I like the idea of moving through life by making. So, I draw, I build, and I’ve also been attempting to write. It all comes from what I’ve lived, the people I know, and the ones I’ll meet along the way.  
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08

Identity design for an event advocating disability inclusion.
Graduation Project
Social Impact + Identity Design
2020

In my final year at UID, Ahmedabad, I undertook a 6-month graduation project where we chose our own briefs. This led to a platform designed to connect individuals with special needs and their caregivers with potential employers and small-business investors — called ‘This is us’. The goal was to spark conversations about inclusive workspaces and highlight the importance of long-term opportunities for persons with disabilities.


My sister, Zainab (right), and I (left).


Growing up with a sister who had Down syndrome, I often accompanied my mother while she volunteered at her school events. Through these experiences, I became aware of the challenges caregivers face, especially the recurring concern: “What will happen to my child after I’m gone?” Despite their potential, Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) face structural barriers in securing meaningful employment and representation in professional spaces.

Through this project, I wanted to reimagine inclusion as a collaborative effort across caregivers, communities and industries. The research phase for this project, unfortunately, coincided with the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, limiting me to primarily secondary research and remote conversations with academics, caregivers, local businesses, and students themselves. The insights from this highlighted a lack of structured communication around inclusivity in India and an absence of platforms that could open the door to potential collaborations.

Choosing an event as the medium for this initiative allowed for an intimate, human-centred approach. Unlike traditional campaigns that tend to convey information in a one-way manner, an event creates space for dialogue and visibility. The audience included individuals with special needs, their families, and employers, with the aim of cultivating awareness, representation, and partnerships that could translate into real opportunities.

During the design phase, recurring themes and keywords emerged from the initial research: awareness, individuality, togetherness, and conversation. These informed the event’s identity system. I hand-drew the wordmark for the logo and developed a visual language using patterns and symbols to reflect these qualities.


Based on these themes, the event was conceptualised to include meet-and-greet sessions where participants could initiate informal conversations that broke down social barriers and built mutual understanding. Talent showcases are designed as spaces for individuals to demonstrate their skills—whether in crafts, vocational expertise, or entrepreneurship—providing employers an opportunity to witness potential firsthand. The program would also include speaker panels and workshops led by educators, disability advocates, and professionals who shared knowledge on workplace accommodations, rights, and career guidance. Dialogue circles that further enhance the experience by opening discussions, particularly addressing caregivers’ anxieties about long-term independence and generating mutual support strategies. Employers would be invited to share insights on creating inclusive workplaces, discuss available opportunities, and learn directly from families about necessary accommodations.

Visual iterations for the event


Although the event was planned to be held in person at the SPJ Sadhana School in Mumbai, pandemic-related restrictions and time constraints meant that it remained conceptual. However, the framework remains ready for future real-world implementation (hopefully). At its core, ‘This is Us’ seeks to build a community. 
Acknowledgements: Sumedha for her mentorship; Fionika from SPJ Sadhna School for all her advice and sharing her experiences, along with all the caregivers, students, and professionals I spoke to; Labhanshi, Hitiksha, Meher, and my batchmates at Unitedworld Institute of Design for their support during the pandemic.

I hope to bring this project to life in the future and am open to collaborations. Please feel free to reach out here.