Bakhtawar Ayub

Setting out to get ahead of the game, Bakhtawar Ayub landed a role as junior brand designer at Sky Creative on the day of her grad show. Jumping headfirst into the world of brand design at Sky, she’s since worked on major projects: five-story carpark experiences, F1 visual campaigns and the Sky studios interior redesign. From online assets to large-scale visuals, her work is all about identity building and perception shifting. Here, Bakhtawar shares how to stop playing it safe, challenge the norm and keep your creativity moving.

What I do

How would you describe what you do?
I’m a brand designer at Sky Creative and a multidisciplinary designer, working across a variety of formats and platforms. I am driven by design that feels cohesive, expressive and impactful, connecting brands with people in thoughtful and memorable ways. 

At Sky, I help shape how audiences experience the brand, developing visual identities and leading campaign design for channels, products and major events. Beyond digital and campaign work, I’ve contributed to environmental branding projects, working on the Sky Glass Gen 2 immersive five-story car park experience and the recent redesign of the Sky News studio space. I’ve also contributed to several Kick It Out campaigns, creating a wide range of motion and print assets to tackle discrimination in football, designed for high visibility during matches.

What are the main influences and inspirations behind your work?
Inspiration for my work doesn’t come from one specific place. I find it everywhere: in the people I surround myself with, the things I watch, the places I go and even small moments throughout the day. Films, music, photography and architecture all influence me in different ways; so do conversations, travel and new environments. 

Being a designer has made me more observant: I naturally tune in to details, moods and ideas that others might overlook. I try to absorb as much as I can from my environment and let that feed into the work I do. I think staying open and curious is key – the best ideas often come when you’re not actively looking for them.

Would you say you need any specific training for what you do?
I wouldn’t say you need one specific type of training to do what I do, but having a strong creative foundation definitely helps. I’ve always loved art, and from a young age, I knew I wanted to work in a creative field. I studied art and fine art in school, but found it a bit limiting. I wanted more freedom and variety, which led me to graphic design. 

I moved back to the UK from Bahrain to study Graphic and Digital Design at university, exploring everything from branding and typography to motion, 3D and even some coding. Keeping my creative options open helped me figure out what I was most drawn to; for me, that was branding. Being willing to step out of your comfort zone and learn something completely new helps a lot; it opens unexpected doors and pushes your creativity in new directions. Formal training plays a role, but curiosity and adaptability are just as important.

What’s been your favourite project to work on from the past year, and why?
A standout project for me was the start-of-season shoot for Formula 1, where I helped lead the project and brand creative direction alongside the creative director and senior brand designer. Growing up in Bahrain, I used to go to the Grand Prix every year, so working on this project felt like a full-circle moment.

I was specifically responsible for how the brand would show up across social media, collaborating closely with on-screen talent to ensure content was curated effectively for their platforms. We shot across locations, including London, Monaco and Imola, with each place bringing new energy to the campaign. It was only my second time on a shoot, but I felt my confidence had really grown. 

What does a normal day-to-day usually look like for you?
No two days are the same, which is one of the things I enjoy most about my job. But generally, my day starts by checking in with the team, going over priorities, and making sure we’re aligned on any live projects or upcoming deadlines.

A lot of my time is spent brainstorming ideas for whatever project we’re currently working on as a team, developing brand visuals, building out toolkits or exploring how a brand comes to life across different formats. I also spend time concepting, moodboarding or refining creative direction alongside senior team members.

How I got here

What was your journey like when you were first starting out?
When I was first starting out, it was a mix of excitement and nerves. I began applying for jobs a couple of months before graduating. At the same time, I was wrapping up my dissertation, pulling together my final portfolio, preparing for our grad show and managing multiple deadlines across different projects. Everything moved quickly. I was constantly switching gears between academic work, creative output and job hunting. 

There were a lot of late nights and moments of uncertainty, but that period taught me how to manage pressure, stay organised and push through the overwhelm. Looking back, it was a formative whirlwind, setting the tone for how I approach fast-paced creative environments today.

