PortfolioSANWAL DEEN

Introduction

The Clock Struck 9 and the thunder rolled. I was sitting un-der a tree watching the sky get darker. It started to rain, the drops spiraling hard on the parched ground made the world sizzle alive once more. I ran from the protection of my tree to dance wildly in the rain. The storm had knocked the world: an apple here, a mushroom there, a broken necklace that had slithered off somebody’s neck. Things, like ideas, lay everywhere waiting to be caught by a wayfaring stranger with an eye for beauty whether absurd, horrific, or genteel. I collected them all, and went home to my mom, soggy and dirty. She wasn’t a happy. Her nose curled into a snarl and her eyes crinkled with rage. She grounded me to my room for the entire week. She threw away everything I col-lected, but I managed to sneak in some mushrooms. I spent that week painting the mushrooms and made them into something beautiful. I gave them to my mother. She smiled again.

Since then, I have been collecting things, real and imaginary. In pictures, on the back of soiled business cards, across oxidized newspapers the color of an old-man’s decaying set of teeth. I’ve been collecting them with the same enthusiasm as a little boy stuffing his pockets in the rain at dusk. For what is a designer but a collector of ideas?

Presented before you are some of these collected imagina-tions spun into reality. I hope that they bring you a smile or two.

The Problem: Portafolio Inmobilario are building a compound in Costa Rica that will. They wanted a new name for the compound, along with a new identity sys-tem. The client wanted the name and identity to express a few key things:

01 The name should be in Spanish02 Should attract millennials 03 Express ideas of Community

The Solution: My solution for the client started at the beach: everywhere I looked there were people pep-pered throughout the sand, basking in the sun. Children played near the water, artists painted. It seemed like a beautiful community. And that's when the word came tome: Resol. It means, "Reflection of the sun on the earth." Once I had the name, I could start translating it to the identity.

We live in a world in flux, even more so with the prolif-eration of digital screens. As such, I wanted to create an

Portafolio Inmobilario is a real-estate con-glomerate headquarter in Costa-Rica. As an intern at Ologie, I was given the task of creat-ing a brand identity for their new real estate project located in the west side of San Jose.

ResolSAN JOSE, COSTA RICA

UI/UXBRANDING/IDENTITY

GT.

Sect

ra is

a fon

t ins

pire

d by

hist

ory,

born

in m

oder

nity

.

identity system that was always evolving, but was intrin-sically rooted in the location of the site. So I decided to create a logo that changes with respect to the position of the sun relative to the compound. It consists of three overlapping circles that create a shadow. On location, the circle and the sun would automatically create shad-ows; digitally, the shadows are controlled by a code that

links weather data regarding the suns position relative to the compound.

Goal: Explores the unity between life using the ecosys-tem of the forest as a metaphor.

Result: The Curiosity Cabinet tells two stories: one is about the relationships and unity between lifeforms as evidenced in nature and explored through curiosity cabinets, while the other discusses the divisive damage that curated collections can cause on both our individ-ual “self ” and on society at large. The unity is explored through a series of 54 photographs shot against a black background and exhibited on a 16ft wall. The idea is for people to make connections between these objects and see how they are connected.

You can see the website for “The Curiosity Cabinet” by clicking here. To see a copy of the book, click here.

The Curiosity Cabinet is my thesis project at CCAD. It is part photo, part writing, part essay. The work culminates in a thesis exhibiton and a book.

The Curiosity CabinetCOLUMBUS OH

UI/UXRESEARCH PHOTOGRAPHY

Problem: One of the biggest problems I have faced as a designer is that clients want proof that my designs will have an impact. So I wanted to explore how research and strategy can be integrated in the design process to build and validate design decisions.

Solution: I used quantitative data analysis techniques such as Max-Diff, Q-Sort, and Conjoint analysis to find trends in the market, and create a camera informed by that research. Some of the startling discoveries from the research were that an overwhelming majority of people want to shoot in a 16:9 aspect ratio, but there isn't any camera with a 16:9 sensor. So my first solution involved created a box like camera that could be attached to a drone and take pictures/videos in full 16:9 aspect ratio. With the introduction of mirrorless technology, this has become financially feasible.

Another surprising discovery from my research was that a large majority would prefer to shoot film if it was eas-ier to do so; which lead me to create not a camera, but a service through which you can subscribe to receive films on a periodic basis, and can mail the films back and have prints delivered at your doorstep. Another alternative I came up with was a daylight film developing tank for negatives; you could develop the film on the spot by in-serting into the tank. Agfa launched a similar product during the 60s called the Rondinax, but it wasn’t as suc-cessful as customers had no easy way of turning nega-tives into photos. With today’s digital scanners, however, that won’t be a problem, since negatives can easily be turned to photos.

