BRING OUT YOUR INDIAN SIDE
HANISHA AMIN
Graphic Design Masters Thesis
PAR TI M FA G r a p h i c D e s i g n T h e s i s D e s i g n e d a n d Wr i t t e n b y H a n i s h a A m i n 03531379 Printed and Bound at: blurb.com Premium matte 100# A d o b e C r e a t i v e S u i t e CC Academy of Ar t University: School of Graphic Design Graduate Director: Phil Hamlett 79 New Montgomer y St, S a n Fr a n c i s c o , C a l i f o r n i a Thesis Advisors: Phil Hamlett Jeremy Stout Dave Gottwald Hunter Wimmer Find out more about Par ti at: jointhepar ti.com View more work by Hanisha at: hahanisha.com Contact: h a h a n i s h a1 @ g m a i l . c o m Š 2015 Hanisha Amin. All Rights Reser ved.
HANISHA AMIN
Graphic Design Masters Thesis
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CONTENTS
001. THE ISSUE
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Background Def ining the Problem Why it Matters 002. DESIGN RESEARCH
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Data and Insights Target Audience Concept Development Visual Research 003. IDENTIT Y + DESIGN SOLUTIONS Name Development Identity and Visual Standards Book Design Development Website + App User Testing 004. FINAL DELIVERABLES p .10 6 Parti Books Website Mobile Application Marketing User Feedback 005. THE FUTURE What’s Next Lessons Learned Thank You
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PARTI FINALLY TAUGHT ME HOW TO MAKE AUTHENTIC CHAI, NO MORE STARBUCKS! — HANISHA AMIN
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Foreword
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This thesis has greatly taught me how to manage problems, talk with people and generate solutions through graphic design. I want to use this part of the book to thank Phil Hamlett, Jeremy Stout and other professors at the Academy during my thesis journey. Thank you for allowing me to explore a topic close to my heart and for being open to problems outside oneself. I nourished Parti as if it was my newborn; a problem that grew from me. I grew up in London, moved to Arkansas, worked on graduate school in San Francisco and now I’m permanent in Austin. Throughout my life, I’ve always lived with grandma, I still hear her voice when I crave Indian food like she makes. “Learn, otherwise you won’t find a good husband!” she said. There are times when I was younger where I’ve been called the brown girl and I’ve replied “no—I’m not brown, I’m Indian” I look back on that instance and think to myself, what does being Indian mean? I have one Indian friend in small town Arkansas, I’m unable to speak the language, I can’t cook Indian food and I have no idea what happens during Indian occasions. Pondering a soul for my thesis, I thought to myself “ what am I going to tell my kids when they ask me why they are brown?” Indian culture is rich and beautiful which is why it deserves to remain intact as generations go by. Not only that, being Indian is part of my and many other young Indian’s identity and knowing the basics is the start of preservation. That’s the problem— my generation is uneducated, not collaborative and too immersed in American way of life.
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THE ISSUE Background Def ining the Problem Why it Matters
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NIN A DAV ULURI 2013 MISS A MERIC A WINNE R
Background
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NE ARLY 3 MILLION INDIANS LIVE IN A MERIC A WHICH M AKE UP THE SECOND L ARG ES T A SIAN P OPUL ATION .
Background
Indian culture and Hinduism date back thousands and thousands of years. The traditions and customs across the country still remain in India today—including the caste system among society. In the past decade, the Indian-born population are making the decision to move to countries with better opportunities, especially for their children. East Coast Asian Indian communities began forming in the 1960’s and 1970’s after the 1965 Immigration Act allowed more immigration from Asia, says James Hughes, dean of the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers University. The 2011 United States census reports that nearly three million Indian people now live in America, which makes up the second largest Asian population after Chinese. Many Indians have found themselves living in bigger cities, such as New Jersey and San Jose. This overall need to chase after the American dream results in more and more American-born Indians. For these second generation Indian young adults, are cultural norms going to dissipate? Such as touching an elders feet as a sign of respect or offering chai to a guest that enters your house for the f irst time. Will these young Indians know how to communicate to elders, understand the history of Hinduism or participate in Indian celebrations that are beautifully ancient. What does it mean to be an Indian in America, how can one escape stereotypes and embrace their heritage with pride? Will one be able to explain their physical identity and help keep contribute to America’s melting pot stature as it stands today?
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OUR CUSTOMS , THE THINGS WE LIVE BY AND TE ACH OUR CHILDREN ARE PRESERVED BY HOW WE FREELY EXCHANGE IDE A S AND FEELINGS — WA LT D I S N E Y
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SO, WHAT IS THE PROBLEM?
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COCONUT S (adj) INDIANS WHO ARE BROWN ON THE OUT SIDE AND WHITE ON THE INSIDE .
