At Brilliant Read Media, it is our constant endeavour to identify and share some of the unique and compelling stories from the startup ecosystem. As part of this, we invited Dhriti Kapoor for an interview with Brilliant Read Media. To say further, Dhriti is an Architect and Founder at Seven Storey Communications. Let’s learn more about her background, inspiring journey so far and her advice for our growing community!
Excerpts from our exclusive interview with Dhriti:
You started Seven Storey while still in architecture college. What was the defining moment that made you believe this could become a real business?
It actually started before Seven Storey existed as a company.
Three years ago, while I was completing my architecture degree in Delhi, I was interning across architecture and design studios. During that time, I began noticing a clear gap in the industry. I kept seeing incredibly thoughtful and meaningful work that was barely being communicated beyond the immediate professional circle. Projects often lived inside portfolios and referrals, even though the way people discovered brands was rapidly changing.
That was the first moment I realised I wanted to move towards communication and branding within the design industry itself.
To understand the communication side better, I also did a short internship at a marketing firm after my architecture internships. I wanted to understand both worlds before deciding how I wanted to shape my own path.
Around the same time, while sourcing furniture for my own home, I had an unexpected conversation at a furniture store about how design brands were creating beautiful work but struggling to communicate it meaningfully online. That conversation eventually led to my first freelance project and marked the beginning of my journey.
As I started working with more brands, I realised this wasn’t just one company’s challenge it was an industry-wide shift. That’s when I understood this could grow into something much larger than freelance work, and about a year later, Seven Storey Communications officially came into existence.
You noticed a gap in how design brands communicated online. What exactly was missing, and why did it matter to you?
What felt missing to me was understanding.
A lot of communication around design brands felt either too generic or overly transactional. The work itself was thoughtful, layered, emotional, and deeply process-driven, but the storytelling rarely reflected that depth.
At the same time, many agencies working with design brands understood marketing from a technical perspective but didn’t fully understand the language of design itself. They didn’t understand why materiality matters, why site stages are important, or why certain details carry emotional value for architects and designers.
Coming from an architecture background, I naturally connected with that world. I understood the thinking behind the work, and I felt it deserved to be communicated with much more sensitivity, clarity, and intention.
Coming from an architecture background, how has that influenced the way you approach branding, storytelling, and communication?
Architecture trained me to think beyond aesthetics.
It taught me how to understand people, behaviour, movement, experience, and detail and I think that influences everything we do at Seven Storey.
Even when we approach marketing or social media, we think structurally. We think about narrative flow, emotional connection, rhythm, materiality, audience psychology, and long-term positioning instead of just individual posts or short-term trends.
Architecture also taught me patience. Good spaces take time to build, and I believe strong brands work in the same way.
What began as freelance social media work has evolved into a full-fledged communications consultancy. What were the biggest turning points in that journey?
One of the biggest turning points was realising that clients didn’t just need content; they needed clarity.
They needed positioning, direction, strategy, campaigns, PR, and someone who genuinely understood how their industry functioned.
As we started working with more brands, conversations naturally expanded beyond Instagram. We moved into branding, campaign shoots, digital marketing, consulting, and communication strategy because the challenges clients faced were much larger than social media alone.
Another major shift was becoming more selective about the kind of brands we worked with. That helped shape the identity of Seven Storey more intentionally and allowed us to focus on meaningful, long-term partnerships.
You’ve said social media has become the “new first impression.” What makes a design brand truly stand out online today?
I think people can immediately sense when something feels authentic versus performative.
The brands that stand out today are the ones that communicate with clarity and consistency. It’s not about posting the most content or chasing every trend it’s about building a clear point of view.
For design brands specifically, audiences want to see process, thinking, details, materials, conversations, site stages, founder personality, and the human side behind the work.
The internet has made people more visually aware, but it has also made them far more emotionally selective.
Many architecture and interior brands create incredible work but struggle with visibility. What are the biggest mistakes you see them making?
One of the biggest mistakes is treating communication as an afterthought rather than an extension of the brand itself.
Many studios only post final photographs without showing the journey behind the work. Others communicate in ways that feel either too generic or too inaccessible.
There’s also often hesitation around visibility because architecture and interior industries traditionally relied heavily on referrals.
Another common mistake is inconsistency. Strong visibility is rarely built overnight it comes from consistently sharing your process, perspective, and philosophy over time.
At just 26, you’ve built a niche consultancy in a highly competitive space. What were some of the biggest challenges you faced as a young founder?
I think age naturally comes with assumptions.
Especially in industries like architecture and design, where experience is deeply respected, there were moments when I had to work harder to build trust and credibility.
In the beginning, balancing college, freelance work, shoots, deadlines, and building systems was extremely overwhelming. Since the business grew organically, a lot of learning happened in real time.
Another challenge was transitioning from being an individual freelancer to building an actual consultancy with structure, systems, direction, and a long-term vision.
The name ‘Seven Storey’ beautifully combines architecture and storytelling. What’s the story behind the name, and what does it represent to you?
The name came from the intersection of the two worlds that shaped me.
“Storey” comes from architecture, while “story” comes from narrative. I always wanted the brand to sit between both spaces because that’s exactly how Seven Storey began.
The number seven symbolised growth and layers to me. The vision was never to build something one-dimensional. I wanted to create a consultancy that could evolve layer by layer, gradually alongside the industries we work with.
Looking ahead, what is your vision for Seven Storey Communications over the next five years?
I want Seven Storey to become one of the strongest communication and strategy consultancies for design-led industries, not just in India, but globally.
The long-term vision is to build a consultancy that goes far beyond social media into brand building, campaigns, creative direction, strategy, PR, and cultural positioning for architecture, interiors, furniture, materials, and lifestyle brands.
Most importantly, I want Seven Storey to continue helping meaningful design work get the visibility and recognition it deserves while keeping communication thoughtful, intentional, and deeply rooted in the industry itself.
At BrilliantRead, we don’t just share startup stories; we bring you journeys that challenge perspectives, spark ideas, and fuel ambition. Every story we feature is carefully chosen to add real value, inspire action, and ignite possibility within our growing community of entrepreneurs and dreamers.
If you have a powerful story, one that can inspire, educate, or create impact we want to hear from you.
