Today we’d like to introduce you to Merengeese Ambapardiwala.
Hi Merengeese, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My dream of becoming a designer began during my college years. However, due to circumstances at the time, I wasn’t able to pursue design professionally and instead completed my master’s degree in computer science. Before stepping into the creative industry, I worked as a computer teacher at a school for several years.
Teaching gave me valuable experience, discipline and confidence, but somewhere in my heart, the desire to become a designer never disappeared. Eventually, I decided to explore that interest seriously and began searching for ways to learn design alongside my teaching job.
During that process, I discovered Abi Connick’s YouTube channel, which introduced me to the world of branding and helped me understand that design goes far beyond making something look attractive. I became fascinated by how strategy, visual identity and packaging work together to shape perception, build recognition and influence buying decisions.
Although online resources gave me a strong starting point, I felt I needed more structured learning and proper guidance. I joined YADS Coaching Centre and attended online design classes while continuing my teaching job. Balancing work, classes and practice was challenging, but it made me more committed to building a career in design.
With the knowledge and confidence I had gained, I founded SAI Designs Studio in 2025. I started small and continued learning through every project. From the beginning, I knew I didn’t want to create work that was only visually appealing. I wanted every design decision to have a clear purpose whether that meant helping a product stand out on the shelf, making a brand easier to recognize or creating a flexible identity system that could grow with the business.
Today, I work primarily with startups, founders and small businesses across the FMCG, CPG, D2C, food and beverage, hospitality, cosmetics, personal care and service brands. My approach combines brand strategy with bold, modern visual design, allowing me to look beyond an individual logo or package and consider the complete brand experience.
Building SAI Designs Studio has been a journey of learning, experimenting and becoming more intentional about the work I create. Every project has strengthened my understanding of both design and business especially the importance of listening carefully, asking the right questions and translating a founder’s vision into something clear, distinctive and commercially relevant.
By God’s grace, the studio has been growing steadily and receiving encouraging opportunities. I am still evolving as a designer and founder, but I now have a clear understanding of what I want my work to represent: thoughtful strategy, strong visual recall and design that creates meaningful value for the business behind it.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I personally believe that meaningful progress rarely comes without struggle. Facing difficulties in the early stages can help build a stronger foundation, and like many designers, I have experienced several ups and downs throughout my journey. Still, I have learned to appreciate every phase because each one has contributed to the designer and business owner I am becoming today.
One of my biggest challenges was starting a design career on my own, with very little knowledge of how to run a studio. Designing was only one part of the work. I also had to learn how to prepare contracts, create invoices and questionnaires, manage projects and, most importantly, handle client enquiries professionally. Slowly, through experience, I built every small part of SAI Designs Studio, and today I feel much more confident running it independently.
There were also difficult periods when I received no enquiries at all. Those moments made me question whether leaving a secure teaching job, changing my career completely and starting a studio had been the right decision. Building something from the ground up can feel uncertain, especially when there is no immediate indication that your efforts are working. However, those quiet periods taught me patience, consistency and the importance of continuing to improve even when results were not immediately visible.
Interestingly, my teaching experience became one of my greatest strengths as a designer. As a teacher, I learned how to explain ideas clearly, listen patiently and communicate with both students and parents. Those skills now help me present the reasoning behind my design decisions, guide clients through the creative process and manage different opinions with understanding and confidence.
The journey has not been completely smooth, but every challenge has helped me build a stronger foundation for my studio. Looking back, I don’t see those struggles as wasted time. They helped me become more resilient, thoughtful and prepared for the responsibilities that come with running a creative business.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a brand strategist and graphic and packaging designer, and the founder of SAI Designs Studio. I primarily work with startups, founders and small businesses in the FMCG, CPG, D2C, food and beverage, hospitality, cosmetics, personal care, lifestyle and service industries. I help them transform their ideas into clear, distinctive and commercially relevant brand identities.
My work includes brand strategy, visual identity design and packaging systems. I’m especially interested in creating packaging that has a strong shelf presence while remaining consistent with the brand’s positioning and personality. For me, good design is not simply about making something look attractive. It should help the right audience understand the product, remember the brand and feel confident choosing it.
What sets my approach apart is the balance between strategy and visual creativity. Before beginning the design process, I take time to understand the founder’s vision, the product, its audience, competitors and long-term business goals. This allows me to make intentional decisions around typography, color, imagery and packaging structure rather than designing only around current trends. I also explain the reasoning behind my decisions so that clients understand how the design supports their business.
I am most proud of building SAI Designs Studio from the ground up after transitioning from a career in teaching. I began without an agency background or prior experience running a creative business, so every part of the studio from developing my process to working with clients and managing projects has been built through continuous learning and real experience.
I’m also proud when a client begins to see their brand differently through our work together. Watching an early-stage idea develop into a confident and cohesive brand is one of the most rewarding parts of what I do. I want the final outcome to feel visually strong, but more importantly, it should feel relevant to the business and capable of growing with it.
What makes you happy?
What makes me happiest is seeing an idea gradually turn into something real and meaningful. As a designer, I enjoy the entire process from understanding a founder’s vision and exploring different creative directions to finally seeing the brand come together as a clear and confident identity.
There is a special sense of fulfilment when a client sees the final work and feels that it truly represents their vision. Knowing that my design can help someone present their business with greater confidence, connect with the right audience and move closer to their goals makes the work meaningful to me.
Outside of the final outcome, learning also makes me happy. Design is constantly evolving, and discovering a new approach, improving a skill or solving a difficult creative problem keeps me curious and motivated. I also value the freedom to build something of my own through SAI Designs Studio. It reminds me that choosing a new career path, despite the uncertainty, was worth it.
Pricing:
- Brand identity and packaging projects are quoted according to the scope and requirements of each business.
- Services include brand strategy, visual identity design and packaging design.
- Packaging fees vary based on the number of products, SKUs and design adaptations required.
- Custom packages are available for startups and growing businesses.
- Interested founders can contact SAI Designs Studio for a discovery conversation and personalized quotation.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.behance.net/merengeese
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saidesigns.co?igsi=a2p4bzF3ODZ1dXE=
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/merengeese
- Other: https://forms.gle/zC1kPT6YKomGhgru5