ABCD’ S
(adj)
A MERIC AN-BORN CONFUSED DESI ’ S FOB
(adj)
FRESH OFF THE BOAT
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DDe feifni ni ni ng gt ht he ePPr or bo lbel m em
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Def ining the Problem
THE PRIDE AND APPRECIATION FOR INDIAN CULTURE IS DIMINISHING AMONG YOUNG INDIANS BECAUSE THEY ARE TOO IMMERSED IN THEIR AMERICAN LIFE; WE ARE TURNING INTO COCONUTS. HOW CAN WE PRESERVE?
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Problem 01.
Problem 02.
EDUC ATION
PARTICIPATION
Stephen Knapp, a Hindu-Christian spiritual leader in America discusses in his book How to Cultivate Your Culture in America the ways on how to get the young demographic to appreciate culture so it can live long. Concerning faith, “the number one reason why Hindu’s convert to other religions is because Hindu’s are not educated enough about their own traditions, customs and philosophy”.
Another element to this thesis project is the lack of engagement during Indian celebrations and events. There are many Indian organizations around the country but almost all are run by older parents in their forties or f ifties. They mainly run these associations for themselves to mingle and socialize and I believe the real soul is lost. Participation by the younger crowd is low because of the lack of a community, many Indians won’t f ind themselves going to a Holi event alone but rather out to a movie with a group of American friends from school followed by a trip to McDonalds. I need to f ind a way to connect Indian people together.
Our parents force us to go to temples and pray, but what are we praying for and why do we need to? Religion is one thing, but knowing why we do the things we do and what they mean can keep the heritage alive. Kids these days are more engaged with their school profession, studying to be a doctor (that their parents urged them to become) than wanting to spend time learning culture. Mainly because the materials out in world don’t offer information that is intuitive; the language is off. I need to create better materials and inform on a less serious level like grandma but instead using a different tone of voice.
Problem 03.
PROMOTION Knapp discusses the lack of promotion for Indian culture in America. He sees other cultures receiving exposure, such as the Cinco de Mayo for the Hispanics or Chinese New Year for the Chinese, how about Diwali for the Hindu’s? Diwali is a celebration that has made it’s name into people’s mouths of all races. Barack and Michelle Obama even host a special Diwali celebration in the White House every year but I think there needs to be more of an promotion for other celebrations to get young Indian’s off their couches and outside engaging in something associated with themselves. I need to create a way for people to f ind events and stay intact with Indian heritage so it can be known as a national entity for everyone in the country.
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Def ining the Problem
Initial thoughts After selecting a thesis topic, I set out to see if the problem I had discovered was a problem for other people. At this point, I didn’t focus on age yet but just talking to people I knew personally to get some perspective from all ages. This helped me discover some insights before I began some real questioning.
MEERA PATEL; 20
SUNDEEP PATEL; 44
Thoughts
Thoughts
“My American friends ask me all the time about Indian weddings and I never know what to say. I also don’t have any Indian girlfriends to share common interests with, I don’t really consider myself Indian anymore”
“It’s sad to think that possibly in 2–3 generations, Indian culture in American-born youths will be diminished, simply because they don’t practice”
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JAYNISH AMIN; 22 Thoughts “Being more aware of my culture can help me f ind a common ground in order to spark up a conversation with an Indian person at my school. I don’t want to sound dumb”
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AMY PATEL; 33 Thoughts “I think our culture is so beautiful and I would love to teach my child our rich traditions. I think it’s what makes us unique individuals, otherwise, we would be like everybody else”
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Why It Matters
WHY IT MATTERS? 1. SO INDIAN CULTURE DOESN’T LOSE ITS EXISTENCE IN AMERICA WHEN IT COMES THE TIME FOR ME AND OTHER PEOPLE MY AGE TO BECOME PARENTS.
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Proposed solution Using Graphic Design, I want to create set of tools that: 1) offer information in a way that is engaging and interesting 2) creates a path for new friendships to be made 3) help increase participation to Indian events greater
Goals _ to build pride for Indian culture _ to let go of shame for being Indian around non-Indians _ to act strong and encourage others to keep traditions alive
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NOW LETS
CELEBR ATE TO KEEP INDIAN TR ADITIONS ALIVE FOR FUTURE GENER ATIONS .
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DESIGN RESEARCH Data and Insights Target Audience Concept Development Visual Research
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Data and Insights
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CROSSING NATIONAL BORDERS DOESN ’ T ME AN LOSING CULTUR AL ONES .
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Research
My thesis requires a lot of research to prove that my problem isn’t an assumption made by me. I need to build my team of followers and the f irst step is to show proof. I dug deep into articles, f inding quotes and thoughts about what people thought about my topic. Most were written by parents. Blogs were one place I went to online, lots of Indian people (mostly girls) write about their identity crisis in America. I became excited when I found I wasn’t the only one. Upon reading articles and seeing statistics, I developed some background for my problem which from there, I began generating questions for some interviews both in-person and online.
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RESEARCH PHASE Numbers and charts This step in the thesis journey taught me valuable lessons in design. By speaking to a specif ic audience, I was provided with golden insights that allowed me to make wise design decisions based on my user’s needs. I reached out to people via online surveys, in-person group discussions, phone calls and Skype meetings.
