Don't know about you, but as a kid, I used to make handmade cards for my parents and friends, which I am sure they still have stashed in the corner of their memories, if not their cupboards. So we found a friend in Aayushi Sharma when she told us she used to do the same when she was growing up in New Delhi. But of course, she took it a step ahead when people asked her, 'Why aren't you charging for this?' and launched CardKart Designs in 2014.
Then, it was time to pursue an MBA for which she travelled to the City of Nizams. This did not really throw a spanner in the works, as she made the most of it and learnt multiple software like Adobe Photoshop and more, which helped her doodle and refine her skills further. Then a job beckoned and she followed until the monotony of it wore her out. So life came a full circle and she came back to making cards, only this time, CardKart Designs became so much more than just that.
Now, she doesn't just work as a design consultant for various NGOs like United Way Hyderabad and initiatives like ELMS Sports Foundation (launched by sports icons Pullela Gopichand and Abhinav Bindra), there are a plethora of services she offers like corporate gifts, cards, caricatures, doodles, illustrations and much more.
"Back in my college days, when I had launched CardKart Designs, I wasn't very confident about it. But today, I am, everything has changed. It has helped me in adulating beautifully," laughs Aayushi. And what about her MBA then? "It actually is a bonus. I do the necessary research about the company and their competition too, understand the aesthetics of the company and other things as well," informs the spunky girl, who describes herself as observant and careful. Now work doesn't feel like work and she is having fun along the way. And for company, she has her dog Bud who she got just two months ago.
Aayushi also yearns to write a book about doodling and work on a film set one day. And why not? For this 24-year-old, the world is her oyster. As of now, as the world tilts towards the visual medium, she has put out her first video where she instructs us on how to make a DIY pettable. "I am aware of the impact of the visual medium so this was a conscious decision," says Aayushi, as she signs off.
Reach Out: instagram.com/cardkart
