Research
Cultural research focused on regional architecture, crafts, and visual motifs.
Output: Moodboard of Odishan motifs, temple forms, and craft patterns, the raw material for the visual system.
- Brand identity design
- Logo design
- Graphic design
Odisha Design Week
A brand identity for a cultural design festival that balances traditional influences with contemporary design to create a recognizable and scalable system.
-
20+
touchpoints shaped by
a unified brand system -
3-day
international
design festival -
30+
speakers from global design
and academia
Overview
Odisha Design Week is a design festival that bridges the region's cultural heritage with contemporary practice, through events and programming that raise awareness of design and promote Odisha as a destination in the global design conversation.
As a first-time festival, it needed credibility with participants, the public, artisans, and sponsors, including the Government of Odisha and private partners.
Problem
Before
- No distinct brand identity or visual language
- No cohesive web presence
- Hard to reach broad audience & win sponsors
After
- Culturally rooted, globally legible identity
- Cohesive expression across 20+ touchpoints
- Recognized with India's Best Design Award 2023
Audience
The identity had to speak clearly to three overlapping communities without watering down the cultural story.
-
Design community & public
Visibility, discovery, and professional recognition
-
Artisans & craftspeople
Cultural preservation and a platform for their craft
-
Sponsors & government
A polished, trustworthy platform for cultural investment
Logo concept
The logomark traces its form directly from the sacred architecture of Odisha.
Source
Mukteswara Temple, a 10th-century gem of Odisha's Kalinga architecture, known for its intricately carved arch.
Abstraction
The arch form was stripped of ornamentation and redrawn as a clean geometric shape, retaining the sense of a threshold and gateway.
Result
A contemporary logomark that carries cultural weight, rooted in heritage, legible at any scale.
Solution
A culturally rooted yet contemporary brand identity that gives Odisha Design Week a strong and recognizable presence. Traditional Odishan elements were abstracted into a modern design language, allowing the festival to feel authentic, expressive, and globally relevant.
Process
Concept
The logo was derived from the arch of the Mukteswara Temple and abstracted into a contemporary form.
Output: Final logomark: an abstracted temple arch, scalable from favicon to billboard.
System
A flexible brand system was built including logo variations, color palette, and typography.
Output: Brand guidelines: logo rules, color tokens, type scale, and usage examples.
Application
The identity was applied across posters, merchandise, and printed materials.
Output: 20+ touchpoints including event posters, badges, website, merchandise, and environmental signage.
Color palette
Typography
Primary typeface
Gilroy
Regular · Medium · Bold · Black
The typeface is inspired by Pipli Applique Work, a traditional artwork of Odisha.
The design treatment mimics the traditional craft's overlapping form.
Type scale
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Outcome
The identity helped position Odisha Design Week as a culturally grounded, globally legible festival. Consistent expression across platforms strengthened engagement and sponsorship conversations.
The work was recognized with India's Best Design Award for Visual Identity Design 2023 (opens in new tab) for contribution to cultural branding and design excellence.