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The Yard at Work: Tempered by Mimi's

One of the things we enjoy about being graphic designers is the diversity of projects we get to work on. To name a few, we have done work that ranged from logos to wedding album designs to cartoon drawings. The challenge of having a completely different brief each time allows us to learn about new fields and disciplines that we wouldn’t have otherwise been exposed to.

One current design was the graphic work for Tempered by mimi’s. We worked hand in hand with Mimi to bring to life a logo design that she was envisioning for her pop-up chocolate shop.

1) Evolving simple pencil sketches.

2) Finding the perfect shade of red for the logo.

3) Implementing the logo on different mediums.

The Yard and Tempered by mimi’s were pleased with the simple yet bold design that was used to brand the edgy artisan chocolate line. The playful solution for implementing the logo came from extending a line from the letter ‘d’ in tempered. The concept derived from the definition of tempering chocolate (a method of increasing the shine and durability of chocolate couverture by melting it at a specific temperature) and was inspired by a thermometer.

Green is the new Black

In an effort to encourage recycling in kuwait, The Yard is giving out discount coupons to anyone who contacts Recyclink to have their paper waste picked up. However, there is a catch! To receive a 5% discount, you will have to schedule 2 paper pickups. To receive a 25% discount on your next purchase, you will have to have 20 paper pickups by recyclink. The good news is, there is no deadline or minimum time frame, so you can receive your discounts as fast or as slow as you schedule your pickups! Let's make recycling a part of our daily lives!

To receive your recycling boxes, contact Recyclink on the following:

http://www.recyclink-kw.com
twitter.com/recyclink_kw
http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/RecycLink/183542038363629
Tel: 99912457


Happy Recycling Y'all!

Short & Sweet

It's been a wonderful first year being in business! A year of great challenges and lovely opportunities. We got to design our very first piece of furniture, produce our first mini film, meet some talented creatives and of course got to know some of our lovely customers. As a thank you to all of those who supported us in our first year, we decided to give away Ramathan treats.

We wanted our treat to be delicious and one that reflected our personalities and The Yard's identity. With faith in Mimi's (a dear friend) palette and delicious products, we brainstormed some ideas for our treats. The result: A Jar of Salted Caramel Spread with a Dark Chocolate Seal!

Our next challenge was packaging those jars in materials and ways that reflected The Yard's identity and are in line with our recycling ethics. It was of course no brainer that we would go with recycled brown paper bags, but it had to look pretty! Hence, the black ribbons, customised mini stamped "Eat Me" tags, Shabby Chic floral fabrics, and in-house designed cards.

And the final results was ..... tataaaaaaa:

I hope you all enjoyed your treats, and those still looking for suggestions on what to to eat their Salted Caramel with, we produced this mini video:

Due to popular demand, The Yard's Edition of Mimi's Salted Caramel Spreads are now available for purchase on our website for everyone to enjoy!




* Salted Caramel Spread Produced by "Tempered by Mimi's". Packaging by The Yard.

Tareq Rajab's Calligraphy Collection

We went for a tour of the Tareq Rajab Museum of Islamic Calligraphy in Jabriya a couple of weeks ago, organized by Dar Al Athar Al Islamiya. I was overly impressed with the vast collection that was on display. The museum had two floors of beautiful work, most dating back hundreds of years. 

Most of the calligraphers were of Iranian or Egyptian origins. Each with a different style or technique, but the extraordinary precision in every piece was the common between them all.

What I found to be interesting and different was the works of Asian calligraphers. I liked how they integrated the circular scriptive Arabic type with the structured, linear Asian type.

I'm glad we had the opportunity to visit the museum with a tour guide. It was more beneficial as we got better insight on the pieces since not all of them had written explanations. Each piece had such a rich history and hearing the tales behind them made them even more beautiful!

The museum is open to public, free of charge, every day from:

9am - 12pm & 4pm - 7pm

Fridays 9am - 12pm

To view a map of their location, click here.

Dress-Up Your Home with Silver Corner

We believe that 'dress-up' is not a term that is limited to clothing which is why we love to dress-up our spaces with beautiful accessories! Whether it is for a special occasion or an investment in owning a timeless piece you fall in love with at first sight, homeware and tableware is the ideal addition to giving your living space that special touch.

