Ek se kaan ek se chiri

Why is it important to share stories like these even if they seem trivial ?

Language handed down through generations plays a key role in sharing culture, tradition, and keeping us connected. For those of us who are part of a diaspora, we don’t always have the chance to experience things firsthand, so what we learn from our parents or grandparents is often all we have.

Before technology, stories were how we learnt, and those stories have been carried forward, helping to preserve our heritage.

My goal is to keep these stories alive for future generations.

Why this design ?

The layout feels familiar and comforting, bringing a sense of nostalgia, while helping people learn the language through visuals and understand the story better.

I also had personal goals with this project, as I wanted to practice my Punjabi writing skills. Since visuals work best for me, I thought I'd use this method to not only improve myself but also help others who are on the same journey.

THE PROCESS

original idea

REMINDER that this was my first attempt writing full sentences in Punjabi like this so some of my sentences may not be fully accurate, however these mistakes are fixed later on.

My initial concept was to create a simple poster featuring these digital illustrations and the story written in Punjabi in the background.

pt 2 - Developing the idea

Here’s where I decided to change this format into a story book, to bring this tale to life. Since this story was passed down to me by my grandparents when I was a child, I felt it was important to keep that sense of childhood nostalgia by making it look like a children's book. Doing this means i can focus on the induvisial sentences and creating different illustrations to match.

My first version of the book handmade, this gave me a chance to really see my vision come to life.

LAYOUT

Using one sentence and a double page means i have more space. I included both the punjabi text and the english pronounced spelling in punjabi. This helps to teach readers how to pronounce each word accurately along with the illustrations making the story easier to follow along.

pt 3 - Feedback

This book was featured in an exhibition with Dominasian Magazine where i received lots of positive feedback along with ideas to improve my design. As well as allowing me to see in real time how an audience would react to this piece

One of the most popular comments i got was that this brought back childhood memories for those who were also told this story.

Insta - dominasianmagazine

web - https://www.dominasianmagazine.com/