Zileej at Spielwarenmesse, Nuremberg

It was our first year exhibiting at Spielwarenmesse, a global toy fair held in Nuremberg each year.

It was an incredible week, and an honour for part of our Zileej team to represent our Salam Sisters and 5Pillars brands at the world's largest toy fair. We launched our new range of Salam Sisters accessories (coming soon!), our new video, explored what's new in the world of toys, and played a few rounds of our 5Pillars!

I wanted to say a special thank you to our entire team. Everyone’s hard work and determination paid off and I believe our presence at this prestigious fair was very successful. After going to Nuremberg for the first time a couple of years ago as visitors, our team at Zileej have been working tirelessly to develop our 5Pillars Game and Salam Sisters brands to get them ready in time to be featured at this prestigious toy industry event in 2019.

“With the Salam Sisters, the doll world is even more diverse” - Welt Media

The Nuremberg International Toy Fair (German: Spielwarenmesse) held annually since 1949, is the largest international trade fair for toys and games. With more than 70,000 visitors from 130 countries, only trade visitors associated with the toy business, journalists, and invited guests are granted entry.

Each year during the course of the event which is held for six days, about 2,800 exhibitors from about 60 countries present their products, with up to one million products displayed at the fair, including approximately 70,000 new products - setting the standard for what will be popular in the coming year.

Famous brands, original start-ups, buyers from large chains, independent retailers and many media representatives make the Spielwarenmesse the most important event of the toy industry.

In a conversation with an established European distributor for large global brands, the managing director stated that, in his opinion, Zileej was one of only two companies at the fair with something truly innovative and delightful. Seems like we've set a high bar for ourselves - a bar that the entire Zileej family is committed to pushing higher yet at Spielwarenmesse 2020!

We look forward to coming again next year inshallah!

PRESS

“With the Salam Sisters, the doll world is even more diverse”

“Zileej brought dolls from the “Salam Sisters” series to Nuremberg, introducing children to the diversity of world cultures.”

“These are the new game trends, 2019”

See you at ISNA

We're excited to share that you can catch Salam Sisters and 5Pillars at this year's 55th ISNA Convention, at Houston, Texas. 

There will be some ISNA-only specials including 10% off our 5Pillars games, prizes to be won, and $10 off when you get two or more Salam Sisters dolls. 

We're at stall 5415. Come say hi!

5Pillars Game now in UK!

If you're in the UK we have some good news for you! Our 5Pillars games are now available online just in time for Eid al-Fitr. (That's the one at the end of Ramadan)

It makes for an awesome Eid gift for the whole family, seriously - it'll bring friends & family together without any screens in sight, get some friendly competition going, test (and teach!) Islamic knowledge, all while having heaps of fun. But don't take our word for it...

Check out our range of editions: Pillars, Junior, Seerah, Fun Box, and Trivia on Hadith, Quran, Muslim Manners, Islamic History, and Science & Islam. 

Click here to order your copy!

Playing the Fun Box

We recommend playing the pillars edition with a mix of ages to help the younger children.

Launch of our Salam Sisters dolls

Our team has been working tirelessly for over a year crafting these beautiful dolls that are packed with fantastic play and learning experiences. Including a story book with activities, augmented reality, specially designed undercap, and two headscarves.

We can’t wait to show you more as we continue to develop the world of Salam Sisters; a much-needed, inspiring, and empowering brand for young girls today! 

Click here to check out the full range and pre-order! (Currently for UK only)

Click here to check out the full range and pre-order! (Currently for UK only)

5Pilar is now available in Indonesia. Ayo Bermain!

Our flagship product range 5Pillars (5Pilar) has expanded and is now available in Indonesia. Now Indonesian families and friends can help boost their Islamic knowledge, with 1000's of questions, activities and challenges, translated into Bahasa.

Members of the Zileej team recently visited Jakarta to help launch the product with a series of events to spread the word and bring the game to as many as possible.

During our trip, we worked closely with our friends and distributors at Republika to help launch 5Pilar. The launch was held at Gramedia (One of Indonesia's premiere book stores), Pondok Indah Mall. Hundreds of happy players and media turned up to to play the game and share exciting moments with each other.

With Indonesia being such close neighbours to Australia, the Sydney team were excited to visit, learn and soak up the culture. We enjoyed some great weather, delicious street food, Indonesian hospitality, and of course, spent a lot of time weaving through the traffic on Grab bikes.

We also made a few visits along the way. We met with TransTV, who are in the process of creating the 5Pilar Gameshow (which we can’t wait to share). We made some visits to our friends at Hijup, and the Australia-Indonesia Muslim Exchange Program.

Jakarta is an exciting city with loads of untapped potential. We're excited to visit again and see what's next in store. Ayo bermain!