Found in 1992, Silver Corner Company aim to satisfy their clientele by offering a wide range of home decor collectables from world famous brands. Their range includes both modern and classic, single pieces or full sets. From dinnerware, stemware, flatware and silverware, to picture frames, vases, ashtrays, decorative plates, candle holders, candelabras and all the way to chandeliers.

These small touches around the home make a big difference and also work perfectly as giveaways and personal/corporate gifts.

Silver Corner is located in Al-Hamra Building, Hamad Al-Mubarak Street, Salmiya

For more information, visit their facebook page, or contact them on: scc@silver-corner.com / +965 25736209

Dar Al Mashreq Gallery

I went to the opening of a new gallery, Dar Al Mashreq, early last week in Salhiya Complex. 

Located on the 2^nd floor, the opening was very well organized and buzzed with a mix of a young and old crowd. 

All of the artists were male, either of local or regional origins, with an impressive background of previous exhibitions held in different parts of the world. I enjoyed the variety of artwork, which ranged from sculptures to sketches and abstract paintings. Every artist had a very distinct style, but all the work was put up in a way that flowed nicely. I found most of the paintings to be very refreshing and colorful, in addition to some having a local feel.

It is refreshing to see new galleries opening up in Kuwait, as I feel they aid in promoting positive interest and appreciation for art. If you are ever in the area, I suggest taking a quick detour and giving the new gallery a visit.

Below are a few images of some of the artwork that was put up.

Dar Al Mashreq is in Salhiya Complex, Mezzanine II, Entrance 4, Shop 16.

Tel: 22996447

Open daily from 9am - 1pm & 5pm - 9pm (except Fridays)

Earth Day 2011 - How Green Can You Go?

The objective behind Earth Day is to inspire other individuals to work towards creating a greener environment and carrying out simple acts that in turn, can make a difference to the world that we live in.

First celebrated on April 22nd of 1970, Earth Day has now grabbed the attention of more than 1 billion people all over the world. It was founded by US Senator Gaylord Nelson after a huge oil spill in California in 1969. The senator was inspired by students' anti-war movement during that time and wanted to have a day where the same energy would be channeled towards raising awareness on the impact of air and water pollution on our environment.

Organizers of Earth Day have worked hard to incorporate various disciplines towards one cause. Music is one, where artists from different parts of the world offered "green" music which can be enjoyed and downloaded for free. 

Design is another discipline that was integrated with Earth Day and allowed a large number of individuals to be a part of the cause. Having an appreciation and interest for art, I was curious to look into a competition that was set up. Participants were given the task of illustrating a message about the importance of the environment on a t-shirt. A total of 161 submissions were made, and the winner will be announced on April 22nd. The chosen design will be available for sale on Threadless, where 25% of the sale of each t-shrit will fund Earth Day Network's efforts to promote environmental awareness. 

Below are a few examples of some of the submissions made. To view all t-shirt designs, click here.

One simple thing you can do as a contribution to Earth Day is to make a pledge on "Billion Acts of Green" to perform an act that can make a difference to the environment. Nonetheless, you can also make a pledge to yourself to conduct an act that you can start at home or in the office. The act can be as simple as recycling paper, plastic and glass, or as complex as organizing an event to raise awareness in your community. Whatever you chose to do, no act is too little to make a difference to the Earth.

Gomediazine: Tips to Avoid Designer's Block

I found this cool article with tips to avoid designer's block and I thought I should share it on our blog. So here goes:

10 Tips to avoid designer’s block

Ever feel like some days you can crank out amazing looking designs with little effort? Then on other days it feels like nothing is working, you’ve lost all your talent and you’ll never make another good design for the rest of your miserable life? Don’t panic – this is natural. It’s like writer’s block, except for designers. It happens to all of us.

So, the real question is; how do I avoid designer’s block? Or better yet; how can I get into the “zone.” For those of you unfamiliar with the term “the zone,” it’s the expression athletes use to describe how they feel when they’re performing at their very best. They’re not THINKING about how to perform – they’re just DOING IT.

So, how do you get there? How do you stay there? And once again – how do you avoid designer’s block? It’s not possible to dial in design perfection each time you sit down at your desk, but there are a few things you can do to help. Here are 10 items to help you find the “zone” and avoid designer’s block.

