#sparkchamber 072621 — Mai Mousa
A theme we can’t get enough of at #sparkchamber is the trust yourself one, perfectly represented by self-taught visual designer Mai Mousa. With what she calls a keep-it-simple style, Mai’s work is all about connection with the consumer — logo design, user interface / user experience, and branding.
Growing up, she was always drawn to shapes — geometric shapes in general. In her spare time, she would get on the PC and play around with the Paint program. Then, “I started to hear about an application where you could do a lot of things other than painting — so cool.” That was Photoshop — a gamechanger and door-opener for so many!
At that time, her interest in design was only a hobby — she was intending to be an engineer. But after entering college, she quickly realized her heart wasn’t in it … to graduate, to work in this field, to become an “engineer.” She decided to pivot and instead pursue something she would love.
Mai lives in Cairo and, “It was challenging here in Egypt because people here don’t consider graphic design a job — not like being an engineer.” She started to experiment in various specialties in the world of design — animation, cartoon, calligraphy, digital painting — and finally landed on logo design / branding. She found the precision of crafting an identity to be similar to engineering “where you have to solve the equation and find the right answer.” Funny, right? The overlap, the intersection. The same foundation, but a completely different expression. We love this! And it is so evident in her work — check it out!
1.] Where do ideas come from?
Ideas are everywhere inside and around us, you just need to slow down, watch and observe. You may find it when you are visiting a new place, watching a movie, listening to new music, going for a walk, or even when you try a new food recipe.
2.] What is the itch you are scratching?
Solving more equations with less steps. More less is something that I love and I’m always driven by in my design career. I always feel that design is like a mathematical equation — you have to find the right solution with less steps. You can make something unique, bold, and original with less elements.
3.] Early bird or night owl? Tortoise or hare?
Early bird. I’m a person that loves the calmness of the morning light. Being early helps me to start the day early with a fresh start.
4.] How do you know when you are done?
The moment I want to take a break to refresh and get back on track.
