IIAD Students Develop a Branding Project for the Serendipity Arts Festival 2023

Table of contents

• The Village: A Celebration of Goan Heritage
• IIAD Students Shape the Visual Landscape of "The Village"
• Student Craft Visual Identities Through Storytelling and Communication Design
• The Village Project at Serendipity Arts Festival

IIAD collaborated with the Goa Livelihoods Forum (GLF) to mobilise the Goan rural communities through visual storytelling for a project entitled ‘The Village’ for the 8th edition of Serendipity festival. 

The Village: A Celebration of Goan Heritage

Chef Thomas Zacharias and his team at Locavore, in collaboration with the Goa Livelihood Forum (GLF), brought to life "The Village,"  a cultural exchange hub. Locavore spearheaded the culinary curation, while GLF mobilised local communities to participate. IIAD played a crucial role in establishing "The Village" brand and visual identity.

This dedicated space served as a platform to understand and celebrate the rich traditions of rural communities across Goa's twelve talukas (sub-divisions). Each region showcased its unique products, culinary delights, and handicrafts, offering visitors a glimpse into Goa's diverse cultural tapestry.

The collaboration fostered resource pooling and community unity.  A central "community kitchen" was established around the Gazebo at the Panaji Art Park, serving as a focal point. Surrounding the Gazebo, a vibrant "mandi" (marketplace) sprouted, where each region presented its products directly to visitors, selling food, handicrafts, and other local treasures.

IIAD Students Shape the Visual Landscape of "The Village"

The communication design students of IIAD under the mentorship of Aarti Uberoi (Course Leader) and Oshin Vipra Sagar (Lecturer), initiated the project by conducting a recce of the remote Goan villages across the twelve talukas—engaging in a live project documenting numerous stories and sensory memories in journals, photos, and recordings—reflecting the grassroots traditions in Northern and Southern Goa. Over the days, the students immersed themselves in various communities, sampling traditional food and gaining insights into how food choices are influenced by environmental and cultural factors. Identifying emerging themes from interactions at each location, the students returned with a collection of stories and multi-sensory memories documented in their journals, along with photos and recordings.

The aim was to establish a relatable connection with the visitors, offering them a meaningful opportunity for engagement and learning from local communities.Using the art of visual storytelling, the students attempted to amplify these community stories and experiences, crafting them into accessible visual narratives for festival visitors. The on-field experience helped define the event’s scope—beginning with conceptualisation of the visual identity of the local regions. Following idea generation exercises, the IIAD team presented approaches to SAF, GLF and the Locavore team. Students used visual mediums to raise awareness about traditional Goan cuisine, craftsmanship and culture. Final-year Communication Design students Anindita Banerjee and Muskaan Jain designed over 100+ illustrations, menus, logos, maps, postcards and other brand collaterals. Other students Vaalini Gupta helped illustrate the cuisine, Amartya Chakraborty contributed to the development of the Goan cultural map. Sia Kakkar, Ruhi Vij, Vrinda Gupta and Aashna Nayak are among other students who deserve recognition. Notable contributions were also made by second- and third-year students.

Student Craft Visual Identities Through Storytelling and Communication Design

Leveraging visual branding systems, students crafted unique visual identities for each region and community within Goa, ensuring every design element told a compelling story. 

Using thorough contextual research and documentation, students developed a comprehensive visual system of marketing collaterals including visual merchandising for stalls, a series of postcards serving as souvenirs showcasing nuances of the local communities. Aligning with the theme of ‘The Village’ the students also curated designed menus, packaging labels, tags for assortments—all illustrating traditional nuances of Goan dishes, people and elements—celebrating the lesser-known cultural intricacies of Goan rural communities. Collaterals and printables play a crucial role in storytelling, and IIAD students were entrusted to design Self-Help Group (SHG) story cards that narrate the journey and significance of each group.  The project deliverables extended beyond event collateral. Product stickers were designed for over 50 products, intended for continued use by the self-help groups (SHGs) post-event. One goal was to enhance the perceived value of the products through branding and packaging design interventions. The design approach for "The Village" aimed to achieve a balance between visual cohesion and individual community expression. This was accomplished by developing a core set of design principles that served as the foundation for all branding materials. Within this framework, variations in colour, illustration style (watercolour), or typography was incorporated to showcase the unique character of each participating community.

Listed below are the design interventions for visual branding collaterals prepared by the students as a part of this collaborative:

1. Logo Design

After some deliberation, drawing inspiration from the welcome boards, the approach with the individual location geo-pinned on the map of Goa was chosen for the logo symbol, wherein a hand gesture of adding a pinch of salt to food became a common thread across locations. This symbolic imagery evokes a strong sense of community and mutual support that the students witnessed firsthand during their travels throughout Goa.

