Hello my friends! As you might have seen in the previous posts, I shared that I am starting a podcast project just to share my voice and experience in studying in Korea. So here is my first episode titled “Why Korea” were I share the story behind choosing Korea to study abroad. I hope you enjoy it and share it with your friends who want to study here.
Dorm Life in at Kookmin Univeristy [ENG CC]
May Favorite Things!
Can you believe that we have reached mid of 2021? Neither do I. Lots and lots of things happened during May that I’m so grateful for and happy to get to know.
However, I don’t want to bore you with the details or maybe that is an idea for another post or let’s say podcast :P
Where did I go?
Nami Island:
Spending Eid days with my Bahraini delegation here in Korea was the highlight of the month. Last year we couldn’t celebrate together due to COVID19 and I used to be in Daegu and my fellow Bahraini was in Seoul.
This year I was so happy that we have another Bahraini joining us on the scholarship and we could spend a day together chasing and exploring Nami Island.
Hermes - Once Upon a Bag
This tiny bag exhibition was so fancy for my taste. Too bad I went alone and not with one of my friends so we could act like we were rich people who are interested in understanding the history of our Hermes bags :P
What’s on my reading list?
Frame Innovation
Understanding Comics
Sprint
What’s on my playlist?
What’s the coffee talk?
Still my favorite podcast her intro is the best! Nevertheless, her talks are heartwarming and inspiring like you are talking to a close friend [ you should just go listen to it]
Joji Nectar Album
This album is just perfect and the weird visuals for it are soooo amazing
Food & Coffee Obsessions?
Dunkin Donuts Coffee Capsules
We Love bake
discovered this gem by watching one of my favorite YouTuber's Ashely and the cookies are soon good! Especially the mint choco cookie one [I am obsessed with mint chocolate these days]
What’s I am currently watching?
Law School
Doom at your Service
These two dramas are keeping me on my toes that I regret watching them while airing :P I will talk about them in detail later on (on my podcast).
So I’ve married an Anit-Fan (Korean Version)
Vincenzo
What did I buy?
Peace Lily Plant
These days the air quality in Seoul is not good, so I search for natural air cleaners that would make my one-room looks nice and help me with breathing well, therefore, I have added Peace Lily to the family!
Kookmin University Varsity Mint Jacket
Finally, it’s here! I have ordered my uni varsity jacket in its mint edition [told you I was obsessed with choco mint] and it’s so pretty so so pretty but sadly I can’t wear it as much as I want cause Summer is here.
That’s it for May favorites!
Unnie Talk Podcast
A Little Tour Around Kookmin University
Hello there, as you might already know I am currently studying Master’s degree in Visual Communication Design at Kookmin University, Seoul.
This video is a little tour that I made for a completion done by our university last year. I am happy to say that I won :P even though I believe that the video requires more editing. Anyway, I hope that you enjoy it.
April Favorite Things
Is it too late to share my favorite things from April?
Today, I would like to share with you my favorite things from April.
Podcast: What's the coffee talk? This podcast kept me entertained and inspired me to read more and become a better version of myself.
TV Drama: Law School, Shadow and Bones.
Law School, this Korean drama is something that kept me on edge. The first episode was a bit all over the place but oh my god it got better and better now I can't wait for the airing of the episodes.
Shadow and Bones, I mean this is an obvious favorite they did it much much better from the books. Because surprisingly I loved Mal more than I did in the books, and the crows are the best gang ever.
Books: Visual Research, Home Cafe (무허가 홈 카페).
Visual Research is the book that I have been waiting and I am glad that I found it (thanks to my sister and Dana Nassief) it talks about visual language and an intro to design research. I will do a thorough review of this book once I finish it.
Home Cafe (무허가 홈 카페), a Korean recipes book that kept me entertained during Ramadan month as I couldn't go to cafes due to fasting. I Will share with you my favorite coffee recipe on my youtube channel so wait for them.
Magazines: Elle Korea April Issue (Blackpink's Lisa Cover), Graphic Studio Directory
Elle Korea April Issue, It doesn't come as to surprise that I loved Blackpink's Lisa cover for Elle. She is my favorite member after all.
Graphic Studio Directory, is a full-size magazine that shares the current design studios in Korea and I am in love cause I get to know more about the Korean design scene especially that I am working on my portfolio and other design projects.
Places: Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea.
I have gone to a couple of galleries during April, but visiting MMCA always has a place in my heart. I love the collection of postcards that they gave me for free.
Skincare: Neogen & Joan Collaboration (Vita Duo Day Night Cream), Innisfree Canola Honey Lip Balm Intensive Moisture.
I got the old edition of the Vita Due Cream and I love how cooling the morning cream is and soothing the night cream is.
Innisfree Canola Honey Lip Balm is a true moisturizer I love how it keeps my lips moist especially during the day while fasting.
Fujifilm x100t: I am still getting used to using it in public; one of the things that stopped me from documenting my life so far is Seoul cause I feel shy for no reason. However, I am currently working on taking as many photos as possible. [Check Subject Matter post]
Gridpin Case: A small gift from my cousins with the best caption "Someday we will be what we wanted to be".
My Lovely Mint Plant: A home welcoming gift from my fellow Bahraini friend.
Floral Scarfs: They have been my fashion statement welcoming the spring.
Happy Old Year
Movie Notes Series
What It's About
Have you ever wondered what it looks like to reset your whole life starting from your house? Happy Old Year is about Jean a Thai woman who comes back from Sweden with a dream of redesign her whole house that she shares with her mom and brother and start her home office by the end of the year. But is it easy to live a minimalistic life when your whole house is a memory cage?
