About
SAADA is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to sharing and preserving the stories of South Asian American communities across the United States through its extensive and diverse archive of historical and cultural materials. The experiences, contributions, and histories of South Asians and other diaspora communities in the United States are overlooked in the American story, largely left out of archive collections in museums and libraries. SAADA seeks to preserve and tell these stories through their collection of oral histories, photographs, newspaper clippings, community publications, and digital materials with the South Asian community and beyond. SAADA has worked to create a space of belonging for South Asian Americans, ensuring that the community see that their stories are fundamentally part of the American story.
SAADA (South Asian American Digital Archive
The Project
Print collateral
Digital and social media assets
Illustration
Merchandise
Goals
SAADA was founded in 2008 and operated for a decade by a single person, the founder and executive director. Over the course of fifteen years, it blossomed and expanded into a thriving, community-driven organization. In 2022, SAADA was recognized as a Philadelphia Cultural Treasure. As their visibility and social impact grew, they needed a more cohesive and strategic approach visual communication. Their scope of work has been expanding to include more public outreach, fellowships, and publications that required attention to design and consistency that could elevate the brand. I was brought on to help shift the brand into a space where the visuals represent the incredible quality and impact of their work, while maintaining the warmth and soul of an organization rooted in community archiving and belonging.
The Brand
The projects and initiatives at SAADA are wide ranging. In addition to maintaining and growing the archive, fellowships, events, tours, and publications are major parts of the work that they do. With such a diverse body of work, our primary challenge is to create clear and consistent visual messaging while honoring the varied nature of each project and activation. In addition to its broad scope of work, SAADA’s mission includes honoring the immense diversity within the South Asian American diaspora. My role has been to allow the brand to grow organically into its next phase as the organization transforms, through creating materials and products that highlight storytelling through design and illustration.
Events +
Merch
In-store events centered around creativity and community are a major focus at Chillville, so it was important to create unique, memorable promotional materials and merch. Their events are all about bringing the community together to enjoy local art, live music, food, and collaborative creative activities. Custom merch included tees, hats, bags, stickers, and prints, and events often feature local artists live screenprinting of merch items in limited runs for event attendees.
