Terms of Reference: Illustration for Book on Feminist Justice

Job Category: Commission work

Job Type: Freelance

Job Location: Remote

Salary Range: 70000

About One Future Collective

One Future Collective is a feminist social purpose organisation based in Mumbai, India. We exist to advance a world built on social justice, led by systems that care. Find out more about our work at www.onefuturecollective.org.

About The Study

We are commissioning illustrations for our upcoming book, which explores a feminist justice approach to addressing sexual harassment in urban workplaces in India. This book critically examines existing justice frameworks, their shortcomings, and the need for a power-critical, intersectional, and trauma-informed approach to justice. Central to the book is our ‘Tapestry of Feminist Justice’ conceptual framework, which integrates survivor-centric justice, healing, accountability, and structural transformation.

We seek an illustrator who can bring these ideas to life through thoughtful, intentional, and inclusive visuals that align with our brand values. This page outlines our scope, our expectations, as well as next steps.

Scope of Illustrations

- Book Cover and Backend Illustration (2 illustrations)
- A compelling, visually striking illustration that reflects the themes of feminist justice, workplace dynamics, power structures, and systemic change.
- Must align with our brand guidelines (we will share this if we go ahead with this partnership), ensuring that it follows intersectional feminist and social justice principles.
- Should be inviting while maintaining a professional, research-oriented look.
- We can discuss if we would like for it to be abstract or literal in the context of the study.
- Conceptual Framework (1 figure)
- A clear and engaging visual representation of our Tapestry of Feminist Justice framework.
- Must effectively illustrate key components: Power-Critical Intersectional Accountability, Healing and Restoration, Transformative Systems, Integrated Ethics of Care, and Just Means and Ends.
- Should be visually intuitive, ensuring accessibility for diverse audiences.
- Tables (2 illustrations)
- Two tables requiring visual enhancement to improve readability and engagement.
- The illustrations should integrate well into the text without distracting from the information.
- Chapter Introduction Pages (8-10 illustrations)




- Each chapter will have a full-page illustrated header that introduces the themes covered.
- This should resonate with what that particular section of the book entails.
- A mix of abstract and figurative styles can be used to depict workplace interactions, power dynamics, acts of healing and justice, and so on.
- Reflective Activity Sections (6 illustrations)
- Each activity is designed to help readers critically engage with concepts of feminist justice.
- The illustrations should be symbolic, thought-provoking, and accessible to a wide range of readers.
- Smaller Illustrations Throughout (10 illustrations)
- These will be spot illustrations spread across the book to visually break up the text and enhance engagement.
- They may include:
- Icons or symbolic visuals representing key themes (e.g., justice, accountability, power, care, transformation).
- Illustrated quotes that emphasise powerful messages.
- Minimalist scene depictions.

- These should be subtle yet meaningful, avoiding unnecessary complexity.
- Overall Layout and Typesetting
- Comprehensive formatting and design of the book to ensure readability, coherence, and aesthetic alignment with our brand and the themes of feminist justice.

- The book will be designed on Canva, maintaining high visual quality while ensuring ease of future edits and adaptability.
- Typography & Styling: Consistent fonts, spacing, and text hierarchy that enhance accessibility and engagement.
- Page Numbering & Headers/Footers: Well-structured navigation with explicit page numbers, section headers, and footers as needed.
- Integration of Illustrations & Tables: Ensuring that visuals are seamlessly embedded within the text for optimal impact, and captioned well.
- Cover-to-Cover Flow: Cohesive structuring of chapters, sections, and reflective activities for a smooth reading experience.

Note: You can refer to our book Planting Dandelions here as a reference for illustrations.

Our Expectations

- Clean, intentional lines and thoughtful colour choices that incorporate One Future Collective’s brand colours. Please use consistent line work, colour palette,



and composition across all illustrations to maintain cohesion.
- Avoid trauma-focused depictions, but capture the gravity of the issue. The illustrations should capture the complexity of power, justice, and healing without resorting to graphic or sensational depictions of harm.
- Ensure readability, especially for conceptual visuals. If text is integrated into illustrations, it should be legible. Use high-contrast colour choices where applicable to ensure readability for visually impaired readers.

- Avoid a Corporate Memphis-like style; a slightly hand-drawn, organic quality is welcome.
- The conceptual framework and chapter illustrations could use intentional symbolism (e.g., weaving patterns, since it is called ‘Tapestry’). Please try to do this in alignment with OFC’s brand archetypes of The Creator and The Outlaw–we can discuss this further.
- When people are illustrated, please ensure that they include intersections of gender, disability, caste, skin colours, body types, and so on. Avoid essentialist or harmful visual tropes.

Timeline

- August 2026: If you want to begin work while we are still finalising the text.
- September 2025: If you prefer to start after the final manuscript is ready.
- Final Deliverables: All illustrations, layout, and typesetting to be completed by the end of Oct 2025.

Budget The available budget for this is up to 70,000 INR, including taxes.

Next Steps

About The word count of the book is about 20,000 to 30,000 with references and appendices. If this project aligns with your artistic style and values, we’d love to see a sample of your work! Please share:

- A portfolio or sample that reflects similar work.
- A brief concept note on how you envision illustrating and designing this book, including your artistic approach and interpretation of key themes.
- Your availability and preferred timeline for starting the project.
- Your pricing estimate, including all illustrations, overall layout, typesetting, and design.

We will make our selection by thoughtfully considering both the quality of work and pricing to ensure the best fit. We look forward to collaborating with an illustrator who can bring this critical work to life!

Apply for this position

Full Name

Email

Phone

Bio

Upload CV/Resume Allowed Type(s): .pdf, .doc, .docx

By using this form you agree with the storage and handling of your data by this website.

📌 TERMS OF REFERENCE: ILLUSTRATION FOR BOOK ON FEMINIST JUSTICE (India)
🏢 one future collective
📍 India