1. GET “LOOSE”

In my experience, there is a danger in sitting down and trying to get right into a design (or drawing.) If the very first time your pencil hits paper you need to be drawing exactly what you’re intending to be your final piece of art – you’ll have a tendency to “tighten up.” You can literally feel your muscles tighten as you start to put down a hard crisp pencil line. As a designer if you don’t start out by getting loose, your brain tightens up on exactly what you think the final design should look like.

But drawing and designing is not executed in a perfectly straight line. It’s not a math equation. It’s a process. And the first part of the process needs to be getting loose; opening your mind to the possibilities or loosening up the muscles in your drawing arm. If it’s drawing that I’m about to do I like to start with some very loose sketching. It doesn’t have to be a sketch of anything in particular. I’ll just draw big circles, cylinders, goofy faces, body parts, random patterns, whatever. The important thing is that you do it fast and loose. The goal is just to relax. Pretend you’re a kid picking up a crayon for the very first time.

As for loosening up before a design project, I like to surf the web. There is nothing like the inspiration that seeing other artist’s work has for broadening my mental picture. If I already have a solid idea of how the design is going to be, I will force myself to think of another one. Pretend for a moment that you’ve done the design exactly how you envision it and the client completely rejected it. What’s next? How else can it be designed? Once again – we’re talking about getting loose, being fluid, opening up your brain to more possibilities.

2. FIND INSPIRATION

Inspiration is important. Having excitement for the work you’re about to do is critical. Personally I do three things to get inspired. First, I surf the net and look at other designers/illustrators work. When I see a cool drawing I feel a rush of energy. I’m jealous of what they’ve done and I want to try and make something just as cool. Second, I put on some good tunes. Music is great for me. Finally, I make up a story about my drawing or design in my brain. It’s good to have an internal dialog that goes beyond “I need to design a chart for a grocery store.” How about: “I’m designing a chart that’s going to be used in the new Tron movie.” In truth my design is just for a local grocery store – but in my mind I’m pretending it’s for a movie. I can hear the theme music as the lead character of the movie steps up to a translucent floating display. It’s a tense moment as he uses a touch-screen interface to figure out which pizza has the most calories. In Tron 2 calories equals energy, which is GOOD in the digital world. He’s going to need his energy to battle it out in a game of Deadly Disk. Ok, this is a ridiculous story, but you get my point. Find a way to get excited, get jacked!

3. GET YOUR HEAD OUT OF THE “GAME”

Ever notice that you’re sometimes able to do amazing design work when you’re under a crushing deadline? You sit down and start cranking through a design. You’re working super fast. You’re not thinking. You’re just doing. You slap it together – if it doesn’t look good, you just move it around rapidly until it does. I call this speed designing. You’re not giving yourself ANY time to prejudge your ideas. You’re just executing them, evaluating them in a split-second and then making changes.

What you’ve done in this scenario is taken your brain out of the equation. You don’t give yourself enough time to second guess anything.
They say the fastest path to success is through failure. So, if you fail fast, you’ll succeed fast. If I catch myself over thinking a project I can play this little game with myself: “I only have 30 minutes to complete this entire design… ready, set, GO!”

4. GIVE YOURSELF TIME

Sometimes our clients do not give us much time to complete a design. It is particularly hard to design something when you feel like there isn’t enough time. It’s like pressure is mounting on you. Somewhere inside you know that you better get it right the first time or else you’ll miss your timetable. This causes you to tighten up.

To fight this feeling of time pressure I have several options. I can talk to the customer about his timetable/budget. If I can convince him/her to give me more time/money – that’s the best solution. I can also allow myself to go over budget and “eat” the time I’m over. I can also try to think of some design shortcuts to save me some time. Whatever I decide to do, I need to get the time pressure off my mind.

At Go Media we have a “Portfolio Project Policy” which basically says: “If you think your design is going to be portfolio worthy, you can go over budget on your time.” It’s important that we give ourselves the time to do good work – even if the financial bottom line takes a hit. After all, we got into this business for the art, not the money. If we were just after money we would be crab fishermen in the Bering Sea.

