When you close your eyes and picture a city, what likely comes to mind first are the iconic landmarks, such as the architecture, the bustling streets, and the destinations that draw tourists in. But, if you linger a little longer, the image begins to shift and subtler details emerge: the daily life of its people, the warmth of its community spaces, and the nuances that give a city its soul.
It starts to feel less like a postcard for strangers and more like a framed photo resting in the corner of your home. Each time you walk by and glance at it, you are reminded of how the city shaped you, and of its people who welcomed you in.
This is the vision that guides designers when taking on the challenge of city branding: to create a visual identity that also speaks to the people who live there, not just to the tourists. As many marketing experts agree, when people feel seen, they are more likely to engage and contribute to shaping the future of their cities.
That deeper sense of place is what Egyptian designer Jannah Abdellatif set out to capture in her branding project for Fayoum, a lush, historic oasis tucked away just outside Cairo. What started as a university assignment on place branding quickly became something more personal, a vision she now hopes to bring to life in collaboration with local authorities.
“I had just come back from a visit to Fayoum with my grandmother,” she shares. “We spent time in the Tunis Village, and I just fell in love with it. It’s a place that offers everything: nature, culture, and history and feels like a peaceful retreat from the chaos of Cairo.”
It was that particular emotional connection that she wanted to translate through design. “As someone not from Fayoum, I felt a huge sense of responsibility. I didn’t want it to feel like I was gentrifying or reducing the place to a trend. That pressure made me approach the project thoughtfully, almost cautiously at first.”
From the beginning, her focus was clear: let the existing culture lead the design. This is especially because Fayoum’s culture is inseparable from its craftsmanship, particularly its pottery, which has become a symbol of its identity. In the village of Tunis, local artisans use clay from nearby Lake Qarun, shaping and firing it using traditional techniques passed down through generations.
“I knew the traditional patterns and motifs had to be at the heart of it. They’re not just decorative but markers of identity, lived experience, and craftsmanship passed down through generations,” she added.
She designed a custom typeface where each letter had meaning. The “A” takes the form of the Burj Hamam, one of the pigeon towers seen throughout the region. The “O” draws from the pottery wheel, a nod to the ceramics workshops that define life in the Tunis Village. Even the colors are drawn from nature itself: terracotta from the clay, deep blues from the water, and soft greens from the farmland.
To make the branding practical and flexible, Abdellatif also created modular design elements from recurring local patterns. “I wanted it to be adaptable, something that could live on a shop sign, a coaster, a festival poster, or a social media post. But no matter where it appeared, it would still feel like Fayoum.”
She also thought carefully about how to strike a balance between tradition and contemporary design, highlighting Fayoum’s heritage without overshadowing it or reinventing its original identity.
“The people of Fayoum have already done the hard work of cultivating this beautiful aesthetic,” she says. “I just translated it into a visual language that could work within the framework of place branding.”
When done right, city branding can build local pride, bring in tourism and investment, and create a sense of unity across neighborhoods. One of the most famous examples is Milton Glaser’s I ❤ NY logo. Designed in the 1970s during a tough time for New York City, it did not just attract tourists, it also sparked a wave of pride among locals. Even decades later, it still means something to the people who live there.
That kind of impact is what Abdellatif hopes for. “This project is incredibly close to my heart,” she says.
“I would love for it to evolve beyond a university brief. I hope to one day collaborate with local artisans and communities to bring this branding to life in a way that genuinely reflects the people and spirit of Fayoum.”
