The One Where We Meet the TMV Team E01—Interview with the Creative Co-Director

The One Where We Interview The Muslim Voice’s Creative Co-Director
Interview by: Yumna Khan

The Muslim Voice is a team of thoughtful, dedicated and creative Muslims. Any of the work produced by TMV is a collective effort composed of unique individuals who aspire to capture the Muslim voice. The blog team has interviewed one of the creative co-directors on this year’s executive board, Nadeen Naqaweh, to gain insight into her work for TMV; specifically the graphic design for fall 2023’s Legacy issue. 

Blog Team: What is your role within TMV?
Naqaweh: I am one of the Creative Co-Directors at TMV; I am in charge of the graphic design for articles, editing layout and overseeing creative decisions for the magazine. 

Blog Team: What is your creative process when working for TMV? What went into the graphic design for the Fall 2023 Legacy issue?
​Naqaweh: My creative process begins with reading the prompts provided by the writers, listing some of the imagery that I associate with the topics, and then thinking about how I can create a theme for this article, one that stands out on its own. The creative team usually has a theme set in advance, but I don’t necessarily think about the theme at the prompt stage, I  primarily focus on what the writer wants to convey. After I have all my thoughts listed out, I survey my team’s inspiration board and start drafting up a colour scheme, repeating motifs, and art style. When the prompts turn into fully composed articles, I read them with particular attention to how my brain creates images, and for lack of better words, the vibes of the article. From there, I figured out the font, colours, images, and overall design for the article through a lot of trial and error; until I achieved something that I love. However, graphic design is very much a collaborative effort. I am constantly showing my progress to my team, who give me input with a fresh set of eyes, and who always give me a new platform to jump off on. ​

Blog Team: If you have one message to the University of Toronto student body, what would it be? 
Naqaweh: We are all feeling drained during these bleak times, but it is vital that we keep ourselves steady so that we can continue to fight for the Palestinian cause. Don’t feel selfish for having an escape, a coping mechanism, or just something that makes you feel like you again. Don’t fall into the trap of feeling like you are doing less than others around you, or that you should compare your emotions to someone else’s. Only you know what is in your heart, but most importantly, Allah SWT knows what is in your heart, and He is indeed all-hearing, all-seeing.

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