In 2025 Independent creative agency Plus One Design is ushering in a new chapter of growth and evolution with the return of Shitu Patil as Co-Founder & Creative Head. Patil, who co-founded the agency in 2012 alongside Gautam Patil, now reclaims a leadership role with a renewed vision that marks the beginning of PlusOne Design 2.0.
Under the new structure, design continues to be spearheaded by Gautam Patil, while advertising and brand communication will be led by Shitu Patil. This dual leadership model aims to deliver integrated, end-to-end creative solutions that blend design excellence with strategic advertising.
A celebrated creative leader with over 24 years of experience, Shitu Patil brings a rich portfolio from her time at agencies like Lowe Lintas, FCB, Publicis Ambience, and L&K Saatchi & Saatchi, where she held the role of National Head of Art & ECD before becoming National Creative Director at Publicis India. Her work has earned accolades at prestigious platforms such as D&AD, Effies, ABBYs, and Kyoorius, and she has also served on juries at D&AD and ABBYs.
Medianews4u.com caught up with Gautam Patil, Shitu Patil, Founders Plus One Design
Q. The agency business is seeing a lot of consolidation. What are the implications for this when it comes to independent specialist agencies like Plus One Design?
Consolidation reflects an industry optimising for scale, efficiency, and predictability. Large networks are responding to complexity by building systems that can deliver consistently at volume. Independent specialist agencies operate in a very different space.
For us, independence is not about being small; it is about being deliberate. It allows us to think deeply, to question briefs, and to focus on clarity rather than throughput. In a consolidated environment, the real implication for agencies like ours is the need for sharper positioning. You have to be very clear about what you stand for and why a client should choose you beyond convenience.
Independence today is a conscious choice, one that demands conviction and a clear point of view.
Q. What challenges does this environment pose for independent specialist agencies like Plus One Design? Are there also opportunities at the same time?
The most immediate challenge is pressure on timelines, pricing, and the perceived value of thinking. Scale-driven systems are optimised for delivery, and that can sometimes marginalise nuance.
At the same time, this environment creates opportunity. Many brand leaders are experiencing fatigue with sameness. They are beginning to see the limits of templatised solutions and are seeking partners who can bring perspective, originality, and long-term thinking.
Clients who work with us understand that they are not buying bandwidth. They are buying judgment, taste, and accountability. That trust is the true opportunity for independent agencies today.
Q. What were the focus areas and priorities for Plus One Design in 2025?
2025 was a year of consolidation and intent for us.
We focused on helping brands articulate what they stand for before deciding how they communicate. There was a strong emphasis on building brand systems – identities, packaging, and platforms that could evolve rather than chase momentary attention. Fashion, lifestyle, and culture-led brands were a key focus, as these categories demand sensitivity and restraint.
Internally, we invested in sharpening our thinking and processes. It was less about expanding rapidly and more about strengthening the quality and consistency of our work.
Q. In 2026 how will the work done in 2025 be built upon?
The work done in 2025 has created strong foundations. In 2026, the emphasis is on building depth and continuity.
We want to move from project-based engagements to longer-term brand partnerships. The goal is to design across multiple touchpoints – from product and packaging to content, retail, and digital ecosystems – ensuring consistency and coherence.
Design, in our view, is not episodic. It compounds over time. When brands and agencies commit to a shared journey, the work becomes more meaningful and more effective.
Q. Is predictive analytics going to play an increasingly important role in 2026 for Plus One Design?
Predictive analytics will certainly play a larger role, but with balance and responsibility.
Data can help us understand patterns, behaviours, and shifts. What it cannot do is replace intuition, cultural understanding, or emotional intelligence. We see analytics as a tool that informs decisions, not one that dictates creativity.
The real challenge is ensuring that we don’t end up designing for dashboards instead of people. For us, data is most powerful when it supports human insight rather than overriding it.
Q. The independent specialist agency recently unveiled a new AI-generated campaign for Lifestyle’s exclusive women’s fashion label, Ginger. How is AI being integrated into the agency?
At Plus One Design, we currently use AI as a creative collaborator.
For the Ginger campaign, AI helped us rapidly explore visual worlds, moods, and stylistic directions – unlocking possibilities that traditional production timelines wouldn’t allow. It expanded the canvas and removed many logistical constraints.
That said, the idea, narrative, and fashion sensibility remained entirely human. AI amplifies creativity, but humans decide what matters and that distinction is fundamental to how we work.
Looking ahead to 2026, we plan to integrate AI deeper into our workflows to streamline internal processes and accelerate client brief–feedback cycles. As an independent studio, our agility allows us to adopt these tools faster and more efficiently.
Q. As a result of AI was the campaign executed much faster than normal?
Yes, AI significantly accelerated the process.
Exploration and iteration that earlier took weeks could now happen in days. But speed was never the objective. The real benefit was clarity. AI allowed us to arrive at stronger decisions faster and spend more time refining and elevating the work.
The time saved was reinvested into thinking, editing, and ensuring the work felt purposeful and resonant.
Q. Does the agency focus a lot on striking the right balance between AI and human creativity so that work done resonates?
Absolutely. AI is powerful, but without taste, restraint, and context, it can feel empty. Human creativity brings emotion, cultural relevance, and lived experience into the work. At Plus One Design, we place enormous importance on curation and editing.
Human creativity gives the work its soul. AI gives it wings. When the two are balanced thoughtfully, the work feels alive rather than artificial.
Q. Before starting work on any campaign in 2026 will the agency focus a lot on first understanding the clients business objectives?
Without question. Design that does not serve a business objective is simply decoration. In 2026, we will spend even more time upfront understanding a client’s ambition, challenges, and long-term vision.
The quality of creative output is directly linked to the quality of strategic clarity at the beginning. Asking the right questions is the most important part of the process.
Q. Will vanity metrics vanish in 2026?
Vanity metrics may not vanish overnight, but their influence will continue to decline.
Brand leaders are increasingly interested in deeper measures – memory, recall, preference, and long-term brand equity. Likes and views are easy to chase; impact is harder to build.
This shift is healthy. It aligns closely with how we believe design should be evaluated – by what it builds over time, not what spikes momentarily.
Q. In helping legacy brands digitally transform themselves what is the big challenge that Plus One Design and the legacy brand usually face?
The biggest challenge is unlearning. Legacy brands often have tremendous equity, but transformation requires letting go of familiar aesthetics, processes, and assumptions. This is rarely easy. Our role is to act as a bridge – respecting the past while designing for contemporary relevance.
Transformation is not about discarding history; it’s about reinterpreting it with clarity and courage.
Q. Microdramas are starting to replace short form videos in consumption. Will we see brands use the microdrama format in 2026? Will Plus One Design focus on developing skillsets in this area?
We will definitely see more brands experimenting with microdramas.
What makes this format interesting is its reliance on storytelling rather than spectacle. However, not every brand will succeed with it. Narrative thinking, emotional pacing, and authenticity will be crucial.
At Plus One Design, we are exploring storytelling formats that go beyond conventional advertising because even in shorter formats, people still seek meaning and connection.
Q. PlusOne Design this year designed the packaging for ‘Enkay’ in the US, the D2C luxury brand of Jaipur Rugs. What role does the right packaging play in driving repeat sales?
Packaging is a powerful touchpoint because it is deeply personal.
For Enkay, packaging was designed as a continuation of the brand experience – thoughtful, refined, and respectful of the product and the customer. When packaging feels considered, it creates an emotional connection.
In luxury, packaging is often the first promise a brand makes. When that promise feels honest and elevated, it builds trust. And trust is what drives repeat sales.
