I am back

hey people, whoever reads this blog, or used to read it.
after a long tumultuous time I have decided to revive this blog. I will keep posting and updating the information. I am still on the pursue of my dream: creating Red Moose Designs. I am going home (to Peru) next week. //
well, I just came back and is end of June. At the moment I have only one client: La Doctora Amor, for who I update her articles and videos on a monthly basis. Theres no much to it, but is a quiet source of extra income. Apart from that I am still working at the New York Stock Exchange, better called NYSE Euronext. it's a pretty interesting experience and a quite important role in the creative services team.

Red Moose is in a hibernation state until I change my freelance/fulltime status... soon news. And also coincides with my most probable partner in this project, my director in Lima Vanessa Sanz; who is also warming a baby in her womb; and her husband my lifetime friend Ernesto, the legal/reality guy. We want to make it international and locally dedicated at the same time.

I keep checking my podcasts and my info blogs. the only way to keep refreshed. With the promise of going to at least 2 design conferences this year. more images to come. Got some interesting stuff back in Peru this time.

working it

now I am changing freelances, going to different agencies and looking for the best chance to keep developing, and challenge myself, I have the identity manual of the Al Falasi Store almost done, will post soon. And another website I am adding to my portfolio: www.moguya.com, Now I just wanted to show this video of the Entrepreneurial Thoughts Series Podcast:

So please take a look or look for this Podcast series audio, it's pretty good. cheers..
or get the full interview in audio: full presentation

Gorilla icon

Let's see where it goes, but I got a call from a coworker's cousin, to make an overnight icon. I thought... oh now I will have to stay up all night again to make some cash.... But when I talked to him, he had a pretty clear idea of what he visually wanted as an icon for his CD, (yes, it could be a logo... so I had to find a fair rate). So i sketched while on the phone. I sketched a bit more on the train and printed a cpl of reference pictures. 1 hour total then. Then @ home before my wonderful dinner i scanned and outlined the sketches. I was already tired but there was no chance not to do it. the icon was to be printed on CDs to distribute @ Jay-Z's album release @ the Apollo in my neighborhood - Harlem THE NEXT DAY.
I decided to sleep and wake up early. 6am I was sitting on my computer with my coffee and watching my cat be amused by the early dusk lights and birds with the baptist church-pre jewish temple background.

By 7:30 I was more than done, emailed, printed, PDFed (is that a verb? it should be...) and saved the design on my flashdrive. At lunch met the guy, he was happy, cashed me the $$ (I Love that part!!) and told me he will have more work. So the story repeats itself:
Good contacts -> good work -> happy client - > more reference clients -> more work.... all good.

Hope to keep more of this circle of work, while I catch up with my 3 website clients... and here is the logo/icon:


next week we are going to our first snowboarding trip, and since our freelance through Aquent insurance kicks in in January, we should be careful.. so no double black diamons.. yieehh!!! Picture links to come...

a cpl of projects I finished..

Quick. Last week I finished 2 very interesting logo - identities projects. So a quick reference to them in my lunch break:

AL FALASI Jewelry Arts - A jewelry store in Dubai, UAE (yes, United Arab Emirates), Pretty cool work, all the identity and possibly their website too. It was through my agent in Dubai Mr. Elie a.k.a. The Godfather. (ok ok, Noelle's godfather...). here it is:


AIG Private Chefs - A chef's project of catering, food service and more. New yorker 5th ave hotel chef's great idea, we will use 3 of these logos to different divisions of his projs. He paid for 2 logos and gave him 1 free... at a logo price, if you know what I mean... Now we'll see what's next. and plese G., keep up with the inv.

NYC taxis logo

Last week the city on New York has introduced the new logo for the famous NYC yellow cabs. The idea of making the visuals uniform is great. The intention of course is no doubt positive. The result although, is not exactly what I expected. It's not so appealing; it doesn’t capture the “alma” of the NYC-cab. The circled T is a good clear sign; the AXI part is ok too; but the NYC font is … mmm so bulky, rough, without style.
Now, I am a designer, so my opinion although I can support it through some theory, is not the last word, not even Pentagram’s art directors:
NYTimes-NYCtaxis
The final word will be from the regular New Yorker. Because he/she will be the final will be the primary user. So have your say.
I do like the fare sign, pretty simple, straight and clear enough. The checkers are ok, it’s a good idea; they could have been stronger, it’s like not subtle not strong, not here not there.

too much on your plate?

it's been a while... somebody told me once a blog is a waste of time... It requires time to think and write.. but waste I hope not, and I don't believe so. I am now working much more time than before. and Although I am happy, it drains my time... A good balance for me is a lot of work, which includes research, reading and webbing (searching on the web for news, tips and designs); sleeping @ least 5 hours a day (VERY important, nonetheless I usually forget this one often); exercise (important too not only to be in shape but to de-stress your mind and body) and maybe most important for your own peace of mind: balance your money. Right now I am running around doing my design work and trying to keep up with all my bills and money I need to send home, but I think I can do it; and I long for a moment that I can just walk and organize the money, and save for when I open my design studio...

But even I dont have time, I have to make time for posting my thoughts and comments on design more often...

Thanks L.

earthquake and other ideas

I meant to post something right after the earthquake in Ica, Peru on August 15. And time always run me away from doing so. I received so many emails and phone calls from people asking me if my family or friends were OK. it was overwhelming. I never thought so many people will think about you in these situations. THANK YOU.
I got a phone call from a client at midnight that evening; the day after I had about 10 emails on my inbox and a friend called me from Japan. my friends in the US were calling me or texting me. and it's a reflection of what the world did to help the affected ones. Such massive response, that will have to be well administrated by the authorities in Ica. I tried to play the role of Michael Gladwell's CONNECTOR, directing people's intentions to donate and collaborate with the organizations working there. (this is from the book The Tipping Point, which I previously recommended).

I realized that designers are connectors in more than one way. Our creation is attracting people's attention and make them think... to what we are asking them to think. Our role is very important in this mass/fast communications society. and we have to learn how to reach our goals as designers. We also are meant to be connectors among our friends, they call us to know what's going on this weekend, they email us for advice, or if we know somebody who sells/buys/offers something, jobs etc...

And we must act accordingly, without fear but with pride of how important we are...

about this too. some of you know I went to Switzerland in May. apart from ALL the pictures I took, (http://www.radohz.com/mypics/suisse/) (there are like 300+ so check them in parts... Well, I saw this ad, and will explain a little better what I meant before. Made for a church in the Lent period; it's in Italian and please ask me if you don't understand. It is made in a sarcastic tone, but mostly to shock the viewer, to make him/her realize what the society is doing. here it is. And after this I sign off.... good night..