The goal was to create a cohesive visual refresh that elevated Shankara’s brand presence across digital channels. This included defining a modern, elegant tone rooted in Ayurveda while maintaining brand consistency through reusable templates and a compact style guide.
I acted as Lead Designer, responsible for concept direction, template creation, and final asset delivery. Tools included Figma for layout design and Adobe Photoshop/Illustrator for supporting visuals. The project was completed within the allotted 30 hours.
Client: Shankara is an Ayurvedic skincare brand that blends the ancient wisdom of Ayurveda from the East with modern scientific approaches from the West. They create high-quality, all-natural products focused on promoting wellness and healthy, radiant skin.
Objective: The client felt their current brand identity was not presenting them the right way. They were happy with the logo but needed a brand refresh – specifically a new visual identity that better reflected their premium natural-wellness position.
Challenges
The scope was constrained by tight budget/time: only 30 hours to deliver a new line of brand colours, typography, 5 social-media templates, 1 web-design template, 2 email-design templates, and a basic style guide.
The existing visual style lacked cohesion – with disparate assets, no unified design system, and weak brand alignment.
The client needed something that balanced “natural” and “luxury / premium” – communicating Ayurvedic roots but with a modern, high-end finish.
Because the timeline was short, efficient collaboration, rapid decision-making, and strong constraints were necessary to deliver quality within budget.
Process
1. Discovery & Moodboard Alignment
We began by aligning on the vision: what “premium natural” means for Shankara, what their existing brand assets were doing well (logo, product promise), and what visual cues they gravitated toward (textures, colours, photography, typography). The client provided a mood-board to anchor this direction.
2. Template Development
With the visual foundations defined early, I moved directly into creating:
5 social-media templates: clean layouts for Instagram and Facebook, highlighting hero products, brand messaging, and natural textures.
1 web-design template: designed in Figma, featuring a hero section, product grid, brand story, and call-to-action block to establish a clear visual hierarchy.
2 email-design templates: one for promotional campaigns and one for educational newsletters—both using the refreshed colour palette and typography pairing.
3. Style Guide Delivery
I packaged a concise style guide summarising the colour palette, typography, visual elements, and imagery direction used across the templates. This ensured consistency and gave the client a reusable system for future design needs.
4. Collaboration & Iteration
Given the 30-hour limit, I scheduled rapid check-ins with the client: one after the initial direction, one after template development. Feedback was focused and decisive, keeping the process lean and purposeful.
5. Handoff & Next Steps
At delivery, I included clear notes on how this visual refresh could scale into a full website redesign, packaging, and future campaign materials—setting a solid foundation for long-term consistency.
Outcome
Delivered on time and within budget: the client now has a cohesive visual system and ready-to-use templates for launch.
The refreshed aesthetic conveys a premium natural tone—blending earthy cues from Ayurveda with clean, modern layouts.
Templates empowered the brand to create aligned assets independently across channels.
The groundwork was set for future expansion, enabling a smoother transition into larger-scale design efforts.
The collaborative rhythm ensured clarity, speed, and consistent quality throughout.
Key Learnings
With limited resources, prioritize scalability over perfection—strong visual foundations deliver more long-term value.
Early alignment on aesthetic direction avoids rework and helps maintain design integrity.
Striking the right balance between heritage and modern luxury depends heavily on texture, whitespace, and image treatment.
Providing editable templates gives immediate utility and empowers the client team.
Even a brief style guide can make brand consistency sustainable across future initiatives.
