Design for Digital media
Type: Classroom project
Campaign Design | Visual Communication Design | Cultural Promotion | Design for Digital media
Designing Digital media collaterals to promote Bhaona - An Assamese folk theatre form
A classroom project initiated with the objective of, endorsing and disseminating the stories, characters, and music of Bhaona, an ancient and culturally profound art form. This folk theater tradition originates from Assam, India, and the aim was to present it to a global audience by harnessing the capabilities of contemporary digital media creatives.
Role: Research, strategy development, content planning, visual collateral design (The research for this project was conducted collaboratively with a classmate, and each of us realized our respective visions for the project's outcome)
Tools used : Illustrator · Photoshop
Duration: 1 week (2023)
Design for Digital media
Type: Classroom project
Campaign Design | Visual Communication Design | Cultural Promotion | Design for Digital media
Designing Digital media collaterals to promote Bhaona - An Assamese folk theatre form
A classroom project initiated with the objective of, endorsing and disseminating the stories, characters, and music of Bhaona, an ancient and culturally profound art form. This folk theater tradition originates from Assam, India, and the aim was to present it to a global audience by harnessing the capabilities of contemporary digital media creatives.
Role: Research, strategy development, content planning, visual collateral design (The research for this project was conducted collaboratively with a classmate, and each of us realized our respective visions for the project's outcome)
Tools used : Illustrator · Photoshop
Duration: 1 week (2023)
Design for Digital media
Type: Classroom project
Campaign Design | Visual Communication Design | Cultural Promotion | Design for Digital media
Designing Digital media collaterals to promote Bhaona - An Assamese folk theatre form
A classroom project initiated with the objective of, endorsing and disseminating the stories, characters, and music of Bhaona, an ancient and culturally profound art form. This folk theater tradition originates from Assam, India, and the aim was to present it to a global audience by harnessing the capabilities of contemporary digital media creatives.
Role: Research, strategy development, content planning, visual collateral design (The research for this project was conducted collaboratively with a classmate, and each of us realized our respective visions for the project's outcome)
Tools used : Illustrator · Photoshop
Duration: 1 week (2023)
Challenge
For this project, we were tasked with designing digital media to promote a product, service or artform of our choice. We chose Bhaona, a traditional Assamese theatre performed in Namghars during the night, enacting chapters from Indian mythology with elaborate costumes and live music. Our goal was to explore how a digital campaign could highlight Bhaona’s cultural richness, and make it accessible to a wider audience, while being sensitive to its traditions.
Challenge
For this project, we were tasked with designing digital media to promote a product, service or artform of our choice. We chose Bhaona, a traditional Assamese theatre performed in Namghars during the night, enacting chapters from Indian mythology with elaborate costumes and live music. Our goal was to explore how a digital campaign could highlight Bhaona’s cultural richness, and make it accessible to a wider audience, while being sensitive to its traditions.
Project Objective, Overview and Outlining the goals
Key considerations
While planning our approach, we kept the following factors in mind to ensure cultural sensitivity, authenticity, and effective outreach:
Represent rituals and practices without trivializing or sensationalizing them
Engage with practitioners and understand their perspectives to inform the communication strategy
Design visuals that resonate with both local and global audiences, evoking curiosity, empathy, and pride
Ensure information is easy to understand while preserving the depth and nuances of the tradition
Frame Bhaona as both an educational and cultural experience, suitable for cultural tourism without commercial exploitation
Key considerations
While planning our approach, we kept the following factors in mind to ensure cultural sensitivity, authenticity, and effective outreach:
Represent rituals and practices without trivializing or sensationalizing them
Engage with practitioners and understand their perspectives to inform the communication strategy
Design visuals that resonate with both local and global audiences, evoking curiosity, empathy, and pride
Ensure information is easy to understand while preserving the depth and nuances of the tradition
Frame Bhaona as both an educational and cultural experience, suitable for cultural tourism without commercial exploitation
Key considerations
While planning our approach, we kept the following factors in mind to ensure cultural sensitivity, authenticity, and effective outreach:
Represent rituals and practices without trivializing or sensationalizing them
Engage with practitioners and understand their perspectives to inform the communication strategy
Design visuals that resonate with both local and global audiences, evoking curiosity, empathy, and pride
Ensure information is easy to understand while preserving the depth and nuances of the tradition
Frame Bhaona as both an educational and cultural experience, suitable for cultural tourism without commercial exploitation
Research and Analysis
We began by immersing ourselves in Bhaona’s cultural and spiritual environment. Through field research, we spoke with priests, artists, and community members involved in the performances. With assistance from an Assamese peer, we learned about the Namghar community’s unique practices — celibacate men performing all roles, the use of traditional instruments, and the importance of storytelling.
