We speak to millennial entrepreneurs and NCA graduate Ammal Naeem and her partner Eman about their new design studio called Outcomes.
Tell us a little about Outcomes.
It started with the vision to create value based designs and find likeminded designers willing to explore the realm of creativity. The idea is to remain free of mental barriers when designing so that the creative mind is given the space to flourish and create designs that are new and authentic.
What are your backgrounds?
Ammal: I did bachelors in architecture from NCA.
Eman: I have done my BBA from FAST.
Who came up with the idea?
Ammal: It’s been a combined desire for both of us wanting to start a venture that would support our collective vision. I wanted to bring my designs to life which I had been designing since my student life at NCA.
Eman: I wanted to use my skills of marketing to promote new ideas.
What are your roles?
Ammal: Since we want the design studio to be a space for all creative minds to be able to express themselves, we both act as designers simultaneously working on evolving the entire concept. I primarily I focus on the design element and where as Eman focuses more on the finances and the marketing. The production is a combined effort and we wouldn’t be able to handle one without the other.
Do you think your time at NCA helped you get an edge over other designers/architects?
Studying architecture from NCA taught me to question every design I came up with. The question ‘why?’ had a major impact on me as I was taught to question everything I did and why I did it. It liberated me and led me to spend time with myself to figure out what I was truly passionate about.
How are you able to use social media as a tool for your business?
Social media has the power of reaching a far greater audience than ever possible before. We are not limited to our geographical boundaries and can reach a lot more people all around the globe. It also has provided us the opportunity to start small and test our designs out before we decide to take this on a larger platform.
What advice would you give other young people like yourselves who are thinking about starting their own ventures?
As far as we have come we believe that it is paramount that you are passionate about what you are doing. We know that it has been said to death by now but there are so many hurdles that come with starting a new venture and if you’re not passionate about what you’re doing, it’ll be very hard to get through those difficult periods.
Any last comments for your readers?
As much as it brings us happiness to be able to share it in this form with you, our struggle, especially as women working in a predominantly male dominated field (vendors, contractors etc.) has been substantial. We want to appreciate all those who became a part of the journey leading to the first collection. Here’s to hoping for a future that makes it easier for women to come out and be able to explore their creative side!
