Ghada Wali: “How can graphic design change the world?”

Photo: Šime Zelić/PIXSELL

“Graphic design, but also proper and respectful two-way communication, can change the world,” emphasized Ghada Wali, founder and creative director of the company Wali’s Studio in Egypt. In her lecture, “How Graphic Design affects the mental state, pulls emotional strings & delivers change?”, she pointed out that these precise factors can change the world, while the combination of contemporary design, history, and branding can leave a positive impact on Egyptian and Middle Eastern identity.

Photo: Šime Zelić/PIXSELL

Wali is the first female Arab designer to speak at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris and the first Egyptian woman to appear on the Forbes European list – “Forbes 30 Under 30” – in the Arts and Immigrants category. In her lecture, she referred to some of her most popular projects, which have had a tremendous impact on Egypt and the world as well. “Let’s play” is definitely one of them. As part of this project, Ghada Wali addressed the problem of the perception of the culture and language of her people, which are often viewed in a negative context. By creating a platform for learning the Arabic language with the help of LEGO bricks, she opened a new space for many Arabs, especially Arab women, to grow and develop in the field of graphic design.

This creative platform represents only a small part of the creative graphic design solutions that Wali can boast of, and thinking about future innovative and creative solutions is her everyday life. “I believe that graphic design can change the world, and the primary factor for this is the sense of sight. The sense of sight is the first point of contact between people and the world – from the moment we wake up until we go to bed at night, we are constantly bombarded with a information, and the way it is presented is actually a form of graphic design,” Wali pointed out.

After all, graphic design is not only important for the arts and culture, but we can find it all around us. “Graphic design has an inevitable role in creating stories that formulate consumer emotions and leave a significant impact – whether it’s about education, tourism, economy, heritage, literature, cinematography or cultural identity. Graphic design surrounds us,” she concluded. Design plays an important role in simplifying our experiences, breaking down the boundaries between languages and cultures and bringing people together.