Gold in Branding 2018

The Driving Force Behind Manifest Design Inc: Graphic Designer, Brander, Illustrator -- Alia Bazzi

Founder of Manifest Design Inc

by Christina Lauren | 14 Nov 2018


Who would have thought that the road to success could involve a passion for toys, devotion to one’s heritage, and a children’s drinking device. Meet Alia Bazzi, INDIGO’s very own 2018 Gold Award PRO winner for her River of Truth LED sound cup. The cup is what Bazzi considers her best ever design piece, yet we feel that all of Bazzi’s work is award-worthy.

Manifest Design Inc. is Bazzi′s enterprise, a Michigan based company founded in 2012. While the focal point began with graphic and web design services, soon the budding business manifested into much more.






“Currently I′ve found my way becoming interested in other areas of design such as packaging, manufacturing, and product development catered to children,” says Bazzi. The brander prefers to stick to stronger concepts with simple and bold designs-- perfect for tiny investors of influential brands with which the artist admires, such as Lego and Disney. It is through these industry giants that the graphic designer stays informed of the latest trends and incorporates her own twist on them. When asked what she is most passionate about-- “games, toys, interactive design, traveling and exploring different countries and cultures,” Bazzi says. And others who have influenced her road to success? “I was fortunate enough to come across many influential people during different stages of my education and career life,” she says. Further, “undergraduate professors [who] boosted my confidence in being a designer, and practicing the discipline of playfulness at work went a long way,” she adds.

When it comes to the creative steps and process as a designer and illustrator, the artist claims: “Every project is unique, but they all start with one thing in common: the end result. The goal here is to meet or exceed the client′s expectations, but in order to do so, I try to find out what problem I am trying to solve.” Though it’s not all fun and games in the hard-pressed realm of stress and critics. When it comes to harsh criticism, “It’s simply part of our job,” she says. “Each client has certain expectations regardless if they know as much as we do in design or not. It’s important to take the time to evaluate their feedback… and I always make sure to thank them for their candid concerns,” says Bazzi. Life is all about balance, as “Sometimes they just need a little bit more explanation to understand the entire concept and other times, I need to be flexible enough to make changes and keep my client happy.” Well said.

Critique, however, is what only motivates the creator further. When asked about her most favorable piece of advice, Bazzi suggests to always, “Welcome constructive criticism. Allow yourself to grow from it, it will make your work look stronger and carry a more powerful concept,” she says. From