Ghazal Foroutan is an Iranian graphic designer and educator based in Southern California. Her practice spans visual identity, typography, illustration, and independent publishing, with a particular focus on sociopolitical narratives, women’s rights, cultural identity, and design activism. Through research-driven and self-initiated projects, she explores the role of graphic design as a tool for storytelling, cultural expression, and social change.

She is the founder of Peelē, an independent design and publishing practice exploring visual culture through graphic design, printed matter, and experimental publishing. Drawing from her Iranian heritage and personal experiences, her work brings together contemporary visual language, historical references, and socially engaged narratives.

Ghazal holds an MFA in Graphic Design from Oklahoma State University (2021). In 2025, she attended the Type@Cooper Condensed program at The Cooper Union, further developing her interest in typography and type design. In 2024, she was recognized by PRINT Magazine as one of its 15 New Visual Artists Under 30.

Her work is held in the permanent collections of the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, and the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Selected Clients & Collaborators
Airbnb, Even/Odd, FISK, WhatsApp

Teaching
Assistant Professor, Art, Media, and Design, California State University San Marcos, San Marcos, CA, 2024–Present
Lecturer, Chapman University, Orange, CA, 2024
Assistant Professor, Graphic Design, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, 2021–2023
Graduate Teaching Assistant, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, 2018–2021

Selected Professional Experience
Designer, Design Army, Washington, D.C.
UI/UX Designer, OSU App Center, Stillwater, OK, 2019
Graphic Designer, Studio Shizaru, Tehran, Iran

Awards & Recognition
PRINT Magazine — 15 New Artists Under 30, 2024
Indigo Design Award — Gold, Design for Social Change, 2022
Graphex 53, Tulsa’s Art Directors Club — Best in Self Promotion, 2022
Graphex 52, Tulsa’s Art Directors Club — Best of Print, 2021
Applied Arts Awards — Best in Illustration, 2021
Salute Awards — Winner of Merit, 2021
Salute Awards — Best in Poster, Honorable Mention, 2021
Salute Awards — Best in Illustration, Honorable Mention, 2021
Graphex 51, Tulsa’s Art Directors Club — Best of Print, 2020
MS International, Oklahoma State University — 2018
13th Khwarizmi Youth Awards — Second Place Nationwide, Watch Collage Illustration, Tehran, Iran, 2013

Selected Publications
Typography of Protest, Theo Inglis, 2026
Resilience Magazine, Bosla Arts, London, UK, 2022
Revealing, Recording, Reflecting: Women Graphic Designers, Khatt Foundation, 2022
Makhzan Magazine — Arabic Typography Magazine, 2020

Jury
AIGA — 50 Books | 50 Covers, Juror, 2025