AG E B R AC K E T 15–20 20% 21–26 42% 4 0 % M EN
60% FEM ALE
27–32 33% 33–38 4% 39+ 1%
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LO C AT I O N S New York, NY Edison, NJ San Francisco, CA Oakland, CA San Jose, CA Fremont, CA Berkeley, CA Emeryville, CA Los Angeles, CA Chicago, IL Los Angeles, CA
Atlanta, GA Savannah, GA Washington DC Dallas, TX Houston, TX Irving, TX Baltimore, MD Fayetteville, AR Arlington, VA Chapel Hill, NC Charlotte, NC
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SURVEY SAYS... Finding the place for opportunity Through the course of GR 600 Visual Communications Lab and Thesis Development: Concept, I surveyed 120 people both men and women from the ages of 15 to 40. This helped me determine my target demographic for my project and provided me with insights general thoughts about my topic. I was enthused as the results came in and couldn’t wait to get to the design stage of my thesis.
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D O YO U T H I N K I N D I A N C U LT U R E I S D I M I N I S HI N G A M O N G T H E YO U N G ER G EN ER AT I O N?
12 % no
18% maybe / not sure
7 1% YES! O P EN EN D ED R E S P O N S E S “I believe the true roots of the culture has been forgotten because most of the culture is integrated with religion and now religious identif ication of the younger generation has been diminished.” “Interest for the culture overall is disappearing and we are becoming more American than we are Indian. The decisions that we make now are determined by our immediate social circles” “Indians want to escape Indian stereotypes and f it into the white supremacy” “We need to be reminded of the value and rich culture we are born with, learning culture can sound too boring to some”
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H OW I M P O R TA N T I S I N D I A N C U LT U R E A N D I T S T R A D I T I O N S TO YO U ?
3% not important at all
12 % kind of important
39% very important
4 6% extremely important
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W H I C H I S M O R E I M P O R TA N T TO K N OW I N TO O R D ER TO H EL P P R E S ER V E ?
41% 32 % 22% 5%
religion
rituals
celebrations
cooking
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WHAT RESOURCE DO YOU USE WHEN YOU ARE CURIOUS OR HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT INDIAN CULTURE?
68% ASK GRANDMA 22% USE WIKIPEDIA 8% ASK FRIENDS 2% USE BOOKS
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HOW DO YOU FIND EVENTS IN YOUR AREA? 3% print marketing
9% word of mouth
1 4% social media
3 0% mobile application
4 4% websites
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SAMOSAS & SMALL TALK Finding the place for opportunity The online surveys gave me lots of things to think about. My next method of research involved speaking to some Indian people around my age to get more information. The goal was to keep the discussion casual so ideas can flow freely. There were samosas and Indian desserts involved to get people to speak up!
come join in a discussion TO HELP YOUNG PEOPLE PRESERVE INDIAN CUSTOMS
WHERE: AAU ART CAFE LOCATED AT 655 SUTTER WHEN:
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 27 12 p.m.
WHY:
As part of my MFA Design thesis topic, I am investigating on how to keep the Indian customs and traditions alive in America. I want to educate the younger generation ideals so they can pass down the importance of the culture.
SNACKS WILL BE PROVIDED! TO RSVP OR TO ASK QUESTIONS email me at hahanisha1@gmail.com
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WE ARE G E T TING IDENTIFIED BY M AINS TRE A M — RA JI PUNJABI, 27 J OKES NOT BY OUR CULTURE .
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PRIDE STARTS WITH A FRIENDS CIRCLE, WE MAKE OUR DECISIONS BASED ON THAT. — R A H U L S AWA N T, 2 8
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TAKEAWAYS 1
O N L I N E R E S O U R C E S F O R C U LT U R A L I N F O R M AT I O N I S S C A R C E A N D P O O R LY D E S I G N ED.
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P L AT F O R M S TO M OT I VAT E PA R T I C I PAT I O N AT E V EN T S A R E N OT EN G AG I N G A N D G EN ER I C .
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I ’M PART OF THE BAY ARE A INDIAN MEE TUP G ROUP BUT E VENT S HARDLY TAKE PL ACE— IF THE Y DO, HARDLY ANYONE SHOWS UP. — K ARISHM A SHAH, 26
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E X I S T I N G I N D I A N C U LT U R E O R G A N I Z AT I O N S E X I S T B U T FA I L TO AT T R AC T YO U N G ER G EN ER AT I O N I N D I A N S .
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MORE INSIGHTS! 4
T H ER E I S A L AC K O F / P O O R LY D E S I G N ED P U B L I C P R O M OT I O N F O R M EE T U P A N D N AT I O N A L C EL EB R AT I O N E V EN T S .
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people out of 120 said they would more likely attend events if they were aware of them.
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E X I S T I N G ED U C AT I O N M AT ER I A L A R E U N A P P E A L I N G A N D RESEMBLE TEXTBOOK ST YLE OF LEARNING.
