Decolonising Identity in Pakistan : Rethinking Communication Design

Pakistan’s communication design landscape bears the deep imprints of colonial history and post-colonial globalisation. This thesis explores how coloniality – the enduring systems of power, knowledge, and being established during colonial rule – has shaped Pakistani visual identity and design education. It examines the evolution of graphic and communication design in Pakistan from 1947 to the present, comparing it with India’s post-independence design trajectory to highlight divergences in decolonising identity. A mixed-method approach was adopted: literature and archival research, a timeline of design milestones, surveys of design students and professionals, and interviews with stakeholders. The findings reveal a pervasive preference for Western aesthetics among Pakistani designers, rooted in an education system and industry that valorise Eurocentric standards at the expense of indigenous design heritage. The historical and contextual analysis shows that despite rich local art traditions, Pakistan’s design identity remains fragmented and heavily influenced by colonial legacies and global trends. In response, the practical component of this research is the proposal of UNDO (Urgent Need of Design Organisation) – Pakistan’s first open-source national design framework. UNDO comprises a manifesto and toolkit intended to “undo” colonial influences by empowering designers to reclaim and remix indigenous visual language in contemporary communication design. The report discusses the UNDO initiative’s components (manifesto, design system, platform) and strategies for adoption across academia, industry, and government. Through critical analysis and reflective narrative, the thesis argues for a decolonial approach to communication design in Pakistan – one that honours local identities while engaging with global design discourse. This work contributes to the growing conversation on decolonising design by providing both theoretical insights and a concrete intervention aimed at rethinking and reshaping Pakistan’s visual identity.