Usman Saleemi is a creative professional based out of Dubai, working on bringing global and local brands closer to the region, one magic, disruptive moment at a time. He describes himself a designer working on any platform or channel that it takes to help commerce tap into and add value to cultural currents. Educated and raised in the US, Pakistan, Denmark, and Singapore, he has an undergrad in Communication Design and considers himself a happy, curious outsider wherever he goes, staying in a country til he can scratch the surface of its soul. His work has been recognized at the Cannes Lions, One Show, and the Dubai Lynx, and featured in global press such as High Snobiety, Hypebeast, CNN, Mille, Vogue, NPR, and top news media in the Middle East, South Asia and North America. He is best known for creating experiences, powerful spacial design, insightful campaign strategy, and impactful brands comms, ads, content, and identities.

He is currently the Creative Director at sweetwater MEA, where he leads a multidisciplinary creative team. His focus is on helping the team constantly push themselves to produce surprising, meaningful, impactful work for brands, all while having a bit of fun and mixing work with a playful sensibility that is nonetheless results oriented and effective.

  • Advertising

    I’ve worked in the advertising industries of the Middle East and South Asia for 12+ years. I’m obsessed with how brands communicate with people, and use my disappointment with how inauthentic that exchange can be to try and change things for the better - to make brands more human, and make people have a bigger part in co-creating with brands they care about. From digital marketing, to activations, and good old fashioned print, video, and copy, I bring it together to make impact.

  • Graphic design

    No matter what, I’m a designer first. From being the focus of my undergrad BFA in Visual Communication Design to being a major part of my day to day work, I love the craft, creativity, and design chops it takes to make a graphic shine with meaning and visual resonance.

  • Creative direction

    I’ve been in senior creative management roles for much of my career. From running a digital creative team early on, to being a lead UX/UI designer for mobile games, to my current (and major) focus in creative direction for the advertising, design, and experiential industries, I work with people to find an intersection between their most selfish creative desires (what do you personally want to make?) with the goals of the company (what do we need to do, together, to help brands achieve results?)

  • Strategy

    A wise man once told me that creatives need to think more like strategists - and I took that to heart, because it resonated with what I believe and is core to my creative work: that an idea is only relevant if it really taps into the intersection of where the consumer is, the brand is, the culture is, and by creative professionals having the guts to dream what could be.

  • Creative community

    From curating art and design exhibitions in developing nations, to making sure to highlight, include, co-create with, collaborate with, promote, and champion local creativity wherever I’ve lived, I’m a passionate believer that agencies need to work with artists and independent creatives, and use their relationships with brands to help find a sweet spot for the two - to co-create with and foster the communities that enrich contemporary culture. If you’re a creator and want to work with the many amazing brands I represent - get in touch.

  • Activation & events

    I’m definitely not an event planner, but I definitely do leverage ‘the moment’ and the magic of meaningful occasions to make an impact for the brands and communities I work with. My love for architecture comes to life in my extensive experience with spacial design, temporary architectural structures, and detailed art direction of activation and event spaces to tell a story. All rooted within the art & science of creating the perfect journey across channels.