The Drawing Board

In 1933, a nation stood in line for its daily necessities. The Bhiwandiwallas and the duo from Saurashtra saw not just a crisis, but a calling. They opened an office in Java and began chartering ships to bring sugar into India; opening up the ports of Porbandar and Okha for this purpose. Together, they would go on to control nearly 30 per cent of India's overall sugar trade. For Great Eastern Shipping's 75th anniversary commemorative book, we created 4 original artworks. The one capturing this founding chapter is 4th and last. It captures everything: a ration coupon. A government store. A queue that stretched to the horizon. The macro and the human, side by side. Because before the tankers and the trade routes, there was a simpler mission - get what people need, to where they need it. Some things haven't changed. We may think we've come far. But tariff wars, fractured supply chains, and shifting trade alliances remind us that the global landscape remains as uncertain as ever. The queues look different today. The anxiety behind them doesn't. What endures is the instinct to keep things moving; to keep going on, no matter what. Designed & Executed by @designstack Photography in the book by @studio_charuau Other Illustrations in the book by @pratapchalke @coolkarnisam @madhurakamatofficial [#TDBStudioatwork #IllustrativeDesign #CreativeWritingStudio #CoffeeTableBook #BookDesign EditorialDesign, IllustrationArt, IllustrationArtists, VisualStorytelling, BrandStorytelling, ArtInDesign, DesignCollaboration, DesignStack, ShippingStories, LifeAtSea, Maritime, LegacyInDesign, ArtAndArchive, ContemporaryIllustration]

In 1973, the world changed overnight. An oil embargo declared by OPEC sent fuel prices from under $3 to nearly $12 a barrel. For the shipping industry, it wasn’t just an economic shock — it rewrote trade routes, operating realities, and the rhythm of global commerce itself. For Great Eastern Shipping’s 75th anniversary commemorative book, we created an original artwork to capture this defining moment. Not as documentation. As feeling. Stark monochromes. Towering oil barrels. A gas station sign limiting customers to 10 gallons. The macro and the human, side by side. Because the best way to remember a crisis isn’t to explain it — it’s to make you feel the weight of it. Designed & Executed by @designstack Photography in the book by @studio_charuau Other Illustrations in the book by @pratapchalke @coolkarnisam @madhurakamatofficial #TDBStudioatwork #IllustrativeDesign #CreativeWritingStudio #CoffeeTableBook #BookDesign EditorialDesign, Illustration Art, Illustration Artists, VisualStorytelling, BrandStorytelling, ArtInDesign, DesignCollaboration, DesignStack, ShippingStories, LifeAtSea, Maritime, LegacyInDesign, ArtAndArchive, ContemporaryIllustration]

For the commemorative coffee table book by The Great Eastern Shipping Company Limited, we stepped in to add a different kind of layer, one that sits somewhere between memory and imagination. The book brings together archival material, on-deck photography, and a richly detailed design language created by Design Stack, capturing 75 years of life at sea in all its scale and complexity. We created four original works of art. This is the second. It is an artistic interpretation of the company’s vessel passing through the Suez Canal— a route carved between continents, carrying stories, cargo, and the quiet rhythm of journeys that never really end. Designed & Executed by @designstack Photography in the book by @studio_charuau Other Illustrations in the book by @pratapchalke @coolkarnisam @madhurakamatofficial [#TDBStudioatwork #IllustrativeDesign #CreativeWritingStudio #CoffeeTableBook #BookDesign EditorialDesign, IllustrationArt, IllustrationArtists, VisualStorytelling, BrandStorytelling, ArtInDesign, DesignCollaboration, DesignStack, ShippingStories, LifeAtSea, Maritime, LegacyInDesign, ArtAndArchive, ContemporaryIllustration]

Back with Part 2 of the madness. After all the love on the first one, we figured… why not keep the cameras rolling. Same conversations, different questions. More of the chaos, more of the in-between. Same vibe. Just a little deeper in. #TDBStudios #IllustrativeDesign #CreativeWritingStudio #BrandIdentity #MumbaiStudio DesignersOfMumbai StudioIntro MeetTheTeam CreativeProcess ReelsInstagram GraphicDesign ContentCreation CreativeAgency BrandStorytelling