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I WISH TO LE ARN HOW TO WE AR A SAREE ON MY OWN , MY MOTHER WON ’ T ALWAYS BE THERE WHEN I NEED HER . — S O N A L PAT E L , 2 3
Target Audience
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After analyzing the qualitative and quantitative data that I collected through surveying and in-person interviews, it was clear that the audience I needed to reach were young Indians from the ages of 18 to 35. Eighteen is an age when a person is considered an adult and is no longer under their parents household, going out into the world and making their own decisions. Going as high as 35 reaches out those young Indians are in married relationships with the possibility of young children. I would like my design to make learning Indian culture exciting and celebrating even more fun. At this point, I figured out that I need to use a language that is easy to understand and omits the notion of a boring culture lesson. I T ’ S T I M E TO S TO P G R A N D M A N AG G I N G A N D P R E S ER V E I N D I A N C U LT U R E TO P R OT EC T O U R I D EN T I T Y A N D PA S S D OW N C U S TO M S .
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USER PERSONAS
T H E S O C I A L B U T T E R F LY Lives in metro city, has all American friends, almost always on the go, loves to be the leader and can’t get her nagging grandmother off her back about learning how to cook.
T H E YO U N G DA D Married a nice Indian girl and has a three-year old girl, would love to be prepared to take him out to celebrations and teach him Indian languages. Keeps busy with work during the week but wants to do fun free things on the weekends.
T H E N E W LY W E D Just got married, doesn’t know what to cook everyday, close with God, wants to f ind more Indian girls to have things in common with. She’s careful with money but enjoys new experiences.
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FO O D O F C H O I C E
FAVO R I T E AC T I V I T Y
C A N ’ T L E AV E H O M E WITHOUT
easy meals
partying
cell phone
restaurant style Indian
reading
music
sweet desserts
yoga
coupons
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CBo ancckegprtoD u ne dv e l o p m e n t
KEYWORDS RECONNECT MILLENNIAL MODERN COLORFUL INTUITIVE EXCITING RECOGNIZABLE UNITY
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INSIGHTS, STRATEGIES AND SOLUTIONS What I’m going to design After compiling insights and gaining valuable views into my topic, I addressed how I’m going to problem solve by creating a strategy chart and pairing them with viable design solutions.
Topic
Outcome
Audience
to help preserve Indian culture in America
to build pride, appreciation and excitement
young Indians from 18 to 35
INSIGHT existing reading material is poorly designed by being text heavy and less visual S T R AT EG Y create compelling print material that is intuitive and liberating to read
INSIGHT Typically my audience are social media, online users S T R AT EG Y create a place online where one can connect to others via social media and incorporate culture into their daily lives
INSIGHT Indian people f ind it diff icult to f ind events both small and large in their area S T R AT EG Y design an interface that is easy to use, which offers a wide range of events and interacts with social media
D E L I V E R A B L E S ; A B R A N D T H AT O F F E R S : _ a better designed collection of books that explain and invite my audience to Indian culture in a fun and exciting way _ a website to create a connection between already existing social media and Indian culture _ an app to help Indians better f ind events and never miss out again
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WE OWE A LOT TO INDIANS , WHO TAUGHT US HOW TO COUNT WITHOUT WHICH NO WORTHWHILE SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERY COULD HAVE BEEN M ADE . — ALBERT EINSTEIN
Visual Voice
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Now I know what I’m going to design, it’s time to explore a style. I knew I wanted it to be recognizable so when my user sees it in an instance they know its for them. I wanted to avoid being cheesy but classic and modern. During my thesis journey, I managed to take a trip to India just before the designing had begun and observed the perfect aesthetic for my chosen deliverables. I kept my eyes open for typography, color and graphical elements inspiration, while munching on some delicious authentic Indian snacks. Just the right amount is key.
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O R I G I N A L P H OTO G R A P H Y B Y H A N I S H A A M I N G U JA R AT, IN D I A 2013
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I D E N T I T Y + D E S I G N S O LU T I O N S Name Development Identity and Brand Guidelines Book Design Website + App User Testing
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Name Development
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CHOOSING A NA ME FOR MY PROJEC T WA S ONE OF THE MOS T CHALLENG ING BUT FUN PART S . I NEEDED SOME THING UNIQUE YE T UNDERS TANDABLE .
Keywords connect culture together heritage gathering celebrate history ideals relation appreciate learn pass down young practice excite party belonging
At f irst I started to compile names that were of the Indian nature, some of which I had a hard time pronouncing; I was trying too hard. I sat down in Thesis Exploration and drew out a mind map, using keywords and connections to my topic. I thank Dave Gottwald for pushing me to explore the word party. The concept for my project was the seed to my thesis and everything after nourished itself after that. At this point I became really excited because I had found the perfect name for my project. I N D I A N C U LT U R E I S A PA R T Y; O U R F O O D I S H OT, O U R M U S I C I S LO U D A N D O U R C EL EB R AT I O N S A R E P O P U L AT ED. L E T S C EL EB R AT E!
