Basic Seder Kit
6 special foods
Each with the purpose to evoke a flavour and sensation.
Wine
As a symbol of joy and happiness.
Matzah
Unleavened bread.
Haggadah
Book to facilitate the retelling of the story of the Exodus.
Role
Chabad Islington approached me with an open brief where I would explore and propose different concepts. After approval, I also moved forward designing the artwork for each of the new items and implementing the Hebrew translation into the material.
When developing my concept I had to have three key users in mind: kids, young professionals living alone and young couples.
This meant adding elements that would make the ceremony engaging, easy to understand and follow, and fun to perform solo, an important consideration during COVID times when many people were spending the ceremony without family.
A note on development
Not being a member of the Jewish community meant having to quickly immerse myself to learn about the rites within the ceremony, the history of the Passover and the history of the Exodus.
To better understand the importance of each element, the order in which the rites are performed and the reason and meaning behind each text found in the Haggadah, I recreated, as best as possible, my own Seder ritual dinner, alongside attending online classes and having conversations with Chabad's members.
Final designs
Companion book
Introduces the elements found in the kit, provides a simple instructions checklist for people to go through before starting the Seder dinner and also includes sections of the Haggadah that need to be read at different moments of the dinner.
Cards
The cards were created to replace the Haggadah. Within them, there were also questions for adults and activities for kids inviting the family for reflection and discussion.
Board
In the form of a placemat resembling a board game and used along with a game piece to help visualise the progression in the Seder ritual. At the top, the Exodus story is illustrated step by step, encouraging kids to help tell the story as they move their piece along.
Afikomen gift
Traditionally, a piece of Matzah, called the Afikomen, is hidden early in the Seder for kids to find during the main meal, earning a gift for whoever finds it first.
I thought this was such a nice mini game that I didn't want those spending the dinner alone to miss out. Within the board's illustration, two Afikomen are hidden, and one of the Seder cards tasks people with finding them.
Collaborators
Members of the Chabad Islington Community
Ioana Nicolae / Photography
