Blog Relaunch

I’ve decided to relaunch my blog. It’s been a long time coming, so why waste another day, month or year? Instead of boring you with the details in the format of a viciously long text post, I’m gonna do what I do best - talk with pictures! Let’s get started.

I’ll be honest, life can get pretty busy. The simple fact is I got busy and neglected my blog. I wanted to start back up again because I have missed it dearly and wanted to share what I’ve been doing. As someone who works in online and digital marketing space, I wanted to re-establish that online work/life balance again. I’ve gone back to Tweeting more, using Instagram, and getting more active online. Admittedly it’s not the easiest thing to maintain considering I work in it everyday, but it’s a challenge that I think would be worthwhile both professionally and personally. Here are a few things that I have updated and improved on…

1. OPTED FOR A BRAND NEW LAYOUT

This layout is much like the one I had previously with some minor modifications. Moving on to a 2 column format, I have designed new buttons and have created space in which I can show you my sponsors and affiliates. The body however, I wanted to keep the same as possible. I love whitespace, and as you can see, I love it quite literally. I’ve kept everything very clean and minimal, giving an emphasis to the aesthetics and simplicity of my posts.

2. UPDATED MY FOCUS

Gone are the days where I posted about everything from marketing, fashion, art, interesting online reads, to my life in general. It was reasonable when I was posting around 3 to 4 times a week but with a career that is really on the move, it’s just not manageable.

I wanted to simplify and just focus on me and my work as a whole. I’ve taken the focus off of having specific segments and have a more general “me and marketing” focus. I will be aiming to post either once a week or once a fortnight.

And that’s it for now! Let me know what you think about the new layout and such in the comments below.

SKETCHY BUSINESS #6

Today I want to formally introduce you to my Alien Asian. Throughout school, my art teachers really pushed the theme of ‘identity’. Because of this, I developed a character that I felt accurately depicted me and my identity. I have been drawing this Alien Asian for quite some time now.

The inspiration for this character comes from my cultural heritage, national identity, personal individualism and a variety of other things (the list is endless). If you have been reading my blog you will notice that I am of Asian decent and was born and raised in Australia.

Being an Asian in Australia in itself is just cause for creating a character like the Alien Asian. I came up with title/term Alien Asian because I thought it was a clever play on words (alienation). The Alien Asian is an outsider. She doesn’t fit into Asian culture because she isn’t 100% immersed in it (she, like me, can’t even fluently speak any of the languages). She doesn’t completely fit into Anglo-Saxon Australian culture because she is of a different colour. Nevertheless, she finds ways to fit in while she prides her self on remaining a strong individual.

And now for a few anecdotal tales of me growing up. Growing up in a predominantly Caucasian neighbourhood with Caucasian family friends, I genuinely thought I was Caucasian. According to my mother, at the age of two I realised that I was not the same as other kids and I cried for hours. In saying this, growing up my parents placed really a strong emphasis on individuality. While they were (and still are) protective they believed that I should be my own person and taught me to think for myself and not conform to all of the norms of society. This played a major role in the development of the Alien Asian.

I could probably ramble on about the Alien Asian and my life for hours but I won’t. When I’m a famous artist you will all be able to the full story in my autobiography. Haha. 

THE FRONT LINES #1: MAXINE THAM 2011 CORPORATE IDENTITY

Thank you all for the fantastic feedback you have given me. Because of your feedback, I have decided an extra segment called The Front Lines.

The Front Lines is a segment where I will specifically look at branding and marketing. I will primarily focus on niche/unique/boutique branding (but I will occasionally look and major rebranding) and marketing campaigns that interest me.

But before I get into looking at other brands and their marketing, I wanted to feature my personal branding and corporate identity. As you can see below, my corporate identity varies slightly from my blog (I may do a comparison post at some point). My primary logo is simply my name stylised in a square. It is simple and clean with a modern edge.

In addition to my square logo, I have included a cat with antlers as part of my corporate imagery (it was something that I added once I had designed my blog). A lot of people have asked me about the significance of this cat. My reply is simple: cats are(or can be) feminine, sensual, assertive, dominant, self-sufficient and independent. I wanted to strengthen a few of these traits by adding antlers.

The colour scheme that I have selected is primarily black and white with hints of magenta. Black and white was the obvious choice for me as they are classic and timeless. I added a splash of magenta because it is a strong colour that contrasts well with black and white. Although my favourite colour is green, I find that printers and monitors can display the colour vastly different from what is intended.

The business card, letterheads and email signatures are all pretty self explanatory. I essentially wanted to create something that was simple but striking. 

