Min Bu Dhabi: Reimagining Urban Merchandise Through Everyday Visual Culture

Urban merchandise. It is a unique intersection between cultural heritage and modernity. In the U.A.E., it is inspired by a history rooted in nomadic heritage and maritime trade; a complex history that, according to 2026 Alumnus Batool Al Tameemi, has been flattened with a visual direction that focuses more on “desert romanticism or ‘Aladdin like’ aesthetics”. In her Capstone project Min Bu Dhabi, Batool takes on the challenge of not only improving aesthetics, but also directing authentic Emirati representation. Through urban merchandise and an Arab pop art lens, she investigates the connection between the city and the object, whilst designing her own selection of merchandise under the name, Min Bu Dhabi.

The project started with the process of observation and collection. Throughout sites in Abu Dhabi Island, Bani Yas and Al Ain, Batool documented visual reference through image and package collection. She isolated recurring patterns, colours and structures, and translated these findings into digital and physical prototypes. The visual identity of the project was derived from the city’s street signage, and the Arabic logotype was developed in collaboration with Wissam Shawkat, calligrapher and founder of Diwan al Wissam. 

Batool then moved to the creation process, carefully selecting a range of merchandise she could create, each to be “carried and encountered differently”. She created a range of bag charms, inspired by the everyday environments within mainland Abu Dhabi, particularly Hamdan Street, Electra Street and the Tourist Club Area. The bag charms include pieces inspired by perfume shops, local flora, as well as street animals such as cats and the common myna bird, bringing together everyday happenings in charms you can carry wherever you go. She also created a series of badges inspired by local consumer products like Laban Up, Oman Chips, and so forth, found in the region’s baqalas. Drawing on the power of visual memory, she utilises their iconic branding and transforms them into wearable objects.

Batool’s next collection is a T-shirt series inspired by an initiative taken by the Department of Culture and Tourism called “Abu Dhabi Urban Treasures”. She uses this narrative to focus on selected locations around the island, including Abu Al Afwal, Nasr Al Deen Perfumes, Rubu Zahla Fruits and Vegetables, and the Abu Dhabi Pottery Establishment, places discovered through “routine movement rather than destination”. The designs invite these establishments to be encountered outside of their physical location, through wearable garments. 

Batool also explores the architectural landscape of Abu Dhabi, using its repeated forms and geometric patterns to create a series of tote bags and notebooks, as well as special fridge magnets inspired by the Al Sha’abi doors in Al Ain. The Hilux collection features the iconic Toyota Hilux, commonly seen in the city’s urban and surrounding regions. Finally, she explores native plants in her UAE Local Flowers collection, illustrating them on fabric, allowing them to be carried and used. All the final deliverables were produced locally through facilities within Abu Dhabi.

The whole project deserved its own visual identity, and Batool designed a bilingual logotype for it, inspired by the blue and red street signs of Abu Dhabi. The renowned calligrapher Wissam Shawkat generously granted usage of his eponymous style for the Arabic logomark.

Created in a period of uncertainty and regional conflict, this Capstone project served as an homage towards the city that Batool holds dear to her heart. In her words, “Abu Dhabi is not presented as a singular image, but as something layered, distributed, and continuously unfolding through everyday visual culture”. Min Bu Dhabi allows all of us to see this city through a new yet familiar visual language, tied strongly to the things, people, and places that make this city home to us all.

‍