Today we’d like to introduce you to Brandie Janow.
Hi Brandie, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I am originally from East Tennessee, and design has been part of my life from the beginning. I started in Visual Communication Design and later expanded my academic interests into Future Studies and Speculative Design. I lived in Chicago and Washington, D.C., before moving to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where much of my career developed.
Saudi Arabia was incredibly important to me, both personally and professionally. I have had the opportunity to meet people and be part of things that I could never have imagined when I was younger. I feel very blessed by this. I also had the chance to learn from some remarkable women in leadership. Living there taught me a great deal about diplomacy, listening, and communicating with people from diverse cultures and backgrounds. These experiences influence my approach to almost everything I do.
My work in design strategy evolved into cultural development, research, and futurism. Much of that happened during a period of major change in Saudi, where I contributed to national initiatives.
I founded Smuug, a design brand whose pieces were displayed in Glamour and later licensed by Urban Outfitters. I founded Kingdom Creatives, a grassroots community and think tank. Along the way, I have chaired INDEX Saudi Design Talks, served on the Iowa State University Design Department advisory board, judged the CID Awards, was part of the Design power list, and mentored designers in 21 countries.
I also founded Knowledge of Design, a global initiative focused on STEAM. It is an evolving platform with annual events in Riyadh. We presented KoD internationally at SXSW London. The initiative also has its own methodology and intellectual framework, a Knowledge Vault where we publish research, and a growing global index of people across STEAM, GLAM, and futures thinking.
I moved back to the United States this spring and am currently based in Dallas. Since returning, I have been selected for the Business Council for the Arts Leadership Arts Institute, joined the Nashville Design Week ambassador program for 2027, continued publishing my own research, and become more involved in the arts and design communities.
After spending so many years abroad, I am grateful to be home. I learned an enormous amount from living and building a career globally, and now I want to bring that experience home and contribute to my own country. I still have many things I want to do.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
No, it has not been a smooth road. However, I have always tried to make the best of whatever situation I am in. I try to laugh, keep moving, learn from it, and figure out what I can do next.
A significant part of my career was built in places where there was not always a clear path in front of me. In Saudi, I was part of a period when the design and cultural sectors were changing very quickly. There were times when the communities, programs, or platforms I wanted to see simply did not exist yet, so I often found myself having to create them. This meant learning as I went, making mistakes, adapting, and becoming comfortable with uncertainty.
Living and working across different cultures was another challenge, but it also taught me some of the most important lessons of my life. I learned how to listen, communicate with people who may see the world very differently from me, and how important diplomacy can be.
Coming back to the United States has brought a different kind of challenge. I built much of my career overseas, so I am now introducing myself and that experience to a new audience. I do not see that as starting over. I see it as learning how to translate everything I have done into a new place and find where I can contribute.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
What I am most proud of is that I have remained curious. I have never wanted to become so established in what I know that I stop being willing to question it. I still like learning, changing my mind, meeting people who know things I do not, and following an idea to see where it goes.
Who else deserves credit in your story?
There have been so many people, and I have been very fortunate in that regard.
Princess Noura Al Faisal was one of the first people to believe in me. She gave me confidence when I was still finding my footing, brought me into important rooms, and trusted me with opportunities that made me realize that I was capable of more than I thought. She was also the person who first sparked my interest in research. I learned from her how much confidence can grow when someone believes in you before you fully believe in yourself.
Princess Noura bint Saud bin Naif, with whom I work now, has taught me in a different way. She is incredibly intelligent, thoughtful, and very strong in the way she leads. Watching her has shown me that you can have authority and influence without needing to make yourself the center of everything.
My friend Mariana De’ Carli has always been one of my greatest supporters. She pushes me outside my comfort zone, tells me what she really thinks, and when I need someone to help me make something happen, she shows up. Whether it is joining a focus group, taking part in a talk, helping with an idea, or simply being there when I need her, I can always count on her. Having a friend who supports, challenges, and is willing to stand beside you when something needs to be done is incredibly valuable.
Dr. Gjoko Muratovski has been very important in helping me understand my own direction. A lot of what I do does not always have an obvious title or category, and he has helped me put language around it and become more confident in how I describe myself. He has also encouraged me to trust my own thoughts instead of feeling that I need to explain myself through someone else’s definition.
When I returned to the United States, Ralph Mocerino helped me understand how to translate years of experience into an American context. I was at a point when I was questioning where I belonged, and he reminded me that what I had done had value here too. One thing he told me was, “Never change who you are and never stop loving design like you do.”
Professor Bruno Oro from Iowa State University also came into my life at exactly the right time. He found my work, brought me into the university’s design advisory board, and said something to me when I was having a difficult time adjusting to being back in the United States: “Brandie, with your career and experience, you are precious to the design market.” It was a simple sentence, but I needed to hear it.
All of these people helped me in different ways. Some gave me opportunities, some challenged me, and others reminded me of my own value at moments when I had forgotten it. I think everyone needs people who will speak your name in rooms you are not in, tell you the truth, and remind you who you are when you need it.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.brandiejanow.com/
- Instagram:@___smuug
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandiejanow/