This deeper understanding helped us identify key themes to highlight: the community spirit, vibrant costumes, rigorous preparation, and the emotional connection that brings audiences together.
We also mapped out the target audience, current engagement methods, and opportunities to create awareness in culturally sensitive ways.
Research and Analysis
We began by immersing ourselves in Bhaona’s cultural and spiritual environment. Through field research, we spoke with priests, artists, and community members involved in the performances. With assistance from an Assamese peer, we learned about the Namghar community’s unique practices — celibacate men performing all roles, the use of traditional instruments, and the importance of storytelling.
This deeper understanding helped us identify key themes to highlight: the community spirit, vibrant costumes, rigorous preparation, and the emotional connection that brings audiences together.
We also mapped out the target audience, current engagement methods, and opportunities to create awareness in culturally sensitive ways.
Research and Analysis
We began by immersing ourselves in Bhaona’s cultural and spiritual environment. Through field research, we spoke with priests, artists, and community members involved in the performances. With assistance from an Assamese peer, we learned about the Namghar community’s unique practices — celibacate men performing all roles, the use of traditional instruments, and the importance of storytelling.
This deeper understanding helped us identify key themes to highlight: the community spirit, vibrant costumes, rigorous preparation, and the emotional connection that brings audiences together.
We also mapped out the target audience, current engagement methods, and opportunities to create awareness in culturally sensitive ways.
The outcomes of the site visits and interviews
Reaching the Audience: Strategies and Considerations
Our strategy was to create digital collaterals that would serve as educational tools and tourism promotion materials.
The campaign’s messaging focused on storytelling, community bonding, and cultural preservation, while ensuring visual appeal that resonates emotionally without compromising authenticity.
Reaching the Audience: Strategies and Considerations
Our strategy was to create digital collaterals that would serve as educational tools and tourism promotion materials.
The campaign’s messaging focused on storytelling, community bonding, and cultural preservation, while ensuring visual appeal that resonates emotionally without compromising authenticity.
Reaching the Audience: Strategies and Considerations
Our strategy was to create digital collaterals that would serve as educational tools and tourism promotion materials.
The campaign’s messaging focused on storytelling, community bonding, and cultural preservation, while ensuring visual appeal that resonates emotionally without compromising authenticity.
Design Exploration & Ideation Process
Once we gained an in-depth understanding of Bhaona’s cultural nuances, we moved into visual exploration, aiming to translate it into digital media assets. The process was rooted in creating visuals that evoke emotion, celebrate tradition, and invite new audiences — all while staying sensitive to cultural contexts.
I experimented with color palettes inspired by the performance attire — deep reds, golds.
Typography choices focused on bold, expressive fonts that capture the theatrical energy of Bhaona while ensuring readability across formats like web banners and social posts.
Explored graphic elements and motifs drawn from patterns and costume details, layering them in collage-like compositions to create dynamic and textured visuals.
Iterations were created for various formats such as web banners, posts, and landing pages, imagining how these elements would adapt across platforms while maintaining visual cohesion.
Design Exploration & Ideation Process
Once we gained an in-depth understanding of Bhaona’s cultural nuances, we moved into visual exploration, aiming to translate it into digital media assets. The process was rooted in creating visuals that evoke emotion, celebrate tradition, and invite new audiences — all while staying sensitive to cultural contexts.
