Introduction

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. As an art-loving kid in the 80s and 90s, discovering computers at a time of major technological change, it’s easy to connect the dots backwards and see how I would find a career leading design projects around the world.

It was maybe 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 young entrepreneur trying to make my way in the world of design, my spiritual aspirations initially seemed somewhat separate – perhaps even incompatible – with my professional path.

The more I wanted to succeed in my early design career, the less I felt I could align my faith with my work. The more I tried to apply timeless spiritual wisdom to modern business conventions, the less likely it seemed I could build a competitive company.

This challenge wasn’t unique to me – many people I came to know struggled with this challenge. Many professionals shared how they felt out of alignment with their work. 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.

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

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 both 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 change themselves, not just the world around them.

Beyond the workplace, a Heart-Centered Design is a purposeful way to reframe life goals and personal dreams as design challenges. The approach can help individuals and teams to develop concepts and products with clear intentionality, values and sources of guidance.

It’s a framework that 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 an ongoing 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 will help us collectively nurture a global like-hearted movement.

Together I hope you will join me in building and encouraging a new generation of creatively confident, spiritually-grounded designers, entrepreneurs and dreamers to serve humanity in the best way we can.

In these often-gloomy and uncertain times, I believe that 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.

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Design for Distraction

Every day, all around us, we experience the result of intentional design activities.  What was once an idea in someone’s mind, 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 click, tap, swipe, buy, subscribe and share.

It takes conscious effort to avoid becoming addicted to highly-optimised content or resist consumer habits that increase our individual 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”.

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

Design teams may create popular products or achieve a smooth user experience for their customers, but were they encouraged to consider the spiritual wellbeing of those same customers? Most are ultimately serving shareholders, and distraction is big business.  

This book isn’t meant to be an extended khutbah (sermon) pointing out the well-known problems we experience and struggle with. 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 there are countless people who feel a growing misalignment between their spiritual values and the companies they work for, or shop from. They actively try to avoid the companies and products that cause or support great harm in the world.

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

They are creatives who have new ideas and a bold vision for the change they seek in the world. They are the startup founders who are eager to test their concepts and find a path to commercial sustainability.

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

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

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Design for Remembrance

In my journey to understand and embrace a more balanced approach to design & entrepreneurship, it became clear that so many of the answers already existed 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 still attract millions of visitors, hundreds of years after they were constructed.

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 it inspired. But Sinan’s legacy is not just the beautiful buildings and spaces that he helped create—it was a deep understanding of why.

During construction of a great mosque one day, 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 kids 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 deeper 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 indeed 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 still leaves an important question for today’s designers, aspiring entrepreneurs and spiritually-grounded professionals:  

How might we ‘design for remembrance’, sustainably, in today’s ‘design for distraction’ world?  

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

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