The Circles We Built: A Volkswagen Story from Dubai

I often think back to the very first time I sat behind the wheel of my Golf GTI and looked out at the cityscape of Dubai, the headlights of other cars glinting back at me. In that moment, I felt a spark: here was not just a car, but a possibility for belonging.

That spark led me, over the years, to being part of building Der Volkskreis UAE, and later of contributing to Dublokam. Both initiatives, though distinct, share a throughline: how design, media storytelling, and community spirit can bring people together around shared passion.

Der Volkskreis UAE - The Circle of People

Der Volkskreis means “The People's Circle.”

And that's really what it became - a circle of faces, friendships, and stories that just happened to orbit around Volkswagens.

When I joined, I wasn't there to define the logo or create the visual system - that was already beautifully done. My role was more personal: to give the community a voice through design.

I started creating posters, event visuals, and social media content - not just to announce things, but to celebrate people.

We made posters introducing members - their cars, their personalities, their style.

It was never about the horsepower or the mods; it was about the humans behind the machines.

Every design had one goal: to make people feel seen.

That's when I realized - design isn't just about visuals; it's about connection.

When someone saw themselves featured, or shared a poster with pride, you could sense how visual storytelling builds belonging.

With time, Der Volkskreis evolved into one of the UAE's most recognized VW communities - not because of fancy events or sponsorships, but because of a shared aesthetic and spirit.

Design gave us consistency, yes - but more than that, it gave us identity.

Dublokam - The Creative Playground

While Der Volkskreis was about structure and community, Dublokam became the playground - raw, creative, and cinematic.

It started as an Instagram page, but it quickly grew into something deeply personal: a visual journal of VW life in Dubai seen through a Mallu lens.

Most of us in Dublokam shared a similar background - Malayalis who had made Dubai our second home, finding pieces of Kerala in every late-night drive and every parking lot conversation. That's what made Dublokam special. It wasn't just a car group - it was a reflection of who we were, our roots, and how we carried them into a new city.

Through photography, reels, and motion graphics, I wanted to capture that feeling -

the sound of engines bouncing off the walls of parking lots,

the glow of taillights under street lamps,

the laughter in Malayalam mixed with the rumble of exhausts.

It was never about showing perfection. It was about showing authenticity.

Each piece of content became a fragment of that shared experience - one that spoke in a visual language everyone understood, even without words.

Over time, Dublokam became that corner of the internet where VW passion met design -

where creativity shaped community and community shaped creativity.

It attracted not just car lovers, but photographers, storytellers, and dreamers - people who saw themselves in the stories we were telling.

For me, Dublokam was more than a brand or a page - it was home.

A space where design met identity, and where a group of Malayalis in Dubai found belonging through their love for Volkswagens - and for the stories they carried with them.

What I Learned - Design as a Community Builder

Now, stepping back: building a community around cars, around VW, is not just about the vehicles. It's about shared aesthetics, shared rituals, shared recognition. Design bridges between the machine and the human.

Here's what I've learned in building these two VW communities:

1. First impression is everything

The first poster, the first social post, the first event invite - these visual artifacts create expectations. If they feel sloppy or inconsistent, people hesitate. But if they feel thoughtful, clear, and intentional, people lean in.

2. Consistency breeds recognition

When the logo, color palette, image style, layouts, motion style are consistent, people begin to recognize the brand of your community even without reading the name. Over time, that builds trust and identity.

3. Humanize the machine

Posters of people (not just cars) anchor the community in relationships. Media that emphasize faces, stories, names, small moments - that's what makes people feel seen, which is the emotional core of belonging.

4. Media as memory

Videos, event recap reels, collected images - these become the archive of your journey. Community members will revisit them, share them, feel nostalgia. The design here is not ephemeral; it becomes heritage.

5. Invitation over imposition

Good design doesn't force people in; it entices them. The tone matters: “Join us,” “Share with us,” “Here's how we see VW culture” - that invites co-creation. As people feel they can leave their mark (by submitting photos, attending events, giving input), the sense of ownership grows.

6. Evolution, not rigidity

Over years, tastes change. The color palette might shift; photography styles evolve; what was bold in year 1 might feel saturated in year 5. You must allow space for visual evolution while retaining core identity threads (e.g. a signature accent color, layout motif, mood).

7. Touchpoints everywhere

Design isn't just for posters or social media. Event stage graphics, merch, stickers, banners, T-shirts, print invites, vehicle decals - each touchpoint is an opportunity to reinforce identity, spark recognition, and build pride.

In Retrospect: More than Cars - Circles and Culture

When I look back now, the two VW communities in Dubai are more than gatherings of car enthusiasts. They are circles of belonging - people who care about nuance, about visual culture, about machines but also about stories and friendships.

Design was never secondary: it was the connective tissue. Without design, there's just a group; with design, there's a brand, a story, an aesthetic language, and a magnet that pulls people in. That magnet becomes stronger as more people cohere, share, contribute, and carry forward the visual ethos.

I've seen people show up first because of a poster, a post, a teaser video. I've seen someone message me because “I saw your reel, I want to be part of this.” Over time, you realize that design doesn't just decorate - it destinates: it shapes the path the community will walk.