Nayab Ahmed

Central Saint Martins graduate Nayab Ahmed's South Asian and Islamic-influenced design language is rooted in Arabic calligraphy – the art of decorative lettering. From live calligraphy for luxury brands to community workshops on Islamic art and script, leaning into her interests and heritage has been her greatest strength. For Nayab, it’s all about refining your craft, putting your work out there and trusting where it will lead you.

What I do

My creative practice
I like to say I'm a designer by day and a calligrapher by night! By day, I’m a multidisciplinary Graphic Designer. Whether I’m building a brand identity, designing a pitch deck or creating a magazine, my goal is to bring concepts to life in the most impactful way possible.

Alongside this, I run my calligraphy business, 'Studio Nay.' I specialise in bespoke Arabic and Latin calligraphy, blending traditional craft with modern design sensibilities. I provide live calligraphy for luxury brands like Jo Malone and Azza Fahmy, take on commissions and lead community workshops for schools, museums and community spaces. It's important for me to make script and Islamic Art accessible to others.

One week I might be focusing on the playful energy of a brand identity for a restaurant and the next I’m deep in research and archival storytelling for a cultural project. My practice is really a bridge between craft, community and typographical perspective.

Influences and inspiration
I’m a total flâneur at heart. I find so much inspiration just from getting lost in London; it’s the way the city has changed through time, the layers of architecture and stumbling across ghost signs that really get my brain ticking. I love typography that has a bit of history to it; things that feel lived-in and urban.

Beyond the streets, my inspiration is really grounded in my roots. I’m constantly looking at cultural references, like the intricacies of South Asian history and Islamic art. I’m fascinated by how to take that heritage and translate it into a modern, tactile design language. And lastly, my dad has a massive influence on me - he’s the one who really cultivated and supported my creative eye from a young age. My work is a constant conversation between where I’ve come from and the city I’m living in now.

My training
I did my undergraduate in Graphic Communication Design at Central Saint Martins, where I now teach part-time! Going to CSM was a massive turning point for me; it's really where I found my feet. I was lucky enough to have some incredible role models, like my letterpress tutor, Helen Ingham, who encouraged and supported me to lean into my obsession with typography, analogue processes and calligraphy. That environment really gave me the space to figure out who I was as a designer.

But, honestly, that’s only half the story. Whether you’ve had formal training or not, success in this industry really comes down to your own drive. It’s all about having a relentless curiosity: you have to be the person who constantly challenges ideas and asks 'why?'.

Favourite recent project
Earlier this year, I collaborated on Zahra al-Najjar’s BA fashion collection, developing bespoke Arabic calligraphy for three key looks. The process was a deep dive into heritage; I pulled references from my own travels to Egypt to ensure the work felt both authentic and strikingly contemporary. It was a fun challenge to blend design and artworking skills with fashion and calligraphy. It was also a proud moment to see the collection featured in British Vogue; it reinforced my belief that traditional craft is not only relevant but essential in modern, high-fashion visual storytelling.

Minarets to Monuments was also a favourite – it was a docuseries for my degree project last year. It uses moving image, stop-motion and public-facing interviews to challenge dominant colonial narratives by uncovering the overlooked Islamic influences embedded within London’s most iconic landmarks, including Big Ben and St. Paul’s Cathedral. I also created a book inspired by Islamic bookbinding.

A day in the life
My days are a total mix, which is exactly how I like it! When I’m working from home, I usually start by clearing the deck – emails, admin and getting stuck into whatever design project is currently on my desk. I spend a lot of time in the weeds with InDesign and Photoshop, building out decks or refining brand identities.

My best work doesn't happen in a vacuum, but in those 'crazy' conversations where ideas get tossed around or a sketch or random walk where an idea just comes and everything starts to click. I’m constantly generating new ideas, whether it’s for a client project or just sketching out a new calligraphy concept.

Then there are the days where I’m out of the studio entirely. I might be heading out to lead an Arabic calligraphy workshop or setting up for a luxury brand event. That shift from screen-based design work to being in a room with people, sharing a craft, is what keeps me balanced.

A starter pack for my job:
Copious amounts of tea!

How I got here

Starting my creative journey
I’ve always been creative, and I knew from a young age that I wanted to pursue it professionally. My sister first told me about CSM and art school and I guess it went from a dream to a reality very quickly.

At the start, I definitely had doubts – I think every creative does. But for me, finding my feet wasn't about having a grand plan, it was about the process of growing my skills and my confidence. The more I leaned into my work, the more opportunities started to show up. It wasn't an overnight thing, but the more I trusted my voice, the clearer the path became.

Landing my first few jobs, clients and/or commissions
I’m a big believer in reaching out. You can’t wait for the work to find you; you have to create it. Networking can feel relentless, but if you love someone’s work, tell them! That’s how I’ve built my experience and freelance clients.

My biggest piece of advice is just to ask questions. Lots of them. And never, ever be afraid to knock on doors, whether you’re asking for help, mentorship or just a bit of experience. You’ll never know what’s on the other side if you don’t ask!

Biggest challenges along the way
Self-confidence and self-belief after graduating from university were definitely a challenge. I’ve had to build it up (and am still learning!). It’s really all about your mindset.

'Nos' were tough to navigate, but they were ultimately a masterclass in persistence. I’ve learned to be at peace with the journey: you don’t need every door to open, you just need that one 'yes' to break through. Stay open-minded while consistently putting the work in. If you keep showing up and refining your craft, the opportunities eventually come.

My social media and self-promotion vibe is…
Authentic and experimental. I’m not a fan of over-polishing. I treat my feed like a playground. I recently did a ‘42 days of Arabic type’ series - it was a massive learning experience because it brought so many friends and fellow creatives into the fold. My goal is to show the work I actually want to be commissioned for. If you’re not having fun with it, you’re missing the point!

My biggest tip: don't be too precious about it. There is no 'right' or 'wrong' way to show up. Treat your social media as a living portfolio; post the things that genuinely get you excited and the right people will notice. I carve out one 'content day' a week to batch-plan, which keeps me consistent without the daily stress.

Three things I've found useful in my career:

Courses, programmes, initiatives, access schemes or job boards I've found helpful
I love The Arena, a mentoring platform for entry-level creatives that also runs events, speed networking and socials. I’ve met lovely creatives and industry leaders at their events.

My advice

My most useful career tips
When I graduated, I thought there was ‘one conventional way’ to be successful in the creative industry. There is no ‘right way’ - stop trying to build a career that looks like someone else's. Instead, lean into the messy intersections of your interests – that’s where your unique creative voice and value lives. Your professional edge isn't just your technical skills, but the specific, weird combination of your cultural background, hobbies and curiosities.

View your career as a playground where you play and experiment with different roles and outlets rather than a rigid ladder to climb. By being radically transparent about your process and genuinely curious about the people around you, you will stop chasing work and start attracting the kind of projects/jobs that actually fit who you are. Ultimately, you are the curator of your own creative ecosystem, so build it in a way that feels sustainable and fun, not just impressive.

What I'd say to someone looking to get into a similar role
Freelancing and running a creative business is a balancing act with a learning curve. Take your time to find a system that works for you. It’s a quiet, daily grind, but once you find that rhythm, it allows you to sustain a practice that feels entirely your own.