About
I'm Mohamad.
A designer and software engineer building brand systems and the products they live in, born in Damascus, based in Adelaide, working with clients around the world.
Mohamad Alian
Designer & Software Engineer
I was born in Darayya, on the edge of Damascus, Syria, the world's oldest continuously inhabited capital and one of the great homes of Islamic art. Growing up inside that heritage taught me what branding is long before I had a word for it. A city that has kept its identity for millennia, and the geometry, calligraphy and care of the Islamic tradition behind it, shaped how I think about brands: an identity built to last, made with intention and integrity, and strong enough to influence everything around it.
I've designed brands and built the sites they live on since 2016, with design and engineering from one head. Now in Adelaide, I work with founders, community organisations, and small practices who want it to feel like one thing.
Education
Master of AI, Monash University
Based
Adelaide, AU
Languages
English, Arabic
How I work
Three things I won't compromise on.
Brand-first.
Identity does the heavy lifting before the code does. If the brand doesn't earn trust on a business card, no amount of animation will save it on a screen.
End to end.
Strategy, identity, design, and engineering, done by one person, in one head. Nothing gets lost between disciplines because there's no handoff.
Plain and credible.
No hype, no buzzwords, no metrics I can't show you. The work either holds up under scrutiny or it doesn't, I'd rather it did.
Capabilities
Two crafts, one practice.
Design
The brand half.
- Brand identity & wordmarks
- Packaging & print collateral
- Web & app UI/UX
- Brand systems & guidelines
- Naming
- Art direction
Engineering
The build half.
- Next.js & React
- Full-stack TypeScript
- PHP applications
- WooCommerce & WordPress
- AI / LLM integration
Toolkit
What I build with.
Design
Engineering
Platform
Who I work with
Sectors I've shipped in.
Journey
Ten years, a few turning points.
2016
ALIAN Design Agency
Started taking on branding and website work for businesses as a solo studio, the practice that's still running today.
2020
Nassim Perfumes
Built the brand end to end, identity, packaging, and the WooCommerce store, and have run it as an ongoing practice since.
2021
Bachelor of Software Engineering
Studied software engineering at the University of South Australia, the formal grounding under the build side of the work.
2024
Postgraduate at Swinburne
Earned a place in Swinburne University of Technology's programming & development postgraduate, admitted on the strength of prior projects and work experience.
2024
Communications Officer, MCCSA
Joined the Multicultural Communities Council of SA, brand, graphic design, and web for culturally and linguistically diverse communities.
2025
Master of AI, Monash University
Began a Master of Artificial Intelligence at Monash University, sharpening the engineering side alongside the design practice.
2026
Cipher
Designed, branded, and built Cipher, an AI website editor, solo, end to end.
Let's work together
Have a project in mind?
If your project needs design and engineering to come from the same place, I'd like to hear about it.