The Traveling Tiger
The Traveling Tiger is a special project that tells the story of a young tiger from Bangladesh named Titli. The project compromises of a book on her experiences as a ‘traveler’, delving into the topics of immigration and the minority experience, and an exploration of the social media presence of the character for travelers like her.
Titli’s story is based on my own personal experiences as a Bangladeshi-American immigrant. This project provided me with the opportunity to not only address the difficulties of assimilating into a foreign culture but also highlight the emotional turmoil of finding our true purpose in the process of growing up.
Art Direction: Jason Kernevich
Medium: Adobe Photoshop, InDesign
The process of this book was initiated with the development of the main character. Taking inspiration from the national animal of Bangladesh, Titli is designed as a part of a family of Royal Bengal Tigers. Older Titli is designed to wear a headscarf to mimic a Hijab. After exploring her character design, I settled on a fun illustration style with sketchy linework.
With the backdrop of Bangladesh in Titl’s fond memories, the color palette of the book reflects the mood of each spread ranging from happy scenes to the more somber moments of self-reflection. Shades of orange, yellow, and blue are contrasted in muted tones.
The concept of travel is overimposed throughout the book in various ways to not only showcase physical destinations but also emotional states and the passage of time. The story unfolds in three phases: Titli’s past of traveling around her home country, her state of uncertainty after taking up the big journey of moving to the United States, and lastly a point of self-realization with the understanding of what ‘home’ meant to her. This is reflected on the cover using the bumpy hills as a metaphor for the phases and the general hurdles of growing up.
The completed book consists of a total of seventeen illustrated spreads, including the title page and endpapers. With a hardcover finish, the book is approximately 5.6 inches by 8 inches.
In addition to the book, Titli the tiger is designed to have an online journal through an Instagram account. I provided the page with illustrations that would reflect on the different kinds of experiences and adventures Titli encounters moving forward.
The character’s page can serve as a way to connect ‘travelers’ like her. Special posts of her celebrations can help other immigrant kids of her culture feel less alone, similar to how it helped Titli in the book.
