In my first year of university, we were tasked with creating a photography project based on the prompt "A Day in the Life of...". The prompt was open to interpretation, and I chose to explore the life of a Desi (South Asian) girl. I included this project as a sort of prequel to the Good Lil Desi Girl project from my final year.
I created a series of dolls in boxes to symbolize the ways we are "packaged" throughout our lives—both positively and negatively—in preparation for marriage and a hypothetical future husband. For the logo, I flipped the "S" as a nod to Urdu's right-to-left script, subtly tying the design to our cultural roots.
I began with the Housewife, a simple girl who wants nothing more than to make the house perfect for her man. Directly contrasting her is the Disrespectful doll, who dresses masculine and appears to want to be a man.
Under the Housewife is the Educated doll, one whose degrees are her biggest assets. She is smart, savvy and intends to do nothing with her degrees beyond using them as a means to a marriage. Directly opposing her is the Shameless doll, whose biggest concern is how she looks and what she comes across as.
In the middle, we strike the perfect balance. The Perfect Bride. She knows when to keep her mouth shut and how to apply her makeup just so. She's smart and uses it to her advantage, making an aunty's dream come to life.