Human Values in commerce

The previous presentation showed us how people usually react to their problems whether on a personal or industrial wise. Finding solutions needs to look deep into the problem and figure out what is going wrong, as they mentioned sarah littler turnbull's built her carrier by helping to figure out the problems in the product, why they are not working? is it because of the package or they way they are approaching to their target audience or to find basic ways to use the product even if it was something Africans do to serve their food.

As a growing designer finding a solution should be in our thinking system where thinking in a deep way and not only in the surface. The examples they showed show how turning a problem into a plus and make it easier and more practical to use. The angawi's tea or coffee is an ultimate solution to our society, and what makes it unique that he looked into a local problem and found a local solution the public can relate to it.

Finally, what I want to say is starting to find the problem is one of the first steps to find the solution acknowledging the problem makes you go deep in layers to find what went wrong even if the problem was so tiny but its effect is big and that’s why we should give up with the first problem we face.

other stuff from the product designer that shows how problems can be solved in a way that helps the society 

 and the electronic prayer beads that helps older people to remember that times they pray without losing the authentic touch of the original beads 

Think Globally, Upload Locally

         Designing in the Saudi Arabia is still at its growing phases where everything is still new, from the presentation they presented they are not talking about designing only they are talking about thinking in general and the creative in particular. Creative thinking can be about everything starts from ads in the streets to building a new business, thinking globally its something we relate to in this new century where all the world gathered in a tiny screens as television or computer, and because of this globalization plenty of our traditions and qualities started to fade away and all the world started to look alike, and we need to save our uniqueness by uploading it locally.

Uploading locally is what we need in our daily life where we can communicate with the people in a personal level, as a designer I try to make everything I do more of global techniques but with a local touch that makes it looks like home to my target audience.

One of the best uploading locally examples in the Arab world I can say is Egypt and how they communicate to their public, all their ads, posters and movies is all about Egypt and what happens in their daily life from phrases, food or even their taxi drivers. Lebanon can come in second as how they approach their people locally, and getting their unique style in designing where you can get its Lebanese by one look. In my opinion Emirates is different where I can still see that they are trying to think locally but with an eye of a foreigner, and maybe that’s because of the foreign population they have, I would like them to go into the deep life of an emirate citizen and approach it more.

Finally, what I would say about uploading it locally as a designer in Saudi Arabia is I believe we are going to the right direction where we are growing but as a baby steps, which is more solid background we can look into in the future.


and here's some links for some video ads I liked so much and it represents the uploading it locally concept :
 Kuwaiti ad for eid  
an Egyptian ad 

The Weaving of Design and Community

Design world have many aspects in life and this is something we know since day one in our design school, and I’m not talking about the differentiation that goes into it from typography, photography, animation and many others, I’m talking about knowing the real deep aspects of design the effect it has on people and we knew that from the design history and how it contributed in making life in this earth and destroy it in others which the propaganda posters were the main elements in ww1 and ww2 wars and then advertising came and the human kind knew what is the secret to control the massive population in the earth day by day .Therefore, the usage of the communication through design split into a half bad and good , and this article is making us to be aware of how we should use the good side of design more and to teach people how to make this world a better place or to live healthier life and more. Yes as I said design has so many aspects and super powers that the world needs each designer to learn not wasting this power and use it for the good in our community .

Ethical Design Education

Sustainability is major subject in the design world using it, designing it, promoting it and recycling it. For me sustainability is more than just finding a product that’s promoting it or putting the can in the right recycling basket, its about a life style and how you look at it. True in the old days we haven't had this much of awareness about suitability and recycling, but as a Muslim raised in a Muslim family we always had it in a way or other .As in the Quran and the sunnah we always had an awareness to not spend and waste what god gave us and from that suitability was part of our life. For example, closing the lights after leaving the room, reuse any boxes or glasses for other objects, not using water while brushing or teeth and etc.

Therefore, for me it’s more about something built in me and I see it as a common sense. And as a designer I should be aware of making it more easier for others to re use their stuff and not throw it away, and its or responsibility to save the earth by less printing and use less paper because its a big part in our daily life. 

Brand Name Dropper

Designers have as much responsibility as the consumers, advertising to a product has the same effect of using it .So, according to the presentation shawn wolfe was mocking the public by having his anti branding campaign "panic now " to show how the consumer will fall into the campaign at the end and wanting the hypothetical product.

As a designer to know the effect a designer make is a first priority. Media had used the trick of making everyone wants to be special and ending up by buying the same products to feel that they can relate to a group of people, sometime they use the sense of need where the person’s wanting the product got to its highest and converted to a need. A need the person can get from not having the perfect car, its like without this perfect car that is displayed in the banner you can't get the perfect house, job or life. As a Saudi women I can see the way that consumerism had built in our society where you can't do anything without spending money, the need for every single person in Saudi Arabia to get blackberry at the same time explains it all .The repel effect that branding have is underestimated by the consumer where they fall into any trap was built for them so all what shawn wolfe is asking just for the consumers to open their eyes and be aware.

For you who didn't watch the movie the joneses here is the link streaming online movie worth the watch where it shows how the branding game is played

reporters without borders ..

Report without borders is such an overwhelming topics where it shows when there is a will there's a power, and how they united to achieve their goal. What amazed me more is the fact that most of their money came from selling monographs but it didn't stop them they continued. And all of that to fight for their press freedom where some countries put their journalists in jail or kill them for a word or a photo and that stops the truth from seeing the light and get to the eye of the public.

Media can manipulate thousands of their news but with reporters without borders we have the hope of having the naked truth delivered to us untouched by the media we might need to look for it but we know its there.

I checked their website and they update their news everyday, where they tell you their everyday battle.

Beyond Pro Bono

Art is subjective and from the previous presentation I got why it’s subjective, for analyzing and criticizing piece of art each person needs all his senses, life experiences, culture, and education to have an opinion towards it. Therefore, every artist when he creates his art piece needs the target audience base where they share the same culture view, the same background or the same interest to get what was his aim by creating it.

 The example they showed of the Truck Driver photo (taken by Jodi Cobb , 1987)  shows how the simple life of a Bedouin lady is .And that impression came to me according to the life we currently know in Saudi Arabia where women in Saudi Arabia don't drive .

 For me I believe its overrated because the photo shows what is beyond women driving .The fact that she without Abaya and still covering her face shows freedom of choice combined with conservative religion and cultural beliefs, driving a truck shows that she knows what she is doing and she controls it very well and that shows from the look in her eyes and how she handling the door with confidence, the last thing is that she is serving her tribes with water and that shows independency as a Saudi woman not waiting for a man to help the tribe and how they respect and dependent on her .

But for a person to look at this photo without knowing the Saudi background would think, " Why they are covering their faces?" and not get the point of how this photo can make a statement. 

Finally, any creative work shouldn't be judged from one point of you and consider the differences of the people and understand it.