Travel• Branding & Identity
How would a responsible travel brand in India be designed so that new tourism systems don’t just minimize harm but actively regenerate the places we visit?
Regenerative and responsible tourism is about fostering greener, smarter, and innocuous travel experiences. In a post-pandemic world, we have a chance to do better. Retrace is a travel brand concept that asks what tourism could look like if its purpose was not extraction, but regeneration. Set in India, a place of rich ecosystems and cultural heritage often depleted by tourism, Retrace proposes a different model: one that actively sustains and improves the places travelers visit. Through research, visual identity, and a complete brand system, the project makes a case for what profound travel experiences could mean when they're rooted in care for both people and place.
Role: Graphic Designer
Duration: 5 weeks
Concept
As travel rebounded post-pandemic, a critical question emerged: how can tourism be designed not just to minimize harm, but to actively regenerate? In India, where rich ecosystems and cultural heritage often face exploitation from tourism, there was a clear need for a brand that could embody a conscious, long-term vision. Retrace emerged from that gap: a concept for a travel brand rooted in sustainability, cultural reverence, and ecological regeneration.
Research + Insights
Before designing a single visual, I needed to understand how people actually think about responsible travel. I conducted a survey alongside secondary data analysis to map awareness of responsible tourism in India and what motivates (or prevents) people from choosing eco-conscious experiences. The findings showed a familiar gap: awareness without action. People cared about environmental impact, but didn't know how to translate that concern into their choices while planning their journeys.
Visual Identity
With insight in hand, I moved into the visual language. The logo is a minimal interpretation of a banyan tree that became the anchor. The banyan is deeply rooted in Indian culture, symbolizing rootedness, connection, and longevity. But it also speaks to the brand's core: trees are regenerative. They give more than they take. The visual system extends this idea through contour lines that echo movement and terrain, a visual metaphor for the layered stories embedded in every Indian landscape. The typography and color palette draw from earth tones and the textures of the land itself, grounding the brand in place, literally and metaphorically.
Exploration sketches and ideas prior to finalizing the identity
Design Deliverables
The brand system manifests across a full suite of collateral: letterheads and business cards that carry the visual language into everyday touchpoints; a three-campaign print series showcasing India's diverse landscapes; poster campaigns designed to educate and inspire responsible travel; a Retrace app that makes green experiences accessible through one platform; and a line of sustainable travel kits and merchandise — zero-waste collectibles that let travelers carry the brand's commitment with them. Together, these pieces create a cohesive ecosystem where every interaction reinforces the same message: travel here means care here.
Print Ad Campaign
A three print ad-campaign depicting various landscapes to showcase that Retrace provides sustainable travel options across the country
Multi-poster campaign to engage people with the brand and apprise people about responsible travel
Retrace App
Retrace App to make the green experiences more accessible to travelers through one platform.
A part of Retrace’s commitments towards eco-friendly tourism is through the encouragement and use of zero-waste, sustainable travel kits, merchandises and collectibles amongst others.
