Dragoman breakthrough brands

Discipline: Brand guidelines

  • xCube Access

    xCube Access

    xCube Access

    From market access to growth advisory

    THE CHALLENGE

    As part of xCubes vision to improve the overall competitiveness of capital markets in Dubai, the company created a new advisory platform for the market. The platform connected advisors and investors, providing both with optimal opportunities for growth. The new brand need to represent the growing ecosystem at xCube whilst being relevant to the new offers target audience.

    HOW WE WORKED

    We worked with the leadership team of xCube to develop brand propositions that explored the extension of the xCube brand whilst building a credible and relevant offer for the advisory platforms target audience. The propositions explored the use and extension of the xCube name, brand identity and specific personality, positioning and messaging for the new brand. 

    THE SOLUTION

    We landed at the optimal solution, developing a name, unique brand identity and messaging house that laid an agile platform for the launch of xCube Access to the advisory community and then later to the investor community. 

    OUR DELIVERABLES

    Brand Positioning
    Brand name 
    Brand Identity
    Visual System
    Company prospectus

  • Ignyte

    Ignyte

    Ignyte

    From startup platform to global growth partner.

    THE CHALLENGE

    Ignyte needed a brand that matched its ambition: to be more than a platform, to be a global growth partner for startups. The challenge was to create a brand that captured the spark of bold ideas while inspiring trust, scale, and impact.

    HOW WE WORKED

    We partnered with Ignyte’s leadership to align the brand with their vision for the future of business. Through workshops and iterative collaboration, we refined the story, positioning, and identity to communicate clarity, creativity, and confidence. Together, we crafted a narrative and visual identity to connect with founders locally, regionally and globally.

    THE SOLUTION

    We created a clear story and confident brand identity that captures the spark of bold ideas and the ambition and vision of founders and startups. The brand is dynamic, combing technology greys with inspiring brighter yellows that demonstrate the dynamic nature of business and the aspiration of entrepreneurs. As with the business of the future, the brand is agile and versatile, easily adapting to different content requirements.

    OUR DELIVERABLES

    Brand Positioning
    Brand Identity
    Brand Sonic
    Messaging Framework
    Brand Guidelines

    THE RESULTS

    Ignyte relaunched with a brand that speaks to ambition and possibility:

    The future of business is;
    Empowering.

    Innovative.

    Transformational.

    Exponential.

    The future is here.

  • Leap

    Leap

    Leap

    From financial services to startup community

    THE CHALLENGE

    The brand had to achieve two key objectives; appeal to the startup and founders community and support DIFC’s innovation journey.

    HOW WE WORKED

    We used Leap’s “Hyper Driven” philosophy as the anchor, then designed the brandmark, typography, colour, graphic language, tone of voice, messaging and values so every element pointed to smarter, faster, safer business growth. We kept language crisp and operational, avoiding fluff. 

    THE SOLUTION

    We defined Leap as “the growth platform to accelerate and scale your business smarter, faster, and safer,” with a brandmark that captures forward motion, a flexible graphic system that uses colour and movement to signal momentum, and a tone of voice that is clear, intelligent, inspiring and confident. The message house emphasises the DIFC ecosystem of capital, talent and community and the values operationalise the brand through agility, delivery, energy and inquisitiveness. 

    The future of business is;
    Hyper driven,
    Hyper innovative and
    Hyper connected
    The future is here.

    OUR DELIVERABLES

    Brand positioning and narrative 

    Brandmark, typography, colour and graphic language system 

    Tone of voice guidelines and message house 

    Values and behaviours 

    Brand applications toolkit and Brand guidelines 

    THE RESULTS

    Leap now has a cohesive, future-facing brand that is simple to use and consistent in market: a dynamic identity that signals acceleration, a concise voice that talks like the audience, and messages that make the DIFC community’s advantages clear. 

  • DIFC

    DIFC

    DIFC

    From financial services to economic innovator

    “Dragoman was instrumental in driving the first full re brand of DIFC since its inception in 2004. As an extension of our team, we were able to re position the centre from a traditional financial service brand to an innovation brand with the full buy in from stakeholders. Successful awareness campaign to support the repositioning of mother brand as well as sub brands was developed by Dragoman from overall creative conception, video, copy, online and print. Projects are always approached with enthusiasm, care and a focus to deliver on-time with quality. Having regional experience with similar government and semi government entities, the Dragoman team were able to understand our requirements and help us push boundaries in a respectful and considerate way”

    Mahmoud Nsouli Senior Vice President – Marketing & Corporate Communications 

    THE CHALLENGE

    DIFC needed to reposition itself from a financial hub to a holistic business and lifestyle destination while maintaining relevance for large financial corporations and emerging technology firms.