Purchase 5Pilar

CEO End of Year Thoughts

As the year comes to an end, I have found myself thinking about entrepreneurship. Particularly, what makes an entrepreneur? While reading Shoe Dog by Phil Knight (the founder of Nike), I came across a quote that really resonated with me.

“…when you add some new thing or service to the lives of strangers, making them happier, or healthier, or safer, or better, and when you do it all crisply and efficiently, smartly, the way everything should be done but so seldom is—you’re participating more fully in the whole grand human drama. More than simply alive, you’re helping others to live more fully.”

— Phil Knight, founder of Nike

During 2017, I have seen our Zileej team apply the essence of this quote in our everyday work to build our first three brands: 5Pillars, making learning about Islam fun; Salam Sisters, dolls with a mission to motivate young girls to dream big; and SmartMuslim, wearable tech enabling users to understand and improve their spiritual habits.

This year of hard work and entrepreneurial spirit shown by each of our team members has started to pay off, alhamdulillah. 

Our first production of the new range of 5Pillars games have been completed, our Salam Sisters doll range is about to go into production, and our most secretive product range—SmartMuslim—will be revealed very soon. 

As we enter into a new year I wanted to express my gratitude for a number of things:

1. Guidance from The Most Merciful. 

Decisions need to be made on a daily basis and at times the right decision is not always clear. Like all startups, we have had (and continue to have) our fair share of challenges. However, the key is not to focus on finding a way to exist without challenges but rather finding a way to keep pushing through and growing with those challenges.

We will continue to put our complete trust in Allah and we pray for His continued guidance and mercy and ask Him to always keep us sincere in our efforts.

2. The Zileej team & their families.

To be the leader of such a talented team continues to be such a humbling experience. Our team is mostly virtual and spans over 10 time zones from Lima in Peru to Sydney in Australia and one of the challenges we face as a global virtual team is coordinating our meetings.

Many times our team meetings fall outside of traditional working hours but, thanks to everyone's commitment and the sacrifices of their families, having an occasional call before sunrise or after midnight makes it all possible.

3. Your feedback.

Throughout the year we have been sharing updates on our product development with you and with each update you have given us constructive feedback that kept our creative team on their toes. Your feedback is such an important part of our product development process that we consider ourselves as building products with you rather than for you.

Never underestimate the power of your comments or suggestions so please continue to send them!

4. Our distribution partners.

We are extremely grateful for your belief in us and our ability to continue creating wonderful products and experiences that we hope will bring lots of positive benefits to communities across the globe, inshaAllah.

We are committed to standing side-by-side with you and we look forward to the exciting journey ahead.

2018, here we come, bismillah!

— By Ansarullah Ridwan Mohammed, CEO

Celebrating 2017

As 2017 comes to an end, we’ve taken some time to look back and appreciate our favourite projects & moments from the year.

From combining forces with Gould.Sydney to sharing our Salam Sisters dolls with you, it’s been a year to appreciate our achievements as a team. Powered along with truly international calls (covering as many as 9 different timezones at one time), copious amounts of coffee, and lots of positive thoughts & prayer.

We’re happy to share our highlights from the year, and some stories on what was happening behind the scenes!

Gould.Sydney joining the team

The talented designers at Gould.Sydney were part of Zileej before Zileej even started. When our CEO Ridwan first had the idea for the 5Pillars boardgame - he turned to Gould.Sydney to design the very first range. 

It’s been great to officially join forces by name, especially since we've been sharing the same vision from the very start!

5Pillars new range

This year, 5Pillars has grown from one boardgame in 3 languages to 3 boardgames, pop quizzes, and a funbox in 10 different languages. Shoutout to Daryl who designed 10,000+ cards on Islamic trivia knowledge. 

He might not be Muslim but we’re certain he can beat many of the Muslims on our team in the 5Pillars app — and probably in about 3 different languages!

Salam Sisters

We were keeping our dolls away from the public eye for the most part of the year so it was super exciting to finally share photos of them with you all! The response has been wonderful with your support. We’re working hard with our manufacturers to bring the dolls to you next year inshallah.

Click here to sign up and be one of the first to know when you can get your hands on them!

Learning, teaching & connecting

Many from our team have also had the opportunity to learn, connect, and share their knowledge with like-minded people from Dubai to San Francisco.

Peter Gould ran 5 different workshops on Islam-inspired innovation, branding, and design thinking in 3 different cities. He also attended an epic design thinking workshop at Stanford in California.

Daryl presented at the Thailand Halal Assembly, Nick at the Halal Expo in Australia, and Subhi presented at MLE Connect in London, and at the 24th WIBC in Bahrain.

Nominated as a finalist

Our design team in Sydney were nominated as finalists at the Australian Multicultural Marketing Awards for their work on a Ramadan campaign with local school Arkana College, and Westfield shopping centre. 

