Ramadan 2023

(I add the date as if I'm going to remember to make this every year...)

Yesterday I found out the first fast this year will be tomorrow Thursday 23rd March, and so I decided to write up a simple post about it and share some of the designs I've been working on, which people can share.

RAMADAN 101

• It's a month of heightened spirituality and consciousness of our Creator and purpose in this life.

• We follow the lunar year which is why it starts earlier every year.

• Fasting is 1 of the 5 pillars of Islam and is expected of all who are able.

• We fast from sunrise to sunset and yes, "not even water."

• It's not just about abstaining from food and drink but also about charity, creating healthy habits, developing as a person, learning self-discipline, focusing on spirituality, and practising kindness and patience.

• Ramadan is NOT a punishment, we actually look forward to it every year, don't feel sorry for us. It's not a diet, unsafe if done properly or meant for weight loss, many people like myself actually end up gaining weight.

• It means a lot when non-Muslims wish us (well me anyway) a "Happy Ramadan" or "Ramadan Mubarak."

THE DESIGNS

I decided to create 3 different sets/styles, mainly because I had a lot of ideas and thought why not just create everything in my head and see what we end up with? Just me and my trackpad.

This first set is clearly experimental and fun. I've been seeing a lot of funky typography on social media lately and decided to give it a go myself. Although the letters aren't perfect (don't zoom in, thank you), I do think they really go well together. I just had a lot of fun playing around with this; the colours, the little doodles, and even with the 3D tool.

I've always loved the idea of stickers and sticker graphics, so I knew I was going to go in this direction. Went for a brighter colour scheme than the first set. It includes Arabic text which translates to "Ramadan Mubarak" and includes little prayers.

For the final set, I decided to keep things simple a create little duas (prayers) along with wishing a Happy Ramadan. The intention behind this one was mainly for sharing it with others. Using complimentary colours and the intertwine tool on Illustrator gave me the perfect minimalist designs I was aiming for.

It would be really cool if you saved and shared these posts!

May this Ramadan bring out the best in everybody and come with many blessings, Ameen. As always, a humble request that you keep me and my family and the Ummah in your duas.

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instagram: @humaira.studio