Diversify. Simplify. Magnify. These principles describe my design philosophy.
Diversify. My primary goal is to create designs that are not only accessible and inclusive but also promote equality. In a world marked by numerous injustices, I am driven to be an agent of change.
Simplify. Many of my aesthetic influences stem from modernist artists and designers, particularly those associated with the Bauhaus movement. I believe design should function as a problem-solving tool rather than a distraction, but still allow for playfulness.
Magnify. I aspire to amplify the voices of individuals experiencing injustices and shed light on issues that may otherwise go unnoticed. In an ever-changing society, I am dedicated to continually pushing boundaries, challenging myself as a designer, and leading by example.
My passions encompass UI/UX, typography, product design, editorial design, and branding. As a whole, these design disciplines are lacking diversity. As a Pakistani-American woman, I have encountered the challenges of being a minority and am eager to contribute to work towards equality. My hope is to continue collaborating with mission-driven clients and environmentally conscious companies to reach these goals.
Diversify. Theorists that I look to in terms of racial equality are bell hooks because she argues that racism is still alive because of a desire for power, and Olu Oguibe who exposes the West for seeing ourselves as superior to other cultures when in reality Eastern art/design has inspired ours. The main theorists I look to for feminist discourse are Hilde Hein, who says you have to become a feminist because you are not born one, and Judith Butler, who says that gender roles are bad for everyone. Kimberlé Crenshaw’s writings have also helped me better understand intersectionality and how many of these issues work together.
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Installation view of "Ethnographia 2.1" by Olu Oguibe in the P.S. 1 exhibition "Greater New York." February 27–May 30, 2000. Image from Museum of Modern Art.
Simplify. I have always been drawn to minimalist designers, specifically those from the Bauhaus era and Swiss design. Some notable influences include Herbert Bayer, Marcel Breuer, Adrian Frutiger, and Massimo Vignelli. What I like about these designers is that they were focused on simplicity of form and communicating a message to the audience without distraction. In this same way, my design philosophy has been shaped by designers such as Beatrice Warde and Ellen Lupton, who encourage design to be used as a problem-solving tool rather than a distraction. Typography should be used in a way that clarifies the text. In general, I always gravitate back to Scandinavian design because they are coming out with some of the cleanest yet beautiful designs. It is easy to get trapped in a bubble of what we see every day in advertisements and marketing, so looking to other countries and seeing how they are evolving design is helpful.
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Massimo Vignelli., Tredicesima, Triennale di Milano, 1964. Image from Museum of Modern Art.
Magnify. I align with Universal Design Theory (UDT), a term by Ronald L. Mace who states that design should be accessible to the greatest number of people possible no matter their background, age, or ability. One example that fits into this accessible design theory is Deborah Adler’s pill bottle redesign which had different color rings on pill bottles for each family member's prescriptions to prevent accidentally taking the wrong pill. Another example is the kitchen knife and cutting board by Maria Benktzon, an ergonomic design for people with disabilities to help them cut their food. Practical but critical design innovations such as these are what inspire me to also be able to make a change.
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Deborah Adler, Klaus Rosburg, Target ClearRx Prescription System, 2004. Image from Museum of Modern Art.
