This project was developed as part of my internship at El Botik, where I worked alongside the El Botik team to design merchandise for the Maritime Heritage Festival. The aim was to create visuals that honor the UAE’s maritime history while remaining accessible, contemporary, and wearable.

The designs draw from maritime symbols and coastal culture such as boats, ropes, movement, and labor, translating them into simplified graphic elements that could live across different merchandise formats. Rather than approaching heritage as something distant or static, the project treats it as a living visual language that continues to shape everyday life in the UAE.

Working collaboratively, I contributed to concept development, illustration, and visual direction, ensuring the designs balanced cultural reference with clarity and production feasibility. The merch was designed to be functional, collectible, and engaging for a wide audience attending the festival.

This project reflects my interest in applied design within cultural contexts, especially how heritage can be communicated through everyday objects. It also represents my experience working within a studio environment, adapting my visual voice to a shared process while maintaining conceptual intention.