Arogya Bindu – A kohl dot that saves lives

Arogya Bindu is a culturally rooted health initiative that reimagines the traditional nazar ka teeka as a mosquito-repellent kohl for children in rural India. In many Indian households, applying a black dot behind a child’s ear or on the forehead is a deeply ingrained ritual believed to ward off the evil eye. This project leverages that existing behavior and transforms it into a preventive healthcare solution against mosquito-borne diseases, making protection intuitive rather than instructional.

We designed the custom Devanagari title “आरोग्य बिंदु,” developing a distinctive typographic unit that feels both rooted and contemporary. The lettering balances traditional visual cues with bold, high-visibility forms to ensure legibility and strong shelf impact in rural retail environments.

The illustration style underwent multiple explorations before arriving at a desi-contemporary pop aesthetic. The final visual language combines strong line art, high-contrast colors, and folk-inspired detailing to create packaging that is emotionally warm, culturally familiar, and visually striking. The mother-and-child illustration reinforces care, trust, and protection aligning the emotional belief of nazar protection with the functional benefit of mosquito repellence.

The packaging system uses bright, high-visibility color blocking and storytelling panels that clearly communicate usage and health messaging, ensuring accessibility across varying literacy levels. By bridging tradition and modern preventive healthcare, Arogya Bindu turns a daily cultural ritual into a meaningful public health intervention.

The project was awarded Silver for Product & Packaging Design in the Health category at the Gerety Awards 2023, recognizing the strength of culturally intelligent design in health communication.