For the commemorative coffee table book by The Great Eastern Shipping Company Limited, we stepped in to add a different kind of layer, one that sits somewhere between memory and imagination. The book brings together archival material, on-deck photography, and a richly detailed design language created by Design Stack, capturing 75 years of life at sea in all its scale and complexity. We created four original works of art. This is the first. Each illustration explores a different side of that journey, the scale, the chaos, and the weight of everything in between. Placed within this larger narrative, these became small pauses. Moments to feel, not just see. From legacy to open waters, this one was about bringing a human lens to something already larger than life. Three more to come. Designed & Executed by @designstack Photography by @studio_charuau Other Illustrations by @pratapchalke @coolkarnisam @madhurakamatofficial [#TDBStudioatwork #IllustrativeDesign #CreativeWritingStudio #CoffeeTableBook #BookDesign EditorialDesign, IllustrationArt, IllustrationArtists, VisualStorytelling, BrandStorytelling, ArtInDesign, DesignCollaboration, DesignStack, ShippingStories, LifeAtSea, Maritime, LegacyInDesign, ArtAndArchive, ContemporaryIllustration]

Some designs deserve creativity and not just a caption, so here goes… A bit of sun, a breath of green, a memory of somewhere you’d rather be. Close your eyes, imagine inhaling the air, and you’ll relive the peace waiting there. So tell us…where would you rather be this Wednesday evening?

The Great Wall of Tiki Tar. A legacy of 60+ years. It all started with a conversation. From sketches and iterations to colour locks, colour changes, illustration style explorations, and detailing every little element, this mural came together piece by piece into one large graphical wall. A huge thank you to @thetastingtummy and the entire team at @tikitarindustries , @tikitarandshellindia , and @tikidanindia for trusting us to visualise and create the Great Wall of Tiki Tar. And thank you to @printologyconcept for bringing it alive on the wall with such precision and care. PS: The photograph in the cover image is the actual yellow gate at the Tiki Tar entrance. #TDBStudios #IllustrativeDesign #CreativeWritingStudio #BrandIdentity #MumbaiStudio DesignersOfMumbai StudioIntro MeetTheTeam CreativeProcess ReelsInstagram GraphicDesign ContentCreation CreativeAgency BrandStorytelling LogoDesign Branding AdvertisementDesign PackagingDesign PrintDesign SpatialDesign Illustration Art

A day in my life at TDB #internedition While most studios document their day, we prefer to draw it out. Here’s a day at TDB—seen and illustrated by our intern @janhavi_kalantri #TDBStudios, #IllustrativeDesign, #CreativeWritingStudio, #BrandIdentity [MumbaiStudio, DesignersOfMumbai, MeetTheTeam, CreativeProcess, ReelsInstagram GraphicDesign, ContentCreation, CreativeAgency, BrandStorytelling, graphic design, logo design, branding, advertisement design, packaging design, print design, spatial design, illustration, art]

The Cabinet of Stories was created as part of Bharat Floorings & Tiles (@bharatfloorings ) 100-year celebration. We had the honour of shaping the experience alongside an incredible set of collaborators. Inspired by the Rajasthani Kavad, a traditional mobile storytelling format, the cabinet was conceived as a travelling exhibition across six cities. Designed by @thebusride under the guidance of Ayaz Basra, it was built as a transformable structure that could break down and move seamlessly from one space to another, carrying its stories forward. The research, led by @pastperfectlive co-founded by @riasen and @deeptianand95 became the foundation of everything you see. Drawing from BFT’s archive, the cabinet brings together objects, documents, and fragments of history into a tactile, immersive experience. For us at TDB, this was an exercise in detail and collaboration. Every surface was mapped, structured, and carefully designed. What feels intuitive in the final experience was built through layers of sketches and iterations, some of which you see here. As you move across the cabinet, the story unfolds. From the journey of founders Rustom and Pheroze Sidhwa, to the evolution of a design language shaped by its time, to a continued commitment to handcrafted Indian luxury. Along the way, you encounter original artefacts, the first agreement between partners, pages from personal diaries, early moulds, catalogues from the 1920s, vintage advertisements, and collaborations with some of the country’s most respected creatives. These images are from the Bombay edition at @kathiwadacityhouse , where Firdaus Variava (@firdybaba ) is seen walking people through the narratives. The cabinet then travelled across Goa, Gujarat, and beyond, adapting to each space it entered. Projects like this remind us why we do what we do. When people come together, the work carries more than just form. It carries meaning. #TDBStudios, #IllustrativeDesign, #CreativeWritingStudio, #BrandIdentity #MumbaiStudio [DesignersOfMumbai StudioIntro, MeetTheTeam, CreativeProcess, ReelsInstagram GraphicDesign, ContentCreation, CreativeAgency, BrandStorytelling]

