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My concepts of design. The Israeli particular and global currents

I live and breath design, I am constantly thinking about it, and looking for new design inspiration, whether it be from other artists or nature or paintings or whatever. Later in life now I have tended to travel more and when I do travel, I constantly look at what are the new design themes and products are around.
My idea is to marry Israeli and Jewish themes with worldwide international design themes, to bring the world to Israel and to thrust Israeli themes into the world. So for example, I have taken the pomegranate and evolved that through many designs into many products which both have local  and international appeal. Or in the same way I have also taken the orange which is a local iconic product and developed designs that are appealing for all audiences worldwide.

To me good design must always have an element of surprise, it must have that Ah ha feel, and always have a sense of freshness and wow. It must always  have the feel of the unexpected, and the unanticipated. I don’t want to be pretty. I want to be bold. I want to have colors that don’t always go together. I want to have unexpected themes and lines. I love introducing typography combined with Graphics. I don’t want to have designs that are fussy complicated and hackneyed, I want clean lines and bold shapes, preferably with a touch of humour. I want to take the common place expression that we use and elevate them. But I shall never be crass or crude. In any product.

So I have incorporated the word Sababa in many designs. Aba Sababa, Saba Sababa. I embrace my heritage. The words schlep and chutzpa and Mensch have become universal expressions. That has universal appeal.


So there is a constant dialogue going on with the wider world and my world to create  I hope, a unique Israeli design idiom.

2nd Jun 2024 Barbara Shaw

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