My New Home

September 9, 2019

Since becoming a freelance graphic designer, nearly two years ago I have worked from my home office but with the birth of my second son and a two year old who is getting loader by the day, it was finally time to find my own space.

Like most people you who work from home, you soon become used to not having a commute and all the comforts of your own home at arms reach but with this come distraction and the tendency of never being able to switch off.

The Benefits of Leaving the Home Office

So I have moved ten minutes down the road to an office in Motor City here in Dubai. It keeps my commute nice and easy, gives me more space, a professional working environment with more daily interaction with people outside my personal life and it’s great base for my clients to come and see me, which as a big bonus, as most freelancers will know, having to travel to meeting can really eat in to your day.

It has also given me a much better work life balance as I’m more focused to get my work done in the office and leave it there, meaning I can spend better quality time with my wife a kids.

For any freelancers who are working from home, I highly recommend finding your own space and giving it a go. I found my new desk space by posting a shoutout on Facebook but there are shared workspaces opening in cities throughout the world.

Dubai Design Dates 2019

February 17, 2019

2019 looks to be another busy year for design events in here in Dubai and as ever they will be even bigger and better this year. So what do we have to look forward to?

Dubai Lynx

10 - 13 March 2019

Dubai Lynx is MENA's premier festival of creativity, bringing the region’s creative communications industry together to learn, network and celebrate the power of creativity.

The next Dubai Lynx International Festival of Creativity takes place from 10–12 March 2019 with the Dubai Lynx Awards on 13 March 2019. With three stages running through the Festival, offering something for everyone interested in attending this event.

Each stage will host talks along the following festival themes: The Business of Creativity, Craft & Design, Innovation & Technology, The Experience Economy, Health, Creative Effectiveness.

The event culminates in a glitzy award ceremony and After Party that’s held on the Wednesday night.

Art Dubai 2019

20 - 23 March 2019

Art Dubai is the biggest art event in the region with over 90 galleries from over 40 different countries exhibiting across four galleries.

This years revamped fair structure will give visitors greater access and deeper engagement with artists and galleries from non-Western geographies.

This is a must attend event for any art lovers in the region and is a great opportunity to take in the culture as well as spot of people watching. What better way to spend an afternoon.

Sikka Art Fair

16-24 March 2019

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The 9th Sikka Art Fair 2019 will takes place at Al Fahidi Historical Neighborhood. and will bring together a selection of emerging regional talents who were asked to develop their artistic research around the theme ‘An Open window to Art and Tolerance’ in line with the program of cultural tolerance promoted by the UAE Government for year 2019.

Over the past years SIKKA has come to be the ultimate platform for Emirati and UAE-based artists to work and engage with their international counterparts. The Fahidi Neighborhood, which attracted around 60,000 visitors in 2018, is transformed for the occasion into a creative, distinctive hub of curated artist spaces.

Designed to promote dialogue, awaken curiosity and stimulate thinking, the vibrant 9 day programme will include art exhibitions and installations, visual and performing artists, music and film screenings, workshops, poetry and talks, alongside with home-grown food pop-ups.

World Art Dubai

3 - 6 April 2019

World Art Dubai is the region’s largest affordable retail art fair that provides a unique fusion of art, entertainment and education; welcoming art lovers, corporate buyers and private collectors. Take a look at the wide range of art pieces including Crystal, Glass and Ceramic art, Photography, Digital print, Wood and Stone art,Stone art, Ink, Pen and more in various styles like Street Art Contemporary Conceptual art and more.

Transform Awards MENA

30 April 2019

Transform MENA is the only awards programme awarding the best brand work in the Middle East and North Africa. Excitingly this awards programme is in its sixth year and provides an important platform to benchmark and showcase the fantastic work being done in the region. From big global agencies to small local work, the awards recognise excellence and reward innovation in branding.

The awards recognise the creativity and strategic thought exercised and provide the opportunity to celebrate with clients and colleagues at the most prestigious awards event for brand communications.

INDEX 2019

17 - 19 September 2019

The region’s largest interior design event, connecting 50,000+ architects, interior designers, retailers and procurement professionals with interior furniture and furnishings suppliers.

