A designer by day.

Teachers, lecturers, peers, everybody who's anybody will tell you that the biggest, most important step in any design project is research. And this is largely, though not undeniably, true. Back in college, I wasn't quite the online research guru that I am now. The only 2 websites that I ever ran to for help were Google images and DeviantArt. And although, looking back, I realize that my visual eye was really immature, I still made it top of my class. I didn't need endless hours online, just my concept and the little visual culture I had growing in the back of my head. Things have drastically changed now. The magic word for any Google research now is "showcase", they're everywhere and they cover EVERYTHING!
So after going from little to too much visual research, I'm realizing that I should hit the brakes again. Why, you might ask? Here's the reasoning behind it:

So while doing some research today I found this!

Various forms of dysfunction appear among populations exposed to typography for long periods of time. Listed here are a number of frequently observed afflictions :

Typophilia
An excessive attachment to and fascination with the shape of letters, often to the exclusion of other interests and object choices. Typophiliacs usually die penniless and alone.

Typophobia
The irrational dislike of letterforms, often marked by a preference for icons, dingbats, and—in fatal cases—bullets and daggers. The fears of the typophobe can often be quieted (but not cured) by steady doses of Helvetica and Times Roman.

Typochondria
A persistent anxiety that one has selected the wrong typeface. This condition is often paired with okd (optical kerning disorder), the need to constantly adjust and readjust the spaces between letters.

Typothermia
The promiscuous refusal to make a lifelong commitment to a single typeface—or even to five or six, as some doctors recommend. The typothermiac is constantly tempted to test drive "hot" new fonts, often without a proper license."

I'm sure we've all felt obsessive about type but now it's been pinned down to our faces! It's official. We are sick (or at least I am!).

This is according to Ellen Lupton.

Ever wondered what's behind that 4m high monumental wall along the Beirut Highway (going from downtown to karantina)? I had always seen that "shou fi wara l 7ayt" graffiti on the wall and it always made me wonder, but I had always missed the link to the answer.

Well,
*drum rolls*
it's a train station!

I can't believe that! Mar Mikhael station, hidden right in the middle of Beirut. And to think I went all the way to the Bekaa to see another station along that railway.
Please check this link for more info: shou fi wara l 7ayt?

Also, as you can see in the events page, there will be a 2-day open doors at Tripoli Railway Station on June 25 and 26. Check the event's facebook page and be there!

Seriously, is there anything better than discovering the historical treasures of your own country?!

It took me a while (a pretty long one actually) to figure out how to go about this one, then I thought I'd mess around with the awesome blend tool in Illustrator and this is where it got me!