Working very closely with the Mahatma & his principles of Non-Violence
Sevagram Ashram, Wardha | Visual Identity | 2020
The Sevagram Ashram was founded by Mahatma Gandhi in 1936 in Wardha, Maharshtra after he left the Sabarmati Ashram post the Dandi salt march.
The ashram location was very central. It was selected in a way that it could become the epicentre of Bapu’s efforts to spread his message of village development, various creative works and educational campaigns across the length and breadth of India.
The Sevagram Ashram was also Bapu’s official final residence.
One of the biggest inspirations for the logo was the famous Charkha (Spinning Wheel) Gandhiji used often. The wheel also symbolized constant motion, constant change and evolution. The eight dots symbolize the eight directions giving a nod to the central location of Wardha and the blue thread on the outside is the symbolic representation of Gandhiji's peace-led values binding everything together.
To make things visual, we also worked extensively on the way things were depicted wherein everyone could relate to them. Shown above are the illustration of individual cottages (Kutis) which we developed based on the actual Elevation drawings of the place made by architects. These drawings were further also used on elements such as the website to make information more visual and easy to understand.
Each property was divided into sectors and given branding of its own to give people an idea of the types of places. The places were divided into i) Kutis or the original huts wherein Gandhiji and his associates have stayed or which have heritage importance. ii) Hospitality related buildings such as the Yatri Niwas and the Aahar Kendra which deal with food and stay of the visitors and iii) Commerce related sections which deal with selling of Ashram produced goods such as the Khadi Gramodyog and the Vegetable Market. Other than the Kutis, all the other sections followed a 'Branded House' approach to the Brand Architecture. We also worked extensively on signages and other similar elements to make the user journey very easy while navigating the Ashram Premises. The new branding will be used by Sevagram starting May 2020 and is currently in the final stages of production.