In 2019, INDEX will be part of Middle East Design and Hospitality Week (MEDHW), the biggest celebration of all things design and hospitality.

Dubai Design Week

Date: Expected 10 - 17 November 2019 (TBC)

Dubai Design Week is the largest creative festival in the Middle East, reflecting Dubai’s position as the regional capital of design. The six-day programme is made up of events covering a range of design disciplines including architecture, product, furniture, interior and graphic design, the majority of which are free to attend and accessible for both industry and public.

The 2019 edition of Dubai Design Week will feature innovation themed events, highlights and recognition of new designers and projects.

Downtown Design

12 - 15 November 2019

This years Design Days Dubai will be held at its new home new home at Dubai Design District (D3) for the second time. This predominately interior design focused fair looks set to be even bigger and better with a programme of workshops, talks, mentoring sessions, installations and a record number of exhibitors from around the world.

Sole Dxb

Date: 5-6 december 2019

Sole was launched in 2010 as a communication platform for the latest and relevant news in footwear, fashion, design and alternative culture in The Middle East.

This event is one of Dubai’s most hipster even with some great music and brilliant brand activations, which all help to make it the ultimate hypebeast hangout!

Graphic Design Contracts. What should be in them?

February 17, 2019

Fledgling graphic designers might be ready to take on the world with their creativity and skill but they will also need to be clear, concise and specific in their design contracts to ensure that once they are hired, all parties will be informed and satisfied with the terms and conditions. Clients on the other hand, should familiarise themselves with a designers process and should have an idea of what to expect when commissioning graphic design work.

Here are 8 main things clients and designers should expect in their design contracts:

List out the various stages of the project, the deliverables, the time required and the cost for each stage. If the brief changes half-way through the project everyone can be clear that if additional work is required. It will be costed accordingly. Listing out the stages helps the client to understand the process and what they should expect at each stage, as well as allows designers to work with the client to put a timeline in place of how the designer will work towards the end goal.Transparency is key to a successful project and a good working relationship with the client. If you are not transparent from the start, then this may lead to issues later down the line. Listing the terms and conditions clearly in the contract allows the client to be clear on what basis the project will be undertaken by the designer. These T&C’s can be discussed and amended, depending on the client and the project.
Make sure to have enough information to allow you to put together a detailed quote. The quote forms the basis for the contract between the designer and the client. If the client agrees to the quote then they are agreeing to the terms and conditions within the quote. Once the contract is drafted, the client may ask to clarify or amend some parts of it which can be reworked for the mutually-agreed final contract.
Specify how long a quote and a contract are valid for. Costs and circumstances may change so it is important to clarify the validity and time-frame of each document. This projects the designer in case a project is cancelled or is stalled for a significant amount of time then the designer can charge for the work carried out to date.
Make the payment terms clear. For bigger jobs you can usually include an advance payment over a certain budget and a final payment on completion. This arrangement helps with cash flow and to cover any expenses you might need to incur for the project. It is an added incentive to get the job completed within the agreed time-frame. Make sure to inform the client that all working files will only be supplied to them upon full payment of the completed project. This gives the designer some protection should there be any issue with payments.
Specify amount of amends included. I usually include two rounds of amends within in the price of a project and let the client know that additional amends can be costed separately. The reality is that designers often end up doing more than two rounds of amends, and it is good to make it clear and have a limit. I’m sure we all have had that client who has never-ending final tweaks and changes, which need to be brought to a stop or recharged for. Otherwise a job soon goes from being profitable to costly and time-consuming as it is taking you away from more paid work.
Make it clear what languages you are working in, for example English, and that translations are not included unless clearly stated in the quote and the contract. If a client wants a logo in more than one language other than English, then this must be outlined in the cost as the designer may require the services of translation or foreign language art worker to adapt the English logo to the other requested language.
Make sure to clarify from the start if any stock images, llustrations /photography/ retouching, print and production are included or not in the quote/ contract. We don’t want clients to think that the quote includes printing of materials, like business cards for example, and be disappointed or upset once they find out they aren’t.