Wearing his favorite blue jeans temur was smiling like he always does. The smile which makes him looks an innocent baby and quite a devil at same, what a predicament.

Temur is a graduate from NCA, NationalCollege of Arts. He is working for past 7 years in graphics, print media, multimedia and interiors.

Q: Is there any way to identify or label a graphic design work made by a Pakistani designer as a Pakistani design?
A: No way, if you are talking about layouts, there is no such thing that can help one label. You can see images related to our so-called culture but that doest help us label a design as Pakistani. You have so many campaigns which were out sourced from India or other countries.

Q: What you mean, when you say so-called culture?
A: We don’t have a culture; in 50 years we have not been able to identify it. It has always been dependent on the philosophies of who is in powers. Truly, it very sad, as with out a defined culture or something you can identify as culture a nation can not exist.

Q: Are we not a nation?
A: well, look around. Do you think we are…?

The conversion was shifting towards politics and temur believes it’s just nonsense to talk about it. As in Pakistan people never had the right to chose for their government.

Q: Tell us about your most challenging task.
A: Interactive CD presentation for Ghani Group. In this interactive CD I integrated FLASH, DIRECTOR and bit of additional tools, and this was the most learning and challenging experience.

Q: What is your Favorite color?
A: yellow, other then that I go with orange, green and black

Q: Which is the color you dislike working with?
A: cyne

Q: Why Pakistani graphic designers are not producing international level design work?
A: Mainly because of less training, no proper concept of graphic design.
 In Pakistan often pre-press is mistaken as graphic design. It doest mean we can’t produce design work on international standards or market trends.  
We have potential, some people are doing great jobs but mostly I see copy cats.

Q: Do you think designs created by Pakistani designers are original and authentic?
A: Sadly no, nothing is original, after 90`s. It all seems copy work. No potential ideas, no functional or trend setting solutions. Designers here are mostly copying the international designs or purely working on the guide lines of their clients. These things must not be considered authentic designs. A designer is responsible to provide out standing creative solution and educate his/her client about design and layouts.

Q: Why is it so hard to convince a client?
A: every 8 out 10 designers I meet doesn’t know how to speak on their work, if some do they are so irrational I wonder how they even convince them selves. My approach is very straight, either hire me to do it the best way or you do it yourself. You have to be ready for each and every possible question your client can ask, and it designers job to satisfy client.

Q: Why can not designer speak on their work?
A: In such a situtaion, First they don’t know what they are making, second they are copying and finally they don’t have the confidence on their own proposed solution.

Q: Tell us about your favorite movies?
A: Range-Kudha, Bacha- Hayee- Asaman

Q: You have a good paid job and still you do free-lance works, what is the reason?
A: Acknowledgment, you can have good paid jobs, cool working environment but not acknowledgment when working for a company. In some companies you can’t even own your work. There is no concept of royalty or credits.
In other way around, in free-lance you might not be able to get more but what you definitely get is the acknowledgment. People start knowing you from your work. They even recommend you to people they know. It’s very important to be acknowledged. You work so hard to achieve something creative and you deserve to be known.
For me free-lance is the only solution.

Q: Why is identification so necessary?
A: It’s important for inner satisfaction, it helps you keep going.

Q: Do you have any favorite campaign?
A: Orient campaign is one of my favorite. It focuses on product as well as features.

Q: Why models, do you think we can’t work our campaigns our design without using one?
A: Of course we can do it without using models. I am totally against female model exploitation, for me it is not a freedom, a woman as a salable item, just ask yourself.

If you really need to model sure go for it, but you can do a lot, go more wild, creative without using them, and if you are to use models, use them creatively, with definite roles and without exploiting female respect and status.

Interview By: Sajjad Ali
Date: Nov-01-07

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