    HOW WE WORKED

    Dragoman developed a dynamic brand strategy, balancing DIFC’s corporate heritage with a forward-thinking identity that appealed to financial and technology sectors alike.

    THE SOLUTION

    A refreshed brand proposition, visual language, and launch campaign were developed to establish DIFC as a center of innovation and business growth.

    OUR DELIVERABLES

    Brand positioning
    Brand strategy
    Brand architecture
    Brand communication 
    Brand guidelines
    Brand management

    THE RESULTS

    The rebranding positioned DIFC as a future-ready financial and business hub, attracting both corporate and startup communities.

  • DIFC FinTech Hive

    DIFC FinTech Hive

    DIFC Fintech Hive

    Imagine it forward

    ——

    Project overview

    The FinTech Hive brand was no longer representative of the business or the every shifting fintech industry. DIFC was also in the middle of re-evaluating its brand and creating a brand portfolio structure to leverage the success of each of the entities and create a platform for business growth and new customer acquisition.

    ——

    What we did

    We engaged with leading global start-ups to assess the current brand and refined the audience segments and positioning. The brand needed to speak to a much younger and more dynamic entrepreneurial audience. Additionally the start-ups were looking for a greater link to the credibility of the DIFC brand.

    ‘DIFC’ was added to the brand name and the new DIFC FinTech Hive identity used the corporate font and diamond graphic for instant recognition.

    The vibrant colour palette and dynamic angular visual language bought the brand to life  through animation in digital and social media channels, creating a dynamic and colourful brand that is represent of the Hive’s energy and agile approach to problem solving.

    ——

    PROJECT DELIVERABLES

    Insights
    Brand strategy
    Brand architecture
    Brand assets
    Design systems
    Brand communication
    Brand management

    ——

  • Royal Commission for Makkah City and Holy Sites (RCMC)

    Royal Commission for Makkah City and Holy Sites (RCMC)

    Royal Commission  for Makkah City and Holy Sites

    A renewed experience  

    THE CHALLENGE 

    In 2018, the Royal Commission for Makkah City and Holy Sites (RCMC) was established by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Dragoman was appointed to create the identity, design systems and all brand assets. This was then approved at the highest level by HRH Salman bin Abdulaziz Al–Saud, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques.   

    As a new brand and organisation, it was imperative for extensive brand guidelines to be created to ensure the consistent rollout of the brand, both internally and across external communications.  

    THE SOLUTION

    The guidelines introduced the brand strategy and showcased how to use the RCMC brand assets correctly and confidently. It also influenced how they speak as an organisation and will be used long term to assist in the development of their company culture.   

    The document includes all guidelines around the new brand identity, to ensure it is used with the utmost respect and always reproduced using the official artwork files.  

    The identity guidelines were supported by a unified set of brand assets and a colour palette that are distinctively RCMC. These allow the brand to visually express itself while staying coherent and considered.  

    Additionally, photography was used as the primary method of visual brand storytelling. The guidelines included a library of images that can be utilised across all types of communication.   

    These visual components were paired with the introduction of a dual language font, to reflects the brand’s ambition for clarity, legibility and accessibility.   

    The guidelines detailed the application of the brand across a broad range of internal elements and communication collateral, including stationery, employee welcome pack, staff apparel, livery, publications, website, digital advertising, social media and corporate office interiors.   

    Finally, the production specifications and paper stocks were rigorously selected. Highgrade proof testing, across digital and offset, was completed to ensure a premium reproduction of the colours and metallic finishes.   

    The first round of these guidelines are now complete and being introduced internally through a brand ambassador program. Further iterations will continue as we work with this long term client.

    PROJECT DELIVERABLES

    Insights and research
    Brand strategy

    Brand identity

    Design systems

    Brand guidelines

    Brand management


     

  • Majid Al Futtaim

    Majid Al Futtaim

    Majid Al Futtaim

    From brand management to brand value

    “Dragoman helped us to successfully take our new brand to market in a very tight time frame. Over the next few years Dragoman was contracted to offer us strategic brand and design support.

    Dragoman have helped us to evolve the brand inline with the business strategy, whilst at the same time creating design templates and guidelines to ensure that we can consistently take the brand to market and ensure our roll out is consistent.

    The brand audits that Dragoman perform on a yearly basis help us to track the success of brand adoption across the organisation which is a critical business metric.”

    AbdulMouhsen Almadani – Brand Strategy and Planning Senior Manager

    THE CHALLENGE

    Majid Al Futtaim (MAF), a leader in shopping malls, hotels, retail, and leisure across the Middle East, Africa, and Asia, needed a cohesive brand architecture to consolidate its vast portfolio under a single master brand while ensuring brand governance and consistency.

