About

Since 2017, Chandan Mahimkar has led his own studio, focusing on branding, typography, lettering, illustration and spatial design. An alumnus of Sir J.J. Institute of Applied Arts, he holds a B.F.A. degree from Mumbai University. With over two decades of experience across India’s leading advertising, design and digital agencies, he has helped shape and grow some of the country’s most iconic brands. 

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His early career included successful stints at top Mumbai agencies such as Cosmos, FCB-Ulka, Grey Worldwide and DDB Mudra. In 2005, he joined Law & Kenneth as part of the core team that scaled the agency into India’s No.1 independent communications firm. Chandan crafted its distinctive visual identity and website which is still relevant today, even after L&K’s merger with Saatchi & Saatchi in 2014.

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As Chief Creative Officer of L&K Saatchi & Saatchi India, Chandan founded its thriving design arm and led pan-India campaigns and created brand identities for marquee clients including ITC Personal Care, RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group, Godrej Interio, Bombay Dyeing, Kent RO, Lotus Herbals, IDBI Federal Life Insurance, Saregama Music, Hungama.com, GVK SkyCity, Sterling Holidays and Reliance Wellness.

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Over the past 16 years, his passion for branding and spatial design has shaped some of the most talked-about bars and restaurants in Mumbai, Pune, Goa and Bengaluru such as WTF!, The Tanjore Tiffin Room, The Sassy Spoon, Bombay Taco Co., The Big Nasty, House of Mandarin, Nude Food Café and The Druid Garden. Most recently, his new brand creation Dhol & Soul, an Indian bistro, was launched in Eindhoven, Netherlands.

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Across a career spanning three decades, Chandan has designed over 500 logos and marks, with more than 200 brand identity and packaging projects. His studio is known for its deep expertise in hand-crafted logos and custom typography.

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His lettering work has been published in renowned books from the US, UK and Australia and featured by platforms such as Iamsterdam, Passion Passport, Paris Je T’aime, Project Van Life, Design Sponge, Goodtype, Typism, Design Milk, AIGA, The Washington Post, Show Us Your Type, Canvas Rebel and the Kala Ghoda Arts Festival.

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Chandan has also collaborated with Verve Magazine, designing a distinctive masthead and expressive lettering for their editorial spreads, bringing a timeless Art Deco aesthetic to the publication’s visual identity. His custom title lettering for Penguin Random House UK has been featured on multiple book covers, now published and celebrated across bookstores and online platforms.

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Chandan regularly lectures and conducts workshops internationally on branding, typography and lettering. He has a long-standing association with Ecole Intuit Lab and Miami Ad School in Mumbai, where he teaches typography and editorial design. Over the past eight years, he has conducted more than 30 workshops both online and offline at institutions including Ecole Intuit Lab (Mumbai, Paris & Marseille), IED Firenze and SRH Berlin.

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He is also a contributing writer for Travel Purist, and shares personal reflections and design insights through his blog.