MIDDLE EAST
DESIGN WEEK
MY SPACE
Narrow angles
When it comes to her DMC office, Arabian Eye CEO Celia Peterson
prefers to keep it tight
IF A SEARCH for pictures of Arabian Eye’s office If, as planned, the company recruits more staff
were conducted, then the keyword ‘compact’ might and expands its business, Arabian Eye will have to
lead you to the first floor of this busy building in move to larger premises, most likely at Studio City,
Dubai Media City. which is causing no small amount of transportation
The photo agency’s snug, no-fuss premises contain anxiety among staff. “Somewhere near Arabian
nine staff, including the boss, Celia Peterson. “If I Ranches,” Peterson whispers ominously. Besides,
had a separate office I swear we’d be running into she’d miss all the clutter—not to mention the disco
each other’s rooms all the time,” she says. “I know ball hanging from the ceiling. “It’s to remind us not
a lot of people find it cramped, but I don’t. People to take things too seriously,” she says. “It brightens
are always away on shoots, so it’s not like we’re all in the room.”
here at the same time.” One thing you won’t immediately see in the office,
Which is a good thing. Arabian Eye runs six meanwhile, is a camera, which seems odd. Peterson
permanent photographers and more than 30 quickly pulls out a digital camera hidden behind
freelancers around the Middle East. Peterson’s desk a printer. “It’s not much; we can’t really afford the
is hemmed in by logistical people and by sales staff, space,” she says, “but it’s bigger than yours.” No
who handle enquiries for the stock footage library. argument there.
Business spills out into the passage as sales agents Peterson leaves town soon to prepare for a
rush to take calls. shoot—South Africa, for two weeks. She trusts her
But Peterson insists she is comfortable in the staff to take care of the office in her absence. The
company’s tight headquarters—she likes the bustle. disco ball will still be turning gently, and there’ll be
“It’s a great area,” she says. “You’re always bumping just enough space for a new souvenir magnet to be
into photographers.” stuck on the fridge. Just.
NICE PACKAGE
Packolades
The packaging industry celebrates its best and brightessstt
THE MAJORITY of humans go about their lives fairly oblivious to product packaging—
not so the good people at the Institute of Packaging Professionals, the National l
Association of Container Distributors and the European Tube Manufacturing g
Association, all of whom hold annual awards ceremonies to honour the best in boxes, ,
bottles, tubs and tubes.
You’ll find Tubes of the Year and other accolades in the latest edition of Package
Design magazine, whose awards feature contains, according to the editor’s letter,,
“three hundred and twenty-one images of packages you can inspect for yourself at t
your leisure”. Anyone who opts to inspect all 321 either has a morbid interest in the e
subject or a lot of leisure time.
The criteria for the awards seem to fall into four categories:
AESTHETIC
Silver Joe’s Coffee Tins (“the mission,
INNOVATIVE
vision, drive and intestinal fortitude to
Hunt’s Ketchup
think beyond the traditional
Bottles (“uses
coffee cylinder”)
oxygen scavenger
technology to
make the ketchup
look and taste
better”)
1 2
SUSTAINABLE PRACTICAL
Marks & Spencer Swiss Chocolate ZapZyt Acne
Assortment (“a completely biodegradable Pack (“puts all
and home-compostable solution”) three elements
of this triple-
step acne care
product into
one package”)
Our own favourite was the Smart Lid Colour-ChChanging Lid (“the ultimanging Lid ( the ultimatte ‘We ‘Wow!’ w!’
factor and safety feature”). The revolutionary disposable lid, we are told, provides a
3 4
“visual indication that a coffee or tea may be too hot to drink”—thereby eradicating
the need for exploratory sipping.
Either packaging is getting a lot smarter, or people are getting dumber—we’ll let
the experts at the Foil Stamping and Embossing Association judge that one.
www.mediaweekme.com 25 JANUARY 2009 / 31
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