MIHIR LELE
SHARK TANK S5
In-Episode Infographics | Template Graphics
Introduction
Shark Tank India established itself as one of Indian television’s most influential non-fiction formats, with over 190 episodes across four seasons. At its core, the show demystified entrepreneurship—turning complex business models, valuations, and negotiations into stories accessible to millions.
On-screen graphics played a critical role in this translation. They simplified data, structured narratives, and guided viewers through pitches—making the show not just entertaining, but educational.
The Problem
While the graphics broadly aligned with the global Shark Tank aesthetic, they remained largely functional.
Flat, utilitarian visuals lacked the depth, consistency, and craft seen in the show’s overall production design.
Created reactively during post-production, the graphic system evolved without a unified design language. The result was a fragmented visual experience—effective in moments, but lacking cohesion, sophistication, and narrative impact.
The earlier design did not align cohesively with the brand and production design.
Negotiation information lacked scalability and clear hierarchy, leading to clutter and reduced clarity as deal details increased.
Inconsistent use of screen real estate and text sizing made the graphic language feel incohesive and floating as well as an absence of a clear design structure led to inconsistent adaptation of the design language across assets.
The Brief
With a new season and a global Shark Tank facelift on the horizon, the objective was to refresh the in-episode graphic language.
The brief called for a unified, high-impact visual system across all on-screen elements—from lower thirds and infographics to location astons and product data visualisations—one that felt premium, cohesive, and globally aligned.
Design Intervention
At 650 ML Studios, we partnered with the team to lead a graphic refresh of the show.
The project explored multiple design routes that reimagined the show’s on-screen identity—developing flexible systems that unified all in-episode graphics under a single, refined aesthetic, while remaining aligned with the Shark Tank brand refresh in color and typography.
Initial Design Route
Presenting below, the shortlisted design route from our explorations, which was refined into the templates used in S5.
(Above) The redesigned system integrated with the show’s production design while also reflecting the refreshed brand identity.
(Above) A clean, modular layout with structured text containers significantly improved readability and information flow, with a horizontal adaptation ensuring on-screen faces remained unobstructed while maintaining clarity and visual balance.
(Above) The design presented complex deal data in a clear, structured, and scalable format that was easy to follow at a glance
(Above) A variation of the design was tested with subtle blurred gradients behind the boxes, creating a glass-blur effect, which could be explored further if desired.
The above design was appreciated for its modular, sophisticated, and contemporary feel, but required refinement based on the following feedback:
Screen real estate: The design felt vertically heavy and needed to remain within the lower third for better balance and clarity.
Font legibility: Existing fonts were difficult to read and required more legible alternatives.
Visual weight: The layout appeared boxy and dense and needed to feel lighter on screen.
Icon system: A coded icon/emblem system was required for sharks, entrepreneurs, and deal elements to reduce text dependency and improve modularity.
Cultural grounding: Indian visual motifs were needed to better root the design in its local context.
Scalability: The system needed to support larger deal structures without breaking layout, requiring stress-testing.
We incorporated this feedback to:
-Improve clarity, readability, and modularity
-Balance visual weight across screens
-Integrate Indian visual cues and a structured icon system
The result was a polished, scalable, and brand-aligned design system ready for deployment in the upcoming season.
This direction became the final on-air look, with only minor refinements to icons and detailing thereafter.
Finalised Design Route as seen on the Season 5
Animation
The animation language mirrors the graphic system—modular and stackable. Icons and Indian motifs introduce and retract bars, forming the basis of the aston intros and outros.
All graphics were fully templatized, with standardized typography, colors, and layouts. Elements like equity, splits, and others that need accurate mathematical calculations were driven by After Effects expressions, ensuring accuracy, flexibility, and ease of use for motion designers.
The icon system helps categorize information for quick audience comprehension and is built to scale, allowing new icons to be added easily for long-term use.
Watch the episode linked further below to see the graphics in use during an actual pitch.
Pitch starts from 1:30 onwards-
Design and Animation Templates
Mihir Lele
650 ML Studios
Shark Tank India
Show Runner
Bimal Unnikrishnan
Creative Director
Payal Sheth
Post Production Head
Anshu Ranjan Bose
Business Team
Rahul Hotchandani
Sandeep Kaul
Vikas Agarwal
Shark Tank Global Brand Team
Annemie Debicki
Stefano Stefani
Arch Dyson
Olima Rolfe
Kevin Hyland
Crispin Clover