From billboards to social media, brands invest massive budgets to compete for our attention all year round. But what makes a brand truly stand out from the noise and connect? We sat down with Nourhan Wahdan and Al Hassan Elwan, co-founders of pew. design bureau and the visionaries behind several mega branding projects to learn about the research, strategy, and creative output it takes to build a powerful brand. Here’s the full interview!
pew. | brands & beyond
Q: pew. is an exciting name; we’re very interested in the backstory. How did you end up choosing it?
AL: You could say it was a lightbulb moment. In 2017, we realized the design scene called for a shift in values and work ethics and became consumed with mounting up our studio. A brand’s name is a mere milestone -a signature that becomes meaningless if it doesn’t live up to something. It’s a stamp recalled in the public’s memory only after they’ve experienced what it stands for and what it promises. Experimenting with creative methods and visual approaches to different strategies is essential to reach that spot where a brand’s prowess is distinct from its name and logo.
Q: That’s interesting! Could you tell us more about what creativity means for you?
NW: It’s funny you asked; we get that question a lot. Creativity is a mere skill like learning to write in a new coding language or working with a new software tool. It feels like “creativity” has been thought to be a “blessing” that you either have or don’t. Ultimately, what we do with design is problem-solving. To me, creativity, in the broadest sense, is about finding unorthodox ways to serve different stakeholders and influence change.
Q: It seems like most scaleups are migrating to pew. now. What do you think they have found with you guys that makes them choose pew., and how do you make sure every brand identity resonates in its way on the market?
AL: We trust in the power of every individual brand. That is, helping them develop a powerful voice and demonstrate ways that strengthen a consistent and durable narrative and identity system. Automatically, it positions a brand as experienced and redefining industry benchmarks instead of one that hijacks momentary trends that only drive short-term success. We probe for the essence of each project, align them with the spirit of the right audience segments, and help clients radiate those in every avenue of communication they use.
Q: Speaking of industry benchmarks, what is one pew. project that not only elevated your partner but also influenced the entire industry they are part of?
NW: One that comes to mind is the digital revolution we ignited with The Knowledge Hub Universities. We had a vested interest in TKH’s progressive vision for how higher education should be. The digital landscape of the entire industry back then was pretty monotonous. We knew research was key to making our content stand out. So, we got up close and personal with these prospective TKH students, these Gen Zers, to figure out what they look for in education, what they talk to each other about, and what they’re even scared to talk about. With that knowledge, our content opened so many conversations our audience had been craving. For TKH, socials saw 300%+ growth in follower count, and enrolments followed suit. For the industry, we’re now seeing efforts from more brands to speak the language of young students better, which is a win for everybody.
Q: What other industries do you think are long overdue for that same pew. shock to its system?
AL: We like to think of pew. as industry-agnostic. We’ve worked on a diverse body ranging from the funerary services of SOKNA to the famous beloved kids’ cartoon channel from the 90s, Spacetoon. Sufficient to say; we’ve traversed through and enjoyed tackling challenges from all sorts of industries. I think an industry like real estate truly needs an uplift. As you can tell just from observing billboards over the years, it’s just one aesthetic fad after another. Rinse and repeat. There needs to be a better strategic understanding of end-users, likewise, for healthcare -I’d say.
Q: People often overlook essential parts of a branding project. What do you believe could be the difference between a business and its brand?
NW: This is an interesting point to bring up because a lot of businesses fall into the trap of wanting to encompass the entirety of their brand into just one piece of design in the belief of consistent representation. Your business is what you offer, and your brand is how you carry out that offer. A logo is just a logo. There’s no need to consider different options to decide on a short-lived one-time aesthetic. For example, Nike’s swoosh denotes little significance if a meaningful narrative wasn’t ascribed to it. Everything about a brand stems from its palpable identity and consistency in strategic communication, which we place at a high value at pew. by regularly encouraging our partners to see beyond the logo and color palette dilemma.
pew. | values & impact
Q: How important do you think value systems are to a brand?