How did you go about landing your first few jobs?
I started applying for jobs early – I hoped that it would give me a better chance, even if nothing came of it right away. I applied to Sky Creative and was invited for my first interview while writing my dissertation. My second interview was about two weeks before my grad show. Sharing my university work during the process really helped demonstrate my skills and eagerness to explore different areas of design.

I found out on the day of my grad show that I had secured a role as a junior brand designer at Sky. It was surreal. The perfect start for my creative career.

The team behind the F1 start of season shoot

What has been your biggest challenge along the way?
One of my biggest challenges has been dealing with creative block. It’s something every designer experiences at some point, but it can still catch you off guard, especially when you're under pressure to deliver ideas or push a concept forward. There are times when ideas just don’t come as easily, when you start second-guessing your creativity or feel stuck in your own head.

It’s a challenge I’ve learned to navigate better over time. I’ve learnt not to force it – to trust that the spark will come back. Sometimes stepping away – even for a short time – gives you space to reset and return with a fresh perspective. Talking things through with teammates or bouncing ideas around can also break the block. Creativity isn’t always constant, but that’s part of what makes it so rewarding.

How important are social media and self-promotion to your work?
I think social media is a useful tool for getting your work out there, connecting with others in the industry and showing people what you’re passionate about. That said, I try not to let it pressurise me or to define my creative process.

For me, it’s more about sharing those things that feel right, whether that’s a project I’m proud of, something I’ve learned or a behind-the-scenes look at how I work. I’ve found that being authentic is more valuable than having a perfectly curated feed.

What are three things that you’ve found useful to your work or career, and why?
Social media has been really useful to me. While I don’t rely on it heavily for self-promotion, it’s great for discovering new work, connecting with others and staying inspired. Seeing the different processes of creatives can spark ideas or push me to try something new.

Another tool I use is The Brand Identity – it’s such a well-curated platform that always gives me a good mix of inspiration and insight into thoughtful design and creative direction. I check it regularly to see how studios and designers are tackling branding across different sectors.

Lastly, I’d say conversations with those around me. Whether it’s friends, colleagues or people I’ve met through work, I often find myself learning the most just by talking things through. Seeing how others approach a brief or solve a problem helps me extend my creativity. Hearing different perspectives, even from those outside of design, helps me rethink ideas and keeps my creativity moving.

What have been your greatest learnings with making money and supporting yourself as a creative?
I’ve learnt that it's okay to take on other types of work to support yourself, especially early on. When you're starting out, there's pressure to make money purely from creative work, but the reality is that building a career takes time. Taking on part-time roles or side jobs doesn’t make you any less of a designer, it just gives you the stability to keep going and focus on growing your skills. It’s about finding balance: doing work that excites you, while also being organised and practical enough to sustain yourself along the way.

I’ve also learned the importance of understanding your value, especially when it comes to freelance work. Things like charging fairly, setting clear boundaries and making sure you have a proper invoicing system in place really matter. At first, it can feel awkward to talk about money, but the more you do it, the more confident you become.

Shoot for the start of season football shoot

My Advice

What’s the best career-related advice you’ve ever received?
One of the best pieces of advice I’ve ever received came from a talk by James Taylor, who I’ve always been inspired by. He said something that really stuck with me: “Sameness is safe. Difference pushes the work.” It’s simple but powerful advice, and it completely shifted the way I think about creativity.

It really encouraged me to stop playing it safe and start pushing my work further, even if that meant stepping into unfamiliar territory or taking creative risks. Standing out doesn’t come from following trends or doing what’s expected, but from finding your own point of view and the confidence to bring it forward. Now, I’m always thinking about how to add something unexpected to projects – to challenge the norm.

What advice would you give to someone looking to get into a similar role? My biggest piece of advice would be, don’t be afraid to take that first step forward. Starting out can feel intimidating, especially when you see others already working in the same industry. But remember, everyone started somewhere. Every step you take, no matter how small, gets you closer to where you want to be.

Stay curious and keep learning. Whether it's through university, YouTube, TikTok, personal projects or just experimenting with new tools, the more you explore, the more you'll grow. Don’t limit yourself to one path or skill; some of the best opportunities come from trying something unexpected or outside of your comfort zone.