Psychology, at a crossroads.

A bilingual qualitative-study report for the Doha International Family Institute examining the challenges facing psychology graduates in Qatar's labour market — cover, system, and a design-options set that took the client through three directions before the final.

· Overview

The brief

DIFI commissioned a qualitative study on the transition psychology graduates face between university and the Qatari labour market. The report had to read as credible academic output while carrying a cover strong enough to land on a policymaker's desk.

We presented three distinct design directions in a separate options document — different palettes, typography, and cover metaphors — before settling on the final: a stark teal maze with a single figure at its exit, the exact visual answer to the study's question.

Scope on this report extended beyond design — Freezil also proof-read the full bilingual manuscript before final print.

Cover directions explored

Languages · AR + EN

110+

Pages · longest edition

Final system shipped

· Approach

How we worked

01 — Research-first

Read the full manuscript before sketching. The cover metaphor earned its place in the interior content, not the other way around.

02 — Three options, one choice

Presented three complete directions. Each defensible on its own merits. DIFI chose the one that matched the study's tone.

03 — Editorial interior

Standard twelve-column grid, custom pull-quote treatments, clear source-line convention for every citation.

04 — Bilingual at typesetting

Arabic typeset first for rhythm, English matched to its beats. Neither edition is a translation.

05 — Editorial proof-read

Qualitative research has specific editorial pitfalls — participant quotes, institutional names, psychology terminology. We proof-read the full Arabic and English manuscript before print, catching inconsistencies across chapters and ensuring every cited participant attribution was correct.

· Client