We often hear founders saying that it all began with a cup of coffee in a café, but this story of Studuo, a design studio began with two friends riding in an Uber together. Drashti Vora and her college friend Saurav Pathak identified the gap in the industry where every business needed a digital presence but the quality was always a concern. With that in mind, these young entrepreneurs founded a design studio with the purpose of educating and empowering small business owners on the benefits of having a good brand or digital experiences that genuinely reflect the essence of their organization.

Drashti is a graduate of Visual Communication Design. With a knack for branding and a passion for colour, she aspires to make things better than she found them. Drashti is an entrepreneur with an artistic soul and a designer's mind who creates branding and strategies for businesses of all sizes. This duo's work has been recognised by the World Brand Design Society and is being represented at WICCI (Women's Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry), where they educated women entrepreneurs on how to launch their own E-Commerce firms.

In a candid conversation with the WE team, Drashti takes us through her entrepreneurial journey and much more.

Give Us A Brief Overview Of Studuo.

Studuo is a boutique design studio with expertise in branding and UI/UX. Unlike other studios or agencies, our goal is not just making good experiences or growing as a team but it is all about making good design accessible for everybody. Several people across the globe believe that designer things are expensive or to get anything designed is going to cost them a lot, because of which they end up compromising on their product. We as a company are on a mission to educate business owners about the positive side of good design while helping them change their mindset.

Take Us Through Your Early Educational Journey And Prior Industry Experience. What Led You Towards The Entrepreneurial Route?

I did my Bachelors of Design in Visual Communication from United world Institute of Design (UID). Coming from a Gujarati family, I always had an entrepreneurial spirit in me and wanted to be a businesswoman. During my college days, I had the chance of interning at The Minimalist, Mumbai. The story of how its founders Chirag and Sahil met was a great inspiration for me. Surprisingly, I ended up in a similar situation with my college friend Saurav, who is the other half of Studuo. Both of us used to travel together to work during which we came up with the idea of Studuo in an Uber.

What Was The Idea Behind Founding A Company That Specializes In UI/UX Design? Tell Us About Most Critical Business Challenges That You Had To Face During The Initial Days Of Founding Studuo? How Did You Counter Them Successfully?

We saw a huge gap in the industry where every business needed a digital presence but the quality was often compromised. It was always the big companies that had the budgets to fund a good digital experience for their brand. The major challenge was to educate and empower small business owners on perks of having a good identity or digital experiences that truly reflects the core of their business.

We wanted to make a dent in the universe but that couldn't have been done without focusing on the larger audience that didn't know what to do or how to go about it. The major challenge in the initial days was to learn the business side of the studio. As design graduates we knew how to design but didn't know how to run a business of design. We ended up spending a lot of time learning from every possible source on how to successfully run a studio. It surely was tough, but I think the more time we spent learning the more we uncovered a side of ourselves that we didn't know existed.

What Are The Various Roles And Responsibilities That You Currently Take Care Of? Also, How Do You Drive Growth Within The Organization? How Has Your Journey Been As A Business Leader So Far?

My majority focus is on keeping the business going. I'm responsible for finding new clients, maintaining communication and constantly creating a social presence on various platforms making it easier for clients to find us. I believe that any organization grows when everybody works at their full potential. More than anything, we've made sure that everyone can explore their best, experiment and understand themselves. We don't believe in sticking to the status quo and believe working as equals with everybody. Being young, we're open to trying different formats and understanding what best works for us.

“There is no right time to start your own business. It is all about the first step that turns your one day into `day one'”

The journey so far has been amazing. I am living my dream while still learning every single day. From the outside, the business world sounds intimidating especially when there's so much to think and plan. Since we started Studuo, I have come to know so much more about the business world and the graph is constantly growing. I constantly talk to people from different fields and areas of expertise to keep myself updated with the evolutions in the design and tech industry.

How Do You Strike A Balance Between Your Professional And Home Life? What Would You Advice Women Aspiring Aspiring To Become Business Leaders And Entrepreneurs In The Future?

I really like painting. It is often said that a designer cannot be an artist or an artist can never be a designer, but I live the best of both worlds. While as a designer, my job is to address the needs of the client and the consumer, as an artist I get to express myself without any restrictions which helps me strike the balance. I also like travelling, so I make sure to step out every once in a while and travel somewhere that helps me keep my sanity.

It is all about the first step. In a world where we're surrounded with startups and unicorns, it is easy to be impatient to get somewhere. Having said that, it is also easy to get intimidated and be scared of taking risks. But the first step defines one's future and everything else that comes in the way, can be dealt with.

Drashti Vora, Co-Founder, Studuo

Drashti is a graduate of Visual Communication Design. With a knack for branding and a passion for colour, she aspires to make things better than she found them. Drashti is an entrepreneur with an artistic soul and a designer's mind who creates branding and strategies for businesses of all sizes.