A Graphic Design Graduate’s Decade of Design

“I know how these students feel,” says Moza AlSuwaidi, a graphic designer who works in the Communications department at VCUarts Qatar, as she takes in the buzz of the opening night of VCUarts Qatar’s BFA + MFA Exhibition 2023.

She certainly does.

Moza was the brains behind the eye-catching visual branding of this year’s exhibition.

Her link to VCUarts Qatar, though, precedes her professional role. 

Moza is also a VCUarts Qatar BFA Graphic Design alumna who experienced the same surge of excitement and stress that our graduating students feel each year as they prepare their senior projects for the annual BFA + MFA Exhibition.

And that was 10 years ago.

Now, a decade on, what does it feel like to design for an event that she herself was once part of? And how does she relate to the emotions of each graduating class?

“Being on the other side of the ring feels like I have come full circle in more ways than one. I was once in their shoes planning for this same exhibition, preparing to step into the real world as a designer. And I did this not knowing that one day I will be the actual designer for this same exhibition. So, yes, each year I relive that excitement!”

This is the third time that Moza has worked on the visual identity for our BFA + MFA exhibition. On each occasion, she drew inspiration from the creativity of the graduating class and her own cultural heritage.  

“I try to do justice to the ideas, the themes, the approaches of the graduating students. I view their projects, read their concepts. I know how exciting it is to have not just your projects on display, but have family, friends and the public view them. Hence, I put in those extra touches that I hope will make the exhibition memorable.

She adds, “The Arabic language is an element that I always integrate into my designs. I try to capture the beauty of the language in the collaterals I create. I see it as representative of our campus that teaches Arabic Typography and the large student body who speak the language. The use of Arabic also speaks to a side of me that is proud to be an Arabic designer in the field of visual communication.”

And are there any moments that stand out at each event?

“Yes, there definitely are,” she says. “For instance, this year, it was immensely gratifying to see the excitement that the graduating class had when they saw their names on the walls or to watch parents pointing out the name of their child. It made the meticulous process so worth it!”