Last month held a first for me. During Australia’s largest Design conference, I opened my heart and nervously recited verses from the Quran, Surah Rahman, live on stage.

My talk was about balance and living in alignment, and I wanted to share wisdom from this chapter that has steadied me and countless others for centuries.

I am not a trained reciter, and I had never done this before. I was mindful not to make it a performance, and tried instead to share from the heart, to the heart. In the moment held back tears, as something deep flowed. My friend Salwa Faour had hand-written the verses for me the night before, entirely her own idea, and her classic calligraphy was displayed behind me.

The room was generous, and the conversations afterwards stayed with me. The audience had not encountered or expected it, yet the responses were deeply welcoming and open-hearted in the hours and days that followed.

In a season so often defined by distraction and division, moments like this remind me how much is possible when people are given a safe space for honest dialogue.

As spiritually-grounded professionals, designers, founders & dreamers it is our calling to create the interfaces, products, and experiences to enable this human connection and invitation to timeless, calming wisdom.

Unity, not uniformity.

Like-Hearted Hope

When like-hearted companions gather and envision, in pockets around the world, the deep challenges of our time seem much more possible to overcome. I’m grateful to experience these moments.

June began at Muslim Tech Fest in London, where creatives, engineers and entrepreneurs filled the spaces and the conversations ran deep. Days later, students and creatives from across RCA, UCL, Imperial, Cambridge, Brunel and King’s College gathered at the Royal College of Art for an evening on Heart-Centered Design. What struck me most wasn’t the size of the room. It was the quality of the listening.

Then came our Tales of Khayaal showcase at the East London Mosque, one of the most meaningful moments of the month (first video game demo in a masjid perhaps?) followed by an appearance on Islam Channel to share more about the project and what it means to bring Islam-inspired sci-fi storytelling into the world.

From there, a Like-Hearted gathering at Hulm Club, and then Tea over Books at Cambridge Muslim College: a quieter, more intimate afternoon that felt like a different kind of permission to slow down.

Different rooms, different cities, different rhythms with the same thread running through all of it. These communities keep reminding me that the work is never just the work.

Embracing Human Imagination

My main creative focus this year is a project close to my heart, Tales of Khayaal. It’s set in a fictional universe where characters explore what it means to be human during a time of techno-scientific change. It feels especially relevant in the face of massive AI-led change.

Our first animation teaser went live, and the response has been the kind that stays with you: real comments and real conversation, not just numbers. Our Instagram community has grown quickly too, crossing 11,000 followers this month, alhamdulillah.

Istanbul, and What It Held

One afternoon in Istanbul recently, I found myself standing in a 500-year-old Ottoman courtyard, a sanctuary for the heart. I have been designing all my life, and my work will never come close to reaching that level of beauty and ihsaan. A flower greeted me through the ancient stones, and I thought of my dear friend Ali’s wisdom: every flower is a letter from God. Alhumdulillah for signs, for those who reflect.

I was there for the outstanding Global Muslim Content Summit on 11 July and The Prophetic Strategy Summit on 13 July, two days of exactly the kind of like-hearted conversation I hope this newsletter inspires.

The event was also where I watched my longtime friends and design collaborator Amin Dada launch Yourmove, a new sneaker lifestyle brand built around intentional purchase, with a share of profit going toward humanitarian causes. I’m proud to have helped this project get started and excited to see where it can go.

These are small, specific reminders that creativity is a form of amanah - our responsibility, not just expression.

Global Reading Community

The Heart of Design is now available across Saudi Arabia and the wider GCC through Jarir Bookstores, and through Kinokuniya in Malaysia. If the book has meant something to you, a review on Goodreads or Amazon goes further than you would think.

Next program: Starting October, join my 5-week journey, all welcome!

If you are reading The Heart of Design as part of a book club, please reach out and I can join you for a live author chat session. We’ll even send you a bunch of stickers & goodies for your readers!

In Conversation with Peter Sanders

My dear friend and teacher Peter Sanders joined our July monthly community meetup for a fascinating conversation about a lifetime spent behind the camera, and what it means to see with intention.

It is now up on You Tube, and it is one of the more grounding conversations I have had this year. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Our community is truly excited to join his upcoming online program in December.

From the Archive

I recently found an archive of my early artistic projects. After embracing Islam in 2002, I began a period of creative exploration. These photos are moments of discovery, wonder and a reflection of the beauty I found.

My art practices in the last decade or so have been mostly private. There came a point where I felt the art was too much in search of praise or too affected by opinion. The search continues inwardly and outwardly. It has been a wonderful journey, alhumdulillah. Thank you for being a part of it, especially long-term newsletter subscribers. If you are still reading, please reply and send me a note. I’d love to hear from you.

Gould Studio in Doha

Gould Studio is now licensed as a company in Qatar, alhumdulillah. Bismillah, next chapter begins! We hope our global heart-centered design mission will continue to flourish, now directly from the Gulf region.

Returning to Doha fills the heart with inspiration.. a vibrant city of architectural marvels and like-hearted creatives, dreamers & leaders.

I’m grateful for your patience, encouragement and presence in this community. I look forward to seeing where the road leads next.

With peace,
PG

ps. Join my Khayaal WhatsApp to support my latest project. Only admins post. Designed for remembrance, not distraction.

“You presume you are a small entity, but within you is enfolded the entire Universe.” — Attributed to Imam Ali

In my search to understand spiritually grounded creativity, I came across the words of scholar William Chittick.

“In putting complete faith in reason, the West forgot that imagination opens up the soul to certain possibilities of perceiving and understanding not available to the rational mind.”

His writing continued, introducing me to the phrase “imaginal world” as distinct from an “imaginary world.”

To help me navigate this new territory, I asked my teacher Dr Samir Mahmoud to explain. He soon related the transformative concept of khayaal, our faculty of “spiritual imagination.”

As a simplified starting point, he asked if I’d read the Lord of the Rings books before watching the movies (I had), and if after watching the movies they had changed the way I imagined the characters (yes, and irreversibly so... Gandalf was much cooler in my mind). This was an example of using visual imagination.

He then related a famous Hadith which contains the wisdom, “Worship God as if you see God, and know that if you don’t, God sees you.”

The words as if are key to understanding the concept of spiritual imagination, rather than purely visual imagination.

As Muslims, we are discouraged from imagining any literal form of God, yet this sound teaching advises us to worship as if we see God. How then, can we? Dr Samir explained to me that khayaal is “the capacity of the heart to give forms to spiritual realities that don’t have any form, and to spiritualise material realities that do have form.”

This is a very profound concept for those of us exploring creativity and the spiritual path. Dr Samir continued, explaining khayaal as a “traditional paradigm for imagination that we’ve somewhat lost today’.” He shared how there are essentially two types of khayaal: “one is descent into fantasy and wahm (illusion or deception), the other is elevation and inspiration.”

Even the word khayaal isn’t known so well today for its spiritual origins. In most contemporary Muslim cultures it’s understood to mean simply “imagination” (colloquial Arabic), or somebody who is a daydreamer (Bahasa), or even a type of imaginative poem (in some Urdu contexts).

The roots of khayaal as explored by scholars of the past are deep, including in Muhyiddin Ibn Arabi’s books that inspire hearts almost 1,000 years after they were written. The truth is that we should seek a qualified guide and teacher when we explore the world of metaphysics. I once asked another master of the creative path about his understanding of the word, and he simply said (translated from Turkish), “Some design is for God alone.”

What we can all experience is the practice of listening to our hearts and being conscious of our heart as a creative faculty. By deepening and expanding our understanding of imagination itself into a spiritual dimension, we unlock our creative potential.

At a practical level, we can nurture this new perspective of our creativity in many ways.

Several of them can be discovered in one of my favourite books, The Artist’s Way, by Julia Cameron, one of the most influential books about creativity ever published.

It’s been my close companion for many years, and I particularly love its subtitle: A Spiritual Path for Higher Creativity. One of my earliest conceptions for The Heart of Design program and book was ‘The Artist’s Way for Designers and Entrepreneurs’, with the possible subtitle, Design as a Spiritual Practice.

There are three key activities I recommend adopting from Cameron’s book, which I’ve embraced fully at various times through my seasons of life.

The first, is a form of journalling. Cameron explains, “Morning Pages are three pages of longhand, stream of consciousness writing, done first thing in the morning. There is no wrong way to do Morning Pages – they are not high art. They are not even ‘writing.’ They are about anything and everything that crosses your mind – and they are for your eyes only. Morning Pages provoke, clarify, comfort, cajole, prioritise and synchronise the day at hand. Do not overthink Morning Pages: just put three pages of anything on the page...and then do three more pages tomorrow.”

I joined one of Julia’s classes and asked her if there was anything about Morning Pages that surprised her after practicing and teaching it for over forty years. She acknowledged that while certain themes or ideas reemerge, she has new creative discoveries through this process all the time.

This mirrors my experience with journalling and explains why I have large stacks of paper journals and notebooks going back to my university days. These have been an invaluable way to freely and creatively sketch, write, scribble, vent, and visually dream my way through countless problems and design challenges.

The second activity is simple: a nature walk: a timeless human activity that keeps us grounded, inspired, and spiritually rejuvenated. In our hyper-digital, urban lives, we need to consciously bring ourselves into the natural world. I am grateful to God that my design studio in Sydney is a short walk to the beach (and helpfully, requires walking past two good coffee shops, alhumdulillah). I cannot express enough how the simple act of immersing myself into nature has helped me refresh, reset, and reconnect for inspiration and gratitude to overcome difficulties.

Cameron’s third activity is to have a weekly “artist’s date.” Cameron advises (well, urges) us to make a weekly date with ourselves to do something creatively new, artistically oriented, or inspirational, such as visit a museum, read a book in the park, or explore a new place. We’re encouraged to allow our artistic, creative selves to be inspired, reflecting on what God showed us or kindled within us.

Similarly, I encourage conscious travel, seeking beneficial knowledge to enrich our creativity and take inspiration from the majesty, beauty, and diversity in the perfect tapestry of creation. Our ability to work remotely and join the movement of global digital nomads is a blessing of the modern era.

