Nicolla Hewitt
THEY say a picture is worth a thousand words, so as consumers, none of us should be surprised that companies invest hundreds and thousands of dollars on logos. It Is the logo that provides immediate brand awareness, a memory about a product, an experience, or sometimes even a reminder to buy something. Think of the now iconic yellow arches on a red background which we all know represents McDonald’s; the Nike swoosh; and the now iconic bitten apple representing the company which has bought us iPhones, iPads and iPods. Simply put: a good logo is a recognition game changer.
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Ruba Yamani and fellow Saudi and US students at The Cheesecake Restaurant in Savannah, Georgia. — Courtesy photo[/caption]
Logos are also something sports teams pay close attention to. Fans are always eager to buy memorabilia of their favorite team or sports hero, and the merchandise can generate millions of dollars in additional revenue. So when a soccer team in Saudi Arabia — Abdul Latif Jameel — decided they need a new logo, little could they have imagined the design they picked was sketched by a young Saudi woman, Ruba Yamani, from Jeddah. Ruba is currently studying graphic design at Savannah College of Art and Design in the United States.
Speaking to Saudi Gazette about designing a logo for a male dominated sport, Ruba said: “Being a female wasn’t a big challenge because it was a design at the end of the day. If I can design a logo for an oil company or a toy store, why not for a football league? Of course many people — guys — were laughing about the idea that a girl could design a logo for a football league. At first they didn’t believe it. But when they knew and made sure that it was a girl, they were amazed and supportive, because they liked it.”
Luckily, Ruba knew all about soccer from her early age. By the time she was 14, it was her favorite thing to watch with her father and her brothers. In her interview with the Saudi Gazette, she said, “I know all the rules and most importantly I know the spirit.” It is that spirit which is making Ruba and her passion for graphic design a commodity to watch.
“I always wanted to be a designer because I just want everything to look beautiful. Art is the best way to communicate your ideas and thoughts,” she said.
Getting those thoughts and designs aligned correctly for the success of a company or a product is critical. The UK oil company BP spent over $150 million to launch its current sunflower logo design which they haven’t changed since 2000.
Ruba said she got her passion in art and design from her parents who used to share their work with her and encourage her to do the same. She knew she wanted to be a graphic designer from an early age, so when Dar Al-Hekma offered graphic design as a major, she quit her four years in King Abdulaziz University to start all over again. That gamble certainly paid off and her talent began to shine.
“I designed the ‘We Can Do It, We Can Drive,’ poster. It got huge exposure all over the world, and then I realized that I can be a graphic designer to send a message to communicate,” Ruba told the Saudi Gazette. She added, “When I saw the impact my design had, I decided to complete my studies in graphic design in the United States because I thought it is was time to refine my skills in the US, a country that has a huge history in design and communication.”
Widely considered to be one of the top design schools in the US, when the Savannah College of Art and Design reviewed Ruba’s portfolio for admission, they were extremely impressed with the deadline Ruba met in creating the ALJ soccer logo. She also beat out other agencies based in London in creating the design. “Winning that competition made me sure about going to the States. I realized that I am able to compete globally as well as locally. It was tough but I had a vision. I spent whole nights working and hoping that I can prove that I am, as a Saudi girl, qualified enough to do something local, meant to be for males more than the famous foreign agencies.”
Currently living in Atlanta, Georgia, home to famous brands such as Coca Cola, Ruba is not just learning what makes a good and successful logo or brand, but also about risks major companies take when trying to design a new logo that fails. One needs to look no farther than the new logo clothing store giant Gap tried to launch in 2010. Consumers expressed their dislike of the simple redesign from a blue background with white letters, to a white background with blue letters. Weary of losing customers and millions of dollars in business, Gap quickly reverted back to their original logo which they still use today.
Perhaps one should not be surprised Ruba Yamani’s favorite logo is one that we see all over the word. “I find FedEx’s logo very clever. I like how they used the negative space between the E and X to show an arrow suggesting that the company is moving forward,” she told Saudi Gazette.
It certainly seems Ruba is on a fast track forward too. Her dream is to establish a designing school and provide studios for designers in Saudi Arabia.
“My advice to Saudi women is to never stop trying. Big challenges always mean big chances thus big successes,” she said.
Perhaps it won’t be long before someone creates a logo for Ruba’s business, and that logo becomes as well known and familiar as other ones she has already designed.
