Dawn Newspaper is one of the most widely circulated English language newspaper in Pakistan, as well as a reliable source of information for the Pakistani expat community.
EOS & ICON replaced ‘Images Magazine’ as the in-paper weekend magazines. The papers have a print circulation of over 380,000. EOS provides commentary on social and political issues, life-style, food, art, travel and technology. ICON, on the other hand, provides insight into the performing arts.
Design Challenge:
To revitalize the broadsheet magazine to reflect the new name, branding and editorial team, while retaining the overall aesthetics, (including the typeface) established by the flagship newspaper.
To develop an underlying grid that works with the newspaper’s parameters, while remain-ing flexible enough to accommodate dynamic layouts.
EOS and ICON are designed by the team at Xpert Services Pvt. Ltd.
Creative Head: Zara Contractor
Deputy Creative Head: Essa Malik
Senior Graphic Designers: Marium Ali, Rohail Safdar, Reema Siddiqui
Graphic Technicians: Syed Asif Ali, Farooq Dawood, Saad Arifi
Arts Health BC launched On The Map: Arts & Health in BC, a province-wide survey project to learn more about arts & health programming in BC and coalesce a more complete picture of this emerging and growing sector.
The project wrapped in the Spring of 2015 with the release of the OTM Final Report and directory of arts & health activity in BC, as well as a google map plotting projects across the province.
The OTM project findings were used by Arts Health BC and other stakeholders, to facilitate knowledge sharing and foster relationship development between organizations and individuals with a shared passion for arts & health.
Design Challenge:
The report represents a variety of Arts modalities and disciplines, from painting to music, puppetry and clowning. To minimize the risk of leaving any of the unrepresented, the logo deliberately fo-cussed on the common factor of ‘place’, rather than any of the genres.
Filled with statistical data, graphs and charts, the OTM report was meant to be equally enticing to scientists and creatives.
The lively colour palette and flexible grid allowed for an easy-to-read document, despite the density of information presented.
The Herald magazine is a publication of the Dawn Media Group. One of Pakistan’s most wide-ly-read monthly magazines since the early 1970s, the magazine provided in-depth analyses, investigative reporting and an extensive coverage of current affairs.
Design Challenge: Much like EOS + ICON, the challenge was to revitalize the magazine, within the established parameters.
To appeal to a younger audience, we engaged emerging illustrators and artists to design the cover and several inside spreads. We often animated these illustrations in collaboration with the illustra-tors for the digital version of the magazine. At the same time we developed our capacity as in-house designers and illustrators by creating infographics and thematic layouts to add ‘colour’ to the magazine.
Herald Magazine is designed by the team at Xpert Services Pvt. Ltd.
Creative Head: Zara Contractor
Deputy Creative Head: Essa Malik
Senior Graphic Designers: Marium Ali, Rohail Safdar, Reema Siddiqui
Graphic Technicians: Syed Asif Ali, Farooq Dawood, Saad Arifi
My passion for design, storytelling and preserving cultural identity come together with my work for Niloufer’s Kitchen.
In July 2015 Niloufer Mavalvala approached me to design a contemporary logo based ob her favourite ingredient: The lemon. To her it symbolises brightness and vibrance, as well as versatility.
The 'lemon' doesn't fall far from the tree!
Exactly 2 years later her daughter Shamineh asked me to create a logo for her company, Limbudi, which means lemon tree in Gujarati!
My culinary design journey didn’t end there: In 2018 Niloufer asked me to design her cookbook based on Parsi Cooking.
The term Parsi, meaning from Pars (Iran) refers to those Zoroastrians who fled Persia and migrated to India between the 8th and 10th century.
This book traces the mix of Persian, Gujarati and British culinary influences on Parsi cuisine, and makes recipes passed down through the generations, accessible to all.
As a Parsi myself, this was a wonderful way to pay homage to my roots, while bringing a contemporary flair to an ancient cuisine.
To make the book extra-special, the spine is based on a sari that has been handed down to Niloufer by her grandmother.
Recipes + Text: Niloufer Mavalvala
Layout + Design: Zara Contractor
Photography: William Reavell
Working on the brand identity for FEZANA (Federation of Zoroastrian Associations of North America) was particularly interesting: Their brand identity had not changed in several decades and was identifiable and easily recognized by the Zoroastrian diaspora across North America.
Open communication and deep insight into the culture were critical components in developing an identity that was contemporary, yet familiar.
I chose to retain the central image of the Farohar from the previous logo, but simplify the lines and details so that it would retain its character even when reduced. A detailed description of the design decisions can be found in the images below.
ReLocal is focused on forming meaningful connections between people and place, by leading small walking tours for people to rediscover their city, while building a sense of community.
The logo is inspired by Vancouver’s skyline: a mix of tall building against the backdrop of the Northshore mountains.
The 'Talking Things' Toolkit was the project component of my Master's thesis. Using objects to evoke a personal narrative, the project was based on a 3 hour workshop designed to build a sense of community amongst the participants. For more details on the workshop, take a look at my Community Engagement blog.
The "Vancouver Bike Share Infographic" was designed to illustrate various components of the Bike Share Initiative proposed by Mayor Gregor Robertson.
I wanted the infographic to have a strong visual narrative running through it, which drove the decision to work with the strong, vertical line and the bird's eye perspective of the biker on their route.
The infographic was well recieved, and was featured on Vancouver Observer and Vancity Buzz, amongst other local news sites.
Kaghaz Etc. is a lifestyle store based in Karachi, Pakistan. The logo is meant to reflect South Asia's legacy of craftsmanship, while alluding to a contemporary design aesthetic.
I derived the logo from the hand-carved motifs used by block-printers in the province of Sindh which I then pared down and converted to a digital format.
‘Tea and Talking’ | Multicultural Conversations in Marpole was made possible by a grant from Citizenship and Immigration Canada.
Read more about the project in the Community Engagement Section.
Clean Energy BC commissioned me to develop a modular infographic for their Global Electrification Summit and AGM in 2018.
The components of the infographic needed to appear dynamic, and thematically connected, yet sized to share as individual social media posts. Punchy colours and customized illustrations helped convey important information in an accessible way.
The Gordon and Marion Smith Foundation for Young Artists envisions a transformed society where innovative and contemporary Canadian art engages, amazes, and inspires local communities.
During the summer of 2015 the Foundation approached me to design marketing material for their upcoming events.
Each project used a different approach, while staying true to the brand.
This report was designed for the Sauder School of Business's Centre for Social Innovation and Impact Investing.
As a relatively new strategy geared towards tackling social and environmental problems, there was a need for clarity around the concept, which is often accompanied conflicting definitions.
"The purpose of this report is to evaluate the size, scope and scale of the impact investment sector."
I chose to contrast the deliberately ambiguous cover with the inside, where the report is laid out in an approachable and engaging manner.
In November 2013, Ontario’s Minister of Energy asked the Ontario Energy Board (OEB) to examine and report on TransCanada PipeLines Limited’s proposed Energy East Pipeline from an Ontario perspective . To support the preparation of the report, the Minister asked the OEB to undertake a consultation process. This consultation process will provide a forum for Ontarians to express their views on the proposed Energy East Pipeline. These views will inform the OEB’s report to the Minister.
Part of the consultation process was a series of community discussions held in Ontario. The poster panels created for these discussions were created in collaboration with Jay Wall.
Founded in Vancouver, studioTrio Design is a multidisciplinary, collaborative interior and furniture design firm with passion and purpose.
The emerging studio needed a brochure designed for the IDSWest Show in Vancouver and approached us to create a bold, unique layout.
Art Direction: Zara Contractor
Layout: Leea Contractor
