Spread, founded in 2015 is an imagination ecosystem and platform partnering with leaders in industry, academia and governance. With a legacy of three decades, as three avatars and three successful design and innovation enterprises with a hefty portfolio of transformational projects, including reimagining the strategy, brand and experience of three airports in the nation. Now a decade into its third avatar, Spread continues to design, build and spread bold ideas, demonstrating that design is the new strategy and experience is the next currency.
The Red Dot recognition arrives at a defining moment in Spread’s journey - marking not just an award win, but a milestone that reflects ten years of design-led impact rooted deeply in Indian culture.
Spread’s award-winning brand strategy, identity and experience for ICB is a bold and revolutionary experiment that elevates Indian design onto the global stage. Often described as the “Oscars of Design,” the Red Dot Design Award underscores that Indian design is no longer merely participating in global creative conversations, but confidently leading them with imagination, scale, and purpose. For over 60 years, Red Dot has honoured excellence in design and innovation worldwide, making the accolade a respected international seal of quality.
The ICB brand experience is a richly layered sensory journey rooted in Indic culture, interpreted through a contemporary design vocabulary. Drawing inspiration from Indus Valley brewing traditions dating back to 1500 BC, alongside regional practices such as millet beers from the Northeast and palm nectar ferments from the South, the brand reclaims India’s forgotten brewing heritage. Visual identity elements inspired by Indic seals and the Vari symbol — representing unbroken journeys of sustenance and community - shape a sanctuary of craft and culture, interspersed with spaces that embody abundance, storytelling, and positive hedonism.
As part of this immersive experience, Spread has created Varg, a custom Indic-inspired typeface rooted in the language of ancient seal, along with Beeroglyphs — contemporary illustrations that transform forgotten traditions into modern design codes. Together, these elements form a distinctive, globally resonant design language that is unapologetically Indian at its core.
Reflecting on the milestone, Ms. Sonia Manchanda, Founding Partner, Spread Design and Innovation, said, “At Spread, we believe that design is reimagination, rooted in who we are, yet bold enough to shape what’s next. The Indian Craft Brewery project is not just about building a brand; it is about decolonising our minds, reimagining culture, reviving roots, and showing the world with Indian pride that Indian craft and design can be world-class. Winning the Red Dot Award as we complete ten years is both an honour and a reminder that Indic imagination has the power to inspire globally.”
Commenting on Spread’s ten-year journey, Mr. Girish Raj Nair, Founding Partner, Spread Design and Innovation, said, “We were fortunate to have designed businesses / systems in modern retail, private education, modern healthcare…for that matter even positioning millets as Next Gen Smart Food, all of which grew exponentially. Ten years as Spread as we are resetting ourselves for the 10X mandate.”
As Spread enters its tenth year, the Red Dot recognition stands as more than an accolade. It is a reaffirmation of the agency’s belief that Indian culture is one of the world’s richest open sources for original, meaningful design — and proof that Indian design can stand shoulder to shoulder with the best globally.
About Spread Design and Innovation
Founded in 2015 in Bengaluru, India, Spread Design and Innovation is a proud member of the World Design Organisation (WDO). As a radical business and creative consulting organisation, Spread, an imagination ecosystem, creates imagination properties…bold, future-facing ideas that bridge the physical and digital, the cultural and the contemporary. Spread’s work spans education, health, public infrastructure, policy and governance, retail, hospitality, and culture. Catalysing design to transform growth outcomes.
Spread redefines design as sense giving and value creation. As Spread marks ten years of catalysing positive change through design, the Red Dot Award serves as a rediscovery of Indic roots for India and the world, and a powerful statement of what imagination-led Indian design can achieve on the global stage.
About the Red Dot Design Award
The Red Dot Design Award is one of the most prestigious design competitions in the world. Since its inception in 1955, its international jury of experts has recognised outstanding design across disciplines. The award is presented in three categories: Product Design, Brands & Communication Design, and Design Concept. Today, the Red Dot is globally recognised as a seal of outstanding design quality.
For more information: www.red-dot.org/award
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