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Mohsen Seraji, Creative Director and Thematic Designer
Corporate gifting often begins with a simple choice: what can be given to the recipient that is both valuable and enduring, while also clearly reflecting the brand’s identity? However, for the "In Search of the Original" project, the starting point was not merely selecting a product. The fundamental question was: if the gift is intended to be more than just an object to be handed over, what kind of experience can it create, and what sort of relationship can it foster between the brand and the recipient?
This shift in perspective altered the project's trajectory. The goal was no longer simply to find a suitable gift option; instead, it was about forging connections among several elements: the recipient, the artwork, the artist, the geography, the culture, and the brand seeking to create this experience. Viewed this way, the gift transcends its status as a standalone object to become part of a relationship—a relationship where value lies not merely in the item delivered, but in the journey taken to create it.
The Gift as an Experience
In many corporate gifting projects, the primary focus is on the product itself—what is chosen, its quality, its packaging, and the timing of its delivery. While these considerations are essential, if the design process stops there, the result remains nothing more than a product presented as a gift.
For us, the key issue was what the gift adds to the recipient's experience. An artwork can carry the story of a place, bear the imprint of its maker’s hand, and convey aspects of its creator’s culture, craftsmanship, and vision. When such layers are incorporated into the selection process, the gift’s value extends beyond mere form or function; what the recipient receives becomes part of a larger narrative. For this reason, in the "In Search of the Original" project, we viewed the gift not merely as a ready-made choice, but as an experience to be designed. This design process extended beyond the final product; the journey of discovery, understanding the context, selecting the piece, getting to know the audience, and weaving these elements together were all integral parts of the process.
This perspective on gifting aligns with the logic of the experience economy, where value lies not solely in the final product, but in the experience that forms around it.
A Journey Rooted in Geography
Our quest for this experience took us to eight Iranian cities: Bushehr, Shiraz, Yazd, Isfahan, Hamedan, Sanandaj, Tabriz, and Zahedan. The goal of this journey was not simply to find unique or obscure products; we sought pieces that—beyond their quality and beauty—embodied the essence of the context in which they were created.
Every piece is the product of a specific set of conditions. Climate, available materials, craftsmanship traditions, the artist's personal experience, and their visual language all play a role in shaping an object or artwork. Consequently, selection was not based merely on appearance or build quality. It was crucial to understand where the piece originated, who created it, how it relates to its environment, and why it might resonate with an audience in a different geographical setting.
In a project of this nature, travel was not merely a means of sourcing products; the design of the travel experience itself became part of the overall design process. To truly understand a piece, one must—as much as possible—observe and comprehend the context from which it emerged, for a significant portion of its value is derived precisely from that context.
Selecting the Piece Was Not the End of the Design Process
Finding suitable pieces solved only part of the puzzle. The next crucial question concerned the intended recipient of each artwork. Since a brand’s audience varies in terms of interests, lifestyles, and personalities, selecting a uniform gift for everyone would not necessarily create a personalized experience.
At this stage, understanding the Baran Group’s audience became integral to the design process. Insights into the audience's characteristics, interests, and lifestyles helped forge a more precise connection between each individual and the artwork they were to receive. Rather than selecting a single gift for a group, the process shifted toward finding a specific piece for a specific recipient.
This shift may seem minor on the surface, yet it profoundly impacts the experience of receiving a gift. When a recipient senses that an item was chosen with a genuine understanding of who they are, the gift ceases to be merely a promotional object and becomes a gesture of thoughtfulness. Here, personalization did not mean altering a product's appearance or adding the recipient's name; rather, personalization occurred at the level of selection itself.
Where Data Meets Art
A defining feature of this project was the convergence of fields usually viewed as distinct: art and data, travel and branding, local economics and experience design. While these areas might appear worlds apart at first glance, many contemporary experiences take shape precisely at the intersection of diverse disciplines and perspectives.
In this project, data was not intended to dictate the artistic value of the works or reduce art to a set of figures. Instead, it served to deepen the understanding of the audience, thereby refining the selection process. Audience insights stood on one side of the equation, and the characteristics of the artworks on the other; the design process unfolded at the point where a meaningful connection could be established between the two. In contrast, art imbued a gift with an identity that a standard, mass-produced item could not convey on its own. A work of art or a local handicraft was not merely an object; it embodied the creator's vision, the local culture, and the context in which it was crafted. The result was an experience that was both personal and cultural.
When a Gift Becomes a Narrative
The value of a piece lies not only in what can be seen or touched; the story accompanying it is also part of the experience. Knowing where in Iran an item was made, who created it, and what cultural or geographical elements shaped it can transform the recipient's connection to the object.