In 2023, Etihad Airways celebrated its 20th anniversary with an exclusive art collection titled "United in Time". The collection, symbolising the airline's two decades of commitment towards connecting cultures and destinations, showcased 20 diverse works of art. Each artwork provided a unique glimpse into the UAE's culture and people throughout time, highlighting an overarching sense of unity. 

 The collection featured works by 20 globally acclaimed UAE-based artists, including Diaa Allam, Amrita Sethi, and Aysha Al Hemrani, showcasing an impressive range of mediums (such as painting, print, VR art, mixed media, and more), which blend tradition and innovation.

 Housed in Terminal A of Abu Dhabi’s Zayed International Airport, this curated event marked two decades of impact by reflecting the intersection of art and history.

United in Time - Exhibition in Zayed International Airport's Terminal A

The Project

My role as the Art and Design Director involved designing a cohesive experience across physical and digital interfaces, one that could unify multiple artists and artworks into a single, recognisable brand expression. While the artists’ perspectives needed to remain authentic, the collection's identity required a strong underlying narrative and visual language to ensure clarity and consistency. The opportunity was to design a framework that amplified creative diversity without diluting brand coherence.

Artwork Selection

We initially created a form to send out to 30+ UAE-based artists, containing a series of discovery questions which helped us understand their work and potential alignment with the project. After a draft selection, we used Excel to develop a detailed spreadsheet for 20 candidates, detailing their artwork's details and any relevant updates.

Depending on the artist's catalogue, we either commissioned a completely new artwork or selected an available piece from their archive whose purpose aligned with the project's brief.

How can stylistic diversity be preserved without compromising the collection's coherence?

Visual Narrative Development

Reflecting on the wide range of artists and styles involved, I understood that the answers to develop a coherent and meaningful visual narrative resided within the project brief itself: capturing Etihad's and the UAE's cultural history. This approach prompted a thorough analysis of the airline's brand identity.

Stylised Arabic Alphabet - meaning "Union"

I recognised the opportunity to centre the project's narrative around the concept of unity, as the key semantic element characterising both Etihad and the UAE's people, art and culture throughout time. Despite stylistic differences, all 20 artworks were united by the goal of reflecting the country's inherent spirit from unique viewpoints, which is why I titled the collection "United in Time".

Collection Catalogue Development

As a visual and literal representation of purpose, I implemented Etihad's logo (meaning "union") and utilised the Arabic-alphabet version as the key, recurring visual feature of the collection's identity. I began iterating a series of concepts for the collection catalogue to get a broader sense of United in Time's visual identity. I experimented with multiple layouts, placing the Arabic-alphabet logo in various positions and dimensions, in search of a balanced and coherent composition.

Artwork Catalogue - Front Cover Development

Colour and Typography

In alignment with Etihad's brand guidelines, I developed a clear framework for colour and typography to be applied to all assets and touchpoints of the collection.

Auction Platform Design

After discussing the initial concepts with Etihad's team, I started working on the auction page structure based on the validated information architecture and user flow.

I worked closely with an external team of 5 engineers to implement the wireframes effectively. I primarily used Jira and Figma to assign/manage tasks and provide clear, detailed feedback.

Auction Platform – Final Design

Beyond the collection, “United in Time” was developed as a curated visual system, where individual artworks are framed through a shared narrative, spatial language, and graphic system that subtly anchors the experience to Etihad’s brand values of precision, elegance, and global connection.

UX/UI Implementation Notes

Artwork Catalogue - Final Design

Designed for both physical and digital fruition, the catalogue served as a simultaneously complementary and independent asset to the collection, in essence, a memorabilia storing value and purpose.

Zayed International Airport Exhibition

After finalising all the artworks, we coordinated with the artists to exhibit some of the physical pieces at the newly opened Terminal A of Zayed International Airport. Etihad's Abu Dhabi-based marketing team helped plan and organise the exhibition remotely, ensuring all the artworks were safely transported and installed.

Project Highlights

  • Co-curated 20 UAE-based artists spanning multiple disciplines and visual styles;

  • Designed a visual system that could flex across physical exhibition space, printed materials, and digital environments, allowing each artwork to stand on its own while remaining part of a unified whole;

  • Defined typography, colour usage, and hierarchy to ensure consistency across the exhibition, catalogue, and digital touchpoints;

  • Designed a 25-page printed catalogue, balancing pacing and visual rhythm to reflect the collection's identity;

  • Developed a bespoke auction landing page, translating the physical exhibition experience into a clean digital flow, preserving the emotional tone of the collection;

Outcome

Through "United in Time", we helped emphasise Etihad's cultural and artistic credibility while expressing the airline's ethos through a distinct, coherent visual narrative. Our team delivered a global art experience at one of the world’s busiest transit hubs, creating a compelling system which convincingly presented each artwork to Etihad's international audience.