One symbol. A familiar geometric language. A new chapter for Sparks & Noises.
Namaste, kind reader! 💙💚
Welcome back to Behind the Designs, where I share the inspiration, creative decisions, and little experiments behind the products I'm building for Sparks & Noises.
If you've been following this journey, you might have noticed something about my first few products.
They all started with one illustration.
A geometric portrait inspired by Indian classical dance gradually evolved into a seamless pattern, a printable journal page, and even a phone wallpaper.
Each product gave me a new opportunity to experiment with the same visual elements in a different format.
But for my fifth entry, I wanted to explore something beyond how a design looks or functions.
I wanted to explore what a design could represent.
And that's how my latest creation, the Om Symbol Geometric Indian Art Print, became part of this journey.
01 | A Familiar Design, a Different Direction
When I first started developing my geometric dancer illustration, I was particularly drawn to the relationship between traditional Indian ornamentation and contemporary geometric forms.
The expressive eyes, decorative jewellery, repeated shapes, and vibrant colours eventually became the foundation of a visual language I could return to.
For this fifth product, I decided to bring those familiar elements into a new composition.
Instead of adapting the artwork into another functional product, I wanted to create a piece of wall art centred around a symbol with cultural and spiritual significance.
The symbol I chose was Om (ॐ).
Om holds a deeply significant place in Indian spiritual traditions, particularly Hinduism, and is also encountered in other traditions and contemplative practices.
It is often associated with sacred sound, meditation, and spiritual reflection.
For me, working with this symbol introduced a new design challenge.
How could I incorporate a traditional sacred symbol into the contemporary geometric language I'd been developing, while still giving the symbol the prominence and respect it deserves?
That question became the starting point for the artwork.
02 | Finding the Balance Between Symbol and Pattern
One of the first decisions I made was to keep the Om symbol as the central focus.
My earlier geometric designs were full of intricate details, repeated shapes, and ornamental elements.
But with this composition, I didn't want the background to compete with the symbol.
Instead, I used the familiar geometric medallion artwork to create a visual framework around it.
The bold medallion circles appear above and below the central symbol, while a softer, faded version of the repeating pattern fills the surrounding space.
This creates two different levels of visual attention.
The central Om symbol immediately draws the eye, while the surrounding geometry adds depth, rhythm, and continuity.
I found this particularly interesting because it meant approaching my existing pattern differently.
In the seamless pattern, repetition was the main feature.
In this artwork, repetition became a supporting element.
The same geometry was now serving a completely different purpose.
03 | The Colour Palette: Staying Connected to the Collection
If there's one thing that has remained consistent throughout my first five designs, it's the colour palette.
Blue. Green. White. Black.
These colours have become an important part of the visual identity I'm gradually building for Sparks & Noises.
For this print, I continued using that familiar combination.
The blues and greens bring vibrancy to the geometric medallions, while the white and darker elements create contrast and help establish the composition's hierarchy.
The faded background pattern adds detail without overwhelming the central symbol.
I wanted the artwork to feel connected to my previous designs while still having its own presence.
And this is something I've been learning throughout the process of building a collection:
Consistency doesn't necessarily mean repeating the same composition. Sometimes, it means finding new ways to use the same visual ingredients.
04 | Designing with Cultural Meaning
This product also encouraged me to think more carefully about the responsibility that comes with using cultural and spiritual imagery.
There is a difference between using a decorative motif because it looks visually interesting and incorporating a symbol that carries meaning for many people.
Om isn't simply another geometric shape.
It has a long-standing place in spiritual and cultural practices, and I wanted that significance to influence how I approached the design.
That's why the composition gives the symbol a clear central position rather than hiding it among ornamental details.
The geometry is there to frame and complement it.
As a design student, I think this is an important lesson.
When working with cultural references, it's worth asking not only whether something looks aesthetically pleasing, but also whether the way we present it respects its context.
I'm still learning how to navigate that balance, and this artwork became another opportunity to reflect on it.
05 | Introducing the Sacred Words Series
This artwork is also the beginning of something new for Sparks & Noises.
The Sacred Words Series.
The Om art print is the first of five planned designs in this collection.
The idea is to explore sacred Indian symbols and Sanskrit characters through the same geometric medallion language that connects my earlier products.
Rather than creating five completely unrelated compositions, I want the series to feel like a coordinated collection.
Each artwork will have its own central subject, while sharing a recognizable visual foundation.
My hope is that the pieces can work individually or come together as a gallery wall.
For me, this is another step towards developing Sparks & Noises beyond individual products and into connected design collections.
06 | From Digital Artwork to Your Space
Another interesting part of creating this product was thinking about how people might choose to display it.
Unlike the phone wallpaper from Entry 04, this design isn't intended to sit behind app icons or notifications.
It's meant to be viewed as a piece of artwork.
I imagined it displayed in a quiet reading corner, a meditation space, a home office, or a gallery wall featuring Indian-inspired art.
The artwork is available as an instant digital download, which means you can print and frame it according to your space.
Product details:
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High-resolution PNG digital artwork
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Dimensions: 1414 × 2000 pixels
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Suitable for A4 printing and smaller formats, with A3 printing also suggested in the product listing
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Personal-use digital download
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No physical product is shipped
Whether displayed on its own or alongside other pieces, I wanted it to feel like an artwork that brings contemporary geometry and cultural meaning into the same space.
07 | What This Fifth Design Taught Me
Looking back at the first five entries of Behind the Designs, I find it interesting how each product has introduced a different challenge.
The dancer portrait was about expression.
The seamless pattern was about repetition.
The journal page was about functionality.
The phone wallpaper was about adaptability.
And this Om art print is about symbolism.
Five products, all developed from a connected visual language, but each requiring me to think about design in a slightly different way.
As a third-year design student, I'm discovering that building a collection involves much more than creating a series of visually similar products.
It's about understanding how the same elements can communicate different ideas depending on their context, purpose, and meaning.
And that's something I want to keep exploring as Sparks & Noises grows.
08 | Explore Entry 05: The Om Art Print
If you've enjoyed following the evolution of this collection, I'd love for you to explore its newest addition.
Om Symbol Geometric Indian Art Print - Sacred Words No. 1
A contemporary Indian-inspired digital artwork combining the sacred Om symbol with the blue-green geometric medallions that have become part of the Sparks & Noises design language.
Explore the Om Art Print on Sparks & Noises
And if you'd like to see how this visual language began, you can explore the earlier entries in the Behind the Designs series.
Read More Behind the Designs Stories
09 | Until the Next Design...
Five entries in, and I feel like I'm only beginning to discover the possibilities of this collection.
What started as an experiment with a geometric dancer portrait is slowly turning into a wider exploration of Indian-inspired art, pattern, function, and symbolism.
There are still plenty of ideas I'd like to try, including new printable products, creative planners, and design-focused e-books.
But for now, I'm happy to see how one visual language has grown into something more meaningful and versatile.
Thank you for being part of this journey.
And before you go, I'd love to ask:
Do you prefer artwork that focuses on decorative beauty, or pieces that also carry cultural or personal meaning?
I'd love to hear your thoughts.
Until the next design,
Sparks & Noises 💙💚
One design at a time. One experiment at a time.