Meet the team

Ridwan, CEO

Salam! Although I go by my middle name, Ridwan, my first name is Ansarullah. I don’t know how that happened but my guess is since I’m from Trinidad my middle name was probably easier for people to get right. I enjoy solving problems, visiting places and learning about its history, running, playing football and cricket, and spending time with my family.

Through Zileej, I hope we can together make a positive change in the world!

Peter Gould, Design Executive Officer

I’m Peter from Sydney, Australia.  I feel truly blessed to have a beautiful young family with 3 kids. Zileej is my dream company and feel so lucky to be part of this journey with you all.

Fun fact:  In 2018 I hope to reconnect more with outdoors / nature and try to see the world fresh through the eyes of a child.   Pablo Picasso said  “It took me four years to paint like Raphael, but a lifetime to paint like a child

Mawlid, COO

Mawlid, currently based in Barcelona, Spain.

There are few things in my life which makes me happy. Being near the sea, watching kids playing football or looking to the faces of the fathers when they meet their kids at the airport after their arrival flight....

I love playing football and my dream job is to train small kids in playing football in few years inshaAllah.

Mara, Product Designer

Hello! I'm Mara, I'm passionate about designing toys because it brings me joy to see young kids having fun with toys I've designed.

I like reading science fiction books, gardening (especially growing lots of different flowers), and spending time with my beautiful cats.  

I love all kinds of art and visiting museums. I also do Yoga  and Pilates and enjoy living by the sea in beautiful Denia, Spain.

I have a real respect for people who are talented in multiple fields. I love stories of other worlds and hope to one day create my own. I’m an avid gamer who struggles with a gaming ‘to do’ list that keeps growing. After I was born, the first night I was brought home was the biggest storm my family had ever experienced. As the first child, this was probably both literally and metaphorically. I don’t know if this storm made an impression on me, but I always get excited when thunder and lightning crack the skies.

Nick, Creative Director

Kenneth, 3D Animator

I'm a 3D artist looking to improve every day. In my spare time I sculpt characters (digitally) when my gaming needs let me. 

I'm not normally one to take selfies and usually I'm the photographer so, was hard to find a photo of myself. This is a special one actually. One of the highlights of this year (other than having one year with all you in Zileej) is finally having the chance to leave my home, my country to begin looking for a better future. Just the first step of many to come.

Daryl, Creative Director

Hey I’m Daryl, from Sydney!

When I’m not designing, I’m either at an exhibition, at a gig or eating too much.

I play music in some punk bands and spend a lot of time looking for obscure disco records. I think my parents named me after this movie.

Subhi, Communications Director

Originally from Radelaide, (it's real, look it up) currently in Dubai. I was supposed to be here for two weeks—it's been two months so far!

I love travelling to connect with family & friends I've never met. I believe simply buying less clothing is better than buying ethically-made clothes. When visiting a new country I love getting locally-made items. Chocolate is life. Boxing is fun! Kindness & generosity are always the better options.

I’m Dhon, I like bubbles and I’m an Illustrator at Zileej, based in Dubai. One time, I was invited to a children’s birthday party and was tasked to take care of the bubbles. It was a hit with the kids, good times. 

I’m a big fan of old animated films, I hoard video games and I never play them. I treasure artworks from friends. I always wanted to be a Doctor when I was a kid. I pretend I know how to swim. I never dreamed that I would work as an Illustrator but this is best job I’ve ever had.

Dhon, Illustrator

Peter Pham, Design Thinker

I'm Peter Pham (aka Peter Pan while growing up) and I like hash browns, matcha lattes, gaming and Arabic graffiti. I love learning new skills - both digital and physical.

I believe Marvel and DC Comics can coexist and have a deep respect for old school sign painters. 

My humble family is my inspiration for becoming a better person and my motivation to work harder to leave a positive impact on the world.

Abdullah, Retail Operations

Abdullah, Indian from Makkah, Originally from Yemen from my grandfather's side.

My favourite things to do are eating, reading, and playing Sports ;)

I have an interest in learning new languages & new cultures. My message is "to be polite to the people" 

I always have dreams that I am flying, so inshaAllah it would be nice to continue flying upward with our Zileej team.

Looking forward

Thank you all for being part of our journey this year, we’re excited about what 2018 will bring. We wish you and your loved ones a safe and happy holiday and a brilliant start to the new year. 

— Peace, Zileej Team 2017

From Bahrain: The 24th World Islamic Banking Conference

Banking and design don't ordinarily appear together, but design is relevant to the world of banking perhaps now more than ever.

I recently shared a presentation at the 24th World Islamic Banking Conference (WIBC) in Bahrain, where I entered a whole new world of finance-related and banking things that I don’t ordinarily spend too much time thinking about.

So how does branding and our work at Zileej relate to financial institutions?

