Irfan Mir's Portfolio

SAWA Branding

Insights

In my design for a brand identity for SAWA, the South Asian Women’s Association, I researched the organization, their efforts and derived the key causes of culture, communication, and collaboration. After this, I went to design colors representative of the themes of welcoming, growth, and teamwork; and then, compassion, empathy, and cause. These efforts resulted in a pink to represent compassion and love; but, unlike red, not passion, lust, and hunger. In addition, it was complimented by a lighter shade of green to represent growth, welcoming, the flow of communication, and the progress of collaboration, culture, and community—embracing tradition and welcoming the future.

Drafts

An early draft of the SAWA brand identity wordmark SAWA and brandmarks of a woman's face and a map of South Asia
Early draft for SAWA brand with new colors and initial brandmarks.

Feedback

After I presented some early drafts of word- and brand-mark combinations, SAWA responded seeking something similar to stacking calligraphy, but in English, and they chose to go with the pink tone alone and wanted me to explore different shades of that and to maintain their brand of a woman in a headscarf, typical to the culture, but clean and modern in design.

A wordmark of stacking English letters forming the abbreviation S A W A
Stacking calligraphy.
A map of South Asia made out of points with a simple illustration of a group of 3 women towards the top
Concept inspired by pointillism of illustration of South Asia and women.

Final branding

3 illustrations of a side profile of a woman in a headscarf
Brandmarks featuring concept of profile of face and/or headscarf as per request.
Workmark for SAWA of the letters S A and a ligature between W A with an illustraition of hands holding each other shaped like a heart
Wordmark with W-A ligature and holding-hands-heart concept.