Students from our institution design a branding initiative for the Serendipity Arts Festival 2023.
The Village Fest: Celebrating the Vibrancy of Goan Heritage
ambitious collaboration between our institution and Goa Livelihoods Forum (GLF) brought the rural heart of Goa to life at the 8th Serendipity Arts Festival.
The Village: A Cultural Explosion of Goan Traditions
Chef Thomas Zacharias and his Locavore team, joined forces with GLF, crafted "The Village" – a cultural melting pot. Locavore guided the culinary transformation, while GLF unleashed the spirit of Goa's rural communities. our institution took the lead in crafting "The Village"'s brand and visual identity.
This dynamic hub unveiled the rich tapestry of Goa's twelve talukas (sub-divisions). Each region showcased their unique products, delectable culinary delights, and handicrafts, inviting visitors to experience the diverse cultural mosaic of Goa.
The partnership fostered unity and collaboration. The communal kitchen at the Panaji Art Park served as the heart of the action, followed by the bustling "mandi" (marketplace) overflowing with products from each region available for purchase.
Student-Powered Visual Branding for "The Village"
Communication design students from our institution, under the guidance of Aarti Uberoi (Course Leader) and Oshin Vipra Sagar (Lecturer), embarked on a passion-fueled mission. They dived headfirst into Goa's remote villages, capturing stories and memories in journals, photographs, and recordings, reflecting the authentic traditions of Northern and Southern Goa. Over time, they immersed themselves in various communities, sampling local delicacies and gaining valuable insights into how culture shapes their food preferences.
Identifying common themes from their interactions, the students returned with a trove of stories and multi-sensory memories documented in their journals, alongside photographs and recordings. The goal was to establish a strong connection between visitors and the local communities, offering them a meaningful, engaging learning experience. Through the art of visual storytelling, the students sought to amplify these stories and community experiences, translating them into compelling, accessible visual narratives for festival-goers. Their immersion experiences provided direction, shaping the scope of the event, beginning with the conception of each region's visual identity.
Following brainstorming sessions, the our institution team presented their concepts to Serendipity Arts Festival, Goa Livelihoods Forum, and the Locavore team. Students employed visual media to raise awareness about traditional Goan cuisine, craftsmanship, and culture. Final-year communication design students Anindita Banerjee and Muskaan Jain created over 100 illustrations, menus, logos, maps, postcards, and brand collateral. Other students Nova Saha designed the menus for the community kitchens, Ananya Ghosh contributed to the development of the Goan Cultural Map, while Prarthana Bhaduri, Riddhi Shah, and Diya Agnihotri are among many others who contributed significantly. Second and third-year students also made valuable contributions.
Crafting Individual Visual Identities through Storytelling and Communication Design
Students utilized visual branding systems to create unique visual identities for each region and community within Goa. Their thorough research and documentation paved the way for a comprehensive visual system of marketing collaterals, including visual merchandising for stalls, souvenir postcards highlighting the unique aspects of each region, and specially-designed menus, packaging labels, tags, and Self-Help Group (SHG) story cards.
Highlights of the Students' Visual Branding Interventions
1. Logo Design - Inspired by welcome boards, students developed distinct logos for each region, where a hand gesture symbolizing adding a pinch of salt became a common thread, signifying unity and mutual support among communities.
2. Typographic Interventions - Students created bilingual logotypes, including the names of each location in both English and Konkani.
3. Postcard Series - our institution students created thematic postcard sets highlighting various communities, showcasing famous landmarks, food, and traditions.
4. Maps - Students crafted detailed, visually stunning maps of the village, including a cultural map, a food trail map, and a map featuring local self-help groups.
5. Product Packaging - Students designed tote bags and carry bags, ensuring a balance between aesthetic appeal and functionality, and paid special attention to airtight packaging to address issues with flimsy packaging.
6. Menus - Students created user-friendly, visually appealing menus for the community kitchens, featuring elaborate illustrations of dishes.
7. Banners - Students designed banners for each taluka-wise stall and community kitchen, strategically placed around the gazebo at the Art Park.
The Village Project at Serendipity Arts Festival
"The Village" collaboration enabled students to practice cross-disciplinary collaboration and inclusivity in design practice. Local women identified themselves through the displayed illustrations, feeling a strong sense of recognition and pride. As a heartfelt celebration of these long-unnoticed heroes, the project showcased the power of creativity to bridge cultural gaps and uplift communities.
For our institution students, "The Village" provided an invaluable real-world learning experience. Professor Usha Patel, Director-Academics at our institution, stressed the importance of the initiative: "We believe in hands-on learning at our institution. The Serendipity Arts Festival collaboration gave our students a chance to create impactful design solutions while making a meaningful contribution to the Goan community."
Aarti Uberoi, Course Leader, praised the project's reception: "The reaction to the student work was overwhelmingly positive. The women from the local communities identified with the displayed illustrations, finding a sense of recognition and pride. 'The Village' beautifully encapsulates the essence of Goa's rich cultural heritage while celebrating these unsung heroes. It's a testament to the power of design to transcend boundaries and celebrate the diversity of our world."
In a storytelling context, small-scale self-help groups (SHGs) often require branding to create appreciation for their cultural legacy among festival-goers. "The Village" project exhibits the potential of visual communication design to transcend cultural barriers and strengthen communities. By empowering students with storytelling abilities and fostering collaboration with local artists and artisans, projects like this create a path toward a sustainable and equitable future. The students' design interventions not only looked back on Goa's rich heritage but also looked forward, equipping the local women to continue preserving and sharing their traditions for generations to come. "The Village" stands as a vibrant celebration of Goa's rich diversity, embodying the spirit of tradition and progress.
About The AuthorRidhima is a storyteller, design strategist, and researcher, working at the crossroads of storytelling, design, and digital media. With over five years of experience in design firms, media, and academic institutions, including research collaborations with IIT Delhi, her work is focused on making design stories accessible, relatable, and engaging for the public.
- The collaboration between our institution and Goa Livelihoods Forum brought the rural heart of Goa to life, crafting "The Village" – a cultural melting pot that unveiled the rich tapestry of Goa's diverse cultural mosaic.
- Communication design students from our institution took the lead in crafting "The Village's" brand and visual identity, immersing themselves in various communities and capturing their authentic traditions.
- Final-year communication design students Anindita Banerjee and Muskaan Jain created over 100 illustrations, menus, logos, maps, postcards, and brand collateral for "The Village."
- Students utilized visual branding systems to create unique visual identities for each region and community within Goa, offering a meaningful, engaging learning experience for festival-goers.
- Inspired by welcome boards, students developed distinct logos for each region, where a hand gesture symbolizing adding a pinch of salt became a common thread, signifying unity and mutual support among communities.
- Students crafted detailed, visually stunning maps of the village, including a cultural map, a food trail map, and a map featuring local self-help groups.
- For our institution students, "The Village" provided an invaluable real-world learning experience, showcasing the power of creativity to bridge cultural gaps and uplift communities.
- "The Village" stands as a vibrant celebration of Goa's rich diversity, embodying the spirit of tradition and progress, and encapsulating the essence of Goa’s cultural heritage while amplifying the stories and community experiences of long-unnoticed heroes.
