Al Karaby

Karaby is a group game that is based on ones ability in being able to maintain balance. Played by children between 10-13 years. Korab in Bedouin language meaning rabbit that is medium size. And maybe it was taken as a result of the player’s movement. The number of players is 2-6. Players stand on their right leg while holding their left leg, players then job by their right leg while jumping the other player will be facing them. Players try to push the other opponent off balance with their right hand. If the opponent falls on the ground then he is the loser and is out. Sometimes he gets substituted. The game continues until one player remains that is the survivor.As a group we got together and discussed the different steps of the game. We took turns playing and we looked at the separate elements that we would need to present. Because of the name of the game "korab" meaning rabbit, we initially went straight away to the idea of using a rabbit within our illustration. We spent the class brainstorming the idea of rabbit and the game. We decided that we wanted to create a diagram that was none gender specific and related clearly to culture.
When we presented our brainstorming and first draft of our diagram some of the feedback we got included; our figures looked too much like adults, we needed to make it more abstract, and the class wasn't too keen on the idea of using rabbits for our main concept.Joanne drew a few more examples. She basically used the original diagram and then made them look more like children and put bunny ears on them. From these sketches we started to create our concept for the presentation. We thought initially that we wanted to create a pop up book and that we wanted to show the pictures in first person as much as possible. The reason for having the book done in a first person view is so that it would relate more to video games and movies and perhaps draws in our audience more. But yet again when we went for the critique, we found that we had a lot of changes to make. Even though we made the characters seem more like children, our icons needed to be abstracted even further, and Pornprapha wanted us to focus more on the motion of the game.


So what we first did was to break the game down into its bare elements so that we could see the essentials. Every step of the game only involves two parts of the players, their arms and legs. So we drew the legs and arms from a top view and used lines to show the movement that occurs between them. This sketch was the absolute minimum of the icon. From there we developed it further and after several trials came up with our final icons. Then the next step was to decide on colors and presentations. From the beginning we wanted to come up with a way of incorporating the culture in some way. So after testing several different colors we decided to use yellow to represent the sand and then we chose to use green because they complement each other.



For the presentation we were originally thinking of posting each square on a cube so that the children can interact with the images. But then we realized that it would be too difficult to use a cube because there would be no way of showing the direction. So from thinking back on past projects, we decided to use the concept of a zoetrope. We would create a 3D octagon and we would place each frame on a side, and the whole octagon would turn to show the steps, and to relate to the idea of pushing with the interaction of the image and spinning.

Abu Hammour Final

AbuHammour Sinage Color Scheme and Application

I simplified my color scheme by using only 2 colors ,and increased contrast by using black as the background.I chose to use a light box for the application because its attracts attention and relates to the lights of the stores.

Color Scheme For AbuHammour

Color scheme The color scheme I chose was derived From the mood poster we did ,Grey from asphalt...etc,with the emphasis on the signs to be seen it's brightness so it's seen Execution:my first thought was apply my system to standard reflective metal signs. But after the critique in class,I am now leaning towards having a light box signs instead ,where they resemble the signs that fill the station.

Abu Hamour

After my 1-1 critique ,I had a lot of good advice how to better improve my signage's system and quality.I also found a better typeface that ave better texture.

Post Critique

After the critique I was left with some very good advice on how better improve my signage system.I got advice on how i could simultaneously streamline my design and communicate my message more effectively.Simply put it was to add lines to indicate amount rather than have an entire separate sign to do so.

For the typefaces I first looked through the Arabic typefaces since they are limited in number and its easier to find a Latin typeface that can syntactically harmonize with Arabic than the other way around.After looking through all the dirty or (gasp!) stencil Arabic typefaces available in Linotype (yes every single one) it was down to 2 . Myopia and Taghiir.
I chose Myopia because Taghiir was too clean.
Then I went on to look at an english typface that can balance Myopia I looked through :
http://www.dafont.com/theme.php?cat=113&page=1
http://www.dafont.com/theme.php?cat=108
http://www.dafont.com/theme.php?cat=109
(gasp!)=> http://www.dafont.com/theme.php?cat=114

(Yes every single one)

Abu Hammour Phase 3

As part of how to best represent my problem of people being hit by cars if they want to read signs.
I took a pictures from 300^o and began to look for which angles best represents the problem and began tracing them to abstract them more and more to see which elements are most important.

Again I apologize for not having pictures,Blogger is not being very helpful (as usual).

Abu Hammour,Phase 2

When I found out that we have to confine our layouts to fit the template given, I realized I had to modify my comic inspired layout to fit it.I knew that I had to approach it from a different angle ,since my layout was based heavily based on a portrait oriented book.I had to foreseeable solutions to the new limitation,
1. keep the layout as is and force my audience to have to rotate the book to properly see mine,(which would have been a hassle for the audience but easier for me).
2.Adjust my images to fit the new layout while still maintaining the concept.
I went with 2 because i believe shouldn't force all our audience to adapt when they don't have to since our job is adapt so they don't have to .

Abu Hammour,Phase 2 the layout

-I decided that my book layout should look like comic book form so I am better able to control the time the viewers eye.With my images, I want the viewer to take less time analyzing some images and more on others.In comic books, control is done with the size and shape of the panel the picture is in and distance between each image. You move faster between a set of images if they are small,portrait and tightly spaced then you would if the images were large ,panoramic and take up a whole page,especially taking in to account the time to turn the page.

Group Critque

At the group critique we took turns presenting each others signs: Sarah then Katie then I.
I told Sarah that she problems that can be fixed with a sign rather easily.
I told Katie that she had to many picture representing lack of trash cans .
For me , Sarah suggested I should illustrate my problem clearer and Katie thought I should find another problem to work but that presentation was clear. (Katie Coston, Mahmoud Abbas, Sara Al-Qatami)

Abu Hammour,Phase 2

When I first was asked to find and document problems in Abu Hammour I thought of the obvious feature of the station:Chaos


That you have to honk your car horn to get attention,which makes the place noisy and makes all the waiters from the restaurants or stores run to get your order.

While I was there I found large metal boxes which i found out were actually electrical generators.They were in the street which meant they could get hit then it would be "lights out".
I found another problem ,the ENTRY and EXIT signs are in between 2 roads and nothing indicates which is which.
Finally everyone throws garbage on the floor,maybe because there are not visible trash bins.

Mahmoud Abbas,Abu Hamour,Process 2

I finally got Blogger to work ,so here we go.
My idea was to base the arrangement of the signs so they look chaotic to the viewer who hasn't been to Abu Hamour but recognizable to people who have,since its based on its map from Google Earth.I also decided to show the blaring speeds in Abu Hamour with bright lights since all you would see if you snapped a picture was line of light.
I started with a Grey background since that's my connotation of Abu Hammour,I later replaced it with asphalt to help give rough dirty texture of Abu Hamour.I kept rearranging the signs until they seemed chaotic yet harmonious.

Mahmoud Abbas,Abu Hamour,Process

I first started by picking a location I wanted to work with ,I chose Abu Hamour Petrol Station which was near where I live.When I went their i noticed how chaotic it really is,people don't obey signs,or arrows and they would'nt stop or even slow down if you walked infront of their cars.
You would be visually bombarded with signs of the stores and restaurants.you can find anything.
After the second time I went to the store I noticed that the place was dirty ,and very car based, the ads were high up so drivers could see them.
After endless trials The rest of my process is here:http://www.flickr.com/photos/19723019@N05/sets/ until i can get Blogger to work.

Update:I've got it to work now.

Mahmoud Abbas,Abu Hamour