Kanha is a formidable Tiger reserve, a land of much discovery on rugged 4X4s or on two adventurous feet. For even venture designers.
The making of Outpost 12 has been an off-road adventure, with business design, product development, brand design & development, experience design and marketing rolled into one. From blueprint to market. As a jungle safari lodge owned and led by naturalists, Outpost 12 breaks the template and goes off the beaten track, much like the custom-made 9-seater 4X4 that was designed for this forest-first product. Thereby presenting a Kanha, that is uniquely indigenous and interpretive.
As a high-quality leisure product, this venture reimagined what an all-natural, forest-first habitat could be as a space, product, experience and with its unique service design. In a manner that it stands apart from the existing Kanha cluster and creates a distinctive identity and experience for itself.
It is equally a tale of an entrepreneurial adventure by its founding company Sinali Experiences Pvt Ltd. Its two founders DK & Sunny joined in by Anand, are a nature-worshipping trio with the jungle in their veins. The foundersā experience in the jungles of India, South Africa, Chitwan served as a compass. While they had taken different life-paths, it all converged into a single life-passion with the making of this safari lodge.
This palpable passion was one of the key building blocks in this venture design assignment. What is a minimum desirable venture without passion after all. Passion and perseverance are incidentally two of the Ps that the business schools don't overtly teach. In an age of regenerative technology, building something hard and on ground is extra special.
Nearly 24 months prior to launch, following a meeting with the founders, trips were undertaken to see the project site and understand the initial lay of the project. As Venture Designers, we relish the possibility of creative disruptions and innovations that can stimulate new markets or surprise the old ones. While Kanha had a batch of resorts and lodges in various shapes and sizes, the need to be original as an experience, brand, and product needed to be carefully designed and conceptualized. Familiarity with the luxury space helped. Hence we began our work with a blank paper with no fixed agenda except a desire to help design and build something memorable.
Beginning with Baraah, the original 12
Outpost 12 is a tribute to everything original and indigenous Kanha. It is designed to be an address that a naturalist and conservationist would call home. By the side of Kanha's life-giving river - Banjaar, under the clear constellation, in the middle of the jungle, preserving and practicing a life that chooses to be forest-first in many ways.
Each of the 12 signature experiences that anchor the brand and venture were designed and tailored to live the spirit of this mythical land.
You see, Kanha is where the operation to revive its mascot-species took place in 1967 much before Project Tiger. The bio-lodge doffs its hat to the conservator community as much as to the hyperlocal Kanha. And in doing so, ventures beyond its š Tiger trails.
Solar-powered, clad with repurposed mine stones, a water recycle system, employing endearing local talents from the villages, presenting hyperlocal food, and interpreting tribal heritage - Outpost 12ās experiences are surreal. And one that our team takes immense satisfaction and privilege in, having been a part of its making, learning lessons and collecting wisdom that will remain for life. Much like the living tattoos of the Baigas.
Every bit of the hyperlocal culture was carefully researched and distilled to filter out each season's 12 best experiences to offer guests and travelers. Each was curated with a team of specialists and tailored to ensure that it is presented in a manner that is au-naturel.
Experience Design on ground, on cloud and in between
The adventure began with imagining a world anew, without templates and then sought new roads
Venture Design by practice tends to begin from the last mile backwards. Getting to understand firsthand, the culture, capabilities, peculiarities and opportunities for the venture and its founders is critical. The market allows one of two paths. A strategy that's guided by competitive action - taking a position relative to the incumbent competitors. Or taking a blue ocean route which looks at a strategic virgin space that is original. In many ways, it mirrors the decision of a new citizen in the jungle and where it is going to pitch its tent.
At Kanha mathematics & reasoning often go for a drive in the wild. The stars, river, trees, wilderness and its inhabitants reinforce one primal lesson. That, in the jungle, no two days or nights are ever the same. In Kanha, we would dare say, no two moments are ever the sameā¦
VENtURE DEVELOPMENT From blueprint to launch or as we like to say zero to one
1. Strategy and design for serendipity
For the team at NYUCT Design Labs, after its adventures in Coorg (switching on a rainforest), Kumaon (venture design of the world's first 100% Himalayan distillery) and Pangthang in Sikkim, a beautiful part of the wild reserves near Gangtok, this presented a different terrain.
This is wilderness territory in Tiger country where the mist, the trees, the grass, the clouds and winds hide moments that are off the template and bucket lists. The experience design had to be such that serendipity, and the element of surprise was organically retained across the customer's experience journey.
