Zaman Archives

July 18, 2017

A Whole Other World

If you’re a fan, like me, of comics and the related games and movies they inspire, you will undoubtedly have heard of, if not visited, Comic-Con. These conventions are held in major cities around the world and gather fans by the tens of thousands.

Comic Con 2017

Obviously, a major marketing tool for the industry they are also an opportunity for us, the aficionados, to immerse ourselves in the fictitious worlds we love, often dressing as our favourite hero (or villain) for the day and bringing the character to life along with our alter ego.

Dubai’s annual gathering, The Middle East Film and Comic Con (MEFCC), held at the Trade Centre over 3 days in April, is now the biggest popular culture event in the region. I have been attending since the beginning in 2008 and the growth of interest and participation has been phenomenal.

Being such a youthful cauldron of nationalities and cultures, Dubai’s version offers a mixture of people which is probably unique in the world, all drawn by a common enthusiasm. That makes it truly fascinating. You have Batmen, Hulks, Spocks and Wonder Women from every corner of the earth.

Bushra at Comic Con_003 For this year’s visit, I became a fully made up character of my own creation in the Japanese Manga style. I have loved manga comics since my teenage years, drawn to their detailed illustration, depth of character and life simulating story lines.

Having always enjoyed illustrating and drawing, I am inspired by the artists behind these comics and characters. Studio Ghibli, based in Tokyo, is a favourite, making incredible films for huge global audiences (and profits).

I am extremely happy to say that illustration has now become part of my professional life and I can create scenes and characters that communicate and influence on behalf of our clients.

For a unique spectacle of creativity visit Comic-Con in 2018. I’ll be there but you probably won’t recognise me.

Bushra Laota – Graphic Designer at Zaman

February 25, 2014

NURTURING THE CREATIVE PROCESS

NURTURING THE CREATIVE PROCESS IN 2014

2014 has certainly kicked off on a busy note at Zaman. We have lots of interesting projects in the pipeline, and while we can’t divulge too much at this stage for some of the projects we’re working on, the 2^nd edition of the Al Ain Photographia Award which we worked on in 2011, now in full swing, is one project we can speak about and you can read about it in our previous post here & visit the official award website here to find our how you can participate.

Thanks to the good client rapport and reputation Zaman has built for itself over the last 17yrs, we remain excited about the continued opportunities some of these wonderful projects give us in terms of extending our capabilities & flexing our creativity caps. In light of this it only seems appropriate that today’s blog post puts a spotlight on the importance of creating and maintaining a creative environment in our studio that inspires us and also realizing how to balance the dynamics of personalities and cultures (9 nationalities & counting!) within the team to be the best that we can be. With that said, here are three videos which we’ve bookmarked and hope that they are of inspiration to you.

Video 1: The 3 habits of creative teams

Based on his work with over 1000 teams, speaker Keith Yamashita shares his insights about great collaborative environments including: having an awareness beyond your day-to-day, respecting the unique talents of your team members, and actively cultivating meaningful one-on-one relationships.

Video 2: The 6 Characteristics of truly creative people

Tina Seelig Tina Seelig, director of the National Center for Engineering Pathways to Innovation (Epicenter) at Stanford University’s School of Engineering, teaches courses on creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship in the department of Management Science and Engineering, and within the Hasso Plattner Institute of Design at Stanford. In this video she makes a strong case for a combination of elements that make good ideas spring forward, by presenting her “innovation engine,” a special mix of six characteristics like attitude, resources and environment.

Video 3: Why “gut churn” is an essential part of the creative process

What’s gut churn or gut feeling? Speaker Jad Abumrad describes it as the radical uncertainty that’s a core part of any creative process that really pushes the envelope. You’re entering unknown territory, and working without a map.  Using examples of his own business ventures, Jad shares the benefits of negative feedback and how we can look out for “pointing arrows” that can help guide our work (even when it hurts).

December 4, 2013

The Start Of Something

The Start Of Something Very Big

Having worked with so many different brands in the region throughout the past 18 years we have enjoyed a lot of proud moments. Some, however, naturally stand out over others. Back in 1998 we embarked on what was at the time one of the most significant branding projects in the region.

