Women's History Month
Ordinary women do extraordinary things
— Small actions make big differences —
As part of the Women's History Month initiative, I took the lead in creating illustrations for stickers and t-shirts to be distributed to students at the University of Maryland. The project focused on honoring five resilient women who have nurtured and strengthened their communities.
Client
MICA (office of Multicultural Involvement and Advocacy) wanted to highlight five women whose small acts of bravery and kindness have shaped history. This Women's History Month, they aim to celebrate everyday actions—like preserving traditions, challenging norms, and nurturing future generations—that have a lasting impact.
Moodboard
The client provided a mood board that emphasized illustrations with exaggerated proportions and a dominant use of the color blue. Inspired by this, I created artwork that combined these stylistic elements with symbolic imagery.
Design & Strategy
To highlight the nurturing and giving spirit these women brought to their community, I chose to incorporate elements of nature intertwined with their hair, emphasizing features often associated with femininity.
In the wake of the 2022 protests in Iran, cutting hair emerged as a powerful symbol of resilience and defiance.
The illustration on the T-shirt subtly references this powerful act, blending it with elements of nature, similar to the design of the stickers.
Vida Movahed stood in the middle of one of the busiest streets in Tehran and waved a white headscarf to signal her rejection for the mandatory hijab.
The white flowers in her hair symbolize the white headscarf she held.