CV-Portfolio for Raju Peddada

Raju

Creative Career overview Observation is, and has been a fundamental value in my career.

I believe that observation of people in their conscious and unconscious behavior reveal their aspirations, desires and fantasies, giving us insights into not only new product possibilities, but ideas and solutions for a range of issues.

I am a luxury and private label brand/product design and development executive, with a demonstrated track record in not only the emanation of viable product ideas, but the development of the idea into a prototype, to be manufactured at price points in concert with corporate objectives and targeted market segments.

In my design and development of brand experience, via product mythology and positioning, I rely on a unique personal alchemy of intuition and organic lateral exploration of ideas, honed by

experiences in multiple cultures. I have, with great teamwork, on several occasions, taken a product from an idea stage, to a manufactured packaged state, in concert with delivery logistics, and positioned it in the market with great impact and reception. I also have two distinct and highly effective intertwined career strains: 1. one as a brand-&-product development strategist, 2. the other in strategic writing for marketing communications. I have several highly successful product design-&-market launches under my belt with great receptions in markets, even in a recession.

Chief Creative Officer / Creative Director, TFEC/Peddada.com

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Market analysis and design studies for viable product ideas for home decor accessories Organic concepts development by sketching on Pad, & outsourced CAD renders of concepts The development of a new & authentic category of multipurpose crossover table-top accessories The development of positioning product theme, syntax, and architecture for the prduct line up Development of written-image brand projection & positioning, based on theme and mythology Synchronizing design, manufacturing and marketing to attain the price point & profit objectives Sourcing of cost-effective & flexible manufacturing focused on price points and logistics Carefully crafted messaging with a unique alchemy of graphic design, photography, and writing Aggressive new product typology design and development that keeps the ideas pipeline fresh Development--implementation of a cohesive and targeted communication at all media portals Specifically designed product launch press kits for print media, with over 30% story pickup!

Brand image projection cohesion and continuity across all media platforms: social media / print.

Existing brand-product extensions or refinements to keep old lines refreshed with customer base Vendor-supplier applicable manufacturing contract negotiations, including turnkey projects Urban professional’s and city dweller’s furnishings typology preference research conducted Based on research, a new furniture design typology was developed to address the pent up needs Continuous market, competition and individuals audits for what is trending ahead.

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Recognition & Achievements:            

Trend Setter Award at Kimberly-Clark Corp for design inventions for consumer tissue products Trend Setter Award at Kimberly-Clark Corp for packaging design invention for Kleenex & Kotex Seven International patents with Kimberly-Clark Corp in tissue product pilot Fifteen home furnishing product invention patents for TFEC / Peddada.com Critically acclaimed product design and launches that were editorialized in over 60 publications The Chicago Tribune cover story on 2 pages for being an original and singular in design CLTV and Cable News coverage for being the most trendsetting design entrepreneur in Chicago As a professional artist, exhibited at the SOFA, NY Gift Show and Peter Struve gallery in Chicago As a journalist, wrote over a 100 articles on arts-culture for Swans, Book-Forum and The NY Times Recognized as a “Taste-maker” in top fashion-culture-design magazines in Europe and the U.S. Published four books, (fifth on the way) many well received reviews and critiques Wrote & produced a pilot for a documentary series on ancient Indian History

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Education: ** ** ** **

Bachelor's of Commerce, University of Delhi, India – majoring in marketing.

MFA, one year, at The School of The Art Institute of Chicago MBA, one year, at the Kellogg Executive MBA program / Northwestern University Diploma, for public speaking, presentations, at the Dale Carnegie Institute

Interests: Experimenting in Photography; observation and collection of natural-material textures; observation of people; readings and writings on aesthetics and culture; reading literature and history of cultures; drawing and painting; and writing on vast variety of cultural and aesthetic issues.

Aesthetica-Peddada on Facebook Gallery-Aesthetica Peddada on Facebook

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Attitude

“Passion always obliterates convention, conformity, compromise and mediocrity.”

– Raju Peddada

Portfolio

Philosophy, Concepts, Products, Brand ID, Marketing, PR, Web, Social Media, Publications, Art / Photography

“You see things and say 'why?'

But, I dream things that never were and say, 'why not?”

– George Bernard Shaw, 1856-1950

Concepts

Observation results in viable concepts, and they can emanate even from the most mundane sources, an off the beat non-contextual source. Concepts can also flash on us in a brainstorming session, and, the deeper our observation, the easier such flashes would be.

Table-top

These contemporary designs were inspired by the lost forms of the ancient world, from Sumerian, Egyptian and Greek civilizations... I rely on a subconscious visual sedimentation that occurs when I see objects, which, upon demand, I can deploy in my design process.