    HOW WE WORKED

    Dragoman collaborated closely with MAF’s brand team over five years, implementing a brand strategy, audit process, and brand management system. This included brand architecture, guidelines, environmental design, and an online brand management portal.

    THE SOLUTION

    Dragoman developed a structured brand framework, ensuring that all business units, sub-brands, and franchise operations aligned with MAF’s corporate identity. Additionally, an employee brand ambassador program was introduced to maintain internal engagement.

    OUR DELIVERABLES

    Brand architecture and governance

    Brand audit and management system

    Design systems and environmental branding

    Online brand management portal

    Employee brand ambassador program

    THE RESULTS

    The structured brand approach led to a strong, unified corporate identity across markets, ensuring brand equity retention and consistent brand messaging. The brand portal streamlined brand management, and the ambassador program strengthened internal adoption.

  • Dubai Financial Markets

    Dubai Financial Markets

    Dubai Financial Markets

    From regional exchange to global entry to capital.

    “We worked with Dragoman team to reposition the DFM brand including our tone of voice and creating the full branding pack. The team are talented and great listeners, they took the feedback and produced high-quality work, and delivered what we had in mind for the brand. They are professionals that we will continue to work with.”

    Fatma Al Hammadi – Head of Marketing

    THE CHALLENGE

    Refresh the existing brand to position DFM as the leading entry point for capital markets in the MEASA region and elevate global recognition—shifting perception from a regional exchange to a gateway for accessing capital worldwide.

    HOW WE WORKED

    We clarified the brand proposition and refined the brandmark, then built a visual language that is modern, sophisticated and flexible. The system was designed to communicate DFM’s role in enabling listed organisations to access capital, accelerate growth and scale.

    THE SOLUTION

    A minimalist, engaging design system that adapts across platforms while remaining precise and intelligent. The visual language reflects the diversity of sectors listed on DFM and scales from data-led communications to investor-facing narratives—consistent, recognisable, and easy to deploy.

    OUR DELIVERABLES

    Brand positioning
    Brandmark refinement
    Visual language system
    Brand guidelines

    THE RESULTS

    A sharper, more global DFM brand that reinforces leadership in MEASA and strengthens appeal to international issuers and investors.

  • Gate Avenue

    Gate Avenue

    Gate Avenue

    Sounds. Surrealism. Selfies. Sushi.

    THE CHALLENGE

    Create a brand that fits the DIFC portfolio, strengthens the destination brand and most importantly, gets people to visit Gate Avenue. Additionally reposition from a premium mall to an accessible, community-led urban destination with multiple experiences. Goal: increase footfall.

    HOW WE WORKED

    We reviewed the market and built on the DIFC destination positioning to carve out a distinct retail role. We defined a brand positioning, personality and tone that stay energetic and adaptable to the fast-changing nature of retail. We designed connected systems linking online and offline for a seamless end-to-end experience.

    THE SOLUTION

    We articulated Gate Avenue as the urban spine that runs the length of DIFC. The visual system uses four gates as entry portals, paths that guide people to eclectic experiences across retail, food, fashion, art and entertainment. The identity is bold, dynamic and more accessible, introducing youthful energy while maintaining DIFC credibility. Messaging focuses on everyday discovery and community engagement.

    OUR DELIVERABLES

    Insights & research
    Brand positioning & proposition
    Brand identity (brandmark & visual language)
    Design system & brand guidelines
    Launch campaign & video

    THE RESULTS

    A clear, distinctive destination brand that sits comfortably within the DIFC portfolio and invites broader audiences to visit, driving a 50% increase in footfall and elevating DIFC’s overall destination appeal.

  • Nomas

    Nomas

    Nomas

    Let life flow.

    ——

    PROJECT OVERVIEW  

    Create a brand for a residential development that was focussed on the lifestyle and not the buildings.

    ——

    WHAT WE DID  

    Generosity can be highly contagious. When we act kindly toward one person,
    that person is much more likely to be kinder toward others in the future.

    This starts a ripple effect of kindness. It starts as a single act, but then spreads outward affecting many more.
    Our acts of kindness don’t only affect the people we do nice things for,
    but many other people who we may never even come into contact with.

    Nomas creates the ripple effect in our society, where shared values,
    views and moments will lead to the fulfilment of the simplest of life’s pleasures. It is here that every conversation and interaction comes to life. .

    The name ‘nomas’ means contentment and amplitude. 

    ——

    PROJECT DELIVERABLES

    Brand positioning
    Brand strategy
    Design systems
    Brand identity
    Brand guidelines