Tucked into a quiet, tree-lined lane in Pune’s Koregaon Park, the office of Interics Designs mirrors its surroundings, calm and full of life. As one of the city’s more established agencies, Interics carries the wisdom of experience while staying unmistakably young in spirit. It strikes that rare balance between tranquillity and creative energy, much like the neighbourhood it calls home.
Step inside the Interics office, and it’s easy to see why this consultancy has endured. Sunlight filters through wide windows and open balconies, while plants and pops of colour bring every room to life. The design is considered and unhurried, proof that Interics’ sensibilities run deeper than trend.
Interics Designs was founded in 1989, at a time when the design industry looked very different from what it is today. Priya Philip, a graphic designer, and her husband, an industrial photographer, took a leap of faith and started the business together. But when he passed away unexpectedly at just 35, Priya was left to build the company while raising their two young children, then only two and six. As she puts it, the journey has been nothing short of a rollercoaster, one she has navigated with grit and resolve.
what came before Ctrl+C, Ctrl+V
Branding, design and marketing may have seen dramatic shifts in recent years, but for Priya, adapting to change has been part of the job for over four decades. Interics, she says, has continually evolved alongside the industry, often ahead of it.
“Back then, graphic design was this shiny new thing; unique and not widely understood,” Priya recalls. “We didn’t have computers, so everything was done by hand. Creative visualisation and sketching were the core of my work. Copy had to be typeset and painstakingly pasted onto artwork, one line at a time. Photography played a huge role; unlike today, we couldn’t just pull images off the internet.”
Priya looks back on the early years with both pride and affection. She pulls out an old photograph, something you can conjure in minutes with today’s digital tools. But three decades ago, producing that sort of image with just a camera took real finesse. “My husband and I were highly skilled in photography and graphic design,” she says. “That combination fuelled our growth in those early days.”
But don’t mistake this walk down memory lane for nostalgia. Priya’s pride isn’t rooted in past glory; it comes from her ability to adapt, keep going, face every curveball life has thrown her way, and still find her footing.
Interics, too, has evolved, growing and shifting, staying relevant without losing its essence.
the times, they are a-changin
Interics’ journey hasn’t simply been about going from analogue to digital. With its three focused verticals, branding (InBrand), digital (InDigital) and space design (InSpace), the evolution has shaped the calibre of work the team delivers and the clients they attract. For Priya, it has also been a masterclass in leadership.
Interics began as a two-person venture, grew into a thriving team of nearly 50 across its verticals before Covid, and eventually scaled back to a more moderately sized agency. “Covid was a low point in our rollercoaster journey,” Priya reflects. “InSpace, our spatial design vertical, was hit hard—no exhibitions, trade shows, or new office spaces. Everything came to a standstill. InSpace is especially close to my heart because that’s where it all began.”
The Interics team may have become leaner, and its priorities may have evolved, but that shift only hastened the move toward digital. “Digital media is fascinating. I’m learning something new every single day,” says Priya. “For me, it hasn’t just been a journey from print to digital. With ChatGPT and other AI tools, technology has once again transformed the entire fabric of this industry completely.”
The irreversible democratisation of design and communication tools has made the industry more competitive than ever. “Back then, we stood out because what we offered was truly unique,” Priya reflects. “Today, anyone with access to Canva can call themselves a designer. What sets us apart now is our deep grounding in traditional marketing and brand-building fundamentals, something that still holds immense value.”
Today, storytelling is at the heart of modern branding, especially for B2B and technology companies. Crafting a compelling narrative, whether online or in physical spaces like technology centres, builds emotional connections and sets a brand apart. These niche and complex offerings have attracted MNCs and Indian conglomerates to Interics today.
It’s a legacy that even the youngest team members recognise and respect. That’s part of what draws emerging designers from across disciplines to Interics. “Besides me, only four of our leaders are over 35,” Priya shares. “Everyone else is in their mid to late twenties.”
keeping up with the zoomers
A new generation in the workforce, one that looks at the world in dramatically different ways than her generation, isn’t something Priya fears. She thrives on the youthful energy at Interics. It is a change she welcomes as an opportunity for growth and learning. “When I started out, the saying was, ‘The client is our king and the vendor is our queen.’” Priya laughs. “Today, it feels more like the client is our king and our team is the queen. And this shift matters, especially in a creative industry like ours, where the work is anything but routine. I’m working to build an open, free culture where the new generation feels right at home,” she says.
As for complaints against Gen Z, Priya has more appreciation than criticism. “I don’t have the same opinion about Gen Z as many of my peers. This generation brings something to the table that many experienced designers do not. They are outspoken—they question the status quo, push boundaries and aren’t afraid to experiment,” says Priya. “But they’re also eager learners, naturally curious and experimental, and I try to nurture that.”
This, at its heart, is what defines Priya’s approach to leadership. Keeping up with the industry matters; so does staying grounded in the present.
“Leadership means nothing if you’re out of sync with the world and the industry today. To lead, you have to stay relevant.”
“When I worked at other design agencies, the culture was far more conservative, more rigid,” she adds. “Leaders were bosses.”
“Today, leadership is more about mentoring than bossing,” Priya reflects. “The dynamics of business have shifted so much that I wouldn’t say my early experiences of leadership shaped how I lead now. What’s helped me is the habit of constantly learning—keeping pace with changes in the industry, the workplace and the mindset of every new generation. Because I’m learning, I’m leading.”
everything is not business
This philosophy quietly shapes Priya’s approach to leadership today. It’s a form of leadership that stretches beyond her organisation and isn’t measured by revenue. Mentoring has become a natural next step for Priya. She’s come to see that with younger ventures, the need goes beyond design or brand identity; it’s often about business guidance and direction. And that, she says, is something she’s grown to genuinely enjoy.
“These startups and young entrepreneurs have incredible ideas and unconventional business models,” Priya says. “Mentoring them from a business perspective is both interesting and challenging.”
Challenging enough, in fact, for her to take on the role more formally. As part of CII Pune’s Zip Start Mentor-Mentee programme, Priya has mentored over 25 startups, bringing her decades of experience to the next generation of business builders.
“That journey is deeply fulfilling,” Priya shares. “When I work with startups, I often give far more than what’s outlined in the proposal. I go beyond; if I didn’t, my growth would stall. They learn from me, I learn from them. And to me, that’s what real leadership is all about.”
Just like her design sensibilities, Priya’s wisdom about what it means to be a leader is timeless. Her advice to new leaders in marketing and design could be summed up in two words: persistence and discipline. “This generation is very intelligent and self-aware. You’re clear about what you want to pursue, but persistently doing that with discipline is the only thing that will get you there.”
True to form, Priya even has a few words of advice for herself—patience and tolerance, timeless leadership lessons she continues to learn from her children, who she says are her favourite teachers.
“What is most awe-inspiring about Priya is that she is completely at peace with how she has lived her life. “I had a lot of calamities in my life; it was by no means a regular life. I had no control over external circumstances, but I went with the flow, managed my business, managed my life, and raised two children who are independent and doing very well.”
“I don’t think I would’ve done anything differently,” she says.