We believe and very deeply so that serendipity is never a stranger. But rather serendipity is an eventual joining of dots as you meet and see these dots. They for the imaginative mind will join themselves to present the path to venture. For us the dots and site visit experiences joined to form an antler. A 12 horned one.
2. Distilling Kanha's animist way of life. This was a first principle in this venture design adventure.
Outpost 12 was envisioned to be animist and bring visitors center-stage into the forestās first principles. Plenty was distilled, imagined and designed to give visitors, travelers and even regulars of Kanha, a sense of an open-jungle university.
Deciphering and foraging the jungle to present experiences that are otherworldly, including responsible retail. Nothing though, sums up Outpost 12. Here mathematics & reasoning often go for a drive in the wild. The stars, river, trees, wilderness and its inhabitants reinforce one primal lesson. That, in the jungle, no two days or nights are ever the same. In Kanha, we would dare say, no two moments are ever the sameā¦
3. Positioning included a pricing and economic model. But first, the battle with an urban legend (pun intended) had to be finished!
Having heard of a rather preposterous valuation and projection provided by a city-dwelling hospitality consulting firm, shared by the founders with us in confidence, our initial views were to first scope out and envision our venture in terms of what it will be as a product, experience and model, before we get into the task of projections, pricing corridors and market making.
Armchair valuations and lazy premature assessments must be put aside before the real task of building and designing up of a original brand and its unique experiences begins. it is only when the brand reveals itself and its mƩtier, that valuation enters the room. else it is simply an accounting guess-game.
Our Venture Design team truly felt here was a chance to take full advantage of being the underdog in the jungle and really push the envelope hard in terms of the brand, experiences, service design, product and discoveries.
The opportunity to turn the rather hasty and insincere valuation around its head, was a bait we relished. After all, how can someone value and appraise a project when the experience and design had not even been shared? It is so unfair to judge such an original and entrepreneurial venture of the founders.
Pricing corridors, project costs, understanding ability to pay, premium drivers, competitive headroom and distribution strategies were discussed with the founders.
As business and experience designers, we learn the hard way. That the true test of a product or service is through its actual experience and culture. And it is only when something has been fleshed out, envisioned in full, and tested that one can learn to value it right. How can one value something that the mind hasn't conjured yet or has only imagined in narrow, templated ways?
What's the value of a tiger sighting? What's the price of a foraged mushroom meal? What's the memorability of a tattoo that has traces of the Baiga's ancient history? What is the worth of a meal that is made from super food local millets and is flavored with Mahua? What is the value of a service design that retains its promise of honesty and country wisdom throughout the customer journey? What is the value of a custom 4X4 that will beget its own original nickname? What is the value of the vision that a couple of non-industry naturalists cherish - that of sharing their way of life with urban concrete-jungle dwelling visitors?
Valuation cannot be determined before the vision is understood and visualized. Excel sheets count for less when placed alongside raw scrawling and unformed yet distinctive thoughts about what the venture would be. Valuation must not be a wet blanket for audacious ventures. Else you would not be reading this piece. And we would not be narrating this.
One had to dislodge conventions. And look to the jungle, the stars, the Banjar River and the animist spirits to guide us. And the generous forests and Sal trees of Kanha didn't fail us.
4. Experience design and innovations for a season's 12
Experience design follows a path between organized frameworks (customer journey mapping, personas and ideation sprints) and cultural research that helps unearth what can be uniquely interpreted and reimagined.
Reaching out to an old colleague, a maestro-chef, professor and serious researcher of food culture, Dr. Samir M and his comrade in arms Mandar helped us truly conceptualize and design the entire food philosophy, experience and menu engineering well. The local team was then trained on ground to deliver Kanha in delectable bites.
As we at NYUCT Design Labs say, none of us know as much as all of us. As we speak there are more interesting ventures that our venture design firm is embarking on with this duo.
From the spot flowers that helped us create Kanha's unique Tequila moment to the Mahua concoctions and millet super food experience and the Maikaal Thali, the food journey and research was done in partnership with a handpicked master-chef with 30 years of experience in teaching and practicing. Gond art interpretive visits, the Baiga living culture had an influence on our interior design, custom made accessories, installations and the cultural experiences for guests.
Experience design is equal parts Art and Science. The part that is art needs the subject to whisper its secrets and eccentricities so that design can take flight with it.
5. Brand design and development stayed wild and unpretentious at heart
The Outpost 12 brand stands steadfast on the principal values and way of life that the bio-lodge represents and promises - across its brand universe, channels and touchpoints.
