We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Ghazal Foroutan a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Ghazal, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

As a designer, I feel responsible to do self-initiated projects that have greater meaning in my practice. Yes, designers do make an impact on the society through their design solutions for their client’s problems and make the world around us look more pleasing. But I believe a designer can have a greater influence on society through projects in which they are not paid for but are done for reasons such as a protest for a social change. This is called “Design for good”. Saying this, my favorite project I have done so far is the poster series for the “Woman Life Freedom” movement in Iran right now. Growing up in Iran with its limitations for women, I have always felt obligated to bring awareness to this matter and be the Iranian women’s voice through art and design. The series of posters that I designed is inspired by the famous “Rosie” poster but she is replaced with an Iranian girl holding her scarf, showing off her tattoo saying “No to compulsory hijab” with the Women Life Freedom quote on the top. This project served its purpose when I received photos from all around the world of protestors holding these posters or putting them up on the walls.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I started studying graphic design when I was 16 at an art school in Tehran, Iran. I have always been painting and doing illustrations with my father since I was a little child. My father is an artist too and he has been a great influence on me and my work. I first started doing watch collage illustrations with him and ended up winning the Khawrizmi Youth awards in Tehran when I was 18. That led me to earn a BFA in graphic design from Alzahra University in Tehran Iran.

During my senior year, I joined Studio Shizaru for two years. Working at Shizaru, I learned all about building, designing, and delivering the most unique identity design to the client, thus branding became one of my favorite subjects in graphic design. I have been designing branding identities and helping clients build their vision as a freelancer ever since.

With the dream of having my own business and studio, I immigrated to the USA to continue my education in graphic design with an MFA at Oklahoma State University. During that time, I learned to be more independent and do self-initiated projects on a daily basis on subjects that are more personal to me. This exercise ended up being a complete thesis exhibition on an essential subject to me: Iranian women’s rights. Since then, this has become my main research topic and I have designed multiple projects about this matter trying to bring more awareness through projects such as poster series, booklet, apparel, etc. The art pieces are all available for purchase so everyone can enjoy the good design and at the same time learn something valuable about a sensitive social issue in this day and age.

Meanwhile, I still collaborate with different designers or work with clients providing them with branding solutions and typography (Usually Farsi). At this stage, I am prepared to introduce my own studio/shop called “Peelē”. Peelē means cocoon in English and it has another meaning which is someone/something that is persistent in what they do/want, making it the perfect name for what I do. Peelē provides design solutions and services to clients in addition to its own projects focusing on social change. It is still in the process of making but you can reach it at “peele.studio”.

Currently, I am an assistant professor of graphic design at Augusta University. Besides teaching my students the basic graphic design rules, I introduce them to design activism and their endless abilities as designers to help make a change.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

When I was working at the studio in Tehran, I was enjoying the work I was doing and at the same time learning so much from the people surrounding me. I had everything a 23-year-old could ask for in their career and personal life. But at some point, I knew I had to move on to the next challenge in my life in order to make progress and grow as a person/designer. I believe that we only live once and we have to make the most of it so I decided to leave everything behind and move across the world (alone) to continue my education in the USA. That took me from the pretty-looking world of branding to a more serious and research-based side of design. The 3-year journey of my MFA changed the way I see everything now and shifted my path drastically.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

I think the most rewarding aspect is seeing the work that was designed FOR the people, used BY the people! That can be client work such as a storefront design being noticed by everyone passing by. Or posters done for design activism that are being used by protestors. At the end of the day, giving back to the community and watching the result is the most rewarding aspect of design to me.

Contact Info:

• Website: ghazalforoutan.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/ghazalforroutan
• Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/ghazal-foroutan-043201105