Posts filed under ‘Design Issues’
Social Media – The Magazine
Pleasantly surprised, I came across this dashing new magazine at Virgin (ABC Ashrafieh) the other day:
I didn’t know there was a social media magazine (in print, at least) out there and much more surprised to find it here. It was the last issue on the stand (sorry guys) but no doubt we’ll be seeing more of it soon if demand for it increases. You can also download an only version of it for $2.99 from their website if you’re extra-antsy to check it out right now.
The much-used expression “don’t judge a book by its cover” actually doesn’t apply to magazines. Had it not been for the graphic and colorful cover, I wouldn’t have spotted it out of the rest of the technology magazines there. I also liked that they feature the artist who drew the cover inside – this issue’s featured artist was Derek Yaniger (@derekart).
The content of the magazine are also interesting, covering in this issue in particular “Looking Your Best in Social Situations”, “Social Shopping Trends”, “Trending Topics for 2012″ and my personal favorite “The Five Biggest Stories in Social Media in 2011″. That article listed in #1 the rise of the Arab Spring revolution and the role social media played, even when the government tried to cut that form of communication:
“Ironically, government efforts to crack down on social media may have led to an increase in public activism in Egypt, as people who could no longer follow the unrest via social media took the streets to find out what was going on.”
Long live social media.
Having come across this magazine got me wondering: why don’t we have a Middle Eastern social media magazine too? We surely have enough activity, bloggers and twitterati (or is tweeps? I never know the right term to use) in the region. The Arab Spring also proves that we’re able to use social media to its utmost potential, so why not have something out there as a reference for future trends and social media topics here?
Hopefully someone reading this will get inspired to do so (and please make sure it has a cool cover and nice design layout).
Now although I realize that a magazine about something so largely based on online activities might seem ironic, but there’s a certain appeal to having information presented to you in printed form and in your hands to read at leisure. It transforms the medium into something more humanly accessible, especially in this day and time when we’re bombarded with emails, links and blogs all day long. Taking an online break with magazines keeps you in the loop but in a more relaxed way (also why I strongly believe magazines and books will never get extinct).
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Check out The Social Media Monthly to read the full articles on the topics I mentioned and more.
How to Wear “His” Shirt
Growing up, my dad’s old shirts were always the ideal smock for art class. At the start of every school year, my mom would rummage through my dad’s closet and pull out a shirt that he wouldn’t miss (or maybe she didn’t like that much on him, so this was an excuse to get rid of it nicely). That shirt would as a result be sacrificed in the name of “art”.
With days of art classes long behind me, I’d forgotten the potential of men’s shirts for more than just a smock – well, until today. I came across this great video that demonstrates several creative and fashionable ways to wear men’s shirts:
Below I’ve included a few snapshots taken from the video itself for a quick reference:
"How a Girl Should Put a Man's Shirt"- Preparations for Outfit #1
"How a Girl Should Put a Man's Shirt"- Outfit #1
"How a Girl Should Put a Man's Shirt"- Preparations for Outfit #2
"How a Girl Should Put a Man's Shirt"- Preparations for Outfit #2
"How a Girl Should Put a Man's Shirt"- Outfit #2
"How a Girl Should Put a Man's Shirt" - MY FAVORITE!
So next time you’re in the men’s section of a clothing store or come across a shirt left behind by your boyfriend (or ex-boyfriend), tie it up, wrap it up and wear it with style!
The Client VS The Designer
The client-designer business relationship is a sensitive one as it requires plenty of on-going communication and establishing certain expectations upfront to ensure a positive result for both parties involved. I’ve compiled a list specific to each but this post will be dedicated to client-side of things. The designers edition will be posted later on on my blog in a few days.
If you’re a client:
- Always, always ask for a project estimate upfront. I cannot stress this point enough. Don’t leave things at word-of-mouth or verbal agreement. The experienced designer can generally estimate how much time will be needed to complete a project and as a result, how much it will cost. If you have a budget in mind you’d like to stick to, make that clear from the start before any designing starts. Once you’ve agreed on the rate and signed any agreements needed (to protect both parties, not just the designer), then the work can commence. Many designers will also require a deposit upfront – this varies from 30% in phases or 50% upfront and the rest at completion.