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INDIANS LIKE TO PARTY. YOUNG PEOPLE LIKE TO PARTY.
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YOUNG INDIANS = PARTY PARTY IS PARTI IN HINDI.
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Identity
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This logo had the most potential for growth and resemblance to truck typography. I chose to pull it forward and experiment with shape and color. The A is reminiscent of Ganesh’s elephant trunk.
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Identity
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Brand Guidelines
PARTI DO’S AND DON’TS Brand Guidelines The Parti identity takes from the truck vernacular used by people in India. It symbolizes expression and creates a connection between America and India. The mark reminds my users to party like Americans but do it Indian style. The mark represents boldness, pride and beauty.
L O G O T Y P E F O R D I S P L A Y P U R P O S E S O N L Y
TAG L IN E
Bring out your Indian side
FOR USAGE ON EVERY THING ELSE: W E B S I T E N AV, S TAT I O N A R Y, M A R K E T I N G
CL E A R S PACE & S IZE S PECIFI C AT I O N
To ensure there is no visual obtrusion, nothing to should come intrude into this specif ied clear space. The amount of space of X is determined by the width of the circle glyph in the mark.
3”
To maintain legibility, the logotype should never be reproduced smaller than three inches in width. If needed to be smaller, use the logo without the drop shadow. Business card using gold foil is an exception.
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INCORREC T USE OF THE LOGO
INCORREC T US AGE ON PHOTOGR APHY
The logotype with the drop shadow should never be shown on photography without a solid color background. Use the flat logotype instead and display using Parti Pink or Parti Cream.
LO GO ON LIG HT AND DARK BACKG ROUNDS
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Brand Guidelines
PHOTOGR APHY S T YLE AND GR APHIC ELEMENTS
Parti’s photographic style includes images that are bright and informative. We want to express the culture of India in an elegant beautiful way and display the trueness of the heritage. Photos intensity and contrast should be medium-high and the hues should be vivid.
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T YPOGRAPHY
B O DY C O P Y, H E A D L I N E S , S U B H E A D S ( W E B O N LY )
H E A D L I N E S A N D C A P T I O N S ( P R I N T O N LY )
B R A N D O N G R OT E S Q U E
F I LO S O F I A I TA L I C
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 0123456789
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTU V W X Y Z abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 0123456789
BR AND COLOR PALE T TE
PARTI RED
PARTI G REEN
PARTI BLUE
PARTI OR ANG E
C: 1 M: 90 Y: 9 0 K: 0
C: 70 M: 0 Y: 4 0 K: 0
C: 100 M: 20 Y: 0 K: 0
C: 0 M: 75 Y: 7 6 K: 0
C: 0 M: 15 Y: 1 0 0 K: 0
R: 236 G: 68 B: 47
R: 46 G: 187 B: 167
R: 0 G: 88 B: 169
R: 242 G: 102 B: 72
R: 254 G: 207 B: 5
HEX: #EC432E
HEX: #00B6A6
HEX: #0058A8
HEX: #F165 47
HEX: #FDCF04
PARTI PURPLE
PARTI PINK
PARTI G RE Y
PARTI CRE A M
C: 85 M: 100 Y: 5 K: 0
C: 0 M: 100 Y: 1 0 K: 0
C: 70 M: 60 Y: 6 0 K: 60
C: 0 M: 0 Y: 5 K: 0
R: 84 G: 45 B: 138
R: 236 G:0 B: 131
R: 50 G: 50 B: 50
R: 255 G: 251 B: 24 4
HEX: #532D8A
HEX: #E50082
HEX: #313232
H E X : # FFFA F4
PARTI Y ELLOW
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Brand Guidelines
T Y P O G R A P H Y F O R T I T L E S ( U S E S PA R I N G LY )
Logo, Font and Lettering Bible by Leslie Carbaga (2004) gave me a Illustrator tutorial on how to create a nicely designed display typeface reminiscent of Indian truck typography.
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Book Development
PARTI PRINT BOOKS Gathering content and presenting information in an engaging way Following the identity, I began outlining out the content for the Parti books. My initial idea was to compile everything into one large format book but knew that would be cumbersome after the f irst 100 pages. I then sought to divide the content into three different books focusing on Hinduism’s Gods & Goddesses, the country of India in general and then feature India divided into it’s four regions for the third book. This makes it easy to retain information and compare and contrast different parts of India; each part and state is a little different! Parti: Gods & Goddesses discusses each God with his or her symbolism and Hinduism’s sacred texts. Parti: to the motherland talks about India’s characteristics, such as the country’s facts, cuisine, fashion, festivals, entertainment, celebrations and more. Parti: regions to regions dives deeper into India’s four regions and goes into more detail about North, East, South and West India.
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Design for this book took week after week ref inement, I wanted to explore many different ways before I settled on one layout and type treatment. It was a challenge which frustrated me but taught me that you can build something from pieces and you never know what you can get until you try many different ways.
