Interviews with Christine Adel Zaghloul

After graduating from school I wasn't particularly sure I had what it takes, but I thought to give it a try. I applied for the faculty of Applied Sciences and Arts at the German University in Cairo and to my surprise I was accepted. Later on I actually performed among the best students and graduated with high honors, which is something that boosted my confidence of course and gave me alot of motivation to continue. Back in Uni I found many passions in design, so I knew this is what I need to keep on doing.

I always start by hand drawn sketches in my sketchbook. depending on the project, but many are simple pencil sketches. I often choose a different tool (watercolors or collages) to explore different textures and feelings.
When I am satisfied I would start digitizing (mostly using Adobe Illustrator).

Any brief is accompanied by fear: will I nail it, will I produce something that answers the brief and is fresh and new at the same time? I then get absorbed in experimenting and sketching. The best feeling is when experimenting leads to unexpected results.

I believe fast observations and the ability to filter my visual environment were always a helpful skill that I had. I also learned to backup my design through valid arguments and research, this is a skill that I learned from my german education at the German School .

In the future I want to explore many things: I want to be more involved in the research and design field of Arabic typography, as I also want to invest more time and education in children related designs and projects, in particularly children who have learning difficulties and challenges.

Designers should never be afraid to explore different fields and gain exposure. I recommend that young designers don't settle too early and find a comfort zone, but rather dare to explore more and more.

Honestly I cannot call myself successful, not yet at least.

My day to day is currently constantly filled with interruptions due to my life as a mother. But I learned to be faster and use all the in-between times to work. My day is like a race to achieve my work. On just lucky days, I get to sit down more and read design news, but this is not my usual for now.

I care alot about design trends and like my work to have a different essence each time, as I personally get bored.
However being a mother of 2 it is sometimes too fast to keep up.

A good design fulfills the purpose it was designed for, however a great design exceeds the expectations and sets new standards for future designs.

In my opinion there is always room for improvement. I never designed anything and felt that this was the end, maybe it was the deadline or the launch, but definitely not the end.

My biggest design work so far is Zagazoo Busy bag.

Reza Abdini & Homa Delvaray who both happen to be Iranian. I find a certain charm in Iranian calligraphy and designs.

Design is a job that doesn't stop when your workday ends, but it tends to continue and come home, to bed and even in the shower with you. I prefer to work outdoors, but it isn't always easy with a screen and wacom. So if this isn't an option, I would settle for an indoor area with a big window and nice atmosphere.

Lately I have been working either alone or together with my sister and partner in our small startup. I tend to believe that I need some time alone to design and meditate while designing, but it is always great to brainstorm with others.

Each year I try to contribute to (at least) one pr bono project, not just to feel good or helpful, but also because many of these have really impactful outcomes and come with their own interesting challenges and therefore interesting solutions.

I feel honored to be amongst the winning designers. Taking part gave me confidence to try more and showed me some aspects of what makes a good design even better. Not only do I benefit from the exposure, but also having fellow designers to be inspired from and a drive to do more and better in the future.

The main focus was to create a flexible maze puzzle, that can have “endless” layouts yet easy for children to assemble, play with and learn from. We wanted children to understand this environmental topic through play and pass it on to others. Zagazoo wants children to become more environmentally aware. Save The turtle” helps children to have an/a better understanding of this important environmental issue and therefore be able to change their everyday behavior towards using plastic and dealing with waste in general.

This design is just the beginning to raise awareness about the harms of plastic and human waste. Zagazoo Busy Bags wants the game to be a method of educating children globally about the environmental problems the earth is facing.
The game can also be developed to be played by older age groups and in different ways.

It is hard to tell, but it took around 10-15 days to have the design ready and another 10-15 days to have it produced.

Zagazoo pursuit to design this particular concept, because it was among a set of games that introduced to children different concepts about the sea/marine life and the other reason is that we, as a team, deeply believe in the cause and message the game is delivering. Introducing the marine life without tackling the environmental problems wasn’t possible. The design is an exclusive idea by Zagazoo Busy Bags and is aimed to educate children and change their behavior towards the environment.

