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it’s a Wide World After All

It’s time for some international flavor. Being from Mexico, I’ll talk about that country and let any other foreigners talk about their respective countries.

Design in Mexico is not viewed as a great career path to follow, some people get a Bachelor’s degree in Design because it’s an easy four year program, others join because they can draw pretty pictures. And even sadder than that, a woman attending college for a Design degree is assumed to be there just killing time while she finds a suiting husband.

The good thing is that there are other people that really like design and understand what it’s all about. There are some great design firms and organizations. The biggest break we’ve had so far, for recognition, is a feature article in Communication Arts “Viva Dise�o!” A very well written and researched article that truly conveys the design scene in Mexico.

One day I’ll go back and hope to be part of the design community that is slowly, but stongly, building there. Here are some design firms: (it’s hard to find web sites, not everybody is as web happy as the US or Europe):

- Gabriel Martinez Meave

- Hula-Hula

- Pablo Meyer (don’t get scared by the ugly site, it gets better)

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ENTRY DETAILS
ARCHIVE ID 1257 FILED UNDER Critique
PUBLISHED ON Oct.02.2002 BY Armin
WITH COMMENTS
Comments
Steven Lyons’s comment is:

Very interesting indeed. I am always interested in learning about the design communities in other countries, especially those NOT in the U.S. or Europe. I feel like we hear SO much about those two main areas of design that we miss out on some truly different and original design.

I used to work with a woman from Peru and she described the design community there as very healthy and strong. This has been a few years ago and I am curious if any of you know anything or anyone from Peru these days?

On Oct.02.2002 at 09:52 AM
Armin’s comment is:

>NOT in the U.S. or Europe

I agree, there is so much going on in other parts of the world, it's a shame they don't have more exposure. One thing I've always found amusing is HOW'S *International* design annual, where just 4 or 5 of the winning entries are from outside the US. It would be nice if somebody did an actual International annual, with a set number of entries from each country.

Here is another interesting country that you don't think about when talking about design. Israel. And this is one of the few designers I know about.

On Oct.02.2002 at 10:05 AM
Jose Luis’s comment is:

Being from Mexico, I have a few links from there too, some design some art and some web studios {*sigh* I wish I had more}

www.tenedorparapescado.com,

www.pixilate.com,

www.lapanaderia.org,

www.acamonchi.com,

www.jacantu.com,

www.interfaz401.com.mx,

www.replica21.com,

www.sintetica.com.mx,

On Oct.02.2002 at 10:49 AM
Tom Dolan’s comment is:

Really great stuff Armin. Thanks for those links. The typography work at Gabriel Martinez Meave's site is some of the most inspired and well-executed stuff I've seen in a while.

On a side note, I've been lucky enough to do some business in Mexico City the last two years. Great city. I love, love, love it. Wonderful art & design energy pulsing through the whole place. For American's who only know Mexico as Cabo or Cancun I recommend that they try the wonderful, beautiful, cultural capital. (And the weather is usually cool! The city is 7500 ft about sea level --- like Denver or Santa Fe).

On Oct.02.2002 at 11:15 AM
Armin’s comment is:

>The typography work at Gabriel Martinez Meave's site is some of the most inspired and well-executed stuff I've seen in a while.

He is sort of a legend in Mexico, his work is always in the type Director's Club, year after year. I never had a chance to meet him, but it seems like he is pretty cool guy.

>For American's who only know Mexico as Cabo or Cancun

Every time I say I'm from Mexico, that's the response I get "Oh! I've been to Cancun". Mexico City Is a great city indeed, too many people doing too many things and no city in the US has the kind of traffic we have.

On Oct.02.2002 at 11:27 AM
Neha ’s comment is:

I've never been to mexico but what you described about the design scene there sounds very similar to how things are in Bombay, India (where I grew up). I enjoyed going through the links you have provided. The stuff from Israel was cool. If anyone is interested in taking a look at stuff from Bombay and (this is the only place I have found yet that has decent work) check out http://www.grandmotherindia.com

And Armin until you've been to India you haven't seen real traffic.

On Oct.02.2002 at 03:22 PM
Armin’s comment is:

>stuff from Bombay

Nice. It's great to see how the indian visual culture (colors and shapes) is reflected in some of their pieces.

I had the same problem finding decent samples of work.

And, you are right, there is probably a worst traffic problem there.

On Oct.02.2002 at 03:31 PM
Hrant’s comment is:

> it seems like he is pretty cool guy.

Gabriel is as nice a guy as his work is inspired.

He has this unique touch - and certainly a promising future.

Neha: I've been itching to go to (no, spend some months in) India for a while now - maybe soon, at least a visit. BTW, in terms of traffic (I mean car traffic) I've been in Bangkok, and it was unimaginably bad. But Bangkok is the *third* worse car traffic city, after Tokyo and Hong Kong (if I remember correctly).

On the other hand, if you measure car traffic not just by the average speed (the usual measure), but by the amount of time the greatest number of people waste their lives in it, LA must be a distant first. I myself was very fortunate to be able to "pull out", about two years ago.

hhp

On Oct.02.2002 at 04:50 PM
Armin’s comment is:

One more I forgot to mention, and this is probably the best design firm in Mexico, Eramos Tantos. There's nothing on the site except a way cool "Coming Soon" page. Click the numbers.

On Oct.02.2002 at 06:40 PM
Jhoana Mora’s comment is:

Third International Graphic Design Conference "Esquina Norte", Tijuana, Mexico

Confirmed speakers:

Bruno Monguzzi

Arcangel Constantini - www.unosunosyunosceros.com

Antonio Perez �iko

Domingo Noe Martinez

Dj Stout - www.pentagram.com

Gabriel Martinez Meave - www.kimera.com.mx

James victore - www.jamesvictore.com

Hector Falcon - www.hectorfalcon.com

Postof

April Greiman - www.aprilgreiman.com

More Info:

chicapin2@yahoo.com

(011) 52 664 6286220 Mexico

www.esquinanorte.com

On Jul.11.2003 at 11:17 PM