Conscious travel opens us up to serendipitous encounters and pivotal opportunities to change our spiritual, creative, and professional trajectories. I allocate a portion of my annual budget to travel, and I credit the many openings in my life and work to these journeys, especially the people and teachers I befriended along the way, alhumdulillah.

Lastly, let us explore the concept of flow, and ilham (Divine inspiration) in relation to our creative potential.

The leading authority on flow is Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, who describes flow using the testimony of a musical composer: “You are in an ecstatic state to such a point that you feel as though you almost don’t exist. I have experienced this time and again. My hand seems devoid of myself, and I have nothing to do with what is happening. I just sit there watching it in a state of awe and wonder. And [the music] just flows out of itself.”

Perhaps many of us have experienced this flow state through our creative work. When all sense of time and space drifts away and we are immersed in work we love, inspiration and creativity can arrive in unexpected ways as sources of spiritual illumination.

Many popular books and podcasts are about flow, but where they might focus on seeking or “hacking” flow, the spiritual path suggests that entering a flow state is how we channel inspiration from a Divine place, as a form of ilham.

Creative strategist, writer, and community organizer Dustin Craun explains the concept as follows:

“We never know when ilham (Divine inspiration) will strike in our hearts. It is a Divine whisper through the unseen that speaks directly into our soul, and then it is for us to figure out how we capture this inspiration through our creative faculties. This is why living a life that sparks this inspiration is key to living a life filled with ilham. It can come through our children, a baby’s smile and laugh, a walk through the forest, and oftentimes in consuming beautiful art in all its forms whether it is film, music, paintings, calligraphy, and graphic design, anything.

For me this process has been through ideas, and it’s been through building startups, making films, and writing books. In learning from my teachers the spiritual focus and tawfiq (Divine enablement) that is necessary to build institutions we see how to move from ilham that can be fleeting to actually building a legacy of contributions in our short time on this earth.”

Someone who understands this concept well is Zain Bhikha. His creative nasheeds and beautiful songs have reached millions of young hearts across the globe, and it has been an honour to design for him across several projects. I recall our conversations when he was reflecting back on two decades since starting his work in South Africa.

He reminded me that, “True creative expression is not only necessary and important, but for true creatives, impossible to suppress or ignore. It’s like breathing, taking from the deepest depths of our human emotion on any canvas or medium, and saying to the world, ‘This is who we are, where we’ve come from and where we’d like to go… so join us…’”

By activating our spiritual imagination, fostering creative habits, experiencing flow, and recognising the source of Divine inspiration, we discover our creative potential and embrace another fundamental aspect of our heart-centered designer mindset.

As you explore spiritual imagination, think about a project, product, or design journey you are undertaking and how this understanding can guide your approach.

Build creative confidence and overcome self-limitation.

• How do you perceive your level of creativity, and how can you elevate it?

• What creative practices did you enjoy as a child?

Activate spiritual imagination and all faculties of creativity.

• How might you deepen your understanding of khayaal?

• Which faculties of creativity and imagination can you develop?

Tell stories to unite hearts around a shared vision.

• What is the origin story of your idea, and how might that inspire others?

• How might you share your story more clearly and to wider audiences?

Excerpt from The Heart of Design - Chapter 29

“What comes from the heart is received by the heart.” - Rumi

It’s been around 25 years since I started my design firm, alhumdulilah.

Gould Studio has had various names and iterations through the seasons of life, but always with the same intention. Design with heart.

Here are some memorable projects and lessons from the journey.

1. Salam Sisters

Design Challenge — How might we:

• Inspire & empower the next generation of Muslim girls?

• Promote positive values and culturally-diverse identity through play?

Design the change. When my two daughters were younger, I paid close attention to the brands and content they consumed. Many parents I spoke to felt the same — there was a distinct underrepresentation of diverse Muslim characters & values in quality play experiences.

Over the years I’ve experimented with creating games, books, toys and stories with my own kids in mind. It meant that I was immersed in the concept development, realtime testing and iteration and fulfilling moments watching them unbox the final result.. “she looks like me!”

Encouraging feedback and stories arrived from diverse voices around the globe, including a Christian pastor who wrote “The Salam Sisters dolls are the single most creative and innovative idea I’ve seen to change girls (of every faith and no faith) and their families understanding of Islam throughout the world.”

The best ROI you’ll ever experience is Return on Intention.

2. Greenpeace

Design Challenge — How might we:

• Encourage diverse Muslim communities to take climate action during Ramadan?

• Uniquely engage the digital-native generation of young Muslims?

Design with responsibility. Greenpeace approached us to develop concepts that would encourage faith-inspired climate action, via it’s beautiful Ummah for Earth initiative.

We are encouraged to be mindful stewards of the earth as our amanah (responsibility). In a similar way, we should embrace technology, design and entrepreneurial opportunities as gifts entrusted to us.

Many thousands of people played our ‘Climate Truth or Dare’, showcasing how fun, global gamified challenges can encourage awareness and personal commitment to change habits for our environment.

3. Ramadan @ Google

Design Challenges —How might we:

• Share the deeper meanings of Ramadan with Google staff?

• Foster a community of allies to support Muslims at Google?

Design with, not design for. We worked closely with a diverse range of Google staff by facilitating a series of co-design workshops. This unlocked many of the best ideas and made sure everyone were invested in activating the concept at launch.

When Ramadan came, fun digital stickers and unique content was added into internal presentations, acting as conversation starters for Muslims and their colleagues. Those moments invited deeper conversations and connection.

Embedding ourselves within the design process as facilitators, not simply asset creators with a list of deliverables, was at the heart of its success.

4. LaunchGood

Design Challenge — How might we:

• Redefine crowdfunding as ‘building an inspired future’ ?

• Showcase & connect the global community heartbeat?

Design for remembrance, not distraction. I befriended the LaunchGood founders early in their journey. I immediately resonated with their beautiful vision and deep intention for the platform.

Firstly as a user, then design partner for five years, it was a blessing to support it’s growth from humble origins to around a billion dollars raised for good causes. LaunchGood pioneered many design-led, heart-centered concepts.

In a world of digital distraction and age of crises, this inspiring brand consistently reminds us of our blessings, and creates opportunities for doing good. I love receiving my ‘Friday Givers’ email weekly. Tens of thousands of us collectively support a meaningful project, curated by LaunchGood. It’s a reminder, not a distraction.

5. Islam Imagined

Design Challenge — How might we:

• Encourage exploration of Islamic futures and emerging tech possibilities?

• Foster a generation of Muslim innovators, confident in their faith?

Design the future. We are all gifted with incredible faculties of imagination and creativity. A brief tour into the past reveals gems of Islamic art, architecture and design through the centuries. All of these started with a dream, an intention and the ability to envision a brighter future.

Islam Imagined grew from a simple question: where are the Muslim kids imagining solutions to tomorrow’s challenges? How are we engaging with emerging technologies? We built a free platform of 30+ STEAM activities for classrooms and homes.

My personal favourite is the space mosque drawing challenge. One young girl drew her colourful design including entrances for Men, Women, and Aliens with the sign, “ALL WELCOME”.

6. 5Pillars

Design Challenge — How might we:

• Gamify learning of traditional Islamic knowledge?

• Bring families and communities together through play?

Design for beneficial knowledge. Our client Ridwan had been running grassroots student trivia nights and wanted to level up the experience. The 5Pillars board game was born.

What started as a fun project grew into a deep partnership over years, resulting in over 100,000 copies sold in 30 countries and 7 languages. Many people have shared how their families bonded over learning and levelling up Islamic knowledge together.

In times where attention is at a premium, and lectures are ‘boring’, we should develop creative interfaces for learning beneficial knowledge (even better if they don’t require screens).

7. Tales of Khayaal

Design Challenge — How might we:

• Embrace gaming culture, comics & animation to explore Islamic spirituality?

• Inspire mainstream audiences with heart-centered fantasy-fiction books?

Design worlds, not just products. Tales of Khayaal is a journey into the realm of spiritual imagination, coming to life through books, animation and gaming.

When one of my teachers explained the word khayaal, it unlocked my curiosity for this deep Islamic concept that embraces the faculty of the heart for imagination (beyond visual imagination).

When you build a world rich enough to live in, every product becomes a doorway, and an invitation. With Tales of Khayaal, author Rehan Khan and I explore what it means to be human in a time of tremendous techno-scientific change. We set our intention, spent years designing the world, built a wonderful team, and are now creating a series of trans-media experiences. Most importantly, is the beautiful community we serve, who are growing with us every month. (Join us!)

8. Mizaan

Design Challenge —How might we:

• Foster a mindset that strives for balanced approach to life?

• Gamify and reward wise life decisions among high school aged students?

Design for balance. The heart-centered approach strives for balance. The Quran tells us, “And the heaven He raised and imposed the balance” (55:7). This is a lifelong endeavour for every individual, family and community.

In this specific project, we had an opportunity to disguise timeless wisdom within a fun game project. Instead of Monopoly that crushes your friends and loved ones in pursuit of money alone, players have to navigate risks and decisions leading to a positive life legacy, seeking knowledge, personal wellness and financial sustainability.

The best educational design doesn’t feel like education. Designing for balance in a world of extreme imbalance can take many creative forms.

9. Ummah.com

Design Challenge — How might we:

• Restore justice and equality in the global financial system?

• Build ethical financial infrastructure for the next generation of global businesses?

Design the system. The most impactful design work is often invisible. It’s the architecture underneath that enables (or reduces) community trust, movement and connection at scale. It’s the rails behind the scenes.

The vision for Ummah.com is profound, and timely. Fair financial infrastructure for payments, banking and investment that doesn’t discriminate.

While still early in the journey, the technology is proven, and I’m thrilled to be a part of the team. Insha’Allah, many hearts will benefit with a redesign of the system that has experienced years of unjust gatekeeping.

10. The Heart of Design

Design Challenge —How might we:

• Empower a global movement of heart-centered professionals & creative leaders?

• Help individuals and teams align spirituality, creativity & entrepreneurship?

Design yourself first. I was struggling with a project and came to one of my teachers. He reminded me, “Peter, you think you’re designing all of these products, but in reality, they are designing you.”

The alignment of our spiritual aspirations and professional journey is a lifelong pursuit. Through the seasons of life, through many ups & down, I’ve had the great blessing to ask creative leaders, founders & dreamers how they’ve found their ridaa (contentment) and sakinah (inner tranquility) by trusting in God.