So far, Zagazoo would care to keep the creative copyrights for itself, because of the exclusivity of the idea. But exploring other options in the production can always be a question, since there is always something to iterate and improve.

Zagazoo specializes in edutainment games and activities, so Save The Turtle is an example of the kind of work that is produced by Zagazoo.

Zagazoo co-founders (Christine and Marina Zaghloul) worked on the design together to come up with a design that is easy to produce with a laser cutter and package in a portable pouch. The square pieces needed to be identifiable for the smaller children, too. It was hard to find an inspiration in existing toys/games, because they are manufactured differently.

Children age 4-9.

Raising awareness about environmental topics through a maze puzzle is not a common game/toy concept especially for preschoolers and children. So, the purpose is not only to tease the brain and make the children think about a maze solution, but rather to keep them aware and informed about an existing environmental problem.Regarding the design itself it’s also different, because it combines the maze and puzzle concept together in one game which gives the game extra mystery and complexity. Adding to that the game has 2 levels which makes it more challenging and suitable for a wide age group.

The name "Save The Turtle" indicates the function the children need to be doing in order to win, they need to save the sea turtle from the harmful plastics. Solving the maze puzzle is about taking the sea turtle to a safe place away from the plastics (Level 1) and finding the path that leads the sea turtle to a safe place without passing by the plastic bottle/bag (Level 2).

This design was mostly designed on Adobe Illustrator.

The design has a unique message to deliver, is space saving and based on a simple module/grid that gives multiple solutions and quizzes.

The design was done in-house and the wooden pieces were produced in a small local workshop and the booklet in a print house.

The technology that was mostly used is the laser cutter. It was used to produce multiple prototypes to find out the best and most economic outcome with as little waste as possible.

Data was mostly collected after the first prototype was produced. The team was then able to test the game with children and to collect insights about their familiarity with the topic and how they got along playing Save The Turtle. After getting the first feedback through the testing, the team modified the colors and product design by adding more elements that make the game more understandable and functional.

One of the main challenges was creating an economic design and finding the suitable supplier that can manufacture the product and produce the first prototype.
Another challenge was to create a smart solution to make the puzzle packable and portable with the least space consumption (after all it needs to fit in a small pouch). Creating a game/toy that is based on geometric modules can be visually boring to younger children, so it was a duty to make the product as appealing as possible. The final challenge was to make each puzzle piece distinctive from the other, so that younger children (age 4+) would be able to assemble the pieces, too. This was achieved by simply putting stickers, to make each puzzle piece unique.

Zagazoo wanted to prove to itself and to future customers that it can create valuable and international-standard games/toys and to gain a global recognition from international entities.

Zagazoo learned to keep on improving its designs even after the first batch is out, each time there is a new finding or feature to add. Listening to the customer's feedback is key.

Zagazoo will always be keen to adapt new, available and affordable technologies. This design was done using minimal resources and local workshop with few tools.

Because I enjoy the process of creating and experimenting the most.

Chose to be one.

I mostly design, logos, illustrations and letters.

I am not a legend :)

A good designer meets a brief target but a great designer exceeds the target & produces a design that is timeless.

A good design challenges the ordinary and adds to what was previously there in the market. It has a function and excels in the looks, too.

Good design is unique and personal, that's why people should not just use templates, but rather seek to personalize their design.

I would love to explore designing for different cultures that I never knew before.

Doing a design research & accordingly a design for a big documentary like National Geographic.

Research, observation & lots of trials.

Mohamed Samir, Nora Aly, Nadine Chahine..

This is constantly changing really

I personally like my experimental ancient Egyptian gods illustrations, because its visual language is extremely different than the inherited familiar illustration of pharaonic Gods & kings. I believe it has potential to be used in many different ways: jewellery, give aways..etc

to be on the safe side I would say 2-3 weeks

looking for inspiration and sketching

both affect each other

i mostly use it when I digitize

Adobe and glyphs

depends on the brief and my mood

mostly looking for inspiration

My studio is basically my personal portfolio that consists mostly of branding, packaging, typography and some illustrations. In addition to that I started a recent career in toy/game making as I found my company together with my sister under the name Zagazoo.

