Bakhtawer is a visionary creative who thrives on moving through cultures, scenes, and visual landscapes, guided by curiosity, questions, and enthusiasm. As co-founder and creative director of Plan B and Sold Out Publishing, Bakhtawer, alongside her business partner Betty, brings this spirit into every project.
At Plan B, they design and publish for people, institutions, and brands with one obsession in mind: disseminating concepts informed by sustainability, collaboration, and cultural decolonisation. With Sold Out, they attempt to culturally decolonise by publishing underrepresented references in the field of visual culture and graphic design.
- How do you define the knowledge and the voices or perspectives that have been historically overlooked from both academic and practical spaces? How does Sold Out aim to amplify them?
Under-represented. We don't see enough of everyone and everything in the industry that sits outside of Eurocentic standards. With Sold Out publishing, we connect these (knowledge) gaps and hope to create reference points through published materials within visual culture. We give our authors autonomy in how they present and design their published objects, and we take a lot of pride in both how intersectional our roster is and the diversity of aesthetics and mediums we produce because of that. All of our publications look so drastically different from each other and contain very distinct voices and perspectives. There's a lot of intentionality in offering that freedom and a more democratic approach in the publishing space.
- Inclusivity is at the heart of Sold Out’s mission. How do you continuously evolve your definition of inclusivity to ensure it is comprehensive and responsive to change?
Betty, my incredible business partner, and I find ourselves returning to the same conversation almost daily: how often identities are misrepresented, flattened. We’ve likely missed nuances ourselves along the way. Yet, the deeper we go, the clearer it becomes that this work has no end. Identities are fluid and endlessly complex, and at Sold Out, we’re committed to evolving with them. By staying curious, engaged, and willing to learn—personally and professionally—we aim to remain responsive. Above all, recognising the importance of intersectionality is always key to us.
- In your experience with Plan B and Sold Out Publishing, how can collaboration between designers from diverse cultural backgrounds help in decolonizing the design field? Are there any specific examples from your practice where this has made a difference?
We approach collaboration with genuine care, knowing that choosing the right partners lays a foundation built on shared values and respect for each other’s cultural perspectives and expertise. We honor every project and collaborator, we’re always mindful to avoid misrepresentation and to respect boundaries outside our own. Projects like Gut Feelings Meri Jaan with Jasleen Kaur, Science Gallery London with Edit Collective, and Islands with Bushra Mohamed of Msoma Architects at the Design Museum come to mind. Each collaboration was grounded in trust, allowing us to exchange authentic, meaningful references that enriched the work.
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- Since Plan B blends Pakistani, German, and Belgian influences, can you share a project where the blend of your studio’s cultural influences significantly shaped the outcome?
No single client project defines us, and yet our cultural influences subtly shape everything we do, from our studio culture to how we approach each collaboration. We always believe in curating individual methods and processes for our clients, so there's no one-size-fits-all, especially when it comes to drawing from different cultural perspectives. I will say, though, if you were to come to our studio space, you'd see a couple of frames of our Plan B visual identity, and there's a certain humour, tactility, thoughtfulness, and ambiguity in the way we've presented ourselves and our brand in our space. That was the intention, at least. If I had to define the melting pot that we have created as two individual human beings in our studio, it would be that. The strokes of our logo are important and detailed, yet almost intended to be hand-drawn with a sense of freedom - much like when I think of the hand-painted signs in my parents’ hometown in Pakistan. The materials we've curated for our signs are warm and cozy, designed to be inviting and non-confrontational. They go hand in hand with the way I see Betty, my Belgian counterpart to be. Welcoming—like a super warm hug—and, of course, behind the scenes, I do believe our communication, organization, and execution are quite "Belgo-German efficient." In a way, I'm highlighting a lot of cliches here and what's ironic is that we always actively avoid them. - Speaking of cultural influences in design, how do you think the design field can evolve to better reflect diverse perspectives and address issues of representation?
FIND MORE REFERENCES AND INCLUDE THEM EVERYWHERE! I'll plug our book, 'Not a Reference Yet,’ here because almost the entire book unpacks that question.
- How do you approach storytelling in your branding work? Do you find yourself drawing on cultural narratives or experiences from your background to shape the brand’s message?
We usually frame this around concept presentation and building a narrative around what the client has given us as context. We use this as our starting point to build on the design. Our references are where we go outside of the canon, our cultural sensibilities help us create a moral compass for our design process and methods. This can take on many shapes, from the decision on materials to who the typeface is designed by and how inviting the outcome is.
- As a professional creative, most of your work is in collaboration with your partner, Betty; we are curious to know who Bakhtawer is as a designer. What is her creative voice?
Curious, deeply nourished, and wholeheartedly committed, I view my creative voice as an anchor, grounding an ever-evolving blend of distinct influences. Growing up amidst many different cultures and constantly moving through borders and binaries, I’ve found joy in being a chameleon, in adapting and flowing between worlds. This joy permeates my work, inspiring me to weave together diverse narratives with resonance and vibrancy, creating in a way that feels both rooted and boundless.
- What heritage do you resonate with? Are there traditional art forms or practices from your heritage that inspire your work? How do you reinterpret these in a contemporary context?
I definitely feel a visceral connection to my Pakistani ancestry. I've never grown up there, but I LOVE going back to visit every year, and each time, I feed my connection to my heritage more and more through connecting to stories from elders, enjoying the food and music, and uncovering how rich and generous our culture is. It's not so much an art form that inspires my work but more of a philosophy. So much of the spirituality and the approach towards life in my culture feeds into the way I approach design and my relationship to aesthetics. There's something about not over-rationalising but rather embracing. Nourishing my connections and life and who and what I surround myself with, and letting them influence the outcomes. Following my gut and intuition and allowing myself to connect different dots and references organically and reincarnating them into a current, some would say more contemporary context. This approach is not always familiar to others and doesn't feel as structured, but it certainly feels right. My heritage feels lively at times, loud and inviting but also really poetic, resilient with a lot of depth. These words are how I'd describe Pakistan to my friends. I hope some of our work reflects those qualities as well.
- Has working with diverse artists and writers for projects regarding sustainability (My Daughter Terra) and inclusivity (Sold Out Publishing) changed your perspective? How so?
It has enlightened our perspective, in the sense that decolonisation and sustainability are so inextricably intertwined, they can't be separated - and it's what we want to continue pushing in our practice.
- What are your future plans for Plat B and Sold Out Publishing? Are there any upcoming projects or initiatives you’re particularly excited about?
I love how Plan B is growing organically and is becoming more and more confident and we can see how that's attracting incredible clients and collaborators. I'm so incredibly proud of the network that Betty and I have created through both of our ventures. Currently, we are working on an exhibition design project, a branding project for a sustainable product, and a self-initiated Art Direction project, among other things. More on that soon! With Sold Out Publishing, we're about to launch four really exciting projects, each so different from the other and completely outside of our usual network. A photobook with a street photographer, an Arabic typographic poster series, an Artist collection called 'Welcome to the UK,' and the fourth one is a little bit of a secret, but it's a collaboration with a South Asian Stylist and Henna Artist. I'll leave it here and let you explore the rest in the next year. Beyond that, though, I'm excited to find out how we evolve further, because I can feel in my gut that there's work in our destiny that will guide us to more magical places and people.
- Finally, what is your favourite south asian sweet?
Gajjar ka halwa, if you know, you know.
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