Larger than Life: creating a work environment that promotes creativity

ENVIRONMENTAL GRAPHICS | ILLUSTRATIONS | WORKSPACE

Visitor experience centre and environmental graphics for Tata Chemicals Limited - Innovation Centre in Pune, India. The Innovation Centre is home to world-class R&D capabilities in the emerging areas of nanotechnology and biotechnology.

The brief was to design an environment that represents the work culture of the Innovation centre. The visual treatment should be inspirational and exude positivity. The client didn't want to present the space as insipid or be a broadcast for the parent company's vision, mission and values.

CLIENT: Tata Chemicals Limited, Pune, India
(Tata Elxsi Limited)

YEAR: 2015

MY ROLE: Project Pitch, Conceptualization, Creative Direction, Illustrations

TOOLS: Illustrator, Powerpoint

TEAM: Shreekar Bapat

Concept

The final concept celebrated the often unappreciated chemistry involved in our daily lives. It zoomed in at the chemistry of everyday elements around us and showcased their dynamism, their intricate compositions and the convoluted processes involved within.

The graphics are a combination of inspiring quotes from leaders in the field and stylized illustrations of molecular hybridization that capture the drama at an atomic level. The central idea was to create an atmosphere painted with inspiration, infused with passion for life and learning.

Since we were working on a strict budget and tight time-frame, we only selected spaces that were more impactful or used by the employees. We also developed sub-themes specific to spaces like meeting rooms, work floors, cafeteria etc. to create more relatable environments.

On-site images post design execution

For conference and meeting rooms, we used the chemistry behind neurotransmitters as an inspiration. We incorporated stylized illustrations of their scientific structures along with inspiring quotes. Neurotransmitters are the brain chemicals that communicate information throughout our brain and body. They are elementary to the various emotions we experience. It was befitting as an inspiration for these spaces that serve as a venue for the confluence of ideas and emotions.

For the workspaces, we developed a series of simple yet colorful posters with a play on elements from the periodic table. We associated each element with a keyword that defined the values of the organization. The employees who use this space found the posters a refreshing change from the company's portfolio pictures that adorned these pillars before.

The mural at the reception is the first thing a visitor notices on entering the building and is therefore, very important. The thought behind it is a departure from the rest of the space but we used color and visual style to unify the two. The mural summarizes the essence of the innovation centre. It depicts the innovation centre as an ‘Ashrama’, a place of holistic learning set amid nature, similar to the ones in ancient India.

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The food lab is a recent addition to the Innovation centre. For its creatives, we continued the graphic style and created stylized microscopic cross-sections of various food elements along with keywords integral to the domain.

For the cafeteria, we designed retro-themed graphics coined around the bacteriophage, Retrovirus. Illustrating the word play associated with its name brings out the lighter, humourous aspect of science and served as a break from work. Carrying forward the theme, some popular science related jokes were illustrated in a retro comic style on the walls inside the cafeteria