✳ Sylhetea ✳
Brand Identity & Expression, Product Mockup, Social Media
Bangladeshi tea workers have been exploited since the days of British Imperialism and they still suffer from long hours, unjust living conditions, limited access to education, and one of the lowest paying jobs in the world.
In response, I've created 'Sylhetea', a conceptual tea brand made from Sylheti tea estates with all profits sent to the Bangladesh Tea Workers Union.
Sylhetea brings global attention to these human rights violations in Bangladesh, alongside donations and funds for immediate relief.
There are nearly 150k workers in total
75% of tea estate workers are women
Sylhet is home to roughly 200 estates
Tea estate workers and their families have been declared one of the most marginalized communities in the world by the United Nations. The landlords who run the estates are complacent in their wealth and connected with government officials which prevents real progress from being made.
The three most common types of tea produced and consumed in Bangladesh are:
White, Black, and Green tea.
✳ Walk Through My Process ✳
My inspiration for this project came from my family trips to Sylhet in 2019, and other parts of Bangladesh in 2023. Seeing my great great grandpa's home in the heart of Sylhet and the long drive beside tea gardens to reach there reminded me of how lucky and privileged I am to be from such a beautiful place. My moodboard contains some images I took myself while in Sylhet, alongside photos from Dhaka, Khulna, and Jessore. I wanted this brand to represent Bangladesh's celebration of color and life with a modern American twist. Similar to myself, this brand finds a balance between Desi and American culture and creates its own space worthy of being heard.
Beyond images, I talked to my dad a lot about what he remembers about growing up in Sylhet. To this day he drinks at least one glass of Black tea a day!
I took notice of color combinations, recurring shapes and lines, text effects, and more from my moodboard. Additionally, I utilized my own experiences in Bangladesh to help inform my design direction. 'Sylhetea' itself is a play on words as the language spoken in Sylhet is 'Sylheti'.
Logo & Pattern Selection
Color Palette
Style Guide
Past Iterations
A look at the Illustrator file that reached a place of true chaos by the time I was satisfied with my design.
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