Ziad Foty

About Ziad Foty

I’m the CEO and co-founder of Design In DC — a digital agency built on one belief: design is storytelling in motion.Every day, I lead a team of strategists, designers, and developers who create websites, apps, and automations that help brands grow with clarity and confidence. We focus on combining design, technology, and narrative to turn digital experiences into measurable results — faster load times, higher conversions, and stories that truly resonate.Alongside my work in design and technology, I’m an active filmmaker dedicated to exploring identity, representation, and social justice through narrative and documentary film. My projects include *El Mahal*(Best Foreign Language Short – Marina Del Rey Film Festival),*Blue*(Audience Award – Beverly Hills Film Festival),*Normalized*(Best Narrative Short – DC Independent Film Festival), and the PBS documentary *The Last Battlefront: The Quest for the Vote in Washington DC*. My feature documentary *Return to Ramallah* follows my father’s return to his native Palestine after forty years in America.I also teach film theory, history, and production at George Mason, Catholic, and Howard University. My academic research examines Palestinian-American identity, Arab cinema, and the politics of representation. I contribute to ongoing publications, including *Global Horror: Hybridity and Alterity in Transnational Horror Film*, and continue developing work that bridges storytelling, scholarship, and visual culture.Film, design, and education aren’t separate chapters — they’re connected practices that feed one another. In film, every frame must serve emotion and meaning. In design, every pixel must serve the user. In the classroom, every idea must serve understanding. Across all three, my mission is the same: to use story, craft, and collaboration to move people and create impact.

Experience

1. Chief Executive Officer

   Design In Dc

   Jan 2018 — Present · Washington, DC, US

   As CEO my primary responsibilities include making major corporate decisions, managing the overall operations and resources of the company, acting as the main point of communication, and being the public face of the company.

Education

• Trinity College Dublin

  Master of Philosophy (M.Phil.), Film/Cinema/Video Studies

  2010 — 2011

• Lafayette College

  Bachelor's degree, English Litterature (Film Concentration)

  2006 — 2010

• Howard University

  Master of Fine Arts (MFA), Film Production

  2014 — 2017