a soap strip for The Backpacker Co., a company that provides guided backpacking trips globally.

Coming from a Gujarati family — her father runs an advertising agency — Shah is also one of those rare Gujarati women who has been stubborn about remaining single and independent, despite being chided often to get settled.

“I’m committed to make Karigari grow. Long working days are common and I’m usually the last one to leave office. I like building my own grid in a workplace and being in command of all that’s happening than figuring out a place on the corporate ladder,” she says.