5. HAVE FUN WITH A NEW TECHNIQUE OR TOY

If I’m not feeling in a very designy mood, not inspired and generally not creative, I’ve found that a new toy can help to lift my spirits. By new “toy” what I mean is some design tool. Maybe I buy a new piece of software, or a Wacom tablet or maybe a new brush. Or maybe a new “toy” is just a piece of knowledge. Maybe I’ll search the web for a new drawing tutorial. If I can learn a new technique, I’m immediately inspired to try it out.

6. LOWER YOUR EXPECTATIONS

As designers and illustrators we need to remind ourselves that we’re not going to paint the Mona Lisa each time we touch paint to canvas, or pencil to paper, or pixel to computer. We’re going to fail – a LOT. I like to think of a professional baseball player’s batting average and my ability to make a good design as analogous. A very good baseball player only gets a hit 30% of the time he steps up to the plate. I think this is a good average for a designer too. If I sit down to draw 10 times and 3 come out good – then I’m doing a good job. If you put too much pressure on yourself to hit a home run each time you draw/design it will make it even harder. So, relax, expect to fail. It’s ok. I still love you.

7. BE AWARE OF YOUR DIFFICULTY LEVEL

Not all design projects are the same. Are you designing something that is in your comfort zone? Or are you being asked to design something you’ve never done before? This is all part of managing your expectations. If you have a good perspective on your ability as it relates to the project at hand, you’ll keep a positive attitude about your results. And a positive attitude means better design.

8. EAT A PROPER DIET

Huh? Diet? Why the heck would what I eat affect my ability to design? Well – food affects your mood and energy level. And your mood certainly affects your design. I’ve noticed that when I’m in a bad mood I design poorly. Or more to the point is that when I’m in a bad mood I don’t even design. I just sit there staring at the blank screen doing nothing. As each design idea pops into my brain a little negative voice in my head says: “No. That’s a crappy idea. That won’t work. Think of something else you loser.” And so I sit. Idea after idea is gunned down in my brain because I’m in a bad mood.

“So, where is the connection between food and mood?” you ask. It’s simple – food signals your brain to release insulin. Insulin is a drug that makes you feel full – and happy. Also, food gives you energy. It makes you feel awake and alert. Furthermore, having an appropriate blood-sugar level makes you feel calm.

Now, let’s go back to that scenario where I’m sitting at my desk designing. Except now I’m happy and calm and full of energy. And what happens now when that design idea floats through my brain? Do I gun it down before I even try it out? No. This time a little voice in my brain says: “Sure! That could work. Let’s give it a try!” And if it fails does that voice rip me to shreds and tell me I suck? No, this is the happy, calm, energetic voice. It says: “No problem Bill! Let’s try something else. Even though this design didn’t work – there is one small part of this design that DOES look good! Let’s use that part and explore how we can expand on it!”

Ok, food effects mood, got it, so, what do I eat? Well, this is not rocket science. You’ve heard it a million times: balanced diet with fruits, veggies, protein and complex carbohydrates. In my experience there is one area to really focus on to help your mood: eating more protein and avoiding sugars (simple carbs.) When you eat sugars like candy, pop, white bread and white noodles – you’ll get a huge insulin spike. You’ll feel full of energy and really full for a short burst. Then you have the insulin drop. Suddenly you’ll feel very tired, sad and you’ll have the munchies. Proteins on the other hand burn slower in your body. It spreads out your energy over a longer period of time. Your mood is stabilized. There is no sudden spike and no sudden drop. At the very least – mix in some protein along with your carbs. This will help soften the drop off of energy.

Which brings me to caffeine. I certainly love my cup of coffee in the morning. The energy spike is AWESOME – and I feel GREAT. But I’ve also learned that it’s not exactly ideal for drawing. I have TOO MUCH energy. I can’t sit still. I’m washing my walls and sweeping my floors. Or, I write long blogs about designer’s block.

There is not one rule for everyone. Some people may design better on a huge dose of caffeine and a plate of pasta. I don’t know your personal brain and body chemistry. My point is that food affects your mood. And your mood affects your thought process. And your thought process affects how you design. And HOW you design affects your ABILITY to design. So just be aware. Take a moment to think about what you’re eating and what mood you’re in. Then figure out what your optimal designer diet is.

