We need to separate the brand promise from the brand expression. A brand promise is why a brand exists and what benefit or performance it claims to differentiate itself and for users to commit to. A promise is based on belief and values – which is very hard to implement because most people within government just see a bunch of written words and do not know (or are not motivated) how to link it to their everyday actions.

In terms of brand expression, the four sided lion that all states integrate into their identity is what binds them together to the federal government. The question that each state faces is how to differentiate themselves to their electorate while at the same time having consistency from state to state. It is here that most of the problems you stated in your blog post happens.

Designers tend to look at visual consistency, and not at the service design aspects that give greater meaning to the visual manifestations of brand. Creating meaningful and beneficial transactions between people and government is the goal and requires that employees understand the purpose and goals of government and deliver value everyday to citizens.

This is a very large challenge and is this something that design can address? I say yes, but sadly most designers do not have the skills or interest to address these larger problems. As long as this happens, your VSOP conversation will continue . . .

I am working for the last 41 years in the IAS but, I could somehow never accept the pomposity and humbug that surrounds the bureaucracy.

It may have been initiated by the ICS but was certainly aggravated by Stephanians and Presidencians later on. Over the last four decades, I have sadly witnessed how it has been taken to such ludicrous levels by small town engineers who managed to cram some silly GK books and after qualifying for the civil services, and then strutted around with such despicable airs. The hard fact is that most of them would not even get a class 2 service if they had to appear at the UPSC a second time. I am dead sure of that and the luck factor applies to me as well.

Consequentially, I have almost no friend in the services and I am so glad about that. I survive on the oxygen that my other friends in the crazy real world provide.

I must share a copyright joke of mine. Do you know what the four lions on the Ashokan symbol mean? Well, each guy in government thinks he is a lion, but each guy looks in a different direction !

Carry on with your creativity while I suffer my last few months in this stuffy vain tribe, as I head to 65 and gasp towards freedom.

All the best !

I personally feel we need to leap frog as a nation on the design elements . And overall software accessibility of the highest standards should be available to people in India. Would be good to meet sometime to catchup on this area (I assume an area of interest for you and ICD :)).