In a similar vein, the students incorporated a spiral motif. This symbol traditionally represents a journey of exploration, moving from external impressions to a deeper understanding. 

This resonated with the team's desire to bridge the gap between how Goa is often perceived by outsiders and the true essence of Goan life that they encountered during their immersive experience.

2. Typographic Interventions

Developing bilingual logotypes showcasing names in English and Konkani.The symbol is supplemented with a bi-lingual logotype that spells the English as well as the local Konkani name of the place. 

Having developed the visual identities for each place, the next step was developing the style of visual treatment and planning the set of collaterals as deliverables for the event . Watercolour illustration was chosen as the style and on-field documentation became the referential basis.

3. Souvenir Postcards

IIAD students created themed postcard sets showcasing diverse communities, featuring brief write-ups and contact details. 

Strategically placed in cafes, these postcards highlighted aspects like tubers, greens and staple Goan ingredients like dried fish celebrating diversity and promoting community engagement.

Each of the eight communities received a set of ten unique postcards. 

These beautiful postcards showcased their community kitchens and stalls, weaving stories in text and imagery.  

The visuals celebrated the people, traditions, culture, and cuisine that make each community special.

4. Map Creation 

Creating a detailed food trail map of Goa, marking various regions and communities, was another important task for IIAD students. These maps served as a guide for festival-goers, helping them navigate the village while understanding the geographical context of each community.The final event deliverables comprised of a large map of Goa. One map paid tribute to these local enterprising women figures of various regional Goan communities, who preserve their traditions and culture in contemporary times.

This map was a cultural depiction of Goa, visually juxtaposing cuisine, culture and crafts on the geographical boundaries of Goa.

5. Product Packaging

Concerning packaging and merchandise, IIAD was assigned the design of carry bags and tote bags that align with the Goan village theme, ensuring a balance between functionality and aesthetic appeal. Through interactive documentation and research during their visit, the students identified issues with flimsy packaging for some products, which was not suitable for their style and even led to fungus in some cases. Recognising this critical issue, the students proposed the implementation of airtight packaging and containers specifically tailored to each product's needs.

6. Menu Design

The next leg of work focused on designing day-wise menus for the community kitchens throughout the weeklong event, spanning from December 15th to 23rd. 

The outcome materialised in the form of 28 A2-size menus, each featuring intricately detailed illustrations of specific dishes. These menus were thoughtfully designed to be both user-friendly and visually inviting, enhancing the overall culinary experience for attendees.

7. Banners 

After identifying the themes, taglines and visual representations for each region, the IIAD team designed three-feet-long banners for the 12 taluka-wise stalls and six 2’x 6’ banners for the community kitchen, strategically placed radially around the gazebo at the Art Park. 

The Village Project at Serendipity Arts Festival

Serving as a multi-disciplinary live project, 'The Village' provided students with an opportunity to foster collaboration and inclusivity in design practice. Local women from various communities resonated with the displayed illustrations, feeling a strong sense of recognition and pride. In this way, the project became a heartfelt celebration of these often-overlooked heroes.

The women, leading self-help groups (SHGs) in rural Goa, embody a remarkable spirit celebrated in the poster, which honours their sisterhood—the driving force behind 'the Village'. 

For IIAD students, "The Village'' provided a valuable real-world learning experience.  Professor Usha Patel, Director-Academics at IIAD, emphasised the importance of this initiative: "At IIAD, we ensure our students learn by doing.  The Serendipity Arts Festival collaboration provided them with the opportunity to contribute meaningfully to the Goan community. This multidisciplinary social initiative brought together industry and academia, allowing students to gain practical experience while creating impactful design solutions."

Aarti Uberoi reflected on its impact: "There was great reception of student work. The women from the communities identified themselves through the illustrations and found a sense of recognition and pride. This project beautifully captures the rich cultural and culinary heritage of Goa. It celebrates these unsung heroes and therein lies the genuine success of this undertaking." In the context of small-scale self-help groups (SHGs), branding becomes imperative to strategically creating an appreciation of their cultural legacy amongst the visitors. 

"The Village" project emerges as more than a one-time design exercise. It demonstrates the power of communication design to bridge cultural divides and empower local communities. By equipping students with storytelling abilities and fostering collaboration with the local artisans, initiatives like this pave the way for a more sustainable and equitable future. The  design interventions not only celebrate Goa's rich heritage but also empower the women behind the self-help groups, equipping them with the tools to continue preserving and sharing their traditions for generations to come. Positioned as a vibrant celebration of Goan diversity, 'The Village' project stands as a testament to the honour of tradition and the embracement of the future through sensitive design interventions by IIAD.