Pentagram, a global design agency has appointed Samar Maakaroun as Partner.
Now based in London, she is the third woman to make partner at Pentagram’s London office.
She joins a list of Pentagram partners past and present including Alan Fletcher, Kenneth Grange, Peter Saville, Michael Bierut, Marina Willer and Paula Scher.
Samar worked in the design industry for over 15 years, leading projects with major studios, including coining the first integrated destination brand for Dubai with M&C Saatchi in 2015.
She also collaborated with Apple to launch their brand in Arabic across digital, retail and print in 2017.
Samar previously collaborated with Pentagram, leading various expansive projects, notably rebranding the Abu Dhabi Media portfolio with Angus Hyland, and later bringing the Diriyah City brand to life with Domenic Lippa.
She believes in embracing the fluidity and nuances of identity, seeing complexity as a source of creative inspiration.
Her work explores the space in between, where cultures and languages intersect, integrate, align or diverge.
“When I was studying at the American University of Beirut, we always referenced Pentagram as a creative benchmark.
Today, it feels both gratifying and surreal to join this amazing community of design giants. I can’t wait to see what the next few years will look like.” adds Samar.
Pentagram has a unique partner-owned business model where every partner is a creative practitioner, runs their own team and works directly with their clients.
This model has equipped the business to navigate changes in the design, cultural and commercial landscapes, with new partners bringing new skills and fresh viewpoints to the table.
Specialising in designing for hybrid brands, Samar’s team speaks seven languages and spans three generations, working to fluidly integrate worlds, cultures and languages across naming, brand strategy, brand systems and identities.
Marina Willer, Partner at Pentagram, said: “Samar is a wonderful designer who will bring a breath of fresh air to Pentagram.
“She thinks and works differently to all of us because of her unique cultural mix, approaching design simultaneously in Latin and Arabic alphabets. It’s very exciting to add her perspective to Pentagram.’
