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# Project Description Maia - Me as I am Gauri Abhay Kulkarni Summary Final work I work at the intersection of branding, human-centered design, cultural identity, and social impact. My design practice is rooted in purpose, empathy, storytelling, and insight-driven research. I seek to understand people in their natural environments, studying their cultures, behaviours, emotions and everyday experiences, to build meaningful connections between brands and the communities they serve. I approach every project through a ‘what, why, and how’ lens, which reflects my core value of purposefulness — What am I solving? Why does it matter? and How will I solve it? I love working with analog mediums, using hands-on processes like sketching and physical prototyping to explore and communicate ideas. Through my work, I strive to build brands that are authentic, culturally relevant, and cohesively rooted in their story and values. I want to build brands that make people feel seen, heard, and valued, brands that create a real emotional and social impact in people’s lives. I work at the intersection of branding, human-centered design, cultural identity, and social impa... College London College of Communication Course MA Graphic Branding And Identity Graduation year 2025 Maia is a brand that embraces imperfection and celebrates authenticity. While many brands project ideals of perfection, Maia reflects the reality of being human, messy, uncertain, and still in progress. Rooted in the idea of “me as i am,” the brand does not seek to change or fix its audience, but instead chooses to stand beside them through the chaos of early adulthood and the challenges of a quarter-life crisis. Maia is a presence without pressure: it reassures, comforts, and reminds individuals that it is completely fine to not have everything figured out. When you are in your pyjamas, you are in your truest, most unfiltered self, and Maia is just about that. It captures this everyday honesty, the comfort of being fully yourself without expectations, and translates it into an identity that feels deeply relatable. Every touchpoint of the brand, from its identity and packaging to its campaign, photoshoot, and retail space, has been designed to mirror the real and truest moments of its audience. It holds space for them, offering pause and stillness amid life’s turbulence, while affirming that others are experiencing the same journey. By creating this sense of relatability and reassurance, Maia becomes more than a brand: it becomes a companion, offering emotional support and allowing its audience to simply breathe. Final work Share this project Maia is a brand that embraces imperfection and celebrates authenticity. While many brands project ideals of perfection, Maia reflects the reality of being human, messy, uncertain, and still in progress. Rooted in the idea of “me as i am,” the brand does not seek to change or f... A link to this page has been added to your clipboard
# Links ## Official page - https://ualshowcase.arts.ac.uk/project/679074/cover ## External - https://www.linkedin.com/in/gauri-abhay-kulkarni-802a221b7?utm_s - https://gauriabhaykulkarni.cargo.site - mailto:gauri.abhay.kulkarni@gmail.com - https://portfolio-tools.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/26082350/Maia_Portfolio_Gauri-Abhay-Kulkarni.pdf - https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fualshowcase.arts.ac.uk%2Fproject%2F679074%2Fcover&text=Maia+-+Me+as+I+am - https://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fualshowcase.arts.ac.uk%2Fproject%2F679074%2Fcover&media=https%3A%2F%2Fportfolio-tools.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2025%2F09%2F26083638%2FMaia-cover-image.png&description=Maia+-+Me+as+I+am