In Absolute Awe of Irina Vinnik

Posted by Shaza Hakim on May 15, 2010

Irina Vinnik is an illustrator and designer from St Petersburg, Russia. I can read a little of Russian but you don’t have to speak the language to appreciate the painstaking details she perfected in each of her elaborate illustrations. Her first book published recently, “The World of Dolls: Stories and Legends”, probably excites designers more than their children.

Come to think of it, there are many better designers out there robbed of their deserving limelight because they are not in it for the fame. In the end, it’s the craft that matters.

Hers is no ordinary design work and I’m still awed, so I’m going to cut my post short here. You can also see Irina’s portfolio on Bēhance. Enjoy.

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3 Years Later…

Posted by Shaza Hakim on March 9, 2010

“…and still making heads turn.”

Shaza Hakim works from her office overlooking the valley of Gunung Raya, where wreathed hornbills swoop down from the mountains in pair and dusky-leaf langurs swing from tree to tree. Shaza is the Creative Lead at Stampede.

It’s amazing, mind-numbing even. It has been three years and Bird Malaysia is still getting reviews from design galleries and making it into “n-list of Website with Awesome footer/navigation/header/color Design” blog posts. The best part of all, it’s also one of the few recognized designs proudly bearing the word “Malaysia”.

Thank you to the good people at Junglewalla for letting us go nuts with Bird Malaysia!

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Be Sparing

Posted by Shaza Hakim on January 21, 2010

“Don’t tell all. Keep something back.”

Shaza Hakim’s earliest memory of books was when her dad took her to her first book fair on his hip Scrambler bike. It was a noisy piece of metal but it was yellow and she loved it. Shaza is the Creative Lead at Stampede.

Where others have gadgets and tutorials to help them get better with design, I have books. The Elements of Style has a permanent place among the few books I have on my desk. In more occasions than I can remember, I have found in it my very own personal guide in design.

Do not explain too much.

It is seldom advisable to tell all. Be sparing, for instance, in the use of adverbs after “he said”, “she replied” and the like: “he said consolingly”; “she replied grumblingly.” Let the conversation itself disclose the speaker’s manner or condition. Dialogue heavily weighted is cluttery and annoying. Inexperienced writers not only overwork their adverbs but load their attributes with explanatory verbs: “he consoled,” “she congratulated”. They do this, apparently in the belief that the word said is always in need of support, or because they have been told to do so by experts in the art of bad writing.
p.109, The Elements of Style by Strunk and White

The same goes for design. Don’t tell all. Keep something back. Let the design speaks for itself without the need to anticipate interpretations. And don’t do things because you have been told to do so by the experts in the art of bad design.

Good design does not need a supporting story.

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