Conversations on the Contrary
by Zohra KhanOct 03, 2019
•make your fridays matter with a well-read weekend
by Zohra KhanPublished on : Dec 17, 2019
For brand strategist and copy writer Harsh Purohit, the voice of a contrarian is to stick to one’s own uniqueness and keep at it.
A mechanical engineer with an MBA in Marketing, he is a wordsmith by heart who often indulges in photography to channel his creative nerve. His Mumbai Series – a personal project best referred as an outlet for his dry humour – is a meeting of the two hats. “It’s my take on documenting Mumbai while traversing from Colaba to airport and airport to Colaba as I do that trip like thrice in a week…and then overlaying a context on the photo which is fictional,” he says.
A loner in the company of couples, friends in the middle of a selfie moment, couples seated within palm’s distance embracing their pocket of solitude or a family huddled under a bunch of umbrellas protecting itself from the endless pouring, every frame says a million words but Purohit prefers to say the least. Filter through his feed on Instagram and you will know.
“A couple of years ago, it started as I needed something to do while sitting in the Uber on this long drive, and thought why don’t I exercise my copywriting muscle and make a comment on society,” he adds.
Being from an engineering background, Purohit believes that design is essentially about problem solving. For him, to seek only delight out of design is to just ask for the cherry on the cake. Design’s role today, he believes, is far more than a ‘consume-be happy-forget about it’ state of mind - and it should be understood as meaningful as the cake.
As the founder of Vadodara-based sustainability advisory Cognito, he has played a vital role in helping large multi-business conglomerates understand sustainability in design as intrinsic to visual appeal and user experience.
A contrarian himself, Purohit advises young designers to draw from the moments they have been a part of and the stories that they live. On the personal front, he powers through roadblocks by consuming as much sensory stimulation as he can to feed the thought process and continue remaining curious.
(Watch out for more design contrarians in the series, 'Conversations on the Contrary')
by Mrinmayee Bhoot Sep 03, 2025
Speaking with STIR, the event director of FIND Design Fair Asia discusses the exhibits for this year, design forecasts for Asia and the value of design in the global market.
by Jincy Iype Aug 29, 2025
Holding stories, holding people: The creative duo reflected on archives, imperfection and empathy to frame care as both practice and philosophy in this evocative ~log(ue).
by Mrinmayee Bhoot Aug 28, 2025
A compilation of writing systems and visual communication styles, edited by Oliver Häusle, explores the possibilities, resonances and unique qualities of the tools we use to write.
by Bansari Paghdar Aug 25, 2025
The upcoming edition looks forward to offering a layered, multidisciplinary series of presentations and dialogues examining Pan-Asian design within a transnational landscape.
make your fridays matter
SUBSCRIBEEnter your details to sign in
Don’t have an account?
Sign upOr you can sign in with
a single account for all
STIR platforms
All your bookmarks will be available across all your devices.
Stay STIRred
Already have an account?
Sign inOr you can sign up with
Tap on things that interests you.
Select the Conversation Category you would like to watch
Please enter your details and click submit.
Enter the 6-digit code sent at
Verification link sent to check your inbox or spam folder to complete sign up process
by Zohra Khan | Published on : Dec 17, 2019
What do you think?