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PARTI WEBSITE
We b s i t e
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LO N G H O M EPAG E S W H I C H S U P P L I E S T H E M E AT O F T H E S I T E , N O N EED TO C L I C K A R O U N D TO O M U C H .
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ROUND 01.
L ANDING
A B O U T PA R T I
PAG E
(t h e h o s t s)
FAC EB O O K
PROFILE
H O M EPAG E
LO G I N
_ bio _ a b o u t P a r t i (t h e h o s t s ) _ Prof ile _ i n f o (t h e d e t a i l s ) _ events _ contact _ Par ti app (no page)
_ change photo _ suggestion box _ bookmarks
I N F O R M AT I O N (t h e d e t a i l s) _ India _ food _ fashion _ enter tainment _ celebrations _ religion
E V EN T S
_ food _ fashion _ religion _ festivals _ enter tainment _ celebrations
CO N TAC T ( s a y h e l l o)
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PARTI MOBILE APP
Mobile App
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I LO O K ED TO H I G H L I G H T I N D I A N C U LT U R E ’ S P H OTO G R A P H Y A S T H E M A I N EL E M EN T TO MY A P P A N D U S I N G CO LO R A S A C AT EG O R I Z I N G TO O L .
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start up screen
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Mobile App
about Parti info screen
about Parti info screen
LOGO
sign in
sign up
sign in
sign up
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login with Facebook
sign up screen
featured Parti events (home)
join us
first name
last name
email zipcode
facebook login
join
join
sign up
login
email login
DISCOVER PARTI ON INSTAGRAM HAVE A PARTI IDEA?
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featu red eve nt s
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l i s t o f Pa rt i food events
Mobile App
a b o u t 1 Pa rt i food event
invite
DISCOVER
count me in
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co n f irm ticket s
v i e w t i cke t s
AWESOME! SELECT YOUR TICKETS
YAY ! C A N’ T WA I T TO SEE YOU VIEW TICKET
map monday, march 23
monday, march 23
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confirm
s e e t i cke t s u n d e r p ro f i l e
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Mobile App
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The challenge I faced with designing this app is differentiating app elements from website digital elements. I referred to Apple’s Human Interface Guidelines to make sure I was being correct. I also had trouble organizing my events at f irst until I used color as a strategy that played to my advantage.
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U s e r Te s t i n g
WHAT WAS TESTED I informally tested my books, the website, the early stages of the app and my brand. Some of the signif icant feedback I received from my testing was that I needed not to make the Parti website another Facebook page. My users don’t want to have to keep up with another social media platform in the lives, one user explained to me that she feels that the website is online promotion for events which is a good idea since most people miss printed material. I asked her if posters were good to have and she said of course because how will people on the streets come to know about Parti. I received some insight about the app that helped me develop it through to further stages; feature events both big and small.
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E A R LY S TAG E S O F THE B O O K S _ The book should also feature Hinduism’s sacred texts _ The books should be as visual as possible _ The colors are vibrant and beautiful, adjust the yellow to symbolize turmeric _ The three dimensional type is unique and reminiscent of India _ Use language that is easy to understand and treat it like a young person is talking
FE W WE B PAG E S _ Feature the book content on the web in a form that is visually interactive (videos) _ Design a cleaner home page, the big images adjacent to one another is heavy _ There should be a suggestion box featured on the web so users can post _ RSVP and tickets should link to external sites such as Eventbrite and Facebook events
WIR E FR A ME S & 4 S CR E E N S _ Don’t include book information on the app, it’s too busy _ Connect via Facebook to integrate the website in as well _ Add notif ications and reminders for events, most people forget _ Offer the ability to search by category, date and price _ Feature Indian events both on a small and large scale
B R A ND _ Beautiful logo and great colors that target the younger crowd _ Simple and not too overdone _ Memorable
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CHAPTER 03 1 // TI D h eE INs sTuI Te Y + D E S I G N BSaOc LU k g rToIuOnN d S
U s e r Te s t i n g
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C H A P T E R 0 1 / T he Issue
Background
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FINAL DELIVERABLES Parti Books Website Mobile Application Marketing User Feedback
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B a c k g r o u n dB o o k C o l l e c t i o n
THE PARTI
The Parti books were the start to my design deliverables, I started to design on paper before I went to web to lock down a layout and aesthetic. These books take my audience through India and discuss meaningful traditions, celebrations, cuisine, music and more! I hope to sell through Blurb and Amazon in the future.
P R I N T ED A N D B O U N D B Y B LU R B .CO M P R E M I U M 1 0 0 # M AT T E T E X T E AC H S O L D S EPA R AT ELY F O R $ 24 .9 9
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B a c k g r o u n dParti Books
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Parti Books
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Parti Books
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Parti Books
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Parti Books
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Parti Books
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B a c k g r o u n dParti Books
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B a c k g r o u n dWe b s i t e
THE PARTI
Jointheparti.com is designed to market Parti’s Facebook page and act as a resource for young Indians to gain information about our culture in a more interactive way and allow my users to create a profile via my site. Parti’s online presence is a way to keep my users in touch and eliminate the need to go to wikipedia for questions. For example, Priya can come to the site, login with her Facebook and then use the site to stay updated with events in her area, view interactive content online such as step by step videos on how to make naan bread, read tasty recipes and stay in touch with Parti’s mission. In addition, Priya can also purchase Parti books on Indian culture and also share anything on the web page with her friends on social media.
