‘I aspire to build something of my own in the creative space and work with brands globally’

For Umar Bin Zubair, design is a journey of constant exploration, creativity, and growth. A Graphic Design student at Apeejay Institute of Design, he has developed a strong interest in branding and visual identity while also exploring packaging, illustration, and visual communication. What sets Umar apart is his ability to balance academic learning with professional experience, having worked on live client projects across India, the UK, and Dubai. Through these experiences, he has gained valuable insights into design, communication, and client collaboration. In this interview, Umar shares his creative journey, key learnings, and aspirations for building globally impactful brands. Read edited excerpts: 

You’ve built an international portfolio. How do you feel about it?

I’m definitely proud of it, especially because I’ve been able to start doing this while I’m still studying. There’s a different kind of confidence you get when you realise that something you designed here can actually communicate with an audience in another country. But I definitely don’t look at my portfolio and think, “Okay, this is done.” Actually, I look at some of my older projects now and immediately notice things I would change.

And I think that’s a good thing. It means I’m growing. So I’m proud of where it is right now, but I’m much more excited about where it can go next.

What have been your key learnings while working with clients across India, the UK and Dubai?

Probably my biggest learning has been that designing is only one part of being a professional designer. You also have to understand people. You need to know how to communicate your ideas, present your work, understand feedback and sometimes defend a design decision without taking the feedback personally. Working with clients from different countries has also exposed me to different audiences and different ways of looking at design. And obviously, I’ve made mistakes along the way. But I think working on actual projects and learning from those mistakes has helped me grow much faster.

What skills are important for someone who wants to pursue graphic design?

I’d actually put observation before software.You need to start noticing things around you — packaging, posters, websites, typography, advertisements — and start asking yourself why certain things work.  Then you need strong fundamentals: typography, composition, colour, hierarchy and layout.  Obviously, learning tools like Illustrator and Photoshop is important, but knowing software doesn’t automatically make you a good designer. And communication is another big one. If you can design something but can’t explain why you designed it that way, you’re missing an important part of the process.

How have your peers at AID influenced your creative process?

A lot, actually.  One thing I find really interesting about design school is that you can give ten people the exact same brief and get ten completely different solutions. Sometimes I’ll see what one of my classmates has done and genuinely think, “I would never have thought of that.”

We’re constantly sharing references, discussing ideas and giving each other feedback. And that has taught me something important — your first idea doesn’t always have to be your best idea.

Sometimes one conversation can completely change the direction of a project.

What are your future aspirations?

I definitely want to go deeper into branding and visual identity. I don’t just want to design logos. I’m interested in understanding how you can build an entire brand — its personality, visual language, packaging, digital presence and the overall experience people have with it. 

I’m also really interested in how AI and technology are changing the creative industry. I think there’s a huge opportunity for designers who understand both creativity and technology. 

And eventually, I’d love to build something of my own in the creative space and work with brands globally. But right now, I’m still learning. My main goal is just to keep experimenting, take on challenging projects and make sure the next thing I create is better than the last one.