Bio Etc.

Nermin is a brand alchemist—a designer, creative director, and whole-hearted champion for form, function and care. She is Design Director and co-founder at Field of Practice, a women-owned branding studio grounded in design without ego.

Syrian-born and fluent in Arabic, Nermin has helmed numerous bilingual brands and campaigns, locally and globally. She’s led boundary-breaking brands and campaigns for Watermelon Pictures, Dentologie, Planned Parenthood, Terra Foundation for American Art, and the School of the Art Institute Chicago, with work recognized by the STA 100, Typewolf, Brand New, Communication Arts, and Fast Company Innovation by Design. 

Nermin was featured in New City’s Design 50 for her leadership in Chicago’s creative community, which includes co-chairing Typeforce, an annual typographic art show; co-founding The Watermelon Tee, an apparel line supporting displaced families in Palestine; and regular guest lectures in classrooms and conferences across the city and country. She’s spoken at Brand New, First Round, and User Journey, the Society of Typographic Arts podcast. 

She holds a BSc in Visual Communications from the American University of Sharjah (UAE), and an MFA in Interdisciplinary Arts, Media and Design from OCAD University. She lives in Chicago, where she takes every opportunity to kayak on the river with her son.

Awards + Recognition

2026 — STA 100
2025 — Comm Arts Interactive Award
2025 — Comm Arts Design Shortlist
2025 — STA 100
2025 — STA 100 Judge’s Prize
2025 — Webby Honoree, Websites
2024 — Chicago Design Archive
2023 — Communication Arts Fresh
2023 — Interview on Underscore Podcast
2020 — Brand New-Best Wordmarks
2020 — STA 100, Typeforce 11
2020 — FastCo Innovation by Design
2020 — Brand New, Onward
2019 — STA 100, Letters to Myself
2019 — STA 100, TDC Welcome Kit
2019 — Communication Arts, TDC
2019 — Typewolf, TDC website
2019 — Site Inspire, TDC Website
2019 — Typewolf, Onward website
2011 — Arabesque II, Gestalten
2011 — Microsoft Design Expo winner

Talks + Exhibitions

2026 — STA Transitions Conference, Chicago
2025 — Designers in Context, Columbia Chi
2025 — Designing Wellness, Columbia Chi
2024 — Faculty Magazine

2024 — Confronting Design, CGDC
2024 — Design as Activism, IIT
2024 — Core 77 International Design Awards, Jury
2024 — DePaul University School of Graphic Design
2024 — Columbia College, Chicago
2023 — STA 100, Judge
2023 — Brand New Conference, Austin
2021 — Indiana University Northwest Speaker
2020 — AIGA WM Design Week Keynote
2020 — WMU Design Symposium
2020 — Typeforce 11, Chicago
2019 — Type Tales, Chicago
2019 — First Round Conference
2019 — Columbia College, Chicago
2019 — Embarc, Chicago
2017 — Typeforce 8, Chicago
2015 — MonOrchid, Phoenix
2012 — Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto

Capabilities + Services