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INTERACTIVE SOUTH ASIAN ZINE
The Sapna Project, Feb-Oct 2023
Role: UX Designer, Editor, Researcher, Interviewer
Skills: User Research, UI/UX
OVERVIEW
Starting in Spring 2023, I collected information on South Asian student organizations, conducted student interviews, and gathered Diaspora Tales (family and immigration histories) from the South Asian community at Columbia and Barnard.
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Over the summer, I designed the Sapna Zine from start to finish, weaving in visual material elements drawn from South Asian households and childhood memories to evoke 2000s nostalgia.
THE PROBLEM
There is no creative publication that celebrates the creative pursuits and histories of our South Asian community – a reflection of an incredibly diverse city and global diaspora.
How can I design a magazine that lifts up the voices of Columbia and Barnard's South Asian students in an authentic way?
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Photos of Sapna's Zine Launch event, where attendees enjoyed free snacks and a copy of the Zine!
INTERVIEWS
Tailored approach to finding talent
Social Media
An initial open call for interviewees received little response, so I pivoted my approach. To recruit participants for the Student Interviews section of the zine, I used a highly personalized outreach strategy. The idea came from observing that many peers expressed their passions on Instagram through creative posts, such as a video of a dance performance.
I reached out directly to followers of @cusapna whose posts showcased their interests, sending over 50 tailored DMs. For each interviewee, I crafted three fully personalized questions. This approach resulted in 21 full-length interviews!
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DESIGN FLOW
Target audience is diverse South Asian student population
Authentically represent smaller communities, ie. Indo-Guyanese
Feelings of nostalgia related to South Asian households
Include familiar elements, ie. cup of chai, fabrics, photographs
Stereotypes associated with high-achieving South Asian youth
Represent range of artistic talent, not just academic achievements
Connect to childhood self & celebrate how far we've come
“Baby Pictures” collage, paying homage to our younger selves
THE SOLUTION
1) Student Interviews
Features:​
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A wide range of talents, from Kathak dance and watercolor painting to poetry writing
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Interactive QR code linking to a Google Drive folder with videos and bonus content of talent
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Narrative storytelling that traces each student’s journey through photos and reflective questions, connecting their passion from childhood to present-day involvement
Promotional graphics for Instagram!
2) Club Spotlights
3) Diaspora Tales
Features:
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Paired each cultural club’s photos with culturally specific textiles and objects (e.g. a giddha prop for the Bhangra team) to ground each spotlight in regional tradition
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Extended the nostalgic theme from the cover by staging layouts like a tabletop scene, layered with photographs and household items reminiscent of South Asian homes
Features:
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Transitioned to a photo-album layout to present family histories chronologically, using aged paper textures to feel like the well-worn family albums found in many South Asian homes
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Embedded narrative details, such as traditional flowers and religious memorabilia, within the spreads helped reflect the more intimate, identity-based moments from each story
LEARNINGS
The more personalized, the better. In culturally sensitive design, proper research is essential to ensure that design details are accurate given context.
Design with feeling first. Centering emotions from childhood and family nostalgia helped guide textual and material choices throughout the project.