Ananya is a passionate visual communicator driven by socio-cultural centred topics. She enjoys illustrating, photography and print design as narrative mediums that build identities. Her love for research and writing is the backbone of her design concepts and strategy. Throughout her studies, she has developed an interest in human-centred approaches like social design for community projects that promote societal betterment.

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Mahina

A social design project to destigmatise menstruation amongst domestic workers within the Gomti Nagar neighbourhood in Lucknow, India.

‘Mahina’ is commonly a Hindi word for ‘month’ and often a euphemism describing the monthly cycle in India. The housemaids are focalised using community immersion and co-creation strategies to understand their menstrual beliefs and practices. Firstly, the Gupshup artefact mimics wrapping sanitary packages in newspapers upon purchase in small Indian shops under shame. Based on remote interviews and secondary research, I have emulated the objects and crafted them to unravel the plight of housemaids. The second part of the research is the Gomti Nagar Gazette publication which features the fieldwork research done in the neighbourhood to understand the housemaids’ menstruation experiences through interviews and a glimpse into their daily lives through written observations and photos. Based on the research, the Mahina calendar provides various period-positive habits, tips and tricks for their difficulties. It features quotes from the housemaids and a sticker tracking system for their period. The goal is to reduce internalised stigmas through a calendar, a culturally significant medium in India, present in all helpers' homes. Lastly, an informational video titled ‘What is Menstruation?’ explains and simplifies the biological process and is uploaded on the ‘MAHINA’ Youtube channel for the helper's easy access on their phones.

  • Graphic Design
  • Print and Publication
  • Community