Inside FEW Issue 2: a collaborative design approach to celebrating the Finnish Somali diaspora — The Brand Identity – Home of the Greatest in Graphic & Brand Design
A conversation starter and a bridge between Finland’s majority population and minority groups, FEW is a magazine that centres on marginalised groups, where a representative of the featured community curates each issue. Through interviews, stories, and visuals, it strives to close gaps between cultures, challenge stereotypes, and foster understanding. Under the direction of guest Editor-in-Chief and human rights activist Ujuni Ahmed, the second issue brings unique perspectives on Somali culture to light, reshaping its portrayal in Finnish media.
The design team – consisting of Marina Veziko, Tino Nyman, Tytti Halonen, and Matilda Diletta – collaborated closely with Ahmed, who, during in-depth discussions regarding the culture and history of the Somali diaspora in Finland, identified key themes for the magazine to explore and selected individuals from the community to feature.
From its content to its graphic design and art direction, every element of the issue presents a refreshed narrative about the Finnish Somali diaspora since, “in Finland,” Marina Veziko tells us, “minority cultures are often depicted in a stigmatised and stereotypical way.” With the visual workload – project management, layout, art direction, and marketing – split evenly between the four creatives, it was a fully collaborative effort. “For the layout, for example, we divided the articles among the four of us, each taking on three to four articles,” Veziko adds.
By fusing traditional aesthetic elements of Somali culture and contemporary graphic design, FEW captures and conveys the warmth, beauty, and humour of the Finnish-Somali diaspora. For example, traditional Somali clothing features a rich, beautiful, and colourful aesthetic, which is reflected in the magazine’s design. This is particularly evident in the choice of gold and silver accents in Pantone and foil stamping, which nod to Somali wedding traditions, “where bold and abundant gold accessories play a significant role in the overall look,” Nyman tells us.
Each issue features a variable logo tailored to the theme, and for this issue, the logo design (commissioned from Jaakko Suomalainen, who also designed the inaugural issue’s logo) draws loose inspiration from ancient Somali scripts and the Arabic cultural influence in Somalia but ultimately leans toward abstraction. “We love the idea of the logo being nearly unreadable,” Veziko notes, “abstract and artistic. The idea of unreadability symbolises how minorities and their unique cultures are often perceived through the eyes of the majority.”
A primary challenge in crafting the magazine’s visual identity was merging expressive typography with striking imagery – take ITC’s luxuriously ornate Young Baroque or the commanding presence of Commercial Type’s Feature Display, for starters. Some stories feature bold, playful typography, while others emphasise strong visuals with a more restrained yet experimental layout. The team’s main aim was to highlight the unique essence of each story through appropriate design choices.
“For instance, in the story about a children’s author,” Nyman points out, “we emphasised his playful approach through the layout and the lighthearted photos taken of him, making the design feel almost childlike. Meanwhile, the elegance of the Somali wedding tradition was brought to life with a more refined font choice and a gold-accented colour scheme, enhancing its sense of sophistication within the magazine’s design.”