LOGO CONCEPT
The new SADEA logo identity is an exciting collaboration between several South Asian design educators. Each designer chose one or more SADEA core values to design their letterform. The visual mark showcases South Asian cultural heritage, identity, and diverse diasporic experiences.
Designers:
Aasawari Kulkarni, Amrita Datta, Archana Shekara, Garima Thakur, Muhammad Rahman, Ruchita Mandhre, and Shantanu Suman
SADEA Logo animation
Designer: Heba Jaleel
Art Director: Amrita Datta
Concept: Amrita Datta, Archana Shekara
The logo animation incorporates rich and diverse cultural patterns weaving many narratives of South Asian heritage and identities. The movement of intricate marks and vibrant colors depict South Asian diaspora in a global context.
Design and Meaning
“S” Garima Thakur
Core Value: Solidarity, Equity
Taking inspiration from the Circle as a form that illustrates wholeness, inclusivity, and the feeling
of being held. The circle is perceived as complete but can lead to several tangents acknowledging the many challenges in seeking solidarity. In the letterform design, several concentric like circles come together to form a core community bridging distances to create equitable opportunities for historically marginalized groups of people.
Website Design
Designer: Amrita Datta, Nikhil Ghodke
Art Director: Archana Shekara
“A” Amrita Datta
Core Value: Transcontinental roots
The letter form employs commas (,) as a metaphor juxtaposing the transcultural roots of South Asian immigrants and their vernacular. Traditionally, a comma (,) divides the sentence into two halves, indicating a pause to continue the conversation, and enabling two conversations to join together. The global South Asian immigrant experiences are quite similar. We successfully assimilate and join the dominant social group, often creating a divide in the process. Opinions on immigrants split right through the middle, while we need to pause and remind ourselves to maintain our transcontinental roots. Respectively, the teardrop and the spur of the ‘a’ exhibits our vernacular roots. The resemblance of the letter form can be detected in the vowel “অ ” in Bangla; an Indo-Aryan language distinctly used in the Eastern Indian sub-continent. Bangla evolved from ancient languages like Magadhi, Prakrit, Pāli, and Sanskrit. Vast cultural narratives like these amalgamate our transcontinental roots within SADEA’s community.
“D” Ruchita Mandhre
Core Value: Dignity, Equity, Plurality
SADEA facilitates an equitable platform for South Asian design educators, a sense of place that ‘we belong.’ The letterform design mimics the shape of an upward destination icon, the curve of the bowl mimics the Devanagari script; one of the official scripts of the Republic of India and Nepal. The ‘d’ connects with our cultural roots, celebrating similarities and acknowledging differences implying SADEA’s role in building community, honoring plurality, and dignity for all South Asian voices globally.
“E” Shantanu Suman
Core Value: Education, Mentorship
In today's fast-paced world, education has evolved beyond traditional classroom settings. Conversations and mentorship play a vital role in fostering learning and personal growth. The speech blurb, a familiar icon associated with spoken language, is universally recognized as a representation of communication and dialogue. It signifies the exchange of ideas, thoughts, and knowledge. Using speech blurbs can help us understand education better and highlights the importance of conversation and mentorship in learning.
“A” Muhammad Rahman
Core Value: Dignity, Transcontinental roots, Plurality
In the letterform design, dignity honors and celebrate the inherent worth of every individual. The rich contrast model between thick/thin and overall condensed/slender letterform suggests strong character and showcases confidence. The transcontinental roots cater to diverse nuances and humane practices — the swoosh tail connects “a” immediately to the traditional handwritten practices and nuanced commonality among various scripts in South Asia. Plurality in the design concept seeks to embrace and celebrate diversity, recognizing the value and richness that different perspectives, cultures, and identities bring to our lives. The letterform aims to create inclusive environments that foster understanding, respect, and dialogue among individuals from various backgrounds
“South Asian Design Educators Alliance” Aasavari Kulkarni
The text at the top is in Nari, a variable typeface with unique characters that offer a delightful contrast in stroke weight. Each character uplifts diversity in thought, action, and movement. The stems with sharp projected strokes represent flight as SADEA seeks to partner with equity-centered and diversity-focused organizations for building a robust community of design educators who empower each other to promote inclusion and belonging.
Acknowledgments:
We thank Zenab Bastawala for designing the initial lettermark logo identity for SADEA. The logo propelled the organization to define its mission, vision, and goals. The design was inspired by South Asian architectural monuments where the right-angled vertical stress and curves showcased the organization’s intentionality for representation and growth.