Zaman was approached by the then ‘Emirates Telecommunications Corporation’ to join the process of evolving them into a customer facing service company with the capacity to grow internationally. At the time very little was known locally about branding beyond its delivery of a new logo. So patience and the sharing of our knowledge were essential at every stage.

The Etisalat brand was of particular National importance as it was the only brand that was omnipresent in all Emirates as the sole provider of its service. Everyone in the UAE had to deal with them so this project would touch everyone at home and at work.

The challenge was very much to change the perception inside the company and across the UAE that this government institution was radically changing for the good of its customers.

To achieve this Zaman created a brand and launch platform that was very personal to the audience and related closely to them as individuals.

We switched the official name to the ‘street’ reference everyone used, Etisalat. We created a new logo mark intended to represent a human form and radiating sound waves of communication breaking from within its own boundaries. The dominant green spoke of a balance, security and growth.

The brand mark was based on a strong and detailed visual identity system that was applied to all the collateral’s – stationery, forms, bills, receipts – and communications tools – brochures, flyers, adverts, posters, signage etc. A comprehensive visual guidelines manual was provided so the brand managers could keep control of the brand’s development through the 100’s of channels and contact points they had to manifest the change.

Redirecting the mind set of the people within the organization was critical to delivering an authentic change to the customer experience. To support this we commissioned a photo shoot, which captured the unseen human face of the organization – people working with and for people. We shared it across the whole organization just prior to launch through a brand book, a presentation, and an intranet and poster campaign. Everyone in the organization got new business cards delivered in a personalized cardholder on the day of the launch.

For the public launch we created animated illustrations that communicated positive yet ‘soft’ messages to customers rather than harsh over ambitious corporate messages. The logo was launched locally with huge, first of their kind, building banners installed on each of Etisalat’s head office buildings in each Emirate and unfurled on the day. A new day.

The Etisalat project of 98 / 99 was a truly a milestone project both for Zaman ad for the UAE. It was followed by a huge wave of re-branding and new brand development across the UAE as the modern commercial age of swept through the UAE’s local businesses at full speed. Etisalat’s change was a true precursor to the incredible developments that were to happen over the next 10 years.

For Zaman, the successful launch of the project lead to Omantel and Qtel branding projects, as well as a host of projects with local companies. Some huge and some start up and from a broad spectrum of industries, all these companies recognized they had to respond to the huge change in the needs of the market place for organizations driven by their brands. They had to become brands.

October 18, 2013

EXPLORING MEMORABLE BRAND

EXPLORING MEMORABLE BRAND INTERACTIONS

“To be a successful brand you cannot simply be a master of your global image, identity, and ambition. You must also understand how to translate this into the simple, day-to-day, and seemingly trivial interactions brands have with each and every customer. Because ultimately, this is what people really care about.” – via The Guardian

Branding exists in every moment of interaction between brand and customer. In every product, platform, digital interface, packaging, architectural space, app & even tweet. Brands that may be considered successful can only really create positive impressions with their customers if they are able to ensure that these moments are consistently engaging, compelling, authentic and mutually beneficial.

Similar to what we discussed in our previous post, the discipline of branding forces us to change our focus from carefully crafted messaging alone to real brand experience. Transcending the master plan to orchestrating individual moments.

Today we see a discernible shift by brands towards more service oriented thinking. However, while we applaud this, we also call on brands to focus on the relationship, the conversation, and the experience and how the elements of personalization & uniqueness can be maintained in that moment of brand-consumer interaction. Against the current backdrop of the techno driven society we operate in, leveraging the latest gadget as part of the marketing outreach mix may create short term reactions of a “wow” factor, in the long term brand managers must strive to achieve a balance of intuitiveness, engagement and reward in order to truly win the hearts & minds of customers.

At Zaman we appreciate the importance of this and this is visible in the work we have carried out over the past 17yrs of operations in the GCC. Right from the conceptualization stage of all projects we undertake we remain alert & attuned to realizing new opportunities that will enable the reinforcement of the brand interaction across as many senses as possible.

