Baala
A report capturing the community impact of menstrual health education in rural India.
Industry
Social Impact
Baala is a social enterprise working to improve menstrual health and hygiene among underserved communities across India and other developing regions. The brief was to design 'Ummeedon Ki Dor' (Thread of Hope), an impact report documenting the organisation's grassroots work in Bedi Village, Gujarat. The approach was to build a bold, cohesive visual language that balances storytelling and powerful imagery with Baala’s data driven results. The challenge lay in centering women’s agency and handling a sensitive subject with care alongside honouring their local customs and traditions.
Scope of Work
Editorial Design, Illustration, Experience Design, Data Visualisation
A Language Built on Trust
Menstrual health is often treated as too serious a subject to carry any personality. The visual language pushes against that instinct by extending the primary blue from Baala's branding and pairing it with a vibrant red accent that highlights the theme of the report. The palette creates trust and directness in the same frame, layered with softer pastels that balances the branding system.
Daily Live, Illustrated
This set of illustrations are inspired by everyday objects tied to menstrual myths in the region. The snake reflects a belief that it curses anyone who sees a used cloth or a menstruating woman. The tulsi plant carries a similar myth where women are considered too impure to approach during periods. A hand-knitted lace couch represents the craft the women of Bedi practice at home.
A Motif Woven from the Region
The report's defining element is the diamond motif from the Rajkot Patola, the region's iconic handwoven saree. Most women in Bedi work as weavers and the report’s identity is rooted in the community it recognises as its own. The core shape of the saree's pattern was traced and then rebuilt as a stepped, pixelated diamond that was flexible enough to use throughout the report and for the fundraising event. A dashed line flows beside it, marking the connection between the women, the fellows and the communities involved.
A Lens Turned Toward Bedi
Images of community sentiment captured through workshops, emotion-led portraits and quieter glimpses of everyday life in Bedi were chosen with intention to represent one visual thread. Shaded in a blue tint, the photographs highlight the expressions, gestures, emotional weight and depths of change. A dashed line carefully spotlights select subjects, symbolising the open stitch of a weave.
Beyond the Pages
Baala employed the motifs and illustrated elements for the Gala, its fundraiser event in Rajkot. Translating the same colours, patterns and details into invites and on-ground visuals.
Outcome
The report's identity system translated Baala’s core mission into a visual experience of dignity, empowerment and connection. By establishing the brand as a trusted, forward thinking force, it bridged the gap between field stories and strategic impact. It was one of the most significant reports that raised funds for the next phase of their project.
Thanks to
Anushkha Advani, Rhea Shanghvi, Renuka Mardikar Photography by Team Baala and Riya Marwadi