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We b s i t e
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B a c k g r o u n dM o b i l e A p p l i c a t i o n
THE PARTI
I designed the Parti app to help my audience better find Indian events in their area. Promotion for events has a hard time reaching people and through my research I’ve learned that my users are mobile savvy. The app includes features such as: _ Facebook login _ In-app ticket purchasing _ Event sharing with friends via Facebook or email _ Parti profile _ Wide range of events big and small _ Events color categorized _ Push notifications and reminders _ Viewable maps via Google _ Parti suggestion box
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Mobile Application
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Mobile Application
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Mobile Application
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B a c k g r o u n dM a r k e t i n g
PARTI
Advertising for Parti was enjoyable to develop. I wanted to focus on attracting my audience with bright colored ads that spoke to them humourously. I also wanted to advertise events communicating in an outcome, whether it’s celebrating culture or finally learning how to make rotis. These posters are designed to call to action and remind my users that there is something out there for them to be a part of.
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Marketing
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Marketing
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SOCIAL MEDIA Facebook and Twitter
Marketing
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PARTI ON PINTEREST So people could find Parti via keywords
Marketing
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TUMBLR BLOG I posted updates on Parti for my users and for myself to track my development
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Marketing
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B a c k g r o u n dU s e r F e e d b a c k
PARTI
Nothing but praise and pride. My users have responded in ways that gave me satisfaction with my project. Most have asked me if Parti will soon become real because it has provided them with a fresh reminder of how beautiful Indian culture is and the importance of preservation in America. Many of my users gave me positive thoughts during feedback for my deliverables, some of which pertain to Parti’s future that I thought were great! The following pages show a positive response from my users.
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“
PARTI IS COOL , M AYBE IN THE FUTURE THERE C AN BE CHAP TERS AT DIFFERENT UNIVERSITIES AROUND THE COUNTRY. — J AY N I S H A M I N , 2 3
Thoughts
”
I asked Jaynish what he thought about Parti. He replied “Parti has def initely motivated me in learning about Indian culture!” He sums up that ever since he moved to Texas and gone to school, he hopes to learn more and identify with the Indian group at school—in which he didn’t f it in before. He discussed with me that Parti could maybe work with schools and help leverage Parti chapters in different cities. Jaynish explained to me that the website works well with the app because they are integrated together, so he can keep up with Parti while he’s on the computer or when he’s out with friends. Jaynish appreciated the different cross comparison’s of the different parts of India. Before it was just him knowing things about the west and Gujarati people but now he knows that all the Indian food he enjoys is mostly from the North!
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THE PHOTOS ALONE REMIND ME OF HOW RICH AND BE AUTIFUL OUR CULTURE IS . — B I J A L M E H TA , 24
Thoughts
”
When I talked to Bijal, she thought it was a real idea; I told her it’s just a school project but I hope someday it becomes something true. She told me the photos were a great reminder of how beautiful Indian heritage is and she feels like Parti has great potential of moving forward. There is still so much to teach and so much to dive into, it def initely has legs to become successful nationwide. She said the best thing about Parti is the design because she’s never seen anything like that online or in the media, most Indian culture groups are very boring and run by older men and women. I guess no one has really thought about young people leading an organization about culture. Parti does that in a fun way and it’s worth becoming excited about and appreciative of—it’s def initely a pride builder. The website has great content and provides resourceful information that is easy to get to and saves me from unorganized Google search pages.
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User Feedback
PARTI ’ S BRIG HT COLORS M AKE ME WANT TO VISIT INDIA NOW. — K R I S H N A M A L H OT R A , 1 8
Thoughts
”
I spoke to lots of people on the ends of my target audience. Eighteen year olds really need to be motivated in order to preserve culture. Krishna discussed with me her love towards Parti because it’s friendly and colorful. She hasn’t yet visited India yet because she’s heard lots of disturbing things from her friends and older cousins. She told me that Parti shows the exciting parts of India that make it signature and it’s shown her that her identity makes her who she is in America. Krishna said “I’m going to show this to tall my friends!”
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PARTI RE ALLY LIF T S INDIAN CULTURE FROM THE GROUND AND INTO THE AIR , M AKING IT MORE OF A CONNEC TION . — M I R A L PAT E L , 2 5
Thoughts
”
I had a Skype conversation with Miral as she viewed my website, she responded with great enthusiasm about the digital aspects to my project. She’s almost always on the go and loves to socialize rather than spending quiet nights in watching tv or reading. She loves the idea of having an app to specif ically f ind events, I asked her what apps she uses and she responded with Eventbrite and meetup but can never seem to f ind something worth going to. She said “I’m excited to know there is no other ways to learn about our culture besides just reading books”. She complimented me on my design choices, from the colors to the photography she said I’ve really lifted Indian culture from the ground and provided connection.