NW: I think value systems weigh more than brand guidelines. Whereas guidelines are functionally-driven and only involve internal team members, value systems are emotionally-driven and invite everyone to connect and join in the business. We prefer adopting a storytelling approach when we conceptualize our ideas into visual strategies and equate value-driven branding with long-lasting recognition and loyalty.
Q: Rebranding as a strategy seems to be frequently misused today. Many founders end up questioning their decision to rebrand. Do you think a rebrand could do more harm than good?
AL: That’s interesting because a rebrand can sometimes evolve into a tradeoff. It boils down to “Are you willing to compromise your brand recall and recognition for a facelift? And to what extent?” That’s why a lot of strategy homework should go into decision-making. Oftentimes, founders ask for a rebrand just because they feel stuck in what they have at the moment. In that case, we advise against it because it means their brands need more tools to use and connect with, which could be facilitated better through more like a brand evolution.
Q: What’s the most rewarding feeling for you as pew. co-founders?
AL: That’s kind of hard to narrow down. Off the top of my head, I remember the goosebumps we felt after seeing SWVL’s pew-designed logo take over Burj Khalifa and then Times Square in NYC. But, you know what? Achievements don’t have to be as massive, figuratively or literally. It’s the little subtle things at times. I’ll never forget the excitement I felt when I saw the logo we designed for Walk of Cairo’s The RIG in the Netflix hit series, Finding Ola. I was binge-watching the show, and out of the blue, I saw Hend Sabry standing beside one of our favorite creations. So, I guess it’s cool when we see our work thrive and take a life of its own. Another example is whenever we happen upon creatives buzzing about the impact of SYNC -which we take pride in building its brand from scratch.
Q: What metrics do you lean on to measure the success of a project?
NW: We define unique metrics for and with every partner based on the project’s objectives. One thing we always monitor is how much brand leeway founders enjoy after the completion of a project and what they achieve with that. We mentioned SYNC earlier. We’ve been thrilled to see the SYNC people use the tools we gave them to take the brand to new heights and introduce new sub-brands, such as SYNC School and SYNC Summit.
pew. | the new era & its makers
Q: We heard a move is happening. Give us the tea!
AL: It’s already happened. Pew Design LLC is now officially based in Los Angeles, California!
Q: Oh wow! So now your team is spread across 3 different time zones. How do you maintain a collaborative and productive creative workflow?
AL: Our team tries to dodge all the inefficiencies of modern work. For example, none of us is confined by traditional working hours. We have our framework whereby we clearly set checkpoints and delegate duties; so both early birds and night owls can enjoy autonomy and stay productive. We also limit meetings at all costs. The only fixed meeting on our calendars is our weekly Think Tank. In my favorite 1-hour slot of the week, we rarely talk about ongoing projects. Instead, we take the time to check on one another and engage in mighty fun conversations about the latest happenings in the creative scene.
Q: Do you believe this is the modern model nowadays, especially for businesses in the creative industry?
NW: As the pandemic has forced us out of our offices, we’ve seen the advantages of remote work. But ultimately, a hybrid workflow is the best of both worlds. Now in LA, we’re able to physically be on set directing and working with our clients. And it’s been a nice reminder of the bigger team on the on-ground days, which has motivated us to work on building a bigger team here as well. Honestly, we have our fingers crossed that the techies of the world grace us with teleportation devices soon enough, so our international pew. team can come together and take over the design scene worldwide!
Q: Before we go, many of our readers are up-and-coming designers and would love to hear from their peers. What advice do you have for them?
NW: Although flourishing and ever-changing, the design scene right now feels intimidating for younger designers; it felt overwhelming when I started too. So what worked for me was focusing on what it is exactly that is unique or different about my approach or process and then working with that – eye on the prize always, not on the competition. At the end of the day, I realized we can always learn new skill sets, but a differentiated personal brand goes a long way. I made it my goal to be hired or commissioned for who I am rather than what I do.