While it may sound complicated, the takeaway here is that successful brands must be able see the big picture as well as having an eye for the detail. Every element of your product or service is in essence a conversation with your customer that needs careful consideration and investment. If you put the user at the centre and understand that the experience of your brand is in fact your brand, you are more likely to achieve brand longevity.

November 12, 2012

AL QUOZ – DUBAI’S COMMON GROUND

AL QUOZ – DUBAI’S COMMON GROUND FOR CULTURAL MINDS

Today’s post is inspired by a video we’ve found online, which captures the spirit of Al Quoz, or rather the growing constellation of artistic hubs such as Al Serkal Avenue, which are setting up against the backdrop of Dubai’s well-known industrial area.

So why is this particularly significant? Well for our readers who’ve been following our announcements on Facebook and Twitter regarding the Watani T-shirt Design Contest we launched in the lead up to the 41^st UAE National Day – the venue of our exhibition for winning designs is Shelter Gallery. For those who haven’t yet had a chance to visit this area, perhaps this video can persuade you check out one of the many galleries in this area.

Note: The Watani T-shirt Design Exhibition will be held on November 28th at Shelter. The event is open to the public. For updates head to our our Facebook page here.

July 23, 2012

RAMADAN MUBARAK

RAMADAN MUBARAK FROM TEAM ZAMAN!

As celebrants of all elements of the diverse culture and traditions of the Arab world, this year the design for our Ramadan greetings card sent out to our clients and industry partners is inspired by the gahfiyah, also referred to as the Islamic hat or Muslim prayer cap in English.

“The design for our greeting card is a collage of different Islamic hats to showcase another aspect of the different ‘flavours’ of the Islamic world and this is visible in the intricacies of the patterns and the varying beautiful prints we found. The choice of 30 hats in the collage is a representation of the 30 days of Ramadan. To the trained eye the differences in the caps – colours, threading, shape, typography, patterns & symbols – can actually indicate the origin or nationality of the wearer.” Nadia Abdeen, Zaman Graphic Designer.

Despite its religious associations, the hat is actually a practical item of clothing in the desert climates to which Islam is native; although the daytime Arabian temperatures can get extremely high, the extreme lows of the night temperatures necessitate wearing a head covering to bed reduces heat loss by a substantial amount. Traditionally worn by Muslim men across the world, the hat goes by many names such as gahfiyah (Gulf), topi (Pakistan), takiyah (Sri Lanka), kufi (US and Britain), tubeteika (Russia), pakol (Afghanistan) and thakiha (Indonesia). Likewise in terms of style the caps differ by country and region in both the pattern and the material from which they are made.

In warmer climates such as Islamic sub-Saharan Africa the caps are made of a lighter cotton material, in the Gulf the caps are commonly made from crochet cotton, are more tightly fitted and worn underneath the ghutra (veil) while in relatively cooler climates such as Turkey the cap, which is more conical in shape, is distinctively thicker and made from beautifully embroidered wool and cotton fleece.

The Gahfiyah or Muslim cap offers yet another fascinating insight into design in the Arab world.

Team Zaman wishes you & your family Ramadan Mubarak!

June 18, 2012

JENGAN

FROM TRADING ENTITY TO SOLUTIONS PROVIDER – JENGAN

Case-study: Long-time supplier to the industrial sector Jengan was ideally situated to provide advice and guidance to clients who needed support in identifying quality products.

The UAE’s open trade environment contributed to an expansive product range, in both quality and price. This reality became a unique opportunity to position the company as a trusted partner for clients’ confused by the range of options. To strengthen its position as the trusted industry partner Jengan’s management strengthened its local corporate brand to match that of its internationally recognized product line.

Training sessions for employees and a series of other complementary initiatives enabled them to become more service-oriented. This contributed greatly to enabling the company to widen the gap between itself and its competitors. Extending this to Jengan’s environment, in this case the showroom, was a critical component of the new plan. Zaman’s design team worked to make Jengan’s showroom became visibly different from its competitors to reinforce its image as ‘more than a mere provider of products’. The showroom environment incorporated a unique graphic system to reflect Jengan’s new client-oriented mandate and reinforce its focus on service and expertise, which says: “we’re here to help you make the right choice and support you after the choice is made” through installation services and customer care.