Get to know us beyond the portfolio. Not a project. Not a showcase. Just the conversations that shape everything we do. The ideas, the chaos, the in-between moments you don’t always see. If you’ve ever wondered how we really work, this is a small peek into that world. A little less polished, a little more real. #TDBStudios #IllustrativeDesign #CreativeWritingStudio #BrandIdentity #MumbaiStudio DesignersOfMumbai StudioIntro MeetTheTeam CreativeProcess ReelsInstagram GraphicDesign ContentCreation CreativeAgency BrandStorytelling

It’s 10 years of Shizusan✨ And it feels a little surreal to say that. This was from a time when TDB Studios existed and was experimenting as fearlessly as it could. Back when Vidhi was an excited illustrator, Bonsy a curious writer, and the two of them were simply figuring things out, building worlds from scratch without really knowing where it would all go. It began with something as simple as a name. “Shizu” meaning map, “san” meaning boy, inspired by an avid traveller with a deep love for food and documenting his journey. That idea slowly turned into something so much larger. A lot of it was just showing up. Food tastings. Long conversations. Going down rabbit holes about East Asian cuisines, from Thailand, China, Japan, Vietnam to Malaysia. Trying to understand not just what something tasted like, but where it came from, what it meant, how it was made, who it was passed down from. Somewhere along the way, it felt like Vidhi and Bonsy had to become Shizusan at a soul level. Working closely with Chef @paulkinny and hotelier @romilratra , they translated all of that into illustrations and words. This was long before shortcuts, so everything was slower, more hands-on. They learnt how each sushi, dumpling, and rice bowl looked and felt before even attempting to draw it. This was also a time when the cuisine itself was still new to many, so a part of the work was helping people understand what they were seeing and ordering. Every illustration was hand-drawn. Every detail, from coasters to table mats to the menu, was thoughtfully brought to life. Over the years, our dear friends at @themagicbeansdesignstudio took the brand forward, and the team of @theothercircle that made sure everyone’s knows. 10 years later, it still holds its own. And for us, it’s not just a brand we worked on, it’s one of the projects that quietly shaped how we think, how we build, and eventually what TDB became. Feels nice to look back at this one 🙂✨ #designhouse #DesignersOfMumbai #Illustra#TDBStudios, #IllustrativeDesign [graphic design, logo design, branding, advertisement design, packaging design, print design, spatial design, illustration, art]

If February had to be summed up in one frame at the studio, it would probably look something like this. This is NTLF 2026 from the console. Screens running. Laptops everywhere. Cues being triggered. A room full of people making sure everything on stage looks seamless. What you see on the big screen here is just one small part of the larger visual system we designed for the event. In total, 35 screens were created for NTLF 2026, each carrying a piece of the visual language and stories across the venue. But projects like this are never just about design or illustration. They’re about people. A big shoutout to the entire Rigger House team @wearerigger (our forever favourites) and especially Ayesha, Ganesh, Mukesh and Keith for not only creating but holding together the madness that large scale productions naturally bring. To Dean Gregory for bringing the visuals to life with his beautiful animations. And of course to Sandeep, Mukesh, Bidisha, Shweta, Nik and the entire NASSCOM @nasscom_in team for the trust and collaboration throughout the process. There were countless artworks, print collaterals, multiple screen formats, revisions and late nights behind this. And while this photo shows the stage, what it really captures is something we deeply believe in as a studio. Every project is teamwork. The team size may change, but the spirit of collaboration never does. For now, just gratitude. 🙏