Selected work

Who is Hussain

Who is Hussain is a global social justice organisation in honour of Imam Hussain ibn Ali, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad. I served alongside a dedicated team of dreamers, united by our hope to share Hussain ibn Ali with the world. The project came about and grew in a miraculous way, and it was my honour to be part of this beautiful moment. I was responsible for the branding, website, marketing, content and strategy.

Who is Hussain — a red “WHO IS HUSSAIN?” panel mounted on a wall
Date 2012 - 2021
Location London / Global
Role Co-FounderDesignDigital StrategyMarketingMotion / VideoWeb Development
Type NonprofitPassion ProjectStartup

Problem

The plan was to create a marketing campaign that would pique the public’s interest in learning more about Hussain Ibn Ali. Our goal was to inspire others by using Imam Hussain’s life as an example. The difficulty was to be able to summarize Imam Hussain’s life and values in a way that emotionally resonated with people. In order to do this, we had to devise innovative ways to connect the legacy of Imam Hussain to ’John Doe’.

Who is Hussain — the whoishussain.org wordmark

Solution

We began a hybrid campaign in our first year, including advertisements on the London Tube as well as social media. We needed to create a strong brand as well as a website that would serve as our primary engagement metric. My main responsibilities were to create and manage the branding, website, marketing, and content. To increase reach, we included resources that people could download, print, and share, which resulted in the campaign going viral. As the organisation evolved, I was tasked with developing and managing the digital infrastructure and creative workflow for our international teams.

Who is Hussain — the wordmark on a red business card Who is Hussain — a framed campaign poster reading “HUSSAIN MADE THE ULTIMATE STAND.”
Who is Hussain — volunteers handing out roses on the street

Reflection

Who is Hussain’s success can only be defined in one word: miraculous. It was an honour to work on this project, and I was sincerely humbled by the dedication and hard work of our volunteer teams all across the world. The project’s expansion put me under a lot of pressure (which I weirdly enjoyed), especially given my other projects, client business, and small family. I resigned from Who is Hussain in 2021.

Who is Hussain — volunteers delivering aid parcels through a narrow alley Who is Hussain — the colour palette — Hussaini Red, Revolution Red, Ashura Black, Justice Grey, Legacy White and Hopeful Grey