The Heart of Design is my attempt to share these lessons and learnings on the path. It has been wonderful to welcome over 1000 inspiring guests into my 5-week program, and publish a book which has resonated with many hearts, alhumdulillah.

The journey continues, inwardly and outwardly. We are always in a state of prototyping ourselves, our lives and our work. I sometimes think of my life as series of strategic design experiments. I ask God to accept my efforts and allow me to design and redesign the best version of myself, inshaAllah.

Bonus Project: Istanbul Airport

This was a fun project to create animated digital wall signage and illustrations for Istanbul Airport during Ramadan. The lesson? The simple joy of delighting many passengers in transit. Bringing smiles to tired faces. Still one of my favourites.

A note of thanks: Every one of these projects has involved the hard work and heartfelt dedication of my wonderful Gould Studio team. Over the years, I’ve been blessed by being surrounded with incredible creative leaders, designers and thinkers. I’m so grateful for their efforts, patience and commitment to bring light into this world.

Inspired by stories in The Heart of Design

“Design is how we give form to our intentions.” - Neil Goldberg

When we accelerate a passing thought into an idea and then make a sketch or start a document, we are engaging our intention at every stage. My friend and teacher Dr Samir Mahmoud explained how our niyyah is the foundation for every human action and represents the transformation from an imagined potential into the physical realm.

Our intentions should be in alignment with our spiritual aspirations, which direct us to seek God’s blessings in all that we do.

Engaging our niyyah helps us define our purpose, vision for success, focus, and the level of presence we are prepared to commit to achieve it.

When starting a new project, creative activity, or entrepreneurial path, our niyyah helps us elevate our design journey into a spiritual practice (and God knows best).

With a strong intention, we set solid foundations for the positive change we seek to make in an uncertain world. We design for remembrance in an era of distraction. We can aspire to bring hope to the people and communities we wish to serve, reframing project outcomes to include their spiritual well-being.

Refreshing our niyyah brings awareness and God-consciousness into our professional and personal lives, in daily moments and through the seasons of life.

My most successful ROI was the Return on Intention of exploring Islam in my late teens. My good friend Mohammed Faris, known for his pioneering Productive Muslim platform, once used the reimagined ROI phrase with me, and I’ve loved it ever since.

Reframing our work from Return on Investment into Return on Intention means designing for spiritually aligned outcomes. This expands our understanding of success in a holistic way. Beyond financial performance and commercial metrics, the heart-centered approach includes the personal well-being and spiritual health of those we serve.

In this way, we shouldn’t discount the power and potential of our niyyah.

Dr Samir Mahmoud explained, “With conscious intention, God opens parallel opportunities in the unseen realm, with many trajectories in the multidimensional reality.”

Let’s explore the role of intention in my friend Dima Djani’s story. In cofounding Hijra Bank, he has helped hundreds of thousands of Indonesians with ethical finance options and digital banking products.

Dima’s journey illustrates how he reframed project outcomes beyond those normally associated with banks and financial institutions.

“I was not a proud Muslim. I was brought up in a household that was both culturally Muslim and liberal. It was this environment that meant I was being educated in an Islamic elementary school, while seeing vodka bottles in my liberal grandfather’s fridge – a fascinating dichotomy to my younger self.

“This duality translated into the business world. Growing up in Jakarta, there was a general perception among the more educated circles that professionalism and Islam rarely go hand-in-hand.

“During high school, I was beginning to soul-search, looking into different religions, but it played second fiddle to my main preoccupation at the time: getting into the best school in order to get the highest salary. Taking financial subjects seemed to be the magical staircase to get there.

“A turning point happened at a seminar that I took during college break. For some reason it got me thinking about my purpose in life and broader concepts around existence. I pronounced the shahadah (declaration of faith) wholeheartedly at that time and decided to repurpose my life to have meaning.

“This was my Ikigai moment, as I tried to combine doing what I enjoy, what I am good at, what I can be paid for, and what the Ummah needs. I felt clarity for my next chapter in life, and set my niyyah to develop Hijra, a digital banking brand that would be unapologetically Muslim and disrupt the Islamic finance industry.

“God is the best of planners, and I’m grateful that we have been able to help so many people on their journey of financial empowerment without compromising on their values.”

Dima’s story demonstrates the importance of placing spiritual alignment at the center of his strategy as a startup leader, for himself and his customers. I’ve observed the incredible growth of the brand, and how his community resonates spiritually with Hijra Bank’s purpose and values.

Simon Sinek captures this effect in his book Start with Why. “People don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it. And what you do simply proves what you believe.”

On the path of heart-centered design, we strive to be conscious of the spiritual well-being of our audiences and communities. We must be conscious to not sell and rush, pressure, or addict people to a product or service. Each customer is not simply a user or consumer but is a person, and within each person is a heart, living in a spiritual state.

Your Journey

As you reflect on niyyah, think about a project, product, or design journey you are undertaking and how this spiritual aspiration can guide your approach.

Design for remembrance, not for distraction.

• How might you encourage God-consciousness in your design journey?

• What are three organisations or products designed for remembrance?

Envision holistic success with clarity of purpose.

• Which envisioning activities will you use to orient your design journey?

• Which three individuals embody holistic success?

Reframe outcomes to include spiritual well-being.

• How might your design activity influence someone’s spiritual journey?

• Which products have considered the user’s spiritual well-being?

Excerpt from The Heart of Design - Chapter 2

Bismillahirahmaniraheem. Asalamualaikum wa rahmatulahi wara barakatu.

May peace and blessings be upon all of you.

To the outstanding VCUarts Qatar faculty and team, and the visionary leadership who established the world-class learning environment where we gather today… Education City, including this campus, I find to be among the most inspiring places in the world.

The architecture is outstanding, as are the people, the ideas shared, and the conversations. Here we experience the diversity and energy of emerging creative leaders who are boldly imagining the future, including those we acknowledge and celebrate today - the 2025 graduating class of VCUarts.

I share my sincere congratulations. Alf Mabruk. After striving through countless assignments and late nights, spending too much time at flatwhite, and surviving car-free Thursdays, you enter a new and exciting season of life, full of possibility, hope, and creative potential.

So ask yourself, what do you envision for your next season of life? What comes next?

The truth is, I can’t tell you. No one can.

The world we find ourselves in is full of uncertainty. I don’t need to remind you of the difficult headlines and heartbreaking news we see almost daily from around the planet.

The rate of change across all industries, and especially in the creative disciplines, is unparalleled.

Things that took me months to learn and days to make when I was at design school, now take my kids about two minutes using Chat or Canva.

The age of AI is upon us, and none of us knows what that means or what lies ahead.

Let me reassure you: that’s exactly the best part.

The world needs creative pioneers – those who can solve problems and design a better future.

Each of you graduating today can uniquely navigate the coming challenges and shape the future in ways that previous generations could hardly imagine.

To do so, you must believe and be bold.

I share this message as a reflection of my own experiences.

Since graduating from design school over twenty years ago, I’ve navigated uncertainty and challenges in my journey through a creative, experimental approach.

Some experiments failed, and some worked out, but they all led to valuable learning and the next chapter. Reframing our career and professional journey as a series of strategic experiments means following curiosity, embracing change, and being proactive to create opportunities.

We must believe and be bold. Let me explain.

In 11th grade, a friend in my art class noticed me messing around in this program called Photoshop and asked if I could make a poster for his collectable card game tournament.

He asked how much it would cost, and I wasn’t sure, so I said $25 and he agreed. Since I was making less than $5 an hour working at my local fast food outlet, this seemed like a dream opportunity.

My experiment in this first paid design project went well, and I knew this is what I wanted to do with my life. I boldly quit flipping burgers and started pushing pixels.

After studying design at the University of Technology, Sydney, I grew from a graphic design freelancer into leading a small design firm.

Of course, I didn’t know how to run a design firm, so I learned, project by project, client by client, experiment by experiment. If a client asked if I could do something, I usually said yes, then tried my best to figure out how. When I became overwhelmed with design projects, I convinced my university classmates to work with me and tried to learn how to be a manager and a leader (with mixed results, I freely admit).

Although I was excited about the digital and virtual worlds of design, an entirely new world was about to open up for me. After a series of unexpected encounters, I became curious about Islam, and decided to become Muslim at the age of 20.

A great scholar likened the experience of faith to honey. I could read about it and talk about it, but only by tasting honey did I understand its sweetness. This experiment was successful: it opened my heart and led to lasting change.

With this new spiritual path came a new perspective on everything in my life, which included my creative practice and design firm. I soon discovered the deep beauty and richness of Islamic art and design.

I longed to understand traditional Islamic heritage and culture, and what that meant for running a contemporary design studio with deadlines, budgets and demanding clients in the digital era.

One of the first words I encountered was niyya - the concept of intentionality. Visiting stunning mosques and encountering majestic Arabic calligraphy for the first time, I experienced what we might call “design for remembrance.”

The art and design in these spaces invited consciousness of the divine - taking us to a place of contemplation and inner reflection, and fostering an awakening, gratitude and connection in our hearts.

In an age of design for distraction, where every device and app competes for our attention, I wondered how we might design for remembrance in the modern era. This became my mission: to explore the alignment of timeless spiritual aspirations with contemporary design practice.

Establishing our niyya, our intentionality to each and every project and design experiment is the foundation for a fulfilling and rewarding creative journey. Boldly seek out opportunities that align with your values and fill your heart with purpose.

Our intentions and values will of course be tested. In the early years of my design agency, some of my biggest clients were huge advertising agencies, including the famous Ogilvy company. I worked with them on several successful big-brand projects.

When they invited me in for the next big client project - an alcohol brand – I felt stuck, and froze. I awkwardly declined, but since I was still shy in my new found faith, I struggled to explain why.

After declining another project with a gambling brand, I was no longer invited in, and worried I’d derailed my whole creative career.

However I learned about the concept of ikhlaas, of sincerity and integrity. Inwardly, I found peace with these decisions. As it turned out, embracing these values defined our studio and enabled it to grow. We became heart-centered in our strategy.

In the coming year, alhumdulilah, with all thanks to God, meaningful projects came to us, with wonderful clients from around the globe.

