Lara Assouad, Executive Creative Director at Landor Middle East is part of our "Women to Watch" series
What does creativity mean to you?
Creativity is a mindset—a way of approaching life in general, and a means of tackling and solving problems.
How did you find your calling in the depths of creativity?
I’ve been fortunate to grow up in a household full of tools of all sorts. My mother is a floral artisan who works with couture fashion designers, and my father is an electronics engineer. Both are tinkerers and makers by nature, providing an infinite supply of tools and materials for my wandering imagination.
I made dolls out of wool yarn, sandals out of cardboard and fabric strips, canvas backpacks, and pencil cases. Eventually, I started working with leather, making hand-stitched leather bags, hand-bound books, and designing my own furniture.
Studying graphic design felt like a natural continuation of the world I grew up in. Four years ago, I discovered wheel pottery, which has allowed me to explore another aspect of three-dimensional design and expand my ever-growing toolkit.
Can you tell us exactly what it is you do in your current role?
At Landor, as the Executive Creative Director for the MENA region, I lead a talented team of 2D designers. We collaborate with professionals from various disciplines across the company to create brands that tell engaging stories and solve complex problems through design, delivering a differentiating business impact that drives preference.
Research shows how gender could play a part in shaping personality-influenced creativity. Do you think women contribute differently to the creative industry than men? If so, how?
I cannot speak from a research-informed perspective. Personally, I’ve always refused to qualify any individual’s creative output based on gender or gender-related attributes. A good creative, regardless of gender, needs curiosity, open-mindedness, humility, empathy, and a good sense of humor. Beyond that, every individual brings their life experiences and stories into their approach to designing and creating.
What do you think are the key qualities or skills that have contributed to your success in the creative industry?
A tabula rasa [the mind in its hypothetical primary blank or empty state before receiving outside impressions] approach to designing. Starting with a clean slate, always approaching with humility, openness, and curiosity to find solutions tailored to the problem at hand. Combine that with an innate stubbornness and tenacity!
In what ways do you think the creative landscape in the MENA region is unique, and how do you incorporate regional influences into your work?
We have a rich cultural and visual heritage in this region, but for the longest time, it has played a secondary role in contemporary design communication. The mainstream perception has been that the ‘western’ approach to design is the only ‘modern’ way, while Middle Eastern/Islamic art aesthetics are seen as too traditional or ‘uncool.’
Many design professionals here have had a Western-led education. It’s time to create work inspired by the region’s culture and visual arts that moves beyond the ‘heritage’ and ‘traditional’ narrative. We can celebrate our heritage and roots in fresh, contemporary ways.
What are some of the biggest challenges you have faced as a woman in the creative industry, and how have you overcome them?
The challenges aren’t limited to the creative industries. Growing up, there was an expectation for women to be more diplomatic, less direct, and less forward. I feel it’s time to treat people as individuals whose contributions are influenced by their talent, capabilities, and personal journeys—not by gender.
I’m happy to work at Landor, a place that has always encouraged difference and fostered an environment where everyone feels empowered to have their own voice.
What role do you think culture plays in your creative process and the stories you tell through your work?
My sense of cultural identity has always been an ongoing subject of exploration and internal debate.
I was born in Canada to Lebanese parents. I spoke Lebanese Arabic, French, and English from a young age. When my parents moved back to Lebanon, I was five, and I refused to speak Arabic, rejecting this new world I felt had been imposed on me. I went through school hating Arabic and everything related to it, despite speaking the language fluently.
It wasn’t until university, thanks to an inspiring teacher and mentor, poet and artist Samir Sayegh, that I discovered the fascinating world of Islamic art, sacred geometry, and Arabic calligraphy. I fell in love with Arabic letters, early manuscripts, and their almost Japanese minimalist aesthetic.
Over the years, working with people from different cultures and nationalities around the globe has helped me forge my own sense of cultural identity. I’ve learned to articulate this in my work, designing from a perspective informed by my own history and culture.
Do you think amateur women entering this field of work need mentorship, or is this industry best embraced by self-taught professionals?
It’s more about training and empowering women to think of themselves as self-sufficient and self-reliant individuals, capable of growing and contributing equally to the professional environment.
Equip them with what society and culture often fail to teach women growing up (especially in this region): a sense of control over their own lives, free from patriarchal influence.
When we, as a society, hold everyone—regardless of gender—to the same standards, responsibility, and rigor, that’s when we start talking about equal opportunities and force a much-needed change in the narrative.
What would be your two cents to women aspiring to be where you are today?
Be brave. Have the strength and courage of your own convictions, but be open-minded enough to reevaluate them constantly.
Don’t be afraid to be different. People, like brands, need to stand out. If you sound, dress, or live the same as everyone else, your chances of standing out are slimmer.
Be mindful of the society and culture you come from, but don’t be afraid to forge your own path and make your own choices—even if they differ from societal expectations.
Be single-minded. Be kind, authentic, genuine, and tenacious.