For this project, I looked at how quantitative data can be used to create better human-centric experiences, identify trends in the market and validate design decisions.

RESEARCH WRITING

Camera ResearchCOLUMBUS OH

CAMERA SURVEY RESULTS

SENSOR INFORMATION

�e following are some of the more insightful results from the survey I conduct-ed around di�erent camera technologies and camera types. My goal was to

�e Fuji�lm XT-1 camera was the most liked design from the survey. It points at an inerest in vintage styled, retro-inspired camera design.

�is Canon camera was the odd-ball choice among test-takers. It doesn’t have the retro aesthetic of Fujif-ilm or Leica, but has a look of �erce usability.z

Another vintage camera. Users seem to prefer something that has a basic, compact, and vintage in-spired aesthic.

People showed a strong preference to aspect ratios they are exposed too on platforms like Cinema, Instagram and Television. Interestingly enough, very few cameras exist to cater these aspect ratios.

Interestingly enought, a lot more people would print their �lm rolls if the process became easier. �ere is a certain theme that lends itself towards nostalgia.

�gure out how cameas are used, and what qualities are deemed valuable, and how di�erent camera companies are percieved in the market

NAME MEDIUM FORMAT FULL FRAME 1”

SENSOR SIZE

AREA

CROP FACTOR

SENSOR SCALE

EXAMPLES

SIZE COMPARISON*

FUJIFILM XT-10 CANON EOS 5D MARK IV LEICA M6ASPECT RATIO PREFERENCE

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

PRINT FILM MORE IF EASY?

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80

YES

NO

Mirrorless Sensors can help make cam-eras smaller while still retaining resolution.

"Nature has striped the zebra. Man has striped his flags and awnings, ties and shirts. For the typographer, stripes are rules; for the architect they are a means of creating optical illusions. Stripes are dazzling, sometimes hypnotic, usually happy. They are universal. They have adorned the walls of houses, churches, and mosques. Stripes attract attention.” —Paul Rand

The Problem: When I joined Gray's in 2014 they were ripe for growth. They were getting deeper into con-temporary art, needed to refresh their digital presence, and were starting to get more higher-end clients. They wanted their brand to reflect their growth.

The Solution: Think of the last high-end luxury product that you bought. Perhaps it was a box of choco-late, or maybe a pair of shoes from a boutique clothing store. Chances are, that they came wrapped in a box, neatly tied with an expensive looking ribbon.

That’s where the idea for Gray’s new logo came from: a ribbon with the name “Gray’s” written on top of it.

The ribbon would run across everything from the web-site, to the taped that sealed envelopes, and to the pack-ages shipped across the world; it acts as a hypnotic, uni-fying force that ties the brand together.

Applied on a larger scale, the logo and the ribbon pro-vide a design language and narrative that has both form and function, serving all of the auction house's needs.

Gray's Auctioneers are a boutique auction house with over two decades of experience in the art business. They deal in fine art, decora-tive art, rare books, and other collectible items.

Gray's AuctioneersCLEVELAND, OH

PHOTOGRAPHYUI/UXBRANDING/IDENTITY

Digital Experiences: In order to give Gray's a stra-tegic advantage over other auction houses, I helped Gray's create a new in-house database software, a re-

vamped website, and award-winning Tablet and mo-bile apps. To take a look at the website, please visit: www.graysauctioneers.com

The Problem: The client wanted a logo that would appeal to young professionals, would be eye-catch-ing, and could be adapted to different mediums. The Solution: You may be thinking: “Why an owl?” There are several reasons behind this. To start with, let’s talk about what owls represent in our culture:

01 They symbolize wisdom02 Associated with the mysteries of life03 They are observative creatures04 Have a strong association with books and lit-

eracy

In other words, they possess all of the qualities that a member of “The Literacy Project ” might have. But why put an owl in a logo?” Humans have a strong need to anthropomorphizing and emote. We tend to understand people and things relative to ourselves. That is why, when you see your pet make those sad, dopey eyes as you eat dinner, you can’t help but feel sorry and give them some of your food. That’s how you fall victim to their manipulative techniques. The point is, we make things (both animate and inanimate) more human and therefore more relatable by projecting our emotions on to them. All in all, the logo is creative, yet disciplined; fun, yet professional. It's legible; hits all the right notes on the visceral, behavioral and reflective level; and it embodies all the ideals that “The Literacy Project” wants to express.

The Literacy Project is a Columbus based non-profit with a mission to increase literacy awareness and raise funds for adult education through creative fund raising and partnerships within the community.