I also encountered the concept of amanah, responsibility. We are all entrusted with creative gifts, inspiration, talent, dreams and opportunity. And, we have an amanah to serve humanity with the unique combination of blessings gifted to us.

The athlete and humanitarian Muhammed Ali, who incidentally I learned visited Qatar in 1971 and again in 1991, reminded us that “the service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth.”

This is the case for creative professionals. We can’t rely on the tech giants, retail empires, or global media to lead the change we hope for. Let us embrace our amanah to help humanity by design.

Sometimes this means believing in what’s possible and boldly taking initiative, even when the odds of success seem unlikely. It also means leaning into a designer mindset, seeking inspiration all around us.

When my three children were young, I noticed the toys and games they loved to play with. I observed the media they watched, the stories and characters that attracted them, and the almost overwhelming lure of dopamine-fuelled digital content.

With my design studio somewhat stable, I felt it was an amanah to design products that could improve representation and diverse play experiences that reflect the values often lacking in mainstream offerings.

This led to a series of design experiments and product concepts that resonated with many parents. The first versions we launched were fun, but the commercial traction was underwhelming. It might have been wiser to pause, but I truly cared about the vision and it felt too important to give up.

So instead, we kept iterating, and soon found great partners to help. With the same mission and new learning, we adapted the product concepts. This time it worked. One of our board games sold over 100,000 copies into 30 countries and was translated into 5 languages.

We created beautiful characters with our Salam Sisters brand, which received press, traction and inspiring feedback from parents around the world, and sold out quickly. As a designer and a dad it was wonderful to see my daughters playing with the toys we’d made. Our experiment had worked.

Then we faced unexpected change. A global pandemic engulfed the world just as we were preparing for the second wave of the product. Globally production and shipping halted. One of our key investors passed away unexpectedly, Allayahummu. The world stopped, and many of our plans melted away.

Sharing my frustrations with a spiritual teacher, he said, “Peter - you think you’re working on these creative products and designs. But in reality, they are working on you.”

I learned first hand the importance of ridaa - inner contentment, surrender and acceptance. On the entrepreneurial and creative path, this is foundational and timeless.

To foster this mindset, choose your companions well. Stay connected with your fellow graduates, teachers and alumni - you need good people by your side for support, encouragement and accountability.

These creative companions don’t have to be like-minded, since all have different perspectives and opinions. But they should be like-hearted, sharing the same hopes for a brighter future for ourselves and the next generation. This will take time, and that’s okay.

Another of my teachers offered, “Peter - you can have anything you want in life, just not at the same time”. You have to find what is appropriate for your season of life.

Right now, you are entering a season of possibilities and choices, while weathering the winds of change and uncertainty.

Let me remind you: the world needs creative pioneers – those who can solve problems and design a better future. To do so, you must believe and be bold.

The creative foundation and bold outlook you have developed here at VCU is absolutely what the world needs right now. Your curiosity and questions, your ability to adapt and solve problems, your communication and collaboration skills, your experience with interdisciplinary thinking will help you forge ahead, whatever may come.

It is encouraging to see VCU leading the way with its interdisciplinary approach, for example with its cross-registration to Cornell Medicine-Qatar and Kinetic Imaging programs. Design-led decisions and strategic creative thinking are increasingly embraced by leading companies and organisations around the planet. The most successful tech companies and startups I know all have Chief Design Officers.

The impressive partnerships and collaborations you have access to, and global representation at the London Design Biennale, Venice Biennale, and Ars Electronica for example, help bring your work to the global stage. The international creative communities need authentic cross-cultural exchange more than ever before, and will benefit significantly from Qatari creative presence.

The world has already been amazed by design excellence demonstrated in the 22 World Cup, F1 Racing, Qatar Museums, M7, Doha Design District - all of which have involved graduates from VCUarts.

The world looks to you, dear graduates, as you commence your journey as creative pioneers, design professionals, changemakers and innovators in a world that badly needs your help.

inshaAllah, God willing, you will reframe and reimagine this time of uncertainty into an era of possibility and potential. You will believe in the talents you have been gifted. And, you will boldly write a new creative chapter of hope and light and meaningful change by design.

Your values, intentionality, culture and beautiful heritage will guide the path forward. Lean into them.

It’s your turn now to foster and lead a heart-centered, design-led creative future. Looking at this talented graduating class, the future feels bright.

As you transform the world around you, may you also be transformed, living in alignment and a deep sense of inner calm. I ask God to bless your journey with immense success, barakah, light and hope.

Let’s also acknowledge the families, parents, and grandparents who are present with us. This moment represents a very special day for you too - after many years, an important life chapter is complete, and another begins. MashaAllah.

I am honoured to be here with you, and offer sincere gratitude to everyone who made today possible.

Allahumma Sali ala saydna Muhammad wa Ahli wa Suhbi wa Sallam.

Asalamualaikum wa rahmatulahi wara barakatu

Full Video: Commencement Speech

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“And the heaven He raised and imposed The Balance.” - Quran (55:7)

Anyone blessed with the opportunity to stroll the halls of the Alhambra or along the mesmerising zileej tiled walls of madrassahs in Fes will never forget the experience.

The vibrant compositions and spatial design of the tessellated surfaces are not simply decorative, they are an invitation to contemplate a deeper beauty. The Islamic design tradition is well known for its profound sacred geometry, which features lines, shapes, and patterns that work in unison to dazzling effect.

While individual tiles and forms may be beautiful, it is the unified whole composed as a harmonious mosaic that transports our hearts.

Perhaps we creatives, founders and makers, can find wisdom in this lesson. Perhaps we should seek to witness and engage fully with the unity, oneness, and wahda in creation and to position ourselves as a tiny, non-dimensional tile seeking harmony with the wider human story.

Instead of focussing on a specific reference point in the patterns, the infinite tiling encourages us to reflect within and unveil truths using our faculties of khayaal, our spiritual imagination.

My teacher Dr Samir Mahmoud, who spent years studying this knowledge, shared profound insights that opened for me a window into metaphysical aspects of design.

He explained the concept of mawazeen, the plural of “balance” in Arabic and how traditionally Islamic design practice aspired to create in harmony with the Divine order of the universe. This is not exclusive to Islamic art and design, and he cited examples of European churches or Japanese gardens that invoke the same inner feeling of natural order that we are unlikely to feel in a concrete high-rise.

Further, he explained the wazn, the cohesion that exists at the microscopic level within us and extends to the entire cosmos. We find signs in the Golden Ratio, as Divine language with a proportion between two numbers equalling approximately 1.618, famously in nautilus shells, pine cones, sunflower seeds, and countless others. It reminds us that there is a clear design in this world and a Designer.

With this understanding, we might aspire to mizan hisse, a classical approach to cultivating alignment of outward senses and inner reality. Today we can experience aspects of this by visiting traditional Ottoman courtyards or listening to Andalusian maqams, used in centres for treating mental health with healing music centuries ago.

While these concepts may sound too abstract to apply to modern commercial creative practice, we can embrace their underlying principles.

Even if we’re designing digital products (and perhaps especially if so) we can immerse ourselves in the natural world, reconnect with tangible materials to experience their barakah, and witness the extraordinary Divine artistry around us.

As believers, we are encouraged to live with balance and moderation in our daily choices and long-term goals. As creatives and designers in the digital age, it’s our role to practice and share timeless spiritual wisdoms. Our design activities should promote this balance and invite our users and communities to live in the middle path.

A designer friend once posed the question, “What would the digital Alhambra be like?” By starting with powerful questions and spiritually aligned intentions, we can help create reminders for ourselves and others of the unity, oneness, and wahda in creation. We are unlikely to achieve the Alhambra, but we can elevate our design practice with noble pursuits inspired by our creative heritage.

Often in my travels, I’ve felt like a nomadic apprentice seeking teachers and occasionally have been blessed to spend time with great masters. This was true when visiting visionary architect Dr Sami Angawi at his masterpiece home in Jeddah, Dar Al-Makkiyah.

We spent a wonderful evening discussing his projects and design philosophy, Al-Mizaan, the “tool of balance.” He described the importance of reaching equilibrium between all of the influencing factors of design: environmental, functional, economical, social, cultural, and technical.

“The Islamic civilisation is the civilisation of balance,” he shared. “Architecture is static. Nature is dynamic. When you combine the two, you create living architecture.” The spaces he’s designed have a sense of being at ease, an interplay of natural materials, greenery, and water that brings sakinah (tranquility) to the heart.

This is a beautiful aspiration for heart-centered designers – to create products and experiences that help foster sakinah and inner calm, in balance with the harmonious wahda of the Divine order.

Your Journey

As you reflect on wahda, think about a project, product, or design journey you are undertaking and how this spiritual aspiration can guide your approach.

Cultivate awe at the creative majesty in our universe.

• What practices will help you maintain a state of awe at Divine creation?

• How might you create a working space that invites moments of wonder?

Guide our design practice in alignment with The Designer.

• In what ways are you currently experiencing the perfect design of The Designer?

• How will you iterate your design process to be more spiritually grounded?

Create work in harmony with the Divine balance.

• How might your work seek balance in the natural and digital worlds?

• Which product feels in harmony with the concept of wahda?

Excerpt from The Heart of Design - Chapter 21

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“We are not human beings having a spiritual experience; we are spiritual beings having a human experience.” - Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

As professionals, entrepreneurs, and creatives, we may believe that success comes from our hard work, late nights, and personal ability. While essential to progress, these alone do not guarantee us results.

In interviews well-known business leaders often cite luck as a factor in their success. They might describe a serendipitous encounter, fortunate timing, or an unexpected big break – factors out of their control. Some occasionally use the word blessings.

In the spiritual path, we may reframe this perspective through the lens of barakah. The translation of the word blessings into barakah in the English language does not capture its depth and quality.

Like an invisible hand, doing unseen good work, barakah is what we hope to experience from God’s limitless bounty.

I turned to my dear friend Mohammed Faris, who wrote a book called The Barakah Effect. Distilling the concept after many years of research and practice he shares,

“Most definitions come down to a spiritual multiplier effect that brings superabundance, prosperity, positivity, happiness, permanence, and continuity that touches all who encounter it — a tangible intangible that works in mysterious ways beyond logic to create an effect. It’s a gift from God that reminds you of Him, and invites you back to Him. It could be felt in everything from a friendship to the peace you feel in your heart during tough times.”

