This month, we're bringing you exciting updates from the field, including our collaboration with the International Rescue Committee in Nigeria, insights from our focus group discussions on digital usage of women in Islamabad, and a deep dive into our work with CarSwitch. Plus, get a glimpse at what our team has been up to this month. Let’s dive in!

🗓️ This Month at Ideate

• Exploring New Frontiers: This January, Ideate traveled to Nigeria to collaborate with the International Rescue Committee (IRC) on developing a user-friendly tool to guide budgeting and program planning for malnutrition treatment. We’re excited to share more about this impactful project soon—stay tuned!

• In the Field: We conducted insightful focus group discussions on the Digital Pakistan Initiative with women in Islamabad in collaboration with Karandaaz. The conversations focused on how digitizing government services could address key female-centric needs, such as access to digital health services, financial tools, and government platforms. These discussions highlighted opportunities to strengthen public digital infrastructure to better serve women and their communities.

• Fostering Design Education: January was a month of inspiration and exchange for our team. Our designers Umair and Ahmed participated in juries at universities like BNU in Lahore and NUST in Islamabad, offering feedback and connecting with the next generation of designers. Our researcher Manahil also joined a Gather by ND2C event, engaging with Pakistan’s vibrant design community in Karachi.

• Shaping the Future of Graduate Employability: Ali Murtaza, Partner at Ideate, co-moderated sessions in Karachi and Lahore with the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication (MoITT), tackling the employability challenges of Pakistan’s IT graduates. He also attended a similar session in Islamabad by the Higher Education Commission (HEC). These discussions are part of a larger effort to connect academia with industry. In the coming weeks, action plans will be created to implement high-impact solutions, ensuring graduates are better prepared for success in the global tech economy.

🔎 Project Spotlight 

Driving a Unified Brand Experience for CarSwitch

We partnered with CarSwitch, a UAE-based online car marketplace, to carry out a rebranding and enhance their user experience. From crafting a comprehensive brand book to redesigning their web and mobile platforms, we ensured a cohesive brand identity and seamless functionality. Post-launch, we refined their premium feature, SafeSwitch, boosting user engagement and conversions.

CarSwitch now stands out with a unified, user-friendly experience, driving stronger brand loyalty and recognition. Read the full case study here.

Want to create a seamless brand experience for your business? Contact Ahmed Hashmi, Head of Experience Design, at [email protected].

🍪 Bite-sized Insights

• Our work with CarSwitch highlighted that when users are making important purchases, clarity in information is essential—nothing should ever be assumed. To enhance this, we ensured that each car listing provided clear definitions for CarSwitch’s three buttons—SafeSwitch, SelfSwitch, and Dealer—by displaying a detailed table when the user clicked on them. This approach not only improved transparency but also empowered users to make more informed decisions with confidence.

• Chinese automakers are reshaping branding strategies in the automotive sector by integrating cultural influences into their design processes. For example, Audi’s rebranding in China, shifting from the iconic four rings to a streamlined “AUDI” logo, reflects a growing trend among global brands to localize identities while staying agile to market demands. This approach highlights the power of blending cultural relevance with global appeal​​. ¹

🍿 This Month’s Top Picks

📖 Reading: Yellowface by R.F. Kuang

📺 Watching: J. Kenji López-Alt’s Food Channel

📻 Listening to: Are Your Memories Real by Hidden Brain

📣 Community Shoutouts

Finqalab is changing the game in Pakistan’s financial world with its easy-to-use online trading platform. Whether it’s seamless account opening or hassle-free investing, Finqalab makes it simple and accessible for everyone to start their investment journey. But they’re not just about trading—they’re about informed decision-making. That’s why they run Finqalab Academy and have a WhatsApp community, offering guidance and education to investors. Want to start your financial journey? Check out Finqalab’s platform today!

📮 Let’s Work Together

At Ideate, collaboration isn’t just a value—it’s at the heart of everything we do. Whether you’re looking to collaborate or want to explore how human-centered design can help your work, we’re all ears. Let’s brainstorm together:

Ali Murtaza, Partner & Chief Design Officer– [email protected]

Or write to us on Instagram or LinkedIn! We're excited to see how we can work together.

Citations

^{1.Marshall, A. (2024, December 12). Audi’s rebrand in China points to bigger changes in the auto industry. WIRED. https://www.wired.com/story/audi-china-rebrand-four-rings-logo/}