- Don’t select designers for their fees; select them for their service. If you’re scouting a few designers for an upcoming project and don’t know who to choose, don’t let their fee be the determining factor. You’re not shopping for a pair of shoes or item of furniture after all. Each designer comes with their own education and design approach so no two designers are ever created equal. Design fees will vary based on years of experience, their working methods and project scope. Let the designer give you a better idea about their fees and the services they’ll be delivering when you schedule the first meeting. Did you see their portfolio and did it impress you? Do they have good word-of-mouth? All pluses. A very important indicator of who to go with is also very instinctual: Do you feel comfortable with them? How well did they understand what you need them to do? You’re going to have to communicate on a pretty-much regular basis until the project completion so it’s important you can see yourself working with that designer.
- Get the logo files you’re entitled to. If you’ve hired a designer to create a logo for you, it’s your right to have it in .eps or vector-format once the design has been finalized. Many clients forget to request that and either the designer no longer has it or they end up having to use low-res versions of their logo for printing (big no-no for quality in large-scale printing). You might not need it right away, but keeping the original vector format with you will always come in handy.
- Set deadlines and don’t leave things vague. Unless there really isn’t a deadline (seldom the case), keeping things at “take your time, we have a few weeks” ensures it stays on the designer’s back-burner and then when you do need it, it’s not ready. Deadlines should leave enough time for revisions and printing schedules. Key deadlines should be respected by both parties.
- Send a brief. It’s always a huge help for designing when the client knows what they want and what they hope the end-product should achieve in terms of messaging. Something “wow” will not be met kindly by any designer. Specify your target audience, the style and general content needed. The sooner the brief is set, the sooner the designer can get to work and not waste your valuable time trying to figure out what you want.
- Review all the details in the design before it goes to print or on your site. Yes, the designer is responsible for getting all your content correctly in whatever design you requested, but they are not copywriters and humans in the end. Typos happen. It’s your job as the client to review these details and don’t point fingers at anyone but yourself if the designer had sent you a proof that you approved. Proofs save a lot of heart-ache when you’re printing something. Check, check and double check before giving the green light.
- Designing doesn’t include expenses. Have the designer keep tab of any expenses such as stock photography, copywriting, font purchase, etc. They should keep you informed along the way and get your confirmation before any such purchases are made to avoid any surprises later on when it comes to the invoice.
- Leave the designing to the designer. I’ve had several clients request the original files to do their own work on them and each time I’ve returned to them with a flat-out no. If you’re having trouble communicating your idea to the designer, set a meeting and discuss in person or find samples online that reflect what you have in mind. Design files are the designers tools, just like an artist’s paintbrush. If the design is for a website, then it’s a different story but only once the design is finalized will they pass on the files for build-out.
Did I leave anything out? Clients and designers, please feel free to suggest others if I missed something.
The Secret Life of … Lebanese Lingerie!
I’m not sure if you’ve come across a copy of Malu Halasa and Rana Salam‘s “The Secret Life of Syrian Lingerie” (published a while ago) but it’s truly something and lately with all the Bras for a Cause bra production stuff going on, it manages to make a steady appearance on my studio coffee table for reference (and a good laugh).
What’s ironic to me is how it’s always the most conservative countries in the Arab world that tend to have the most outrageous undergarments. Some of the designs in the book that the two ladies found in Syrian Souk el Hamadiyeh are simply ridiculous – panties with a plastic phone (one missed call my place, two missed calls your place?), plastic birds glued onto the bra cups and a toy scorpion in “certain places” where obviously no scorpion should ever be! This is one of those things that you need to actually see to believe how outrageously hilarious some of the designs can be and it’ll always be followed by the unavoidable “Who would actually wear this?” (that you probably don’t want an answer for).
I didn’t have to travel to Souk el Hamadiyeh, or even Syria, to find some similar lingerie set. They found me right here in Lebanon and were actually given to me as a sort of practical joke from a lingerie producer I met. Guess the Lebanese lingerie market has it’s own secret life too:
Have you been naughty or nice? 
S&M meets the "Sesame Show"
Fluffing feathers..
Tips from an OCD Blogger
I’m a bit OCD when it comes to blogs. Granted, I’m juggling a few blogs so you may already know that, but I also follow quite a few blogs regularly and this OCD has had a chance to really develop with each blog I come across.
Any regular blogger will tell you that there are a few golden rules to follow when blogging. There’s more to blogging than simply creating a blog on wordpress or blogspot and “expressing yourself”. Fine-tune a few of the details and your blog will surely stand out and eliminate any doubt that you’re still a rookie in the blogging arena:
1. Customize, customize and customize! One of the best features of blogging platforms like wordpress is that it offers you plenty of well-designed templates to choose from. Rather than fit the mold of other blogs you’ve seen, try to see beyond what’s being offered in the template selection. Can you customize the banner? (major plus) Does it reflect the style of your writing or content you’re going to be blogging about? Even taking as little as one hour to design a snazzy header banner will make all the difference. Do your best to avoid a template that many others around you are using.