9. GET YOUR SLEEP

Sleep is somewhat related to mood and energy just like your diet. I can’t go into a long discussion about the effects of proper sleep because, well, I don’t actually know anything about it. But I do know that we need our sleep. And I know that I become a slug when I haven’t had enough sleep. Suffice to say that it’s something to be aware of. What is your ideal sleep pattern? How much sleep do you need to be at your best?

10. TAKE A WALK

More physiology coming at you; did you know that exercise releases endorphins? Endorphins are natural drugs in your brain that make you happy and relaxed. Also, a little time walking will allow your subconscious to work through the design project that is festering in your brain. We have a ping-pong table here at Go Media. A game or two of ping-pong has the same effect. It breaks up your brain waves and gives it some time. Innovation is just around the corner!

In conclusion – you’re going to get designer’s block. It’s inevitable. Don’t get frustrated and upset. Just accept it as part of your job. Now, eat some beef jerky as you go for a walk around the block to check out the local graffiti wall. I promise by the time you get back you’ll feel right as rain.

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* This article is obtained from Gomediazine. 

Gomediazine is part of a creative agency, GoMediaZine, based in Cleveland, Ohio. 

Rediscover Your Inner Child

"Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up" (Pablo Picasso).

Why is it that children are more imaginative? I've come to notice that ironically, the learning process in disciplined environments (such as schools) can actually limit one's creativity. Being taught specific ways of doing something at an early age can restrict us from seeing things differently, leading us to be less imaginative with age.

I saw a thought-provoking speech given by Sir Ken Robinson* for TED where he brings up a very interesting point. He states that children are more creative because they are not frightened of being wrong. As we grow older, we are taught not to do wrong, which means that we will never come up with anything original. A simple example of what is considered to be wrong is a child drawing a purple banana, and being corrected by their teacher that bananas are yellow and will always be yellow!

What initiated my search into this topic is a book I found online about taking photos from a different point of view; one that is considered to be out of the norm. Creators of the book, Andy Space and Anthony Sperudti had a very simple yet original idea: "In a city where everyone looks down, we decided to look up."

Below are images of the book by Partners & Spade, titled The Benefits of Looking Up.

That being said, it is never too late to discover your inner child and give your creativity another shot! Start looking at things from a different point of view by experimenting with The Yard's new set of lomography cameras.

New at The Yard, Lomo Instant Back!

The Yard is now the first official supplier of lomography cameras in Kuwait! For all available cameras and accessories, please click on the link below:

The Yard - Accessories

Lalla Essaydi

I came across these beautiful photos while looking for images to display on our latest collection of "Picture Me Perfect" makeup bags. These photos are taken by Moroccan-born artist Lalla Essaydi, in which she dresses women (many of whom are family members) in traditional attire and covers them in arabic calligraphy.
The text used in the images are thoughts and experiences of the artist caught between the east and the west, the past and the present. 

Lalla Essaydi received her MFA from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts/TUFTS University in May 2003. She grew up in Morocco, and lived in Saudi Arabia for many years. She now lives in New York City.

FILIM: Remixed Arabia

We recently went to Sultan Gallery to see the 'FILIM: Remixed Arabia' exhibit by architect and digital artist, Jassim Al Saddah. The exhibition consisted of an adaptation of 12 of the most famed and internationally recognized movie posters of our time. A few examples include Star Wars, The Godfather, Jaws, My Fair Lady and Chicago. 

Each film poster was redesigned, where Arabic type and regional celebs were used to substitute the original text and characters. Some posters were more obvious than others, and although the exhibit was static, we found it to be quite interactive identifying the posters. We enjoyed the level of wit with each design and took pleasure in the humor behind some of the adaptations.

We also took a booklet from the exhibit which had some very interesting thoughts related to the concept behind the exhibition. We'd like to share a section from it, as it gives more insight on the work presented: The word 'remixed' used in the exhibit title refers to a new generation of posters, where the "content of the original is altered to convey political or comedic messages". Using widely recognized posters also allows the artist to speak to a larger audience with a much louder voice by the use of a single sheet.

Unfortunately the exhibit was only on for 3 days, with the last day being yesterday:  Thursday, March 31st.  To keep up to date with any events coming up in the Kuwaiti art scene, visit: www.artkuwait.org