McKinsey’s Tote Bag Painting Session: A Sunset Everyone Could Carry Home

For a team at McKinsey & Company, we set up a tote bag painting session in the office: long tables laid out with palettes, brushes and blank canvas totes, and a celebratory feel with bunting overhead.

The design

The whole group painted a sunset over the waves: a bold orange sun with rays, sitting on stripes of blue and teal water. It is graphic, cheerful and easy to get right, because the shapes are simple and the colours do the work.

Why totes are a team favourite

• Useful afterwards. People carry them to work, the gym or the market, so the session keeps getting talked about.
• Quick to finish. A clean design fits easily into a lunch hour or an afternoon slot.
• Great in groups. Long tables mean people sit with colleagues they don’t usually work next to.
• Brandable. Your logo or event theme can be part of the design.

What made the day work

Every bag was traced and ready, so the time went into painting rather than drawing. The artist demonstrated each layer at the front of the room and then walked the tables to help with edges and blending. By the end, everyone had a finished sunset tote to hold up for photos.

How a Qreative session runs

• Zero prep for HR: our team arrives before yours, sets up every table and cleans up afterwards.
• An artist leads: every step is demonstrated, so nobody needs to have painted before.
• Everything included: materials, aprons and set-up.
• Everyone takes their piece home.
• Easy paperwork: a GST invoice for every booking, MSME compliant, one point of contact.

Bring it to your team

Tote bag customisation starts from ₹650 per person for corporate groups, and it works for anything from a 10-person team to a drop-in station at a town hall.

Prices are starting prices per person at the time of writing.

Details in this story come from the session itself and our photos from the day.

Want a tote session for your team? Send us your brief and get a plan and quote within 2 hours, or browse 10 ideas for team moments.