According to Salesforce
collaboration studies, 86% of executives cite lack of collaboration and
communication as a major cause of team failure, showing why discovery
conversations matter before execution begins.
Every project at Hashtag Designs begins
with a brief.
Sometimes it arrives as a structured
document with objectives, timelines, and references. Sometimes it comes as a
late-night voice note. And sometimes, it is just a single line: “We must look
more professional.”
However, according to Madhushree Kulkarni,
founder of the Pune-based studio, there is always another brief beneath the one
that is presented. One that has not been written down, often because the client
themselves is still trying to understand it.
“What clients share is usually a
description of a symptom,” she explains. “What they actually need is a
diagnosis of the cause. A big part of our role is to ask the right questions
and listen carefully enough to identify the gap between those two things.”
This perspective is not a critique of
clients, but an acknowledgment of how businesses operate. Founders and teams
often have deep expertise in their product or service. They understand what
they are building, how it works, and where it fits in the market. However,
translating that understanding into clear brand or design direction requires a
different kind of perspective.
Knowing what you want from a design studio
and knowing what your business needs are not always the same.
This gap often shos up in the way briefs
are framed. A request for a new website might actually indicate that users are
dropping off at a critical stage in the funnel. A desire to “look more premium”
might reflect a deeper issue with positioning or audience alignment. Even
something as specific as dissatisfaction with a logo can point to a broader
lack of coherence across the entire brand system.
At Hashtag Designs, identifying this
underlying layer has become a core part of the process.
The studio begins many projects with
conversations that go beyond design deliverables. Instead of immediately
discussing layouts or visual direction, the focus shifts to understanding the
business more deeply. Who are the users, and where do they disengage? What
parts of the product feel difficult to navigate? What does the ideal customer
understand clearly that others do not?
These questions are not meant to replace
the design process. They are meant to inform it. And in many cases, they
reshape the brief entirely.
Madhushree recalls working with a B2B
software company that initially approached the studio for a packaging and
presentation redesign. On the surface, the requirement seemed straightforward.
However, as conversations progressed, it became clear that the real issue was
not visual presentation, but communication.
“The sales team was struggling to explain
the product clearly during procurement discussions,” she says. “The challenge
was not how the information looked, but how it was structured and sequenced.
Once we understood that, the solution shifted from design execution to
communication architecture.”
Instead of simply redesigning materials,
the studio focused on reorganizing how information was presented, ensuring that
value was communicated clearly and logically. The outcome addressed the actual
business problem, not just the visible symptoms.
This approach reflects a broader philosophy
within Hashtag Designs. Design is not treated as a response to instructions,
but as a process of problem identification and resolution. Taking a brief at
face value may lead to visually improved outcomes, but not necessarily more
effective ones.
“If we had just followed the original
brief, we would have created something that looked better but didn’t solve the
real issue,” Madhushree notes. “The client might have been satisfied in the
short term, but the underlying problem would still be there.”
There is a version of design work that
follows a predictable path. A brief is received, solutions are created within
its boundaries, and the final output is approved. While this approach is
efficient, it often limits the impact of the work.
Hashtag Designs takes a different route by
challenging the brief early in the process. It is a more complex approach, but
also a more effective one. Adjusting direction at the stage of conversation is
significantly easier than revisiting decisions after multiple rounds of design
have already been developed.
Based in Pune, a city with a growing
ecosystem of startups and evolving businesses, the studio frequently works with
teams that are still refining their positioning and communication. In such
environments, the ability to uncover the real brief becomes even more valuable.
We believe, the strongest branding outcomes happen when businesses
solve root problems not just surface requests. Companies that uncover the real
challenge behind the brief gain clearer communication, better customer
experience, and stronger growth results.
Because in many cases, the most important
brief is the one that is never explicitly given.
Finding it is not an additional step in the
process.
It is the work itself.
If your business is ready for design thinking that goes deeper than
aesthetics, visit Hashtag Designs and discover how
strategic branding can solve what others overlook.