The identity was hand designed in a manner that blended the antlers of the Barasingha and the tattoo art form of the Baigas. The narrative was of course a free spirit rendering of what Kanha and the jungles whispered into our ears.
6. Interior design, custom installations, artworks and house accessories
NYUCT Design Labs worked with its curated community of makers, creators to design and produce accessories, installations and artworks that give visitors a visceral experience of the destination.
The team led by Pranali D worked with local artists, makers and material designers to create a collection of artworks, installations and merchandisable materials to set the hyperlocal but inventive tone of the safari bio-lodge brand.
The diverse cast of multidisciplinary makers and creators included Kedar M, Priya Patil, Prajval M, Ronak N, Lamya D, Gauri S, Prathamesh P, Harsh M.
Mud-mirror art like Lippan, large tribal jewellery installations made with ceramics, custom artworks created with local Gond artists, material and a reimagination of the Baiga Tribes by designers and artists
7. Food design, dining experiences and menu engineering to present the hyperlocal flavors of Kanha
Here was a golden opportunity to truly reimagine and design the food experience of a bio-lodge that was being developed to truly live up to the hyperlocal credentials of Kanha.
Over multiple visits, and with the help of Dr. Samir M and his experienced comrade in arms Mandar, the ball was set rolling with a concept vision of what we believed could be a dining differentiator in the middle of a jungle. To keep it local, accessible and low on farm miles and yet be inventive in menu was the mandate. The vision was to introduce both domestic audiences and inbound markets to the true local traditions of Madhya Pradesh, the jungles of Kanha, the pastoral influences and what we called as the heroic super-foods of this region.
Dr. Samir and Mandar with their team of researchers, turned up the magic with the young kitchen team of the bio-lodge.
The Super Millets of Kanha, the forager's table and tribal influences
Guests and experience seekers will love the special Maikal Thali (a culinary tapestry of Kanhaās tribal communities), Meat Lapeta, Mahua & Black Rice Cake, Kutki Millet Kheer and even bush meals that give you both - wild flavours and adventure.
The fresh meat & seasonal vegetables are sourced from micro-farms around the jungle, while cocktails and home-made ferments stay uniquely inspired by the forest and its flora. The breakfast menu includes both, a range of comfort food and home-styled classics of the region.
In summary this adventure was a mouthful.
8. Content design and development in situ so that we captured the real Kanha and the lesser known parts
There are a million stories and plot points when you trawl into a legendary territory like Kanha. But our focus and discipline were bounded by our venture design frameworks. For us it was three things that guided our story and content development. Ban (the forest), Bagh (the wilds) and the Baigas (indigenous tribes and local communities).
Going to market with a prayer to the Sal Forests and the animist Gods of Kanha. And bearing the honesty of a land and its indigenous communities.
Going to market was always going to be earnest and lean. The idea was to seed and share the experience and the promise amongst key distributor partners, key markets through a lean tailored plan.
The Sinali team did something beautiful. Outpost 12 was built to be a tribute to the amazing naturalists, conservators around the world and in India. It is this community of keepers that makes the jungle experience truly special. But then what is it that drives these professionals? What is the life of a naturalist like? Between dawn to dusk, they are on a mission to catch the elusive stripes. But there is far more than meets the eye. The Stripe Chasers documentary was sponsored and co-produced by Sinali to take audiences through the real life of naturalists.
The digital discovery and experience of Outpost 12 was equally critical. Digital presence is an extremely valuable marketing and influence channels for modern brands. The design and development of the website aimed at both functional efficiencies as also ensuring that the promise of a forest first bio-lodge didn't get watered down. Rather it must amplify the experience.
Venture Design and Development is best summarized when a before and after scenario presents itself in pictures. Often when we see plush outcomes, customer ready experiences and spit and shine, we fail to often grasp the sheer madness and work that goes behind the scenes to bring a venture alive in its complete sense. Building an experience and brand in the dense competitive space of Kanha was never meant to be a walk in the park. And thank God for that. It took many walks in the forest, drives in the jungle, time with the local communities and rolling up the sleeves before this beautiful little venture was ready to face the market.
Before
After
While we pause and wait for the season of discoveries and travelers at Outpost 12, there would be more interesting adventures and ventures (and we have something very interesting, very personal and unique coming up). Our venture design and development team took many lessons home and made friends that would be looking at the same stars as us. Each and every member of the Sinali team was a delight. If you don't want to take our word for it, head over to this beautiful bio-lodge.
And when you do that, please do pass the word around a first principle of Venture Design & Innovation.