I’m Sunil Sutharr, a Dubai-based Design Director and brand practitioner with over 17 years of experience across brand identity, packaging, visual communication and experience design.
I currently lead a multidisciplinary Brand & Experience Design team across the UAE, India and Egypt. My work brings together strategic thinking, creative direction and team leadership to translate business challenges into distinctive and scalable design systems.
My career has been shaped by both rigorous, process-led practices grounded in semiotics and insight, and open, exploratory environments that encouraged experimentation. This has taught me to balance structure with flexibility, and strategic clarity with creative instinct.
I believe design should do more than look good. It should clarify ideas, strengthen brands, connect with people and solve meaningful business challenges.
Coming from a family with a background in carpentry, I have always had a strong appreciation for craft, materials, structure and detail. That influence continues to shape my work and my interest in product and object design.
For collaborations, opportunities or conversations, reach me at +971 564234292 sunil1.suthar@gmail.com
Areas of Expertise
Creative Direction
Brand Strategy & Positioning
Brand Identity Systems
Design Leadership & Team Development
Packaging & Consumer Branding
Brand Experience & Environmental Design
Client & Stakeholder Leadership
Cross-Market Team Direction
RFPs, Pitches & Commercial Scoping
Experience
Design Director: Alo Media LLC, Dubai
November 2021–Present
Established and now lead the agency’s dedicated Brand & Experience Design Unit, directing an eight-person multidisciplinary team across the UAE, India and Egypt. Reporting directly to the CEO, I oversee the strategic, creative, operational and commercial direction of branding and experience-led engagements.
Partner with clients and senior stakeholders to frame business challenges and translate objectives into focused strategic and creative briefs.
Direct brand strategy, identity, packaging, communication design, wayfinding and environmental design across FMCG, hospitality, healthcare, corporate, automotive and real estate sectors.
Lead strategic brand and packaging sprints, developing distinctive creative territories and scalable systems across product categories, formats and markets.
Oversee major branding RFPs, proposals, pitches, commercial scoping, budgeting, client presentations, team allocation and final creative approval.
Set project-specific processes, creative-review standards and quality controls for distributed teams, while expanding existing retainer relationships into additional commissioned branding and design assignments.
Selected clients: Al-Futtaim Contracting, Agthia Group, Burjeel Group, Aster, HealthHub, Gulf Drug, Mohinani Group and Boudh Distillery.
Group Head: Clay Strategy & Design, Mumbai
November 2016–October 2021
Progressed from Senior Designer to Group Head within an open, exploratory creative practice, leading a three-person team across identity, packaging, retail and consumer-brand programmes. Reported to the Creative Director and founder.
Owned design direction, packaging strategy, client presentations, client relationships and new-business pitches, working closely with strategy and creative leadership.
Developed the flexibility to adapt process to each assignment, balancing strategic interpretation with experimentation, concept development and implementation.
Led the BlueStone brand refresh across visual identity, guidelines, packaging, retail-branding concepts and in-store applications.
Led the creation of Marq by Flipkart across identity, packaging architecture and digital retail communication.
Contributed initial packaging concepts for Faces Canada, with the resulting work receiving industry recognition from Kyoorius.
Selected clients: BlueStone, Marq by Flipkart, Creambell, Marico, Jyothy Labs, Ajmal Perfumes and Faces Canada, alongside pitch development for UAB.
Senior Graphic Designer: DY Works, Mumbai
May 2014–September 2016
Worked within the Corporate Practice on identity, packaging and new-brand development programmes for financial institutions, corporations, FMCG businesses and consumer brands.
Built a strong foundation in semiotics and insight-led design, applying cultural, category and consumer cues within an exacting, process-led environment.
Developed identity and packaging solutions from concept through implementation, collaborating with strategy, design, production and vendor teams.
Coordinated with production partners to maintain design intent, quality and consistency across final applications.
Contributed to identity development for the New Development Bank and worked on assignments for Safari, Tata Beverages, General Mills India, HealthKart and Future Group Retail, including packaging for Himalayan Sparkling Water.
Earlier Experience