2. Let’s get social. Blogging is all about community so you want your readers to be able to tweet or share your link with others. Standard wordpress templates offer that but you need to get it running yourself by clicking through a few options in the back-end (very user-friendly, don’t worry). One feature I particularly enjoy is the ‘Publicize” feature on wordpress blogs that get your post tweeted through your account the instant you click “Publish”. It also saves you that extra step of going into Twitter to share the link with others. Some people admit they only blog for themselves and don’t care about others reading or sharing their links, but what’s the point of owning a blog then? Write in your journal or if you enjoy typing on your laptop instead, save your thoughts in a Word document. Otherwise, you might as well have your blog listed as private for your (or selected few) eyes only.
Image Source: LiveBinary
3. Where’d you get that? Blogging also comes with blogging etiquette. An unwritten rule, but something you’ll pick up on quickly when you get into blogging more regularly. If you pull an image from Google or elsewhere online, be courteous and source the link you got the image from. I tend to include an “Image Source: -” under the images I get from other websites and then link the image itself to the source. Put yourself in others’ shoes, how would you feel if someone pulled an image from your website, that perhaps you shot yourself or purchased, and didn’t reference you for it? Same for information or other content you get from somewhere else. In a way, you can call it blogging karma: Do good unto others and they’ll do good unto you.
4. The devil is in the advertising. (Just kidding, or am I?) For some reason, GoogleAds plugs in ads into my blogs whenever they’re viewed on mobile. It bugs the hell out of me, especially when the banner itself has no relevance to the post it’s appearing in. Am I getting anything in return for these ads? Nope – and they’re just added clutter on my blogs I’d rather do without. If anyone knows how to remove these ads, let me know please. Advertising can however be a choice for some bloggers. Maybe they have sponsors or an organization they’re working with that they’d like to publicize. That’s fine so long as it doesn’t get spammy. Two to three advertisements distributed across the blog are fine but not more or else you risk your blog looking like a classifieds ad.
5. You, the Blogger. When I stumble upon a new blog I enjoy, I’m always curious to find out more or connect with that person via Facebook page or Twitter. It helps to include a brief description about yourself (funny, sarcastic, minimal, personals ad-ish,.. whatever). With all the scams going on online, it’s nice to put a real person behind the blog. Widgets are a big help for building more connections with your readers and it’s just a click away to activate. I don’t know how that works in blogger and other platforms, but I’m a die-hard wordpress fan because they make everything so easy to set up in this way. If you’re into photography too, include a Flickr Widget to show your work. Your blog then becomes that central hub to connect your social media platforms in one spot.
6. Menus misuse. Remember, your blog is a BLOG, not a website. A blog with too many menu tabs makes me cringe and I get the sense it’s trying too hard to do more than it was made for. If you find yourself piling on the the tabs, find a way to distribute or reorganize your content so there’s 5-6 main menu buttons and the rest is organized by categories instead.
7. Keep it short and visual. (No puns intended.) Long blog posts are fun when you’re on the commute and have the leisure to read it from start to end, but scroll more than three times and you’ve lost your reader. When I come across a long blog post, I’ll read the first two or three paragraphs, check out the photos and maybe read the ending paragraphs (unless it’s really interesting in which case I’ll read the full post). People have short attention spans and few will read the full post if there’s too much details or it sounds like a diary entry. I also recommend posting at least one image per post, depending on if the topic allows (and the designer in me will say: have it expand the width of the post space and not a tiny thumbnail that you need to click. The less the person needs to click within your post, the better).
8. Little quirks. A few things that are also pluses in blogs is the search bar option which can help you find a post on a topic you’re interested in. Rather than have people scroll painfully through your previous posts for hours on end, they can type in the subject or the title of a post they remember reading before and it’s there. Other little quirks I enjoy are customized Twitter and Facebook Page buttons. That also fits with point #1 to give your blog that certain edge and to also reflect the theme of your blog in general. Much respect goes out to blogs without the “.wordpress.com” or “.blogspot.com” extremities. It only costs $17 a year to get a full-out domain name and will position you as more of a professional blogger at that.
Anything else I missed? Hope these tips help and feel free to share your own tips or comments below. I’ll admit I didn’t follow tip #7 on this post, but I get a bit carried away when it gets to this topic. Feel free to skim through the points and focus on the ones that catch your eye.
Happy blogging!