Click here to see more of our case studies.

June 5, 2012

AL NABOODAH

AL NABOODAH – UNITY UNDER ONE UMBRELLA

Case Study: “When Al Naboodah wanted to leverage its position across all its businesses, Zaman was called to create an identity that tells a story at every touch point. This is the solution that enables all stakeholders to easily make connections among its various divisions & business interests” Grace Yacoub, Founder Zaman

The colourful sun wheel at the heart of Al Naboodah’s new logo illustrates how its various components are united in purpose. Zaman designed the new logo to underscore the group’s unity of purpose. Using one icon to symoblise all its activities, the logo enables the Group to capitalise on a solid, singular brand. The kaleidoscope of colours portrays the vibrancy that emanates from the unique and diverse range of Al Naboodah companies, which cover four broad value pillars: Unity, Progress, Responsibility and Excellence.

Zaman applied the new identity across multiple environments, including the reception area of Al Naboodah’s Head Office in Deira.

Click here to see more images of the work we did for Al Naboodah and our other clients

December 27, 2011

Part 1: Art on wheels

Part 1: Art on wheels – shooting Dubai’s colourful ‘Jingle’ trucks

Last week I wrote a short post on the design process behind our signature annual calendar which is designed & used in-house and shared with clients/partners. Here’s a link to the post. A few days ago I sat down with colleague Nadia Abdeen who was responsible for collating all the artworks for the calendar. Nadia was kind enough to share some excerpts from the journal she kept to chronicle the entire research process. So here is Part 1 of a two-part series on photo-shooting Dubai’s ‘Jingle Trucks’.

July 19^th: On my quest to find these trucks that are adorned with beautiful artworks transforming them into mobile art galleries, I started pretty much looking in the wrong place. [Well meaning] tips from friends & colleagues suggested the Dubai Creek area as a starting point, so off I went with my Canon SLR D500 camera in tow. What I found though was pretty intriguing and definitely worth sharing; art on boats! I also found a truck for shipping at the port parking, not one of those I was looking for but quite interesting as well.

July 21^st: Today, I noticed one of the sewage trucks that I was looking for on my way to work. I decided to follow it until it eventually stopped. Thankfully I didn’t have to drive too far as it stopped at a Fruit & Vegetable market. It had a golden eagle painted on the back of it, which apparently resembles the truck driver as I was told later. Many other trucks on the side of the road, for different purposes and with different shapes and forms. However, there must be a place with many of those sewage trucks, now the challenge is to find this place…

July 24^th: I thought to myself, why not take a drive where I found that first sewage truck; next to the fruit and vegetable market? So passing by, I found a new one! But that was it for today. The truck had a painting of a bridge with a boy and a girl on it, and towards the bottom were two eyes of a female painted in a very large scale, with flowers and candles around them. A very romantic art piece that reflects the longing of that truck driver for his loved one back home. I later learned this story towards the end of my truck-seeking journey, along with a couple of others. I also managed to find some crops into other illustrations created on other trucks, in smaller scale.

October 3^rd: We had a busy time at the office, so it has been a while since I last went truck searching. However someone in the office today said there’s a sewage plant located close to our office! I went there, and many of sewage trucks were there! Unfortunately, mostly those plain ones without paintings.

October 4^th: How about I pass by that sewage plant today? I might have a better luck finding one of those painted trucks… mmm not really. Again I came across two of the ones that I already found before. I headed home. At one of the busy roundabouts of Al Khail Rd, I came across a new and remarkably painted truck! I ran out of my car with the camera and managed to get a good short before it drove off.

Look out for Part 2 of Nadia’s journal entries in the next post!

December 24, 2011

Festive Christmas wishes

Festive Christmas wishes from Zaman!

To You & Yours,

Warm Regards,

Team Zaman Branding

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