Ameen Mohammed is a senior graphic designer based in Istanbul, Türkiye, with more than 8 years of experience in branding, visual identity, and creative direction. He currently leads the design and video team at Andalusi, a mobile application serving a wide user base across the Gulf region. Alongside his role at Andalusi, he is the founder of two independent ventures: Tagiy, a smart digital identity platform, and Contrast, a creative agency focused on branding and digital design.
But to understand his work, you first have to understand the road that brought him here.
A Journey That Began in 2014
In 2014, when ISIS advanced into Mosul and across northern Iraq, Ameen’s life changed overnight. He was forced to leave his home city and relocate to Erbil to continue his education. That chapter did not last long. Soon after, he made a far bigger decision moving to Turkey in search of stability, work, and the chance to keep learning.
Arriving in a new country with limited resources, he began rebuilding from the ground up.
Education: A Path Built Step by Step
Ameen’s academic journey in Turkey began with a Higher National Diploma (HND) in Information Technology, awarded by Pearson BTEC. While studying IT, he discovered something he hadn’t expected a deep passion for visual design and creative production.
He later continued his studies by completing a BEng (Hons) Software Engineering Top-Up degree at the University of Greater Manchester (formerly the University of Bolton), graduating successfully and marking a major milestone in his academic path. The combination of a technical engineering background with a creative eye is what gives his work its distinct edge today.
From a Modest Laptop to a Creative Career
Ameen’s first real steps into design were taken on a laptop he had originally bought just for his studies. With limited tools and no formal design education, he taught himself the craft project by project. He began collaborating with media and production companies, often working through the night, balancing coursework with creative deadlines.
What started as small freelance jobs slowly grew into a serious creative practice. Each project sharpened his skills, and his technical background gave him an advantage few designers have the ability to think like both an engineer and an artist.
Leading the Visual Direction at Andalusi
Today, one of Ameen’s most significant roles is at Andalusi, a large-scale mobile application with a strong user base across the Gulf region and beyond. He initially joined as a designer, contributing visual assets and improving the user experience.
Over time, he progressed into a leadership role and now leads a team of designers and video editors. His responsibilities include managing the creative workflow, guiding the team, and overseeing the visual direction of campaigns and all visual outputs related to the application. The role has allowed him to combine creativity with leadership, ensuring that every visual asset aligns with the brand’s vision and meets a consistent standard of quality.
Tagiy — Reimagining the Business Card
Outside his role at Andalusi, Ameen is the creator of Tagiy, a smart digital identity platform that uses NFC and QR technology to replace the traditional paper business card. With a single tap or scan, Tagiy users can share their contact details, social profiles, and files instantly. The platform also allows users to collect and organize the connections they make, making it especially useful at networking events and for professionals who want a modern, efficient way to manage their network.
Tagiy reflects Ameen’s broader belief that good design isn’t just visual it should solve a real problem and make people’s lives easier.
Contrast — A Creative Studio with a Clear Voice
Ameen is also behind Contrast, a creative agency project focused on branding, UI/UX design, and visual content for modern businesses and startups. Contrast is built on a simple idea combining strategic thinking with strong visual execution to help brands stand out and communicate clearly.
Through Contrast, he has worked on brand identities, digital experiences, and content campaigns that align both with business goals and audience expectations. It’s where his engineering mind and design instincts come together most directly.
Design Philosophy
“Creativity is always more powerful than whatever tool you might have.”
It’s a sentence that captures his entire journey. Ameen began his career on a basic laptop bought for IT classes, with no design software training and no studio behind him only the conviction that an idea well-shaped will outlast any piece of equipment. That belief still drives the way he works today.
Every project Ameen takes on becomes its own story. Before a single shape is drawn, he reads the brand — its purpose, its voice, the people it speaks to, and the visuals are built from there. The design is never just decoration on top; it’s the story made visible.
For him, design is never decoration. It’s communication the place where strategy, story, and emotion meet. He approaches every project by first understanding the brand: its values, its audience, its goals. Only then does he pick up the tools.
Looking Ahead
Now based in Istanbul a city he describes as full of cultural and creative energy Ameen continues to grow Tagiy, Contrast, and his work at Andalusi in parallel. He hopes his journey can serve as encouragement to young designers, especially those from the Arab region, who may be starting out with limited resources.
His message is simple: the tools matter less than the persistence. He started with a basic laptop and a war-displaced family. Today, he leads creative teams, builds his own products, and shapes the visual identity of a platform used across the Gulf.
Ameen Al Rahma’s story is not just one of design it’s one of resilience. A reminder that with enough patience and discipline, difficult circumstances can become the foundation for real success.
Do follow him on Instagram
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Harneet Singh is a Relationship Manager at UAE Stories, based in Dubai, with over 1.5 years of experience in building meaningful connections across business, real estate, and startup ecosystems. He specializes in identifying impactful journeys and turning them into compelling stories that resonate with a global audience. Known for his clear communication and people-first approach, Harneet plays a key role in bringing authentic voices to the platform, helping entrepreneurs and professionals share their vision, growth, and success with the world.