The Literacy ProjectCOLUMBUS, OH

BRANDING/IDENTITY

Y ou may be thinking: “Why an owl?” There are several reasons behind this. To start with, let’s talk about what owls represent in our culture:

1 They symbolize wisdom2 They can see what nobody else can see3 Associated with the mysteries of life4 They are very observative creatures5 Have a strong association with literacy

In other words, they possess all of the qualities that a member of “The Literacy Project” might have. Your next question might be, “But why put an owl in a logo?”

Humans have a strong need to anthromorphize and emote. We tend to understand people and things relative to ourselves. That is why, when you see your pet make those sad, dopey eyes as you eat dinner, you can’t help but feel sorry and give them some of your food. That’s how you fall victim to their manipulative techniques!

The point is, we make things (both animate and inanimate) more human and therefore more relatable by projecting our emotions on to them.

So when you see an owl in a logo, you relate to it more. Psychology has proven that humans naturally gravitate to eyes. Therefore, this logo will always catch peoples’ attention because they are psychologically conditioned to do so. Furthermore, the big eyes are supposed to represent a wild-eyed amazement and unrelenting curiousity.

2THE LOGO

Goal: I wanted to explore how light, shadow, color, and composition relate to feelings.

Result: Depicted below and on the facing page are a few of the resulting photographs from the series. Each photo experiments with light, color and how they interact with the subject to create a particu-lar mood and emotion. In this case, they are meant to evoke sadness. The photo of the woman on the bed smoking a cigarette won second prize in the Sony World Photography Awards, an annual photo competition where over 500 000 photographers sub-mit their images for consideration.

No Sunshine is a personal photography proj-ect that seeks to explore depression, loneliness and addiction.

No SunshineCOLUMBUS, OH

PHOTOGRAPHY

LOAD TIME WEBSITE HITS FACEBOOK

2.3 Sec >5000 visitors >4560 followers

UI/UXBRANDING/IDENTITY

The Problem: The Model Kathi uses to advice her cli-ents involves the use of overlapping circles within which she isolates various stages of a company’s life cycle. She wanted to integrate that in her brand’s identity and wanted it to be simple, yet eye-catching.

The Solution: After experimenting with a few de-signs, I decided to create a sage green circle circum-scribed within a yellow one. Why?

First, it meets Kathi’s criteria of using the circular life cycle model in the logo. Secondly The circle, as a pure form, brings to mind a certain ideology; it symbolizes eternity, for it has no beginning, no end. It is timeless. And that’s what this logo strives to be.

The inspiration comes from a Venn diagram– a graphi-cal representation of ideas and problems in sets and sub-sets, a graphic that strives towards solutions. The first circle represents the sun, the source of life in our planet. The second evokes a Sage plant. Taken together, the logo represents the nurturing that Sage Consulting brings to its clients.

From a branding perspective, the logo can be used in a variety of interesting ways– from patterns to stickers and buttons to web design elements and info-graphics/pre-sentations. I have included a few examples on the next page to demonstrate this principle. It is an extremely simple logo in which form and function are perfectly married, and most importantly, tell a story.

Sage CX is a strategic consultancy operating from Colorado, and serving clients from all over the world.

Sage ConsultingDENVER, CO

The

Web

: A m

ore

com

plet

e de

sign

lang

uage

is s

een

on th

e web

site;

the fl

at d

esig

n m

akes

the l

ogo

pop,

while

pr

ovid

ing

a clea

n an

d eff

ectiv

e lay

out.

The Problem: Northpark came to Ologie because they wanted to re-brand their college, and wanted to re-design their website. They wanted a flexible identi-ty system that was modern, very subtly hinted at their Christian roots, and emphasized the fact that they are located in the city of Chicago.

The Solution: I started my research by looking at religious symbols throughout history, and so, stumbled upon a very curious fact— almost all the symbols were derived from what is called a sacred grid. With the grid as my guide, I started designing everything from the logo to the type-face to the accompanying iconography,

This resulted in a cohesive identity that has an energy vibrating off of page. The use of the shield is a nod to the past, and the arrow on the top-right suggests growth.

Founded in 1891 by the Evangelical Covenant Church, North Park University is located on Chicago’s north side and enrolls 3,200 students from around the world.

Northpark UniversityCHICAGO, IL

BRANDING/IDENTITY

The Problem: Pakistan was once part of India, and has history rich with art, architecture and creativity. Of recent times, however, the country has been incredibly misunderstood. I wanted to create a project that changes this perception.

The Solution: Architecture is often known as the mother of all arts. So I wanted to create a website and poster in order to highlight Pakistan's rich history.

