2 years since Shillington: Jumanah Abualkhair

From Childhood Magazines to Bilingual Branding: How Jumanah brought her creative calling to life at Shillington.

When Jumanah stumbled across a childhood notebook with the word “designer” scribbled in a mix of Arabic and English, she couldn’t help but smile. What she thought was a lifelong path toward writing had, in fact, always shared space with visual creativity.

Below we chat with Jumanah: a Shillington graduate, storyteller, and self-described compulsive learner about how she finally gave herself permission to chase her creative ambitions. From designing her own book covers as a teen to building bilingual branding in her portfolio, Jumanah’s story is a beautiful blend of passion, persistence, and cultural pride.

If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to balance a career, a big move, and a design course all at once, or how to bring your full creative self into your work, Jumanah’s journey is one to read and remember.

Let’s go right back to the beginning, Jumanah. What did you want to be when you were little?

It’s funny how life happens. I would’ve said “writer” since that’s what I remember but I went through some of my old childhood things a while back and found an old notebook from when I was about 10 years old. It’s a goofy mix of Arabic and badly spelled English, but really endearing for me to see. The prompt was “In the future, I should like to become…” and unbeknownst to my 10-year old self, I wrote down “designer!” (Technically “desiner,” haha)

I’d love to hear more about what you were into as a teenager whether it was at school or in your spare time?

I was a big reader back then and very into writing. I got so into it that I even wanted to become an author myself. I’d learn all about writing and storytelling in my free time as well as explore my own voice and interests. Somehow though, design was never fully out of the picture. To get into the mood, I’d design my own book covers and hang them on my wall for inspiration. 

When did you KNOW you wanted to go into a creative field?

I think I always knew. Even as a kid, I would draw or paint in my free time. Before the internet became as big as it is now in our daily lives, I’d spend my free time putting together magazines by designing and then stapling pages. Then I got into creative writing. Even while I was studying at school, I’d always be doing something creative on the side for myself. It was really never something I doubted.

Shillington Travel Magazine project: Unconventional Travel Destinations

What were you up to before starting Shillington?

I was working as a writer at a marketing agency before Shillington. It was a multifaceted job where I would write content, deliver strategy, and even design some infographics. I already had some experience with Adobe software, so I’d use InDesign fairly often to put together final documents for presentation, too.

What made you decide to study at Shillington? Did you have a eureka moment?

Honestly, I just wanted to do something super creative. It was an itch I needed to scratch and Shillington came well recommended! I also loved all the student work and felt like the program would be just the right fit, both challenging (in just the right amount) and inspiring! 

How did you decide between the 3 month full-time and the 9 month part-time course?

The 9-month part-time course made the most sense since I was still working. I also liked having other days of the week free to catch up on personal life in between work and design school. It was (for me) the perfect balance.

Odyssey Chocolate, Shillington Packaging project

A journey of a thousand bites. Countless late-night experiments by Turkish chemical engineer turned chocolatier led to the creation of Odyssey Chocolates.

Embark on a journey of discovery that celebrates culture and sustainably sourced, all-natural ingredients for guilt-free eating.

Can you tell me about how you found the experience? I want the gory details...

It was a wild ride! I had a feeling Shillington would challenge me, but I didn’t quite know the extent of it, though no complaints! The speed at which we pumped out concepts and projects was the craziest part and it really forced me to push aside my perfectionist tendencies to focus on the deadline and task at hand. It was also really transformative. I learned so much from my teachers and classmates, and already feel a kind of kinship with everyone who went through the program! 

What else were you juggling in life at the time?

I was traveling and also dealing with a big move right during portfolio time. There were boxes everywhere, and I had no wi-fi as I was settling into my home at the time. It was pretty chaotic fitting in design work and class time in between it all.

What was the best bit of the day during your classes?

The beginning of the class always made me smile. Our teachers were amazing and they made the class feel so personal and fun being online. We would have days when we’d change our backgrounds to something fun (always a conversation starter) before getting into the lecture/presentation portion—which was always so interesting to watch and listen to. 

Do you have any particular fond memories from the course?

I never would’ve thought it would be something I’d think fondly back on, but creating moodboards under pressure surprisingly comes up! It was definitely a pressure cooker environment, but I feel stronger having gone through it. And though I don’t exactly miss it, I do look back on those days and smile.

We know it can be a really intense experience, would you do it anything differently if you could do it all over again?

Nothing comes to mind! Oh wait, maybe better note-taking. But honestly, I feel like I gained the skills and confidence I needed when it came to design. If given a chance, I’d ask more specific questions about getting out there and learning the business side of things.

Had you done any other studies before Shillington? Like college, university, online courses, self taught?

Yes! So I’m a self-proclaimed compulsive learner and have taken various continuing studies courses in design along with online tutorials and self-taught practices. This was before Shillington, too.

The courses I took before Shillington were great at teaching the technical skills, but I didn’t feel particularly creative or inspired during them. Unlike all the other programs I took, Shillington helped me understand design thinking and design principles and actually pushed me to apply them in more thoughtful and original ways. That was a huge takeaway for me, seeing design differently and thinking about it more intentionally. 

Do you still have a favourite piece from your Shillington portfolio?

That’s a tough one! I’m torn between two! But if I’m pressed, I’ll go with Odyssey Chocolates. I loved creating the illustrative pattern for this design and applying it across different SKUs. It clicked right away for me and was very exciting to bring to life. The second one was Karma Skincare mainly because it challenged me to design something in Arabic, my mother tongue, for the first time ever!

What are you doing for creative inspiration at the moment?

In small and instant doses, I’m constantly looking at design work via blogs, social media, and design books. More recently, I’ve been diving into archives for inspiration. I love how archives capture design, history, and culture—and they’ve really helped me see design differently, going beyond current trends and appreciating design’s depth and impact. In the real world, I find a lot of inspiration from architecture—nowadays, particularly from where I grew up in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Do you have any goals for the next year?

My goal is to keep designing and growing my skills and experience! I’ve been loving the journey, with all its ups and downs, and I’m ready for more of it! 

Do you stay in touch with your fellow classmates?

We definitely keep in touch and some of us have even met up in person! We’ve become friends pretty quickly and everyone’s so inspiring and supportive—truly an amazing cohort to have studied with!

If you could dream up your perfect creative brief what would it be?

I’ll be honest, this one changes since I’d love to work on a few different things. Right now, I’d love to work on a bilingual/biscriptual project—specifically weaving Arabic and English in either brand identity or in packaging design. As a big fan of language learning, this would be right up my alley. And it would truly be an honour to work on something with my native language, Arabic, as well!

Eggstravaganza Festival for Downtown Brampton BIA

The Downtown Brampton Business Improvement Area (DBBIA) had a mission to enhance the business district’s appeal and activate the Brampton downtown area through an Easter Festival unlike any other—an event to be held on April 12, 2025 that would spark enthusiasm and stand out. 

The goal was to establish a compelling festival identity that brings the community together and attracts a wider audience, inspiring more families to visit and discover Brampton’s downtown, helping local businesses flourish.

And let’s think 5 years into the future–you’re living your BEST creative life... what are you up to?

Ooh, so much comes to mind! I hope to grow into a studio someday and definitely keep designing. I also hope to launch a magazine project, and that would be a true full circle moment! I’m also working on bringing writing back into my creative life and I envision that being a balance in the future—as well as embracing play. I want to more regularly play with new concepts, techniques, and practices to explore and enjoy my creativity.

Keep on designing Jumanah, it's been a pleasure!

Check out Jumanah's work here, and connect with her on Linkedin!