Euclid Minerva

Table-top

Leonardo

Newton

Flooring

The Tex-Mex Collection of rugs were designed as an exercise in spontaneity that resonated with architects and interior designers. Three designer collections of luxury rugs were received with critical and market acclaim.

Liblalee

Flooring

Chains

Lighting

Lighting design offered many possibilities, inspiration was found in the forms strewn in our modern environment, like Chicago's skyscrapers to jet engines made by Pratt & Whitney.

Chicago

Pratt-Whitney

Case-goods

Infinity

The "Infinity" bed is a metaphoric inspiration in the form of the head-&-foot frame as the infinity symbol.

Infinity telegraphed infinite love possible on this bed.

Seating

Seattle

This sofa/chair, "Seattle," was inversely inspired by the climate of the Seattle region. The wide seat design was developed after a deep survey of urban professionals, in playful colors to thwart the blues. Folks can play chess, make love, lounge with their books or the laptop or have dinner on it.

Seating

Caribbean

This daybed-bench, "Caribbean," harks back to my four years on a tropical paradise called St. Lucia, where my weekend afternoons were spent languorously reading Paul Bowles and sipping Cinzano.

Accessories

How do we separate our product from a myriad designs out there? Succumbing to conventional requisites won't help. The word handbag is obsolete -- women today have a system, like an algorithm, in which case the form doesn't have to follow the function.

Accessories

Textiles

Examples of drawings for a myriad applications: room dividers, sport stretch fabric, woven upholstery textiles for furnishings, tote bags and outerwear. Printed as dress fabrics and scarves, or room shades.

Textiles

Branding

The concept of Brand is the oldest facet of marketing. Without a brand, you cannot consistently and cohesively telegraph desirability of your offerings. Your brand is the window to your singularity, attitude, and personality.

It's your front.

Marketing

Marketing is simply the telling a good story. A good story is possible when we can concoct an alchemy of great ingredients: passion, products, vision, words, and visuals that resonate with your target audience.

Peddada Silver

Volume l

Distinct Metal

Peddada Silver

Volume 3

Exotic METAL

Marketing

Some look at things that are, and ask why.

I dream things that never were, and why not?

-George Bernard Shaw

Peddada Silver

Volume ll

FluidPeddada Rugs Metal Š Copyright 2014

Press Kits

PR/Press-kits written and designed to get us on the covers of venerable magazines. It's is another crucial facet of marketing. I pride in my ability to write and design PR items that garner a story pick rate of over 30%, than the industry standard of 2%.

Press Kits

Social Media

Social Media is marketing's latest ace in the hole. If used correctly, your brand, it's visibility and sales could explode! Social media algorithms are great, but one still has to craft a cogent and resonant message using a customized alchemy of images and words for your specific brand

Social Media

Social Media is marketing's latest ace in the hole. If used correctly, your brand, it's visibility and sales could explode! Social media algorithms are great, but one still has to craft a cogent and resonant message using a customized alchemy of images and words for your specific brand

Writing

It is manifestly essential for a designer to visualize and design in words, just as it is an imperative, for the writer to visualize his story in images. The texture of an object is as crucial, as the texture of messaging, used in selling it.

Writing

SURFACES & Souvenirs

Textures of Togetherness

by Raju Peddada

I Vol.

The experiences of a father, with his sons...

Art

I practice my cryptic art, as a form of catharsis. It's an outlet for all frustrations, as well as ecstasies, including helplessness against the forces of mediocrity, impotence against ideological violence, and the celebration of women.

My art is binary starkness.

Measured

Art

Sphincter

Photography

My work in two distinct aesthetic classifications: A. The Aesthetics of Ambiguity: documentation of our fragmented urban condition; B. The Aesthetics of Clarity: documentation of our condition in stasis

Photography

"Good design is intelligence made visible." – Le Corbusier, 1887-1965

Functions and Features

Brand and Personality

Physical Distribution

Manufacturing

Channels

Materials

Development

Systems

Service

Standards

Legal

Strategic Alliances

I have an intuitive, passionate and pragmatic approach to design and new business development.

My goal, is to find synergy between design and the business development objectives, through a process that cultivates and synthesizes energies between design, engineering/manufacturing and logistics to accomplish business goals.

In design, great customer centric products come to life, as a result of harmony between opposing strengths and forces of research, organic intuition/cre– ativity, manufacturing solution, internal corporate cultures, customer service and business objectives.

I strongly believe that investment in design improves enterprise performance, and good design leads to meaningful brand experience and profitability. – Raju Peddada