Let me tell you a story. My story.
My nationality is Egyptian, and I was born in Cairo, Egypt, but grew up in Jeddah, KSA. I attended a French school during the 18 years I was there, and lived and studied among a diverse palette of ethnicities and cultures different than my own, and thoroughly enjoyed it. As the talkative Pisces I was (and still am), I loved making friends and interacting with others. At home, my family spoke French with our native Arabic Egyptian dialect, with some English here and there, so I eventually learned to speak Arabic, French and English simultaneously.
Actually, I learned English before they taught it at school, as my childhood best friend was my next-door Pakistani neighbor, who I interacted with almost every day, although not knowing a single word of English at the time. Our parents just wanted us to socialize, and we played together often, so by simply spending time with this little girl, listening and imitating her words (and having contextual clues to assist comprehension of course), my little 4 or 5 year-old self began conversating easily, which helped me accelerate my learning process when English lessons started in primary school.
I also lived in California and Texas during my childhood for about a year, which further boosted my English language skills as I was a pre-teen watching, reading, writing, hearing and speaking English all day every day, and having local songs, TV shows, movies and cartoons help absorb the colloquial and slang expressions and accents as well.
It is true that kids learn easier, better and faster and I am grateful that I had that kind of exposure as a child, which benefitted me greatly later on, not only in my personal life but also in my studies and professional career.
With time and more multi-cultural interactions at school and in our residence area in Jeddah, I discovered that Arabic, English and French each have different dialects, and people have different accents (which I also loved imitating and perfecting). When I went to University in the States to study Visual Communication (Graphic Design), I was even more thrilled to meet people from different backgrounds I haven’t had the chance to meet before (like Native Americans, African Americans, Latin Americans and East-Asians) and immerse myself in so much diversity. I had taken Spanish as a 4th language since it was mandatory from middle to high school, and I found joy in using yet another means of communication with new classmates and friends, dissolving any stereotypes that may have existed about Arabs, Muslims, or hijabis.
With every new person I met from another country, I not only learned to distinguish their dialect from others of different or similar countries, but also discovered what is considered normal, respectful and appreciated in each culture (but also what is not). Being constantly surrounded and interacting with so many different people at the same time made me aware of what I should and shouldn’t say or do to conversate and engage with someone respectfully.
Needless to say, growing up surrounded by and continuously interacting with multiple distinct cultures and in different countries other than my own, allowed me to become very open-minded, aware and mindful of others, understand different perspectives and appreciate them. I became someone expressing a combination of things from people and places I’ve learned to coexist with: someone who loves expressing herself in English, enjoys French delicacies, listens to Spanish music, admires Japanese self-discipline, all while staying true to my own Arabic origin and culture. Although I may have experienced the typical “3rd culture kid effect”, like feeling I don’t “match” with the typical Egyptian culture or people in my home country, or not feeling like I associate 100% with a specific place or people, I now realize that what I have is special, and is actually an asset enhancing my personal and professional life, as I don’t just feel home in one place, but many.
So how exactly does this all tie into my design approach?
This careful mindfulness I developed, paired with my analytical nature, positively affected how I see and approach design in more than one way.
1. Beginning any design process, I take into consideration not only the concerned language’s culture but also how others perceive it.
So if I am designing for a French client for example, I need to remember how France and the French language are perceived in other countries, by other cultures and how they are represented in the media, or even historically. Having studied French history thoroughly in French school, and having spoken and studied with many French natives, I understand what is suitable or not when creating a brand for example, in French, for a French or foreign audience.
A very common example is how the French language is said to be "the language of love", and Paris "the city of romance". The best reference is how perfume ads consistently reflect and ingrain those sayings by commonly portraying visuals of fancy models running around the city, near the Eiffel Tower, and having some kind of fun before whispering the perfume name (in French or a French English accent) at the end of the commercial.
Another popular thing is that France is home to all the delicious baked goods like croissants, cakes and bread, so a culinary brand may have competition in this area among locals, but in a foreign market be unique and perceived by non-French as chic and high-end culinary cuisine. And last but not least, like Italy and New York, Paris is also associated with haute couture and fashion week, so creating a brand that is related to clothing or style would easily be portrayed highly and positively.
2. I think about where this culture stands among others, and how certain design choices may be good for others, but inappropriate for this one.
Given the previous examples and the multi-cultural awareness I spoke of earlier, designing a brand is not an easy task, although extremely interesting. If we are still talking about branding a French service or product, we need to figure out what word or set of words are suitable for this specific brand, in this specific time, and if it is easily understandable and recognized by other cultures as well (in other European countries/North & South America/Middle East/Asia...), assuming the brand aims for international success.
Therefore, it would be unwise to choose a word that means one thing in French, but another negative word in English. For example, if a French bakery specializes in bread and some sweets, I would honestly not recommend using the word “pain” in the brand name (although it is "bread” in French) knowing that it means discomfort in English. I would rather suggest naming it something like “Délices du Four” (Oven delights) or “Patisseries de Paris” (Paris Pastries). Of course, you can't guarantee your brand name is "offensive-proof" or "negative-connotation-proof" worldwide, but you can do your best to ensure the majority perceives it positively.
3. Before making any design decisions, I consciously think about what symbols, colors, words or phrases are popular in each country/culture, and how that helps or hinders the image of any brand I create.
Each country and culture prides itself in being famous for one or more things, and is usually internationally recognized for that achievement or distinction, although more than one place can share the same appreciation in one area (Think of how France and Italy are both famous for their fashion week and world-renown cuisine). The French flag colors (red white and blue) are shared by many other countries and existing brands, so applying those three colors directly to any material without an appropriate brand concept, thoughtfully selected proper symbolic/iconic association, or relevant typography, would make for a generic, confusing and ineffective brand.
Hence, my thoughts revolve primarily around all of these aspects prior to and during the decision process of which elements to associate with a particular brand, to ensure it is not only appealing and successful and unique locally, but also on an international level.
Comentários