When asking one of his teachers how we can seek barakah in our life and work, and the reply was simple: “Have sincere intentions and work hard.”

Let me share some brief barakah stories. My good friend Ashik told me what inspired his company journey, which ultimately led to a billion dollar business called Deputy. When he migrated as a teenager from Bangladesh to Australia, his parents were unable to find work, so he worked at the local fast-food outlet to help his family. Despite being busy with school, he put his parents’ needs first.

During the training, he was handed a binder with long boring pages of written company policies. The section about request shift changes had this boldfaced sentence: “Do not call during busy hours to discuss shifts.” Swapping and changing shifts was very manual and time-consuming.

Years later as a promising software developer, he recalled this problem hadn’t been solved well. He launched Deputy, now used by millions of shift workers in over 100 countries . He raised one of the country’s largest-ever investment rounds and became a valued mentor to other founders. Not bad for the kid who started as a burger flipper.

To Ashik’s credit, no one in our local masjid knows about his success as a unicorn founder. Masha’Allah. He’s a regular attendee who humbly goes about his business without entitlement or ego. Few people know that he was by his wife’s side as she overcame cancer. His children are exemplary. Ashik has navigated the seasons of life with gratitude and ihsaan, resulting in immense barakah.

Our next story is Iman, co-founder of the much loved Co Chocolat company.

“In 2004, I embraced Islam in Dubai and became more conscious of this Divine agency in my daily life. It was tough being a practicing Muslim in the beginning, but it eventually sat well with my persona because I loved the idea that we, Muslims, should aspire to exemplify the best of humanity.

“So when I set up my first business in 2009, I took pains to ensure my enterprise will be riba-free (interest-free). Four years after I set up my company, I was still barely making ends meet. An experienced mentor told me that my strategy and pace of growth were right, but I needed to manage my cashflow – even if that meant I had to beg and borrow (but not steal!)

“Then one day in the same year, we received a purchase order from a soon-to-open hotel in Abu Dhabi. We received an advance payment of 214,000 dirhams while the project was announced as on-hold. They let the amount they paid sit idly in our account while the hotel sorted their own internal issues for two whole years. In that period, I used that riba-free 214,000 dirhams to move various projects until the hotel declared they were ready to order in 2016. The loan I applied originally for, rejected by humans, was approved by Allah without interest, and it allowed me to hire more staff, win awards and consequently start other businesses.

“And although we plan – thinking that our degrees, our strategies, our connections will give us success in dunya (worldly life) – in truth success comes only from Him for He is the Best of Planners and He is Al-Majeed, the One Who makes all miracles and the impossible happen.”

Our third story is from my designer friend Kais. “In 2018, I was expecting the birth of my first and only son, my father’s namesake - the person I most looked up to in life, a principled, honest and generally good man. A few days before the due date, I received a message from a friend back home, saying he saw my father who was glowing with the news.

“The next day, I received another message from back home in Lebanon, letting me know that my dad had a surprise stroke that has left him unconscious with little hope of recovery. That night, my wife and I both packed our bags but headed in different directions. While I headed to the airport, she made her way to the maternity ward.”

Kais shared the many challenges that he faced in the coming season of life. With the loss of his father abroad, things were hard enough, but his newborn son had serious health complications that led to months of trial and tribulation. As he had always done, including through the wars and conflict of his childhood in Beirut, Kais turned to God. He prayed daily, sincerely seeking relief while donating his design services to charitable causes and selflessly supporting community projects. He remained spiritually grounded, never complaining about his situation.

A few years later, he cofounded an innovative brand that was a surprise global hit. The project earned millions of dollars at launch and opened a new path for his life. He remained an exemplary Muslim, father, husband, and friend, maintaining his connection and gratitude to God.

The final short story is from my journey.

Since the earliest times as a freelancer, I donated a portion of my work to worthwhile causes with small budgets. Naturally, word got around and there were often requests for help.

At one point I’d over-indexed the studio on pro bono time and low-margin community projects, and I realised we were running toward a loss. At the same time, several long-term clients were in transition, and we struggled to secure the larger projects we needed. New business was slow for several months. Retaining a highly-skilled full-time design team was a considerable monthly commitment, but I did not want to let them down by cutting the team.

I asked God sincerely to help our situation, every day. With cashflow running low and a growing family to support, I mapped out difficult scenarios. I decided that we should maintain our help for the community projects, since I could see the value and impact it made for them. They didn’t have the budgets to support us, but they were doing essential work for the Ummah.

Suddenly, one of our experimental side projects had a huge financial breakthrough. In a single week, our expected annual profits were restored and multiplied many, many times over. I couldn’t believe the timing. It was the 27th of Ramadan, the same date on which I had said my shahada many Ramadans earlier. SubhanAllah wal Alhumdulilah. As my head hit the prayer mat, the tears flowed. It was an unforgettable barakah moment.

In all of the examples shared in this chapter, we should recognise that any success is a gift from God, not an entitlement that we’ve earned.

We must have sincere intentions and work hard and leave the rest to God, Most High. With this approach, we will find inner success, inshaAllah, and that is the sweetest.

Your Journey

As you reflect on barakah, think about a project, product, or design journey you are undertaking and how this spiritual aspiration can guide your approach.

Appreciate that success is a gift, not an entitlement.

• How might you foster gratitude for your blessings on a daily basis?

• In what ways have you been gifted success in your journey?

Believe in the abundance of opportunities to succeed.

• How have you overcome a difficult phase?

• Which individuals and organisations will you embrace as co-opetiton?

Consider the long-term, unseen impact.

• How do you benefit today from someone’s actions in the past?

• How might your design journey benefit someone ten years from now?

Excerpt from The Heart of Design - Chapter 13

“The creative process is a process of surrender, not control.” - Julia Cameron

Have you ever come across one of those Turkish ice cream vendors who plays tricks with his unsuspecting customers? It goes like this. You’re walking down a street or in a busy souk area, and you hear the sound of loud bells being struck and something shouted in Turkish.

“Dondurma! Dondurma! Lezzetli Türk dondurması!”

You look over and see a small store or cart, usually red in colour, and a charming man in a fez hat calling you over. He pushes a large stick or long spoon into different coloured buckets of ice cream. You (or, preferably your kid) go over and pick one.

The man smiles, prepares your cone, and hands it over. As soon as you go to take it, the ice cream vanishes, and you’re left holding just a cone. You react with a mix of shock and glee as you recognise he’s tricked you. But that’s okay, here comes the real cone.

Oh, wait, no – he’s done it again! That’s not the cone, it’s a napkin… The cone comes again, but now it’s upside down and… hang on… wow, here’s the entire tub about to go into my cone! Now you’re laughing (or possibly frustrated, or both) as you’re left completely empty handed. Eventually, of course, before the performance pushes you to the edge, you get the cone, and happily walk away.

Sometimes, this is exactly what it feels like as an entrepreneur. Whether we’re seeking the best way to build our idea or secure a project, there are countless twists and turns along the way.

I’ve had the Turkish Ice Cream experience with many clients, projects, and opportunities. You’re invited for one thing, but it’s not quite what it seems, and you suddenly have to navigate through a dozen uncertain and frustrating steps. A large amount of ice cream heaves into view – the full scoop, no less – but just for an instant before it’s suddenly replaced with an empty cone.

Developing new ideas and winning new business can be a nerve-wracking and sometimes soul-crushing experience – especially in those early days when we’re not sure which way to turn, where to grab, and whether we’re going to get what we’re after.

But here’s the thing: ice cream is sweet, not bitter. I had to learn not to become disillusioned or take things personally, but to learn, adapt, grow. The keys to navigating the twists and turns of the ice cream vendor’s game, and finding sweetness in the whole affair is ridaa.

With ridaa comes the acceptance of ambiguity and the highs and lows of your journey. You learn to slowly detach from worldly outcomes, such as financial gain or recognition from peers, and be content in knowing God’s hand is guiding you at all times.

You have a sense of gratitude when things are going well. As well, you have a sense of humility, appreciating any success you experience as a gift.

In undertaking our design journey, our mindset should be that the success and outcome of this effort is beyond our control. The results, scale and impact of our work should not become our obsession. Instead, we should focus on our intention and sincerity throughout the process.

One of my teachers shared how traditionally, Muslim thinkers and scholars were comfortable with ambiguity. Even with their famous thirst for knowledge and learning, there was a healthy respect for the unknown, or unknowable. The prevailing mindset was not to conquer the natural world with logical, rational, scientific reasoning. There is wisdom and comfort in accepting we cannot know everything.

For a deeper spiritual insight, we might turn to Kabir Helminski, teacher, and author of one of my favourite books, Living Presence. He shares:

“The soul is a knowing substance that knows the Reality beyond time and space. To acquire this kind of knowing is to become illuminated, to be connected to a greater intelligence that will guide every step of your life. Instead of living in fear and uncertainty, you will more and more be able to trust the unfolding of Life.”

I love that phrase, “to trust the unfolding of life,” and it perfectly sums up what we aim to reach as creatives, entrepreneurs, and spiritual seekers on the path of attaining ridaa.

Your Journey

As you reflect on ridaa, think about a project, product, or design journey you are undertaking and how this spiritual aspiration can guide your approach.

Foster patience, maintain gratitude, and always trust in God.

• How might you deepen your understanding of ridaa?

• Which phases of your design journey will require intense levels of sabr (patience)?

Accept setbacks as Divine wisdom for spiritual growth.

• How might you reframe current difficulties as design challenges?

• How have you experienced tawakkul when overcoming past challenges?

Grow comfortable with ambiguity.

• How might you balance the instinct to control with the intention to surrender?

• What are some moments when letting go resulted in a better outcome?

Excerpt from The Heart of Design - Chapter 18

Visiting the Alhambra illuminated my heart and opened my perspective on life, creativity and purpose.

It was a defining experience that nurtured an inward journey, which continues to this day, alhumdulilah.

A great scholar likened learning about Islam to honey. You can describe it, talk about the ingredients, but only when you taste the honey do you understand it.

