What I Do: A Strategic Portfolio

This strategic Arabic branding portfolio showcases the work of Nihad Taisir, an expert in visual identity, cultural brand development, and digital Arabic calligraphy. Across the projects featured here, you’ll see a blend of thoughtful design, marketing insight, and deep cultural understanding applied to both regional and global brands.

From boutique honey brands and bilingual logotypes to full-scale publishing systems and franchise identities, each project reflects a commitment to clarity, relevance, and long-lasting visual impact.

Want to browse the full visual archive?  View the Creative Portfolio

Case Study 1:

Ghaf Benefits | A Culturally Grounded Logotype

Pillar: Visual Identity

Client: Ghaf Benefits, employee wellbeing platform in the UAE

Challenge: Create a bilingual logotype that feels modern, culturally rooted, and suitable for a tech platform serving UAE-based employees.

My Role: Arabic-English logotype design, calligraphy-inspired form development, cultural visual alignment

Solution: I designed a custom bilingual wordmark inspired by the Ghaf tree, a national symbol of resilience. The logotype uses smooth, minimal forms that speak to digital clarity while maintaining a sense of cultural authenticity.

Impact: Though limited to the logo, the design helped the brand gain recognition and consistency across its initial rollout, with enterprise clients noting its approachable yet distinct visual tone.

Scope of Work: Logo Design Only

Case Study 2:

Manahil Honey | Repositioning a World-Class Product

Pillar: Brand Strategy

Client: Manahil, organic honey producer in Fujairah

Challenge: Despite producing some of the highest-quality organic honey in the world, carefully harvested from the mountains of Fujairah, the existing brand identity and packaging did not reflect the product’s premium nature. The perception fell short of the substance.

My Role: Brand repositioning consultant, creative direction, visual identity uplift

Solution: I proposed a full repositioning strategy, shifting the brand narrative from “traditional local” to “boutique organic luxury.” The visual direction was elevated to reflect purity, craftsmanship, and the rare geographic origin. The identity aimed to match the excellence of the product itself, appealing to high-end retail and international recognition.

Impact: While the full strategy has not yet been implemented, the direction laid a strong foundation for repositioning Manahil as a premium cultural product from the UAE. It clarified the gap between brand and quality, offering a long-term roadmap for commercial and export success.

Scope of Work: Brand Strategy and Visual Concept Proposal

Case Study 3:

Waffly Café | Building a Cross-Regional Brand From Scratch

Pillar: Business Strategy

Client: Waffly, a Chocolate café concept operating across Turkey, Sudan, and the Gulf

Challenge: Launch a new café brand that would stand out in competitive markets with strong food cultures while being scalable across regions. The brand needed a clear name, identity, service concept, and business model from the ground up.

My Role: Brand naming, concept creation, business positioning, brand strategy, marketing blueprint, and franchise manual development

Solution: I coined the name “Waffly” to evoke both product relevance and playful familiarity. I developed the entire brand narrative, visual identity, tone of voice, and service experience strategy. I worked closely with leadership to deliver a full franchise manual, covering every touchpoint from visual guidelines to customer service principles, adapted for both Turkey and Sudan.

Impact: Waffly grew into a recognizable and adaptable café chain with over six branches operating across Turkey, Africa, and the Gulf. The brand’s strong identity and replicable systems made it viable for franchising across culturally diverse markets.

Scope of Work: Complete Brand and Business Strategy, Naming, Franchise System

Case Study 4:

The Eyes of Arabic Poetry | Designing a 100-Volume Cultural Series

Pillar: Publishing Design

Client: Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre (ALC), part of the Department of Culture and Tourism in Abu Dhabi

Challenge: Develop a unified and culturally resonant design system for a landmark collection of 100 books, each focusing on a different theme from the rich legacy of Arabic poetry. The design needed to honor classical heritage while engaging a modern audience across print and institutional settings.

My Role: Series concept development, Arabic typography direction, cover and interior layout design, cultural visual framing

Solution: I created a comprehensive design system inspired by the natural interaction of desert sand and water, reflecting the poetic spirit of the Arabian Peninsula. Each book features a unique color tone derived from aerial images of this landscape, creating a seamless visual flow when the collection is placed side by side.

The series title was written in traditional Diwani script and printed in raised gold foil to signal timeless cultural value. Each individual title was composed in circular form using Jali Diwani script, adding elegance and rhythmic movement that echoes the structure of classical Arabic verse.

Impact: The design established a prestigious visual identity for one of the most ambitious cultural publishing projects in the region. The collection became instantly recognizable and served as a template for how classical literature can be preserved and presented with contemporary sophistication.

Scope of Work: Visual identity and layout system for a 100-book series

Beyond Design: Leading Teams and Contributing as a Subject-Matter Expert

In addition to my creative and branding work, I take on leadership and advisory roles across content production, Arabic typography, and academic publishing.

1. Creative Team Leadership

I have directed cross-functional teams to produce high-quality visual and audio content. This includes leading content creation for wellness-tech platform VIWELL, and overseeing the production of a cultural podcast series for Dar Al Muheet.

2. Arabic Digital Calligraphy and Typographic Technology

I actively contribute to the development and automation of Arabic calligraphy tools and digital type systems. My collaborations include global and regional technology leaders such as Adobe, WinSoft, DecoType, and Huawei.

3. Academic and Cultural Expertise

As a recognized expert in Arabic calligraphy and visual language, I have worked with respected academic institutions and cultural centers such as Brill Publishers, New York University Abu Dhabi, and the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre.

This multidisciplinary engagement reflects my commitment to advancing Arabic design across mediums, from traditional books to cutting-edge technology.

From Cultural Insight to Strategic Impact

Every project on this page reflects more than just design. It represents a way of thinking that combines creativity with marketing depth, respects the power of Arabic letterforms, and translates culture into visuals that work.

My process often follows a three-part framework I call The Arabic Signature Approach:

  1. Understanding cultural depth

  2. Adapting Arabic letterforms with intention

  3. Connecting the design to market realities

If you’re working on something that needs to resonate across Arabic-speaking markets with clarity, elegance, and purpose, I’d be glad to help.

Let’s build something with a lasting imprint.

Portrait of Nihad Taisir, Arabic branding expert and digital calligrapher based in the UAE

Do you have a question?

Get in touch

Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.
Name