NOTE: The phone numbers displayed are false.

What do you think of my corporate identity? Is there something in particular that you like or hate?

I hope you enjoyed this first installment of The Front Lines. Let me know what you think by leaving me a comment or sending me an email. 

BOOKMARKED #13

This week I have been reading LogoMania by Bob Gill. It is a fantastic little book that looks as the problems with logo design and creative ways to overcome them. The book in itself is like a little portfolio of his designs and thought process.

Following the theme of logos, I came across this amazing art project by Risto-Jussi Isopahkala called the Logo Tourist. His works blend iconic landmarks and commercial logos. You should definitely take the time to look at this series (I would like to give a notable mention to the Arc de Triomphe and the La Tour Eiffel).  

Here is an interesting look at the logo evolution of 20 corporate brands. I like how it gives you a little bit of information on the origin of the name and the original logo of each brand.

Virgin seem to have a billion sub-brands. To add to this epic list, Virgin Blue has rebranded themselves as Virgin Australia. What do you guys think of it? Personally, I prefer the Virgin Atlantic logo over the new Virgin Australia one. I really don’t see why they have designed a completely new identity for Virgin Australia. I have to say though, I love the new colour scheme and their new uniforms.

SKETCHY BUSINESS #5: FRIENDS WITH MEDICAL BENEFITS

As some of you may know, I tend to gain inspiration from everyday life. As a result, I draw things that can seem a little random. This Sketchy Business post is once again a inspired by a conversation I had with KL Fair.

After spending some time talking about her wisdom teeth she said to me, “you know my friend with medical benefits?”. Having the brain that I have, I instantly thought of a friend who could provide medical benefits! I am perfectly aware that it sounds like every medical show on television but having a friend who is a doctor or a dentist could be pretty handy.

DANIEL SIM DESIGN COMPETITION

There seems to be a lot of cool local competitions out at the moment. A good friend of mine, Michael Suprana, works for a local design firm called Daniel Sim Design. They are a full service firm that specialise in building brand identities.

He has just told me that they have just launched their new and improved website and as a celebration of this, Daniel Sim Design are holding a competition for businesses to win a brand new identity! So if you are an up and coming fashion designer, stylist, photographer or just a business owner (or know someone who would be interested) check out the competition details here!

SKETCHY BUSINESS #3: SUGARED STEAK

I have been thinking about sugared meat since Sunday. So, I’ve decided to draw some sugared steak! I have to admit, the thought of meat coated in crystallised sugar is kind of disgusting. Although, I’m sure when it comes down to actually eating it, it would probably taste delicious. Bon appétit!

GENERAL CURIOSITIES #5

This week has been exceptionally busy. I’ve spent it getting a hair cut, driving to and from the airport, playing house, working on an international project, providing some creative assistance at a photo shoot with Suprana Photography and seeing my sister.

With regards to hair, I try and get something a little different every 6 to 12 months (in fact I should do a ‘hair through the ages’ post). I’ve had asymmetrical fringes before but never a heavy one so I thought I’d give it a go. Yay or nay? What do you think?

Here are some behind the scenes pictures from the photo shoot. The model was Samantha O’Gorman and the makeup artist was Jessica A Young. I’ll post the final photos once they have been edited by the photographer, Michael Suprana.

You also may have noticed that I have slightly modified the header for this blog. The previous one was designed to be temporary until I had the time to design one that I was happy with. So here it is! While I kept a few key elements I added the horizontal stripes. These stripes were partially inspired by these Armani glasses. 

With such a busy week I did not get to finish redecorating my bedroom. If things keep up like this it looks like redecorating will be a long and gradual process.

GENERAL CURIOSITIES #1

I’ve been avoiding actually posting on Tumblr as I have been in the process of revamping and refocusing my Tumblr blog to be portfolio/professional/personal development blog. In saying this, I will most probably be wiping everything and possibly reposting it in a different format.

Below are a couple of headings I have been working on (as well as the General Curiosities one above) that I am making into little ‘segments’.

General Curiosities will provide a somewhat voyeuristic glimpse into my life. I will post little bits and pieces about me and my adventures.

In Sketchy Business, I will focus on my drawings, design, art, processes etc.

Bookmarked will be all about the things I’ve been reading, whether they be comics, magazines or the internet. I may also include what I’ve been watching.

The Style Inklings section will feature my style thoughts, development and personal outfits.

Finally, Interrogate Me will be a section devoted to answering all your questions!

I might change things around a little or add a couple more things. We’ll just have to see what happens.