This was my experience with Islam, and Islamic art. The fortunate heart that ventures to the Alhambra will walk into a dimension of timeless beauty.

Masterfully designed gardens, courtyards and mesmerising tiled walls of patterned surfaces delight the eyes and invite the heart to contemplate deeper meanings.

The interplay of light upon natural materials are built in spaces of natural human proportion and comforting scale.

In subsequent visits in the decades since, I’ve been consistently reminded of the true beauty of the Alhambra. A sanctuary that welcomes the noisy mind and invites us to a calmer heart.

Returning with my family recently, including my 3 rapidly-growing children, I am again transported. I reflect on my journey since that first adventure, over twenty years earlier.

I think of the many years, the difficult moments, the happy milestones and the deep sakinah felt when trusting in God through them all.

I watch my kids discover the Alhambra, and feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude for the blessing of walking here together.

I think of the countless souls who have pondered over these walls, through times of prosperity, times of desperation, and everything in between.

I am in awe thinking about the artisans who built this masterpiece of heart-centered design. The skills, tools and mindset required.

I am moved by the visionary leadership that cultivated harmonious communities who lived here through the centuries.

I am grateful for their efforts, and I offer a prayer, that generations may return again and again. That we may aspire to these creative heights once more, and be inspired to elevate our own creative practice.

To invite people to beauty and to seek God through intentional design.

As a wise teacher reminded me, we think we’re working on our art, but in reality it’s working on us.

I thank God for the opportunity to visit this space once more, and my heart is renewed, fulfilled, illuminated.

I wander through the gardens of life once more inspired, rejuvenated and reminded of it’s beauty. Alhumdulilah.

“The best of people among you are those who bring the most benefit to the rest of mankind.”
- Prophet Mohammad ﷺ

As a young designer, I loved quoting Steve Jobs’ call to action to “make a dent in the universe.” Then I learned more about the universe and myself. My design path became a search for how to “tread lightly on the earth” (Qu’ran 25:63).

Traditionally, designers and craftspeople on the spiritual path understood that our lives are a journey back to the Divine. Their creative output aligned with their inner journey and encouraged a state of remembrance, inwardly and outwardly.

My friend Hilmi Şenalp is a renowned Turkish architect. He once showed me a marvel from his collection of rare Islamic manuscripts and antiques. It was a very old Ottoman coffee grinder, which he demonstrated with delight.

The well-worn brass device had two circular metal platters, one half embossed with calligraphy, “There is no God but God,” and the other half with, “Muhammad ﷺ is the Messenger of God,” – together completing the shahada.

The coffee beans were placed between the two platters. As the grinder handle turned, the beans were ground down, changing the raw beans to a delightfully aromatic fine powder of true value and purpose.

He explained that this symbolises how our human egos need to be crushed and transformed into something more beautiful. The grinder is a simple product design for daily use, but it offers a powerful spiritual reminder. I loved its ingenuity and practical application (not to mention the irresistible coffee that came after).

Later that evening, in Hilmi’s wondrous library, he read the opening pages of a leather-bound Ottoman-era book. It was a centuries-old textbook for engineering students, written in striking classical script and complete with fold-out technical drawings of arches and aqueducts.

The book commenced with a prayer. I loved how it framed the learning journey of the students with a deep, spiritually grounded perspective. Through his son translating live, Hilmi read aloud:

“Praise be to the One who created the truth of life and brings together the finest of secrets.

God is the first to hear us and our prayers. Everything goes back to God, so any status we attain is through God.

God alone is the source of all information and all creation. God alone created existence and made existence apparent.

Everything we ask, we ask from God. All the proofs of existence belong to God, and all is known by God alone.

To understand existence and all of its intricacies is beyond our capacity, so all of creation is a witness to the strength and power of the Creator.”

This is perhaps the closest I’ve found to a historical “dua for designers” (prayer supplication) or at the least a powerful reminder to reflect upon before embarking on a creative journey.

With a heart-centered designer mindset in the contemporary era, we can find inspiration in these stories and examples and seek the deep intentionality behind them. While few of us design physical products, let alone coffee grinders, we can be creative in how we might foster God-consciousness in our work.

One of my favourite examples from our current digital era is the platform LaunchGood. A long-time friend, cofounder Chris Blauvelt started the crowdfunding service with a strong niyyah to enable Muslims to launch impactful projects that serve humanity.

Rather than focusing solely on the mechanics and financials of crowdfunding, the founding team asked deeper design-led questions to establish the core purpose and values that would resonate with its team, community, and users. They included, “How might we showcase and connect the global Muslim heartbeat?” and “How might we build an inspired future for our Ummah (global community)?”

More than ten years later and with around a billion dollars raised through the platform, this clear intentionality remains. Millions of lives have benefited from the platform’s success. I’ve personally witnessed projects and causes that have been empowered through it, connecting hearts around the planet.

I recall LaunchGood’s simple but innovative Friday Givers automated giving feature. As a Friday Givers member, a small amount of my money is automatically donated to worthwhile charity.

Each week, our diverse global group of Friday Givers receive a beautifully designed email revealing which charitable project we’ve supported together. The experience creates a sense of togetherness and a feeling of gratitude in purifying our wealth on worthy causes.

This thoughtful, well-designed digital product feature exemplifies design for remembrance, not for distraction. The heart-centered approach encourages us to explore innovative ways of putting this concept into practice.

Imam Omar Suleiman told me, “When we strive with what Allah has given us, He guides us to what will be rewarding for us. Sincerity produces creativity, and every talent that Allah has cultivated for you is an opportunity to please Him.”

Your Journey

As you reflect on niyyah, think about a project, product, or design journey you are undertaking and how this spiritual aspiration can guide your approach.

Design for remembrance, not for distraction.

• How might you encourage God-consciousness in your design journey?

• What are three organisations or products designed for remembrance?

Envision holistic success with clarity of purpose.

• Which envisioning activities will you use to orient your design journey?

• Which three individuals embody holistic success?

Reframe outcomes to include spiritual well-being.

• How might your design activity influence someone’s spiritual journey?

• Which products have considered the user’s spiritual well-being?

Excerpt from The Heart of Design - Chapter 1

“When you do things from your soul, you feel a river moving in you, a joy.” - Rumi

Looking back, perhaps it was inevitable that I would become a designer. After all, I was an art-loving kid in the eighties and nineties, embracing digital tools at a time of rapid change.

It may be less obvious that I would embrace Islam in my early 20s and step into a spiritual journey, a path I could never have plotted or expected; but we plan and God plans, and surely God is the best of planners.

As a new Muslim entrepreneur trying to make my way in the world of design, I initially wondered if succeeding in my career would mean compromising my faith. The more spiritual wisdom I learned, the more I noticed how many modern business practices were out of sync.

This challenge wasn’t unique to me; many people I came to know struggled with this feeling. Professionals shared how they felt out of alignment with their job or career path. Successful entrepreneurs and creative leaders who practised authentic spirituality were not easy to find (at least in the places I was looking at the time).

Books on Islamic art and design were visually stunning and inspiring but too philosophical and esoteric for the practical help I needed running a modern design studio. Conversely, most business books and professional design resources seemed to avoid spiritual matters altogether.

I set out with determination to seek out people who could help me find answers: scholars, seekers, creative elders, and respected business leaders – and met with many kind, wise, and patient souls who shared their nasihah (sincere advice) with me.

Through their counsel, encouragement, friendship, and example, I came to understand how the paths of entrepreneurship and faith, creative professionalism and spirituality, can come together in beautiful and profound ways. In fact, the alignment of these paths can become deeply transformational for the individuals and the communities they serve.

Our spiritual path expands our consciousness and awakens our heart, which helps us ask better questions and elevate our design practice. It encourages us to design for remembrance, not for distraction.

Heart-Centered Design is the alignment of spiritual aspirations with foundational design principles.

This book offers guidance and inspiration on the path to holistic success and meaningful work as professionals, founders, leaders, and creatives. It’s a reference for changemakers who want to improve themselves inwardly, not just the world around them.

It offers an approach to help individuals and teams to develop concepts and products with clear intentionality, values, and in alignment with their spiritual path. Beyond the workplace, Heart-Centered Design is a purposeful way to reframe our life goals and personal dreams as design challenges.

This framework encourages us to adopt a perspective beyond financial metrics, user acquisition, and attention. It invites us to discover deeper modalities and imaginative faculties within ourselves.

Like any design journey, this is a process that requires iteration and improvement from diverse voices and perspectives. Heart-Centered Design is an open, foundational concept and not a checklist or strict methodology.

Design is a timeless human activity that should never be bound by a singular process, approach, or definition. It is yours to explore, improve, and reimagine.

Your ideas, projects, and innovation can help us collectively nurture a global like-hearted movement.

I hope you will join me in fostering a new generation of creatively confident, spiritually grounded designers, entrepreneurs, and dreamers who will serve humanity as best we can.

In these often-gloomy and uncertain times, we need to adopt this approach more than ever. With a heart-centered, design-led approach to life and work, I believe the future is bright, insha’Allah.

Bismillah, let’s begin.

Design for Distraction

Every day, all around us, we experience the result of intentional design activities. What was once someone’s idea is now the chair you’re sitting on or the app you are using.

This is increasingly true in our hyper-connected, digital lives. Be it for work, study, shopping, or play, we’re constantly compelled to buy, swipe, subscribe, and like.

It takes conscious effort to avoid becoming addicted to highly-optimised content or resist consumer habits that offer convenience and comfort, regardless of the hidden costs.

All of this is by design. Powerful tech companies, media empires, and retail giants fight for our attention every day. They influence our decisions from the youngest ages. When the founder of Netflix was once asked who his biggest competitor was, he answered, “sleep.”

It’s fair to say that we live in a world where many companies design without heart.

Designers need to be held more accountable. We may create popular apps with a smooth user experience, but are we encouraged to consider the spiritual well-being of our users? We might create products people love today, but will they be discarded as landfill tomorrow? Many design teams are ultimately serving the interests of shareholders, not customers. Distraction is big business.

This book isn’t meant to be an extended khutbah (sermon) pointing out our well-known problems. Instead, it is meant to be a source of hope and guidance for the emerging generation of designers, entrepreneurs, and professionals who are frustrated with this system.

