We recently connected with Anjum Mariam and have shared our conversation below.

Anjum, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you walk us through some of the key steps that allowed you move beyond an idea and actually launch?

The beginning of every project is most exciting, akin to a blank canvas. With ideas bubbling as I understand the project and brief, I put them away and focus on research- diving deeper into an understanding the market, the situation, the product, needs, gathering information and more. Synthesising the research, new ideas come in and the unique narrative my design would take begins to grow. As I begin execution, I start with colour. I think with colour and grow my ideas from a spark of colour. I draw from the colour of the landscape, colours in nature and colours that inspire to create a palette that would enunciate the design. Once the blank canvas(figuritively speaking) is washed in colour, I go in with the details of the design. This stretch involves a lot of experimentation until the results feel right and feel effective. Most of what I design falls under the broader umbrella of visual communication and I give utmost importance to the story that design communicates, for a result that is most effective.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am Anjum, an illustrator, designer and writer, passionate about crafting design experiences and weaving visual narratives. Starting small, my design journey quickly grew to creative direction and design for some of India’s largest and most appreciated brands. My work has been an expansive experience in brand design, creative strategy, packaging design, book design, illustration, Indian craft and textile design for home and wellness, luxury and wildlife resorts, wildlife conservation projects, sustainable livelihood projects, travel and hospitality, cafes, and coffee brands.

The everyday world I live in is brimming with colour, a world of calm and peace, of books and art, textiles and travel, prose and poetry, wildlife and wilderness, beneath trees, under the stars, in the warmth of sunshine and in the cacophony of rain, a sphere away, in daydreams and imagination.

Between the city of Madras, the city of Bangalore in India- in the midst of mango groves, forests and lakes and in environments of alternate forms of education, I grew as an artist. Formalising my education in design, I studied at the Srishti School of Art and Design in India between 2010 and 2014.

Through four years of undergraduate design school, I crafted my own path of study. I chose studio classes in spatial design with the view of it being a larger platform within which other forms of design come together. Through workshop classes in furniture and textile design, I explored material and surfaces. Passionate about Indian craft and product design, I chose projects that gave me the opportunity to learn, exchange skill and ideas with craftspeople in India. I viewed concepts of branding, typography, layout, composition, communication and print as the foundation of design. History, sociology, textiles, food writing were classes that informed and added layer to design.

Early in 2015, I jumped right into work as a freelance designer and transitioned into a design studio that I named Oleander Crow. It was an exciting and busy seven years. My design journey focused on design that transforms brands, products and spaces with thought-out narratives rooted in culture, people and place.

With a yearning to grow and hone my skills, I chose to study at the Savannah College of Art and Design in 2022, to explore new ways of developing visual narratives and new design experiences. I graduated a few months ago with a Masters Degree in Illustration. I currently live in Savannah, Georgia. As I look to the next chapter of my design career, I am most interested in creating design experiences that elevate the everyday.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

As I look at the world around, every aspect involves design in some form. Design can change and transform the everyday details and larger ideas in the world. I most interested in creating design that elevates the everyday, design that brings a smile and makes a difference to how people feel, the design of everyday aspects that could brighten up a day or the design of everyday details that are often overlooked.

The most rewarding aspect of my design journey has been the small ways in which, I, an artist and designer can transform and bring about change- working on illustrations for the walls of a cancer hospital, working on sustainable livelihood projects in rural regions or even with wellness or coffee brands.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.anjummariam.com
• Instagram: @oleander.crow
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anjum-mariam/