Well, we believe that every institution, bank, and company can benefit from branding as well as design thinking. I spoke about using design thinking & branding to address disruptions in banking, and to stand out - in a positive way - from one’s competitors.

Attending talks by leaders in the field such as Mohammed Kateeb from Path Solutions, Dr Imran Lum from National Australia Bank, and Dr Saeeda Jaffar from Alvarez & Marsal ME, I learnt about the amount of change happening in the banking world; for example the amount of digitally savvy customers who have the same needs as traditional banking customers, but with a preference for interacting with banks on digital platforms. Particularly, their phones. 

And then there’s blockchain technology which has the potential to make thousands of jobs redundant and could potentially revolutionise banking as we know it.

That disruption can be scary but there is also opportunity in it, and through the process of design thinking and embracing an innovation mindset, it is a great opportunity for potentially positive change. 

This approach has been adopted by major banks such as Deutsche Bank which has an innovation lab. This creates a culture of innovation right across the bank. 

Islamic banks and financial service providers are competing with these mainstream banks who have embraced innovative thinking as well as providing Islamic finance solutions, alongside their powerful brand recognition and trust.

In order to stand out, your brand needs to be on par - or better - than your competitors, and this is increasingly relevant in the world of Islamic banking.

After the WIBC, we were invited to attend the exclusive Islamica500 dinner and award ceremony where Zileej was recognised as a leader in strategic design and innovation. 

Sunset in Bahrain, the final night of the 24th WIBC.

— By Subhi Bora, Communications Director

Zileej in Thailand

I was recently invited to speak as part of the Thailand Halal Assembly 2017, held at BITEC, Bangkok between Nov 30 and Dec 3. This year’s expo theme was “Halal Wisdom: Convergence of Science, Technology and Islamic Arts”. Thailand is on the way to be at the forefront of the Halal Industry, and it was an exciting event to be a part of, along with scientists, academics, SMEs and startups.

As part of the conference, my presentation topic was on “The Evolution of Islamic Art, and patterns.”

Over the years of designing for Islamic brands and audiences, my understanding and appreciation for Islamic arts has grown immensely. Along with it, a deeper understanding and appreciation for Islam’s many ongoing global contributions towards visual culture, architecture, science and technology among others.

In my talk, I explored a brief introduction and history into Islamic art, in particular, patterns in art.

From the beginning of the Islamic era, craftsmen and artists mixed creativity and mathematics to create abstract decorative forms in architecture, books, carvings, textiles and other objects.

To today's brilliant contemporary artists such as Inkman, El-Seed, Sherin Guirguis, Shireen Taweel, Eric Broug and Elvira Wersche.

To the future; from games such as Engare, to augmented reality in Salam Sisters, or questions like "What will a Mosque in space look like?" in Islam Imagined.

I’m fascinated by what happens when you combine creativity, art, design, technology and culture - and how these modes of making can be used to continue and extend on traditions; giving modern audiences an insight into Islam’s creative lineage and enduring heritage. 

Art and design serve two very different purposes, but in design, we utilise many of these visual signifiers throughout.

The global Islamic economy is of great importance, and includes sectors from food to travel to fashion. By 2030, there will be 2.2 billion Muslims making up 27% of the world's population. That is a massive market, with diverse cultures and tastes, that are all seemingly connected. This growth in number will come with a growth in more brands, startups and products than ever, that are all driven by faith. And along with this growth, an increase in demand for higher quality in these brands.

Not all Muslim products or brands need to utilise patterning – but what is of key importance is the continued use of creativity and innovation. Islam has a rich visual language that we can gain inspiration from. We can use it as a frame of reference, to portray heritage, or we can play and experiment to delight audiences. We can continue to use it to unify, connect and encourage positivity.

Daryl P
Creative Director

Zileej in Istanbul

Two of our Zileej brands, 5Pillars and Salam Sisters, were invited to be showcased at Kids Turkey – a toy fair in Istanbul by Spielwarenmesse.

Our Zileej team were excited about sharing our Salam Sisters dolls for the first time. The dolls were received with overwhelming positivity, interest, and support. The question of “when and where can I buy them?” was often repeated – to which we can say they will be available soon!

If you’d like to be part of the Salam Sisters community and receive exclusive updates, sign up here.

We also shared the expanded range of 5Pillars games, which now includes Seerah, Fun Box, and Trivia Burst editions in Turkish, Arabic, French, Malay, and English (with more in development). 

One of the highlights was bringing out the 5Pillars boardgame and seeing how much fun everyone had playing it for the first time. The reactions of grown men and women having fun, laughing, and getting competitive over their Islamic knowledge was rewarding to be part of.

It was an honour to share the results of our ideas with those at the fair, and it motivated us to continue working on realising our vision of creating products that inspire connection to faith through play.