Today countless people feel a growing misalignment between their values and the companies where they work or shop. They actively try to avoid the companies and products that cause harm in the world.

They are dreamers who want to take action and pursue a path to a more holistic vision of success. They are leaders who embrace their faith as a foundation to empower and guide their life and career choices.

They are creatives with powerful ideas and a bold vision for making positive change in the world. They are builders and startup founders who are ready to develop their ideas through long periods of difficulty and uncertainty.

They are the next generation of believers who want to serve their communities sincerely, boldly designing the way forward and seeking God’s blessing in every step.

If any of these sound like you, please read on.

Design for Remembrance

In my journey to foster a more aligned approach to design and entrepreneurship, many of the answers seemed to be in the past, awaiting rediscovery.

Take, for example, a story about the great Ottoman architect Mimar Sinan.

Known for designing and building the iconic mosques of the Istanbul skyline, his marvels attract millions of visitors hundreds of years after construction. I remember the first time I stepped into a mosque made in his style, before I had embraced Islam, and the instant feeling of awe that the mosque inspired. Sinan’s legacy is not just the beautiful buildings and spaces that he helped create; it was a deep understanding of why.

One day during construction of a mosque, a group of excited school children ran to him with great urgency. They had noticed one of the minarets was leaning on an angle!

With a sense of great concern, Mimar asked for their help to fix it. The children agreed and were enlisted right away to attach a large rope around the minaret. On Mimar’s command, they heaved the rope. “Again!” said Mimar. The children tugged harder. Again! They pulled as hard as their little bodies could heave. Mimar stepped back and nodded at the result. “Thank you for helping fix the minaret.” The children ran off, delighted they had contributed to something important.

Once they were out of sight, one of the engineers discreetly told Mimar Sinan, “Sir, the minaret didn’t move an inch; it’s made of solid brick.”

Mimar replied, “Yes of course, but we are not only building a mosque. What we are building is the next generation.”

The purpose of our work isn’t necessarily the object or the output, but the people we can help, encourage, or inspire, and the hearts we can illuminate along the way.

Traditional designers on the spiritual path understood that our lives are a journey back to the Divine. Their creative output was aligned with their inner journey and was designed to foster a state of remembrance, inwardly and outwardly to those who experienced their work.

Mimar’s profound creative legacy has inspired generations, resonating with millions of hearts every year, because it was designed with heart.

While it is a beautiful story about purposeful design in the past, it leaves an important question for today’s designers, aspiring entrepreneurs, and spiritually grounded professionals: How might we design for remembrance in the era of design for distraction?

It’s time we journey together, into the Heart of Design.

Arrival

Somewhat paradoxically, our journey toward the Heart of Design starts not with a departure but an arrival.

Setting out on this path represents a significant leap of faith as we seek to align our spiritual and professional aspirations in new ways.

It isn’t always an obvious or linear path, nor is it an easy one, so it’s important that we take time to arrive before we take our first few steps along the road.

What do I mean by arrive, exactly, and why is it so important?

Arriving may firstly mean to pause, take a few breaths, and remember why we chose to embark on this journey. We are consciously setting our intention and becoming fully present with our aspirations.

In his profound book Living Presence, Kabir Helminski describes presence as signifying “...the quality of consciously being here … It is the activation of a higher level of awareness that allows all our other human functions – such as thought, feeling and action – to be known, developed, and harmonised,” and later, “This presence is like a passport to greater life.”

It’s a beautiful description of a state that is honoured in all great spiritual traditions and can pull us closer to our hopes, intentions, and purpose of knowing God – and away from distraction, excess, and discord.

We can begin with a quick and simple activity that I use at the start of my presentations and workshops, helping to direct myself and whoever I’m with into a state of focus.

With this in mind, I encourage you to take a few moments to pause, be still, and connect with the journey at hand. Simply close your eyes, take some deep and conscious breaths, and revisit your reason for reading this book.

What made you pick it up? Why were you drawn to it? What are you looking forward to or hoping to get out of it? Why now?

As well as setting your intention, think about something for which you are grateful. All of us are in a privileged position in some way, so take time to recognise that and consider how we might direct those blessings or gifts in a beautiful way.

How can this book help you embrace your skills, experiences, and opportunities for the good of others and the world?

Let this arrival be a source of openings: openings of blessings, creativity, and a new positive, transformative chapter in your life, insha’Allah (God willing).

If you are comfortable doing so, let your innermost self heartfully thank God for this precise moment in your life. What a beautiful opportunity, alhumdulilah (with all praise to God).

I sincerely hope what lies ahead will benefit you and the people around you. I hope that what happens next will be a meaningful and positive chapter in your journey.

As one of my teachers insightfully shared, we may think we are working on a project, but in reality, it’s working on us.

As we get underway in earnest, I also recommend preparing a fine coffee, chai, çay, or tea.

Say Bismillah, take a sip, set your intention, and let’s continue.

Heart-Centered Design

Seeking the Heart of Design

My first paid design job earned me $25 as an 11th grade high-school student back in the late 1990s.

A friend from my art class noticed how much time I spent in front of computers experimenting with graphics on-screen and then in print. (Maybe it’s a good thing none have survived.) He asked me to design a poster to promote a collectible card game tournament he was planning.

I jumped at the chance. I found graphic design exciting, and my fast-food job was paying a measly $4.92 per hour. When I realised I could make posters and make money, the decision was made. I quit flipping burgers and started pushing pixels.

This was the start of my career in design. A journey that has since taken me around the world many times and allowed me to work with incredible teams. Alhumdulilah, I’ve been blessed with opportunities to help lead and develop early concepts into global brands and products now found in many homes. I’ve designed for diverse clients ranging from giant corporations to tiny startups, governments, community groups, and global nonprofits.

But here’s the thing: design isn’t about being a professional designer.

Design isn’t about the titles or the qualifications. It’s not about brainstorming with coloured sticky-notes, slick-looking Macbooks, cool software, or images of the latest creative trend.

It’s much bigger and also much simpler than that. Everyone can design, whether we call ourselves designers or not.

We don’t have to be a brand consultant or work in fashion, architecture, or the creative industry. It’s not even necessarily visual. Design goes well beyond labels and professions.

Anyone can adopt a designer mindset to help understand, improve, and transform ourselves and the world around us.

Discovering the Spiritual Path

The successful poster project was encouraging, and soon I was pitching myself as a freelance graphic designer to everyone I met.

In the pre-YouTube era, I was mostly self-taught and learned how to create basic logos and develop websites, marketing collateral, and simple digital advertising.

The software and computers at that time were very clunky by today’s standards, but I enjoyed the technical challenge and felt right in the middle of a digital and virtual revolution. Things broke often, and regular problem-solving was required.

These efforts paid off, and in 1999 I won first place statewide for the Design and Technology subject. My major project was an educational kit that taught school-aged kids how to use the Internet safely, with guided lessons from a little green character that I created and animated.

I used the $2,000 prize money to buy my own computer and enrol into a Bachelors of Design at the University of Technology, Sydney.

In the following four years I worked to complete my design studies and grow my design business, one project at a time. I soon had regular clientele and referrals that generated more work, which reduced my time to study, so I sometimes adapted rejected concepts from client projects into university assignments.

For the most part, the client projects were about brand communication and marketing. At that stage, I didn’t question the business objectives or strategy of the clients. I was grateful for the work and didn’t have the experience to advise on when and how to effectively use design.

Clients shared a brief, and I focussed on completing their deliverables on time and on budget (with mixed results, I admit). They in turn used my work to generate sales and grow their companies.

As my freelancing efforts grew into a fledgling studio (hiring my university classmates as staff when things got busier), I kept up with this default approach. I viewed our design output through a commercial lens, helping our clients to gain attention and make money.

I was a designer, but my horizon was limited. As it turned out, I was looking at a small pond in front of me, and the vast ocean beckoned me in the distance.

It was around this same time that I became curious about Islam. I had come to know a Muslim family living near me, and through a series of unexpected encounters, found myself asking deeper questions about my purpose in life.

My growing curiosity about Islam led a friend to make an introduction that would change my life. He introduced me to his friend, who guided me to my first encounter with traditional Islamic art: a visit to Auburn Gallipoli mosque in my hometown of Sydney, Australia.

The stunning mosque was built by the Sydney Turkish community and is a near-replica of the iconic Mimar Sinan style buildings that adorn the Istanbul skylines. It looked like someone had plucked the signature flowing domes and pointed minarets from the Bosphorus and planted them in the middle of urban Sydney.

Entering for the first time took my breath away. Walking along soft red carpets, I gazed up at the towering domes above, richly decorated with Arabic script, floral patterns of tulips, and huge chandeliers that caught the light of the coloured glass through arched windows.

Although I couldn’t read the calligraphy, my designer instincts were impressed with this masterful and harmonious visual symphony. A cohesive design language connected the many surfaces, materials, and embellishments, creating a dance between intimate visual details and cavernous domes at scale. Centuries of evolved design technique, skill, and craftsmanship blended several creative disciplines, working together in harmony to inspire a deep feeling of majesty and spiritual beauty.

The mosque visit left a deep impression. I longed to discover more Islamic design, and my relationship with design shifted into an entirely new perspective.

In the months following my visit to the mosque, a series of unplanned experiences and beautiful moments led me to explore Islam more seriously. I ended up attending talks, reading books, and having many long discussions about spirituality and faith.

A great scholar once likened the journey of faith to tasting honey. We can describe honey in books and list its ingredients and benefits, but only when we taste the honey do we truly understand it. This was my experience with Islam.

The following year, during Ramadan, I embraced Islam and tasted the sweetness of faith, alhumdulillah.

After a yearlong journey, I had reached a point of clarity and conviction in my heart and head.

I knew there would be challenges with my decision (and indeed there were), but I felt an undeniable sakinah (inner tranquility) - and I have not looked back in the twenty-plus years since, alhumdulillah.

Soon after, I dreamed of visiting the many cities now filling my heart’s imagination. I devoured books filled with photographs of beautiful Islamic art and classical Islamic architecture.

Legendary cities such as Fes, Granada, Damascus, Istanbul, Jerusalem, Makkah, and Madinah called to me – each with its own stunning jewels of architecture and unique creative legacy.

