pew. design bureau, a leading branding studio born in Cairo, spotlights the success it has achieved having recently expanded its creative arena to the USA after spearheading some of the largest projects in the MENA region, continuing to revolutionize the creative industry with its innovative and unorthodox approach.
Founded in January 2017, pew. rapidly emerged as a disruptive force driven by unmatched creative brilliance offering rebranding strategy to spatial design experience. The dynamic duo behind the design bureau, Nourhan Wahdan and Al Hassan Elwan, joined forces to challenge traditional design norms, bringing together cemented industry experience backed by their unorthodox ways, to create a design studio unlike any other. The founder’s unique, unconventional design approach echoed back, seeing the bureau in its first year establish profound, long-term partnerships with some of the globe’s biggest household brands including Youtube, Google, and Lipton.
Additionally, pew. has been the mastermind behind strategic partnerships for distinguished brands such as Unilever, Lipton, Tabby, Swvl, RiseUp, Dukkantek, UN Women, Sync School, Idealz, and SOKNA, solidifying their position as the go-to design and branding studio in the MENA region. With a prominent portfolio, the pew. design bureau gained interest from US house-hold brands, sparking its expansion to Los Angeles, California in 2022. Establishing the US office was a strategic move to adapt to new opportunities in the US market whilst still offering and retaining Middle Eastern roots.
Among its impressive accomplishments, one standout success story is its collaboration with Tabby, a prominent buy-now-pay-later app in the MENA region. Since its inception, pew. has served over 175 clients, and Tabby sought pew.’s assistance in late 2021 to enhance its brand strategy and visual identity, aiming to expand beyond Dubai’s market and secure larger investments. pew.’s transformative approach to Tabby’s branding was a game-changer, propelling the app to unparalleled levels of success. Working closely with Tabby’s marketing team, pew. crafted a fresh and larger-than-life branding strategy, positioning Tabby as its own currency—a symbol of independence amidst a saturated market. The reimagined brand resonated powerfully with the public, catapulting Tabby’s value from a local startup to an astounding $660 million company in less than two years. Today, Tabby reigns as the leading BNPL app in the region, a testament to the innovative and strategic vision brought to life by pew. design expertise solidifying its position as a trailblazer in the field of brand design.
The essence of pew’s success lies in the seamless integration of thorough research and daring experimentation. With each project, the studio crafts compelling narratives that resonate deeply with the brand’s identity, establishing a strong and meaningful connection with the audience. This skillful balance of creativity and strategic thinking leads to impactful designs that leave a lasting impression on both the brand and its target audience.
pew.’s creative process is highly tailored, ensuring that each client receives a personalized and holistic experience. The studio begins with comprehensive Discovery Sessions, collaborating closely with key stakeholders to identify objectives, challenges, and the essence of the brand. Through qualitative and quantitative research, the team crafts a Concept Presentation that aligns the brand’s vision with empirical insights, setting the stage for impactful design solutions. pew. utilizes a multifaceted approach to gain a comprehensive understanding of audience behaviors and preferences while simultaneously utilizing research to achieve a sweeping view of the industry’s most relevant and stellar insights.
“As a creative, I’ve always held originality in very high regard but with such a fast-paced market I’ve come to realize that it’s more about agility and being ready to adapt and accommodate change. When it comes to our work now, especially with branding, we try to worry less about being original and more about being influential.” said Nourhan Wahdan, Co-Founder of pew. “One thing we noticed the industry gets hung up on is aesthetics. Whether it’s conversations about taste or form they ultimately don’t matter if clear business goals and audience insights are overlooked or not properly taken into account. I really think we, as designers, should stop prioritizing aesthetics over strategy.” said Al Hassan, Co-Founder of pew.
Looking towards the future, pew. welcomes tech and entertainment companies in the GCC and USA with plans to expand operations further into Europe by the end of 2023, as it continues to solidify its position in the global design market by boldly pushing boundaries of design definitions and principles.