I used blueprints as a UI element to create a consistent experience across platforms.

Architecture of Pakistan is a website and a poster series designed to change the percep-tion of Pakistan.

Architecture of PakistanPOSTER

UI/UXPRINT DESIGN

THE ARCHITECTURE OF PAKISTAN

KEY CHART SUMMARY FACTSBorn in 1947 out of a rapid separation from present-day India, Pakistan is an South Asian country that also borders Afghanistan, China, Iran and the Indian Ocean.

Predating Partition, Pakistan hosts a rich ancient history, most notably the Indus Valley Civilization which flourished along the banks and fertile lands of the Indus River. There are also vesteges of Alexander the Great, Ghengis Khan, and the Silk Road, connecting Pakistan to both Eastern and Western histories and traditions.

Five major provinces reflect the linguistic and ethnic diversity of the geographical region. Balochistan in the southeast borders Afghanistan and Iran. Also on the border of Afghanistan, and reaching into the Himilayas are the Federally Administrated Tribal areas and a region called Khyber Pakutunkhwa. Bordering India, and home to two of the largest cities in Pakistan, Lahore and Islamabad, is the region know as Punjab. And finally, on the Indian Ocean is the region called Sindh, home to the major port city of Karachi.

South Asia30 00 N, 70 00 E

796,095 sq km

1947

Islamabad

Flat Indus plain towards the east; Mountains in north and northwest; Balochistan plateau in west

Mean Elevation: 900 mLowest Point: Indian Ocean 0 mHighest Point: K2 (Mt. Godwin-Austen) 8,611 m

Urdu, English, Punjabi, Pashto, Saraiki, Kashmiri, Hindko, Brahui, Shina, Balti, Khowar, Dhatki, Marwari, Wakhi

MINAR-E-PAKISTAN MIZAR-E-QUAID PAKISTAN MONUMENT

TOMB OF JAHANGIR MOHATTA PALACE

THE CENTAURUSALAMGIRI DARBAR HIRAN MINARISLAMABADLAHORE

LAHORE KARACHI

LOCATION

SIZE

LANGUAGES

ELEVATION

YEAR FOUNDED

TERRAIN

CAPITAL CITY

SHEIKHUPURA C. 2009C. 1674

C. 1605 C. 1927

33 M30 M 200 M

100 M 116 M

C. 1637

C. 2009FAISAL MASJID

Problem: The client wanted a logo and name that was youthful and different. They did not want an overt refer-ence to the idea of the gym or fitness.

Solution: I wanted to create name, logo and identity that illustrated the idea of a state of syncope induced through fitness and exercise.

Trance is a fitness club in Islamabad, Pakistan.

TranceISLAMABAD, PK

PHOTOGRAPHYBRANDING/IDENTITY

BRANDING/IDENTITY

Goals: The client wanted a logo that was whimsical in nature, while hinting at ideas of inclusion and an open-mindedness towards different cultures, beliefs and ideas.

Results: I created a logo that shows people of different skin color and belief systems as a spec-trum united together in the logo. For client refer-ence, please let me know and I will have the client contact you.

Global Unity Project is a non-profit that provides legal consultation to immigrants and refugees.

Global Unity ProjectSAN FRANSISCO, CA

BRANDING/IDENTITY

Goals: I wanted to create a logo that combined the idea of writing and a theater together.

Results: The logo depicts a fountain pen and a theater curtain; the striped patterns of the curtain creates an optical illusion that attracts attention.

Manhattan Ensemble Theater was a New York based theater company that specialized in helping writers turn their stories into plays.

Manhattan Ensemble TheaterNEW YORK, NY

Made in USA: A story about a U.S. Military attack in North Waziristan, as seen through a child’s eye.

Peepshow: A lonely man peeks through his bed-room window and falls in love.

Eat. Prey. Love.: A woman is torn between two men, both of whom manipulate her for their own needs.

The Company Store: A day in the life of an iPhone worker at their FoxConn manufacturing facility.

Candid Camera: A photographer chooses to spend the day taking pictures, and accidentally sees a murder happening.

Dum Maro Dum: A day in the life of an abused child working at a gun manufacturing facility.

To read the stories, click here.

PapercutsCOLUMBUS OH

Goals: Design is as much about storytelling as it is about visual metaphors. Papercuts is an on-going personal project that involves writing a short story, then designing a cover for it.

Results: Here are the synopsis for some of the sto-ries:

Papercuts is a series of short-stories I have published to explore how narratives are con-structed, especially from a place of empathy.

WRITING

© 2017 Sanwal Deen. All Rights Reserved.