The books and photographs provided only a glimpse of these works of art. As with the practices of Islam, I knew these cities would be best experienced by the heart while physically present.

The next year I was married, and my wife suggested we visit Andalusia on our honeymoon. I knew that I’d married the right person, and in the years following we journeyed together to all of the mentioned cities above, alhumdulillah.

Andalusia, in the stunning regions of Southern Spain, has a rich 800-year Islamic legacy that attracts millions of tourists each year from every part of the world.

I was entranced by the beautiful gardens and courtyards of the Alhambra Palace in Granada, and then the cities of Cordoba and Seville. My heart was illuminated as I discovered the spiritual experience of contemplating the Divine in rooms of zileej tile-patterned walls.

In contrast to my few church visits as a child, these dazzling tessellated walls and vibrant ceramic tile surfaces offered no specific form to visualise God.

Instead of biblical figures in paintings and sculptures expressing a specific form, these experiences of Islamic art invited me to consider the Divine with khayaal; the faculty of spiritual imagination distinct from visual imagination (which we explore in Chapter 29).

During this first visit my journey toward seeking the heart of design began.

I experienced firsthand the profound beauty of spiritually grounded creative excellence: design with a noble purpose – a contrast to the commercially driven design I knew.

I began to wonder if and how the legacy of traditional Islamic artists, craftspeople, and architects could have any bearing on modern creative industries in the fast-paced, hyper-consumer digital era.

Spirituality and modern design seemed at opposite ends of the spectrum. For a moment, I contemplated abandoning my fledgling design business to focus on training as a traditional calligrapher or artist, but this slightly romantic notion didn’t seem like the right answer.

Instead, I believed there must be a middle path and made it my intention to find it. So began my twenty-year search for guidance on how to align the demands of a modern design studio and entrepreneurial aspirations with the values, intentionality, and beauty of Islam.

My quest has become a decades-long experiment, and I could summarise my career as an ongoing exploration of this question, on a journey to the heart of design.

Seeking Alignment

I recall vividly one defining moment early in my journey. My freelance work was increasingly getting recognition from mainstream clients, including the famous Ogilvy advertising agency.

As a subcontractor, I designed for a great mix of big name brands such as Sony and Vodafone, which felt cool at the age of 21 or 22.

I was excited to hear about a new project, which turned out to be an alcohol brand. I politely declined, but as a new Muslim in the years immediately after 9/11, I didn’t have the confidence to explain why (yet).

Soon after I declined another project, this one for a major gambling brand. I didn’t get invited in again, and momentarily it felt like my once-promising creative career was derailed.

Yet, I had come across the hadith (sayings of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ), “Verily, you will never leave anything for the sake of God but that God will replace it with something better.” This was indeed true in my life story.

In the years ahead, similar decisions led me to major projects and commissions that directly aligned with faith and spiritual aspirations, alhumdulilah.

In the interim, I needed guidance and support to navigate this new path. I wanted to find and meet the living inheritors of the Islamic creative legacy and see how they aligned their professional and personal journeys.

This meant spending time searching for and learning from established creative Muslims and seasoned veterans, among them the legendary photographer Peter Sanders.

Peter’s globally loved images and books encompassed a profound spiritual quality that reflected his beautiful character and manner. He had embraced Islam in 1971 and spent decades chasing and capturing light, seeking and sharing beauty to the world.

He introduced me to friends, teachers, and knowledgeable scholars who shaped his life and approach to work. Over time, I asked them and others who I came to know, the questions with which I struggled.

For example, Is it acceptable to seek worldly impact and change, or should I concern myself mostly with spiritual practices and seeking knowledge? Should I focus on corporate clients that pay well or more beneficial community projects that barely support my family needs? (I had learned the hard way about the unsustainable free-sa-bilillah model, doing unpaid or low-paid work for some of my early Muslim clients.)

I felt tension between these two directions, but spending quality time with a diverse range of spiritually grounded companions helped me forge a path and find a middle ground.

There wasn’t one defining moment; instead it was a gradual process of learning and striving. Year by year, project by project, and conversation by conversation, I learned how to attain spiritual alignment in my design practice.

As my design studio grew past the ups and downs of its first decade, we were blessed with a level of stability and professional success, alhumdulillah. There were no shortcuts. We strived to deliver quality design work with reliable service while seeking God’s blessing in each project and business decision. I helped grow and lead a diverse team of talented, passionate creatives who shared our values and mission.

In time, we experimented with launching our own Islam-inspired products, platforms, and creative concepts. Most were not commercially successful at first, but they led to valuable learning and new opportunities.

After we learned from experienced spiritually grounded entrepreneurs and business leaders, some of our products became more successful. I had to understand how startups work and how products get traction commercially. There was so much to learn, and so many challenges to help solve, by design. I felt the immense potential of design-led, heart-centered entrepreneurship on the horizon.

The concept of Heart-Centered Design emerged out of this long journey through hundreds of projects and learning moments both formal and experiential, in mainstream design practice and my ongoing spiritual journey.

In one period, for example, I was learning with the Stanford d.school for human-centered design subjects while also studying Imam Al-Haddad’s 17th Century The Book of Assistance. I was constantly searching for answers and alignment at the intersection of design and spirituality.

Designing the Way Forward

Before I knew it, twenty years had passed, and I was a grateful father of three beautiful children, navigating a life as Muslim designer and entrepreneur.

As my work reached wider audiences and my products spread to many parts of the globe, there was a steady increase in the enquiries and requests I received for advice.

The same questions I had asked years before were being asked of me in interviews and during my design workshops. People had seen my studio flourish and were curious how to navigate their own creative work, businesses, career paths, and spiritual aspirations.

After casually sharing what I’d learned for a number of years, I made it my niyyah to become more structured in my approach. I also felt a distinct lack of design maturity in most Muslim communities, and it felt like an amanah (responsibility) to promote the value of design and design education as tools for change that we desperately needed.

My mission became to demystify and democratise design, professional creative practice, and entrepreneurship on the spiritual path.

The journey to complete this book was itself an iterative design journey over many years. Like all of my design experiments, the process included restarts, pivots, delays and fun tangents.

One of my first steps was to sort through piles of paper journals and digital notebooks kept over two decades. These contained formative ideas and memories of key moments. I rediscovered forgotten notes from classes and projects that had helped inch my knowledge along further in my spiritual path and design practice (along with plenty of sketched doodles when my attention wandered).

Next came a more deliberate research effort. Although I’d spent time casually with guides and teachers during the years prior, I’d not captured their advice formally, and I still had plenty of questions.

I reached out to the people who had helped shape my thinking and approach, and interviewed around 50 people over several years. I am deeply inspired by stories of how these ideas have been transformative in the lives of many people in all seasons of life, around the globe, alhumdulillah. A number of these stories are featured in the last section of this book.

While I revisited this vast jumble of anecdotes, wisdoms, and quotes, I pored over my digital design project archives on old backup servers. Over the decades, there were hundreds of client folders, presentations and processes we’d explored as a team.

I revisited the most memorable and successful projects and also the less-successful projects. I hoped to distil the best of the design tools and workshop activities into teachable content that was simple, coherent, and useful.

As I started to write the book in earnest, I faced a classic design process issue: I was fixating on the solution, without having first validated that it would address a real problem that enough people cared about.

Too often, I’ve seen excited founders and passionate creatives lose heart after spending months or years building something that didn’t create enough value for others. I am guilty of this more than I’d care to admit.

For this book, I needed to prototype and take feedback on the concept and content before assuming enough people would be interested in this approach.

Therefore, the first instance of The Heart of Design was an online program, launched as a 5-week pilot experiment with a group of curious early adopters. After months in development between projects and travels, the course launched at the start of the global pandemic in 2020.

It was a time of great uncertainty and a unique moment when people were at home for weeks or months on end. For many, it was an unexpected time of reflection and an opportunity to reassess their professional paths and spiritual life.

People were forced to pause their daily grind and think deeply about their career and purpose—precisely what I had been exploring. Online learning grew exponentially, and soon my classes welcomed hundreds of learners from highly diverse backgrounds, professional experiences, and seasons of life.

I could never have planned the timing, which was ideal, and I took it as a sign to continue, alhumdulillah. The feedback was deeply encouraging; the content and approach resonated well with like-hearted participants from around the world.

I love the term like-hearted because we may not all be like-minded, but we can be like-hearted in our hope to share beauty, live virtuously, and build a positive future for humanity.

I had first heard my friend Khadija Annette use this phrase when I visited her bookstore at Zaytuna College in Berkeley, California. I’ve since embraced like-heartedness as a core concept and explore it throughout this book.

In parallel with the success of the early programs, online communities were forming around related concepts. When the pandemic subsided, gatherings of like-hearted creatives and designers began to flourish. Around the globe at intimate meetups and larger-scale events, and in coworking spaces, cafes, and hidden creative corners everywhere, a new generation of founders, creatives and dreamers was emerging.

To my delight, the Heart-Centered Design concept spread to projects and global teams. The Heart-Centered Design Canvas tool was used with success in many surprising contexts, from the winning team at a Ministry of Hajj hackathon to a Japanese Muslim comic book series.

The platform I’d developed seemed to have caught the zeitgeist of professionals and aspiring entrepreneurs seeking guidance, inspiration, and community. Program attendees went on to launch product experiences, shape startups or recalibrate their path into more fulfilling careers. Alhumdulilah.

Their feedback helped me to refine and shape the Heart-Centered Design approach, and their personal stories illustrated its potential. The result is the book in your hands. This is my attempt to align timeless spiritual aspirations with foundational design principles, sharing key lessons from over twenty years exploring these paths, along with adventures, misadventures, and musings along the way.

The Heart-Centered Design framework is a distillation of this journey into seven Spiritual Aspirations and seven Design Principles. This framework is not a “checklist” or detailed “how-to guide.” It introduces concepts to unlock our understanding and develop our own approach. The aspirations and principles weave together uniquely for each person and each project in different ways through the seasons of life.

With our sincere intention to design with heart, and for the heart, I hope this approach will inspire transformation within ourselves and the communities we serve, inshaAllah. I ask that God accept my efforts as a sincere hypothesis and forgive my many shortcomings in the process.

Excerpt from The Heart of Design - Introduction