Rami Touma is a creative consultant setting a new standard for the creative process. His commitment to conquer any given challenge, his talent to consistently see the bigger picture, and his brutal honesty whenever required, are changing the way his clients tell their stories.

Long before he made a name for himself in the creative industry, Rami learned to ask questions… Many questions! Before landing to any conclusion, he dissects – perhaps overthink – the process entirely, during his creative consultancy sessions with his clients.

As a child, he had a gazillion unanswered questions: How were pickles discovered? Were sun-dried tomatoes intentionally sun-dried the first time, or were they simply forgotten under the sun and left there to dry? How did the young boy, inadvertent creator of Roquefort, know that forgetting his lunch box near the cave’s walls would get him blue cheese? Was it a mere coincidence or science? What if he had not noticed the lunch box after a few months, would Roquefort have not been at all? Why do people lower their voices when they gossip?

Rami knew that schools and textbooks would not satisfy his hunger for answers, so he ditched them and decided to self-learn via asking the right questions to prepare his mind for solving problems and getting answers. Over the years, he armed himself with psychology studies, basic science and a plethora of literature and poetry – all leading the way to Rami becoming a content marketing junkie and a critical thinker who finds joy in solving all sort of riddles, the more challenging, the merrier!

Sure, he could have just done that website or that new packaging design, or a complete rebranding as requested and get paid. However, would that solve the problem and save the day? He could not just keep a blind eye; he had to dig deeper and try to find the root of all evil, he had to ask his famous Why?. Why do they think they need a new website? Why do they need new packaging or complete rebranding? Why are they in the market in the first place?

These kinds of questions were not always addressed in the context of his previous work, “the customer is king”, Rami was told. All right, fair enough, the customer is king, but is it acceptable to lie to the king? Does this mean we have the right to decide what is best for the king without involving him in the process? Becoming more regal than the king?

Any creative solution that does not have users in mind is obsolete, will lead to users being continuously flood with disposable content, without immediate and strategic interest. Rami targets the audience, the public. He knows discussions between the king and the public should deepen, and reflect in all creative processes. The one-way broadcast of sales messages is archaic, and will certainly not whet the appetite of users.

So Rami decided to jump ship back in 2011, and fly solo. He kick-started his own Rami-esque career, based on co-creating with the king, rather than smoking his pipe and waiting for the muse who may or may not show up before the deadline. Rami’s process involves numerous questions, and a myriad of roles, a tailor-made mix of design thinking, psychological analysis, and project management – all with a creative twist.

Over the past ten years, Rami sometimes wore his suit to solve the problems of various entities, including MAG Group, Paris Sorbonne Abu Dhabi University (PSUAD), Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Rotana Hotels, Central Bank of the UAE, and Microsoft. At other times, he wore his cargo shorts, and joined forces with promising start-ups who are building their businesses and brands, such as Estelaza Clinic, Pomegranate Institute, Fruits Monsters and Innerspace Interior Design.