If we are talking about illustration or font making it is more like my yoga or meditation. If we are talking about a brief it is more of my chess or smart game. If I am being experimental than it is just my fun.

Arabic typography and lately I discovered a passion for toy design.

I enjoy my work that include character development and illustration. I love my ancient Egyptian Gods & Goddesses project. I also like Zagazoo's mythical creatures set of illustrations.

It was a children's banner for Mc Donalds, I worked on it while I was employed in FP7.

I love print especially on special materials or paper. I also love wood.

When I crack a brief, I feel smart.

I am conceptual I would say, so I would always care that the design derives from a strong concept and is backed up by research.

At the beginning of something new, I am very tensed and afraid to disappoint myself. Usually, I enjoy the rest of the process. When I approach seeing how it will turn out to be I am very critical and afraid once again.

It depends whether I like it or not. If I don't like it, I feel ashamed, but if I do, I am proud, but always feel there is room for improvement.

To fulfill what it was designed for.

The brief is important, regardless of how good something looks, it should answer a brief or at least challenge the brief.

A designer should keep an open eye and observe where he/she can have an input in his society/environment and world. We are not just out there for cash, we should believe in certain causes and try to make a difference.

I think more people will contribute to design, it will not remain exclusive, but rather inclusive, where more people will have input, regardless which background they have.

I usually don't exhibit my work at least not on ground.

I believe I am mostly inspired from my homeland Egypt. We have a lot of gaps and unexplored territories as we lack lots of design solutions, too. I am encouraged to find creative solutions for the people, once I can spot a problem.

I would say I am pretty much experimental, of course this is toned down when the brief is limiting. I don't know if I have a particular style, I constantly change I think. I always start by sketching and if I have more time I use all conventional and unconventional materials to print, draw scribble...etc

Right now I am in the UK and I am pretty much interested in integrating parts of my cultural heritage whenever there is a chance.

Usually, as a freelancer I wait till they approach me. Somehow the opposite never worked really well for me.

it is stressful sometimes to stay up to date and challenge the rules

obeservation

I check my calendar before I give any deadlines then I commit.

It depends, some take a week and some take two-three.

How do you get your clients?

Zagazoo, simply because it wants to add value to the children's world.

Goethe Institut, Danone, Apexos, Gazef.

I enjoy arabic typography and game design that includes illustrations or interesting graphical elements.

I want to work more closely in the toy industry and/font making

Most of the branding projects I work alone, but since my recent startup Zagazoo, I work within a team.

There is always something in-progress. Right now I am working on an Arabic Typeface for homeschooling during quarantine.

Phone number or email

Children’s attitudes and bravery to express what is right or wrong is certainly an inspiration to adults. As adults we can often think our actions don’t matter, but seening children sticking to a right/wise decision can generally help us and guide us.

The educational message had to be playful, memorable and creative for children to play. If the core environmental message is wrapped in play, then children will be the ones seeking it. By involving playing in the mixture, we guarantee a balance between both aspects.

Testing revealed that it was hard for children, especially younger ones to identify the pieces of the puzzle, as they all looked blue with white lines; we therefore added more visual clues through the stars and bubbles.

Repeating is a key aspect in this game, so after coming up with a module, it was easy to replicate it & create many puzzle variants. The variants are following the same pattern, yet present a different challenge each time.

The game is designed of natural wood leftovers compressed and cut to create the different shapes.It is challenging to be cost efficient and environmentally friendly at the same time.

The levels target the different age groups. In the first level less parameters were at hand, while in the second level more obstacles had to be put into consideration. However the main message of the game is the same: to save a turtle from the harmful plastic in the sea.

By telling the story of the turtle in the beginning. Children need to know why the turtle is at risk and what we can do to rescue it. We had to do several workshops to test the game with children from different ages and backgrounds to make sure they understand the game and its purpose.

This toy had great testimonies, sales and was replicated on different scales for different entities and organisations. The fact that many children would play it on repeat without losing the main message was a good indicator.

We hope many other toys and industries try to help addressing bigger issues in our world through play. We hope for a world where children find educational games exciting. We are ambitious to create more games and toys that make an impact.