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B a c k g r o u n dU s e r F e e d b a c k
FINALLY, I CAN GET GRANDM A OFF MY BACK!
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B as ce kr gFreoeudnbda c k U
THESE WILL BE GRE AT FOR WHEN HE ’ S OLDER , SELL NOW! — R U P E S H PAT E L , 32
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User Feedback
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PARTI WILL BE THE WAY WE COMMUNIC ATE OUR TR ADITIONS TO OUR CHILDREN . I LIKE HOW IT ’ S MODERN AND INVITING . — J I G A R PAT E L , 2 8
Thoughts
”
Jigar is from Texas and he helped validate my concept by stating that events in his area don’t cater to his interests and don’t market in a way that is engaging enough to take time out of his weekend to attend. He told me Parti is thoughtful on how they choose to communicate. He states that Parti is inviting and “hip” which def initely gets the attention of the younger crowd, most events are organized by older men and women—our parents age. I also have a vision of Parti having a branch of online dating, these days it’s very hard to f ind a cute Indian girl and there isn’t many dating sights listed specif ically for desi people. Parti could def initely be the new Tinder or OK Cupid for Indian people. I hope this project sees to exist in the future!
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C H A P T E R 0 1 / T he Issue
Background
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THE FUTURE What’s Next Lessons Learned Thank You
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C H A P T E R 0 5 / T he Future
W h a t ’s N e x t
THE PARTI ISN’T OVER YET, IT HAS ONLY JUST STARTED.
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The Future
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Parti is anything but a static entity simply because in the last two years, I’ve only just touched on Indian culture and its beauty. I’ve provided my audience with the tools and resources to incorporate Indian ways into their lifestyle. Just the other day, I learned how to make masala chai and naan bread homemade and felt LIBERATED. The Parti books have the potential to expand; Regions to Regions could def initely separate into four books and also become available for e-reading. The app def initely will be updated almost every week with new events and as my community gets bigger, the usage will rise. From there, the sky’s the limit. While during my thesis journey I discovered print and digital assets were important to my project, Parti can also provide Parti branded retail products such as tea, music discs for each occasion and much more. Talking with my users for feedback provided me with wonderful insights about releasing Parti to high-schools and universities, there can be chapters much like sororities around the country that practice and learn Indian culture much different to the ones that exist right now. I think that would be the best time to create Parti v-necks and sunglasses! At its core, Parti is an organization that I’ve given birth to per say that started with the troubles I face. I’ve provided tools and resources and all have the opportunity to grow and change as Indian culture starts to become more apparent in America.
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L e s s o n s L e a r n e d a n d T h a n k Yo u
LESSONS ALONG THE WAY
Outcome
This thesis has impacted my design career by providing me with skills that pertain to real-life design work. I’ve had the opportunity to discuss my thesis as part of job interviews and impressed companies with my ability to work with different platforms and play different roles. I’ve learned more skills during my thesis than when I f irst started out at the Academy. Being an on-site student and taking the initiative to move to a big city by myself to pursue this design career has become one of the best decisions of my life. I’ve become inspired and during my entire time at the program, I’ve been a sponge soaking in rich information from professors who have excelled in their own lives. I cherish this degree and owe it to myself to advance in my current job now. I’m grateful for the entire thesis process. I used to think design can be done in my room, in the comfort of my own home. NOPE. It requires getting out, exploring, seeing and interacting. Design is perfect for me.
MFA GR APHIC DESIGN THESIS BY HANISHA A MIN
THANK YOU E VERYONE!
Thanks to my
PA R E N T S : Mum and Dad, thank you for your support throughout. H U S B A N D : Thank you for your insights and emotional support. I N S P I R I N G , S U P P O R T I V E F R I E N D S W H O G AV E M E P E P TA L K S :
Thuy Pham, Aaron-Harper Lee, Priti Kapadia, Lesley Gaesser, Shaily Shah, Sami Lukens, Ziv Tsau & all of my Facebook Parti people! W O N D E R F U L A DV I S O R S :
Phil Hamlett, Jeremy Stout, Hunter Wimmer and Dave Gottwald. A shout out to Scott Rankin for assisting me in Parti’s brand colors. A AU G R A P H I C D E S I G N D E PA R TM E N T:
Thank you for allowing me to walk through your halls, become inspired, grow and develop my skills to take on real-life problems. I couldn’t imagine myself doing anything else. To these and countless others without whom I could not have completed this project without. Thank you all very much!
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THE PARTI HAS ENDED, PLE ASE EXIT BUT COME BACK AGAIN .
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PARTI: MFA THESIS BY HANISHA A MIN ACADEMY OF ART UNIVERSIT Y JOINTHEPARTI .COM HAHANISHA .COM