How I Discovered It
I found this movie after searching Heart Attack movie director Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit. However, my sister has recommended I watch this movie after adding it to her to-watch list so I need to give her credits.
Thoughts
What can I say? This movie broke me into pieces. It is raw in a lot of aspects, for example, our constant need to change our exterior in the belief that it will detach us from our past and get us a clean slate. We always want that especially when a new year approaches us.
It's really interesting to see how Jean's brother was watching Marie Kondo's Netflix series and trying to learn how to declutter his space in an attempt to understand his sister's motives.
What I Liked About It
I loved the conversation that our main character was having on the subject of letting go. They were realistic and very bittersweet. Made me think a lot about the type of memories I want to keep and what it means to let go.
What I Didn't Like About It
Since I watched this movie after Heart Attack I missed the monolog conversation style. There were lots of silent moments with no explanations. However, these things did not affect the main objective of the movie.
Who Would Like It?
Happy Old Year sadly is not for everyone or any mood. I would recommend it if you want to watch a drama movie with a very realistic ending then Happy Old Year is the movie for you.
Favorite Quotes
Minimalism is like a Buddhist philosophy. It's about letting go.
You will get a broken home before you get a new home.
Why are old people afraid of change?
Good people would be forgiven.
There are many good quotes from the movie but I don't want to spoil it for you.
Subject Matter - Lines
A visual research project about lines.
An Essay on Typography by Eric Gill
Design Book Notes Series
An Essay on Typography by Eric Gill
The Book in 2 Sentences
It talks about the unspoken rules of book printing in short essays by Eric Gill one of the pioneers of modern typography.
The book is divided into 9 short essays about the challenges that the typesetter was facing during the industrial movement were Eric Gill shares his arguments on what makes a type a good one, what is the designer role and how the creation of the machine has affected the craft of typesetting.
Impressions
I was reading this book while studying Megg's History of Graphic Design and it was interesting to understand the effect of the creation of printers and how it shifted the rule of the typesetter. Before the designer was involved in all aspects of developing type and printing books.
I think what made this book fun to read is how Eric Gill was roasting everyone. He had such high standards and arguments about design and what makes a type a good one. One of his argument that I hooked me to continue reading the book was his definition of an artist. He said and I quote:
"We affirm that the word Art means skill, that a work of art is a work of skill, and an artist one who is skillful at making things. It would appear therefore that all things made are works of art, for skill is required in the making of anything. And in spite of industrialism this remains true. But, as we have said, the ordinary workman has been reduced to the level of a mere tool used by someone else. However much skill he may have in his fingers and conscientiousness in his mind, he can no longer be regarded as an artist, because his skill is not that of a man making things; he is simply a tool used by a designer and the designer is alone the artist."
How I Discovered It
I discovered An Essay on Typography by reading about typography and the industrialism era in Europe in Graphic Design History A Critical Guide.
Who Should Read It?
I believe that if you are a graphic design student you should read the book to understand the shift in typography caused by the invention of printing and mass production.
However, if you are interested in typography and book design then you defiantly must read this book. Eric Gill shares his knowledge on the process of printing a book from choosing the right size of type to the right size of the book in a very logical and simple explanation.
My Top 3 Quotes
Typography, like house building & sanitary engineering, is one of necessary arts - a thing to be done well.
Our argument here is not that industrialism has made things worse, but that it has inevitably them different; and that whereas before industrialism there was one world, now there are two.
before the divorce of the designer from the workman, before the workman had become intellectually irresponsible and the designer technically incapable, show a liveliness and variety otherwise unattainable.
Denotation of A Graphic Designer
"Eman, we need to break the artist in you and build a designer"
When you have work experience for more than 4 years in design and then get back to learning design you feel a bit arrogant about your skills and abilities. Yes, I said arrogant and not confident cause there is a fine line between the two.
Little did I know that I have a huge way to walk and learn from. Graphic Design 2 was taught by a famous and well-known Korean Graphic Designer, a professor that shifted my way of thinking about design.
I still remember his words when we had a one-on-one meeting to improve my skills, ways of seeing, and thinking about design. "Eman, we need to break the artist in you and build a designer".
In the beginning, I did not understand what he meant by that. I am not a designer? Then what was I doing in the past years? Here is where we go back to the fine line between confidence and arrogance.
Week by week and class by class I started to understand what he meant when I let go of my arrogance and know-it-all hat. Listening to his feedback not only about my work but how he advised all the other students with me I started to see the development in my work.
Our professor told us at the end of each class "You are not people who create beautiful imagery, you are designers who think and create solutions for your clients. Bringing them something different and unique."
Here is a question for you: What makes a graphic designer?
A sneak peak to what we worked on during the course.
1. Denotation Project:
Starting Point
End of the Project
2. Connotation Project
Starting Point
End of the Project
Imperfection a #BadPhotos Project
I was hesitant to share these photos online as it's kind of a failed project with photos saturated, out of focus, and especially because of my finger being in the composition of aesthetic photos.
Having a conversation with my sister made me realize that bad photos are beautiful. They show a different point of view and represent individuality. Almost all the photos we see on Instagram and other social media platforms are PERFECT.
The question is: do we need more perfect photos?
It's Never Too Late To Go After What You Love
Let’s admit it, finding what is the right job for you is not as simple as taking a career quiz. It takes a lot of effort and hard work to discover what is right for you. Therefore, I would like to share with you what helped me in making the career shift.
Read More