I experimented with color palettes inspired by the performance attire — deep reds, golds.
Typography choices focused on bold, expressive fonts that capture the theatrical energy of Bhaona while ensuring readability across formats like web banners and social posts.
Explored graphic elements and motifs drawn from patterns and costume details, layering them in collage-like compositions to create dynamic and textured visuals.
Iterations were created for various formats such as web banners, posts, and landing pages, imagining how these elements would adapt across platforms while maintaining visual cohesion.
Design Exploration & Ideation Process
Once we gained an in-depth understanding of Bhaona’s cultural nuances, we moved into visual exploration, aiming to translate it into digital media assets. The process was rooted in creating visuals that evoke emotion, celebrate tradition, and invite new audiences — all while staying sensitive to cultural contexts.
I experimented with color palettes inspired by the performance attire — deep reds, golds.
Typography choices focused on bold, expressive fonts that capture the theatrical energy of Bhaona while ensuring readability across formats like web banners and social posts.
Explored graphic elements and motifs drawn from patterns and costume details, layering them in collage-like compositions to create dynamic and textured visuals.
Iterations were created for various formats such as web banners, posts, and landing pages, imagining how these elements would adapt across platforms while maintaining visual cohesion.
Visual style guide for building the collaterals
Various Web Banners
Bhaona specific and Festival page visualization iterations for the Assam Tourism website
Bhaona specific and Festival page visualization iterations for the Assam Tourism website
Bhaona specific and Festival page visualization iterations for the Assam Tourism website
Concluding note:
Some experiences are so unique and impactful that they become lifelong treasures. Gaining deep insights into a performance art unique to the people in Assam was one such transformative experience. It allowed me to immerse myself in this visual form and connect with the performers, facilitators, and custodians of the tradition.
This project also offered me a valuable opportunity to visualize how the performance could gain broader recognition through social media. It was not only a memorable cultural learning experience but also deepened my understanding of its intricacies. Moreover, it emphasized the importance of sharing such cultural richness with a wider audience, making it more accessible and appreciated.
The project unfolded beautifully — not just in being able to experience the performance art, but also being part of its distinctive settings, engaging with a diverse audience, and also being able to collaborate closely with one of my dearest friends and peers.
Concluding note:
Some experiences are so unique and impactful that they become lifelong treasures. Gaining deep insights into a performance art unique to the people in Assam was one such transformative experience. It allowed me to immerse myself in this visual form and connect with the performers, facilitators, and custodians of the tradition.
This project also offered me a valuable opportunity to visualize how the performance could gain broader recognition through social media. It was not only a memorable cultural learning experience but also deepened my understanding of its intricacies. Moreover, it emphasized the importance of sharing such cultural richness with a wider audience, making it more accessible and appreciated.
The project unfolded beautifully — not just in being able to experience the performance art, but also being part of its distinctive settings, engaging with a diverse audience, and also being able to collaborate closely with one of my dearest friends and peers.
Concluding note:
Some experiences are so unique and impactful that they become lifelong treasures. Gaining deep insights into a performance art unique to the people in Assam was one such transformative experience. It allowed me to immerse myself in this visual form and connect with the performers, facilitators, and custodians of the tradition.
This project also offered me a valuable opportunity to visualize how the performance could gain broader recognition through social media. It was not only a memorable cultural learning experience but also deepened my understanding of its intricacies. Moreover, it emphasized the importance of sharing such cultural richness with a wider audience, making it more accessible and appreciated.
The project unfolded beautifully — not just in being able to experience the performance art, but also being part of its distinctive settings, engaging with a diverse audience, and also being able to collaborate closely with one of my dearest friends and peers.
Not everything here's polished yet, but the heart of it is here :)
Thanks for visiting!
Not everything here's polished yet, but the heart of it is here :)
Thanks for visiting!
Not everything here's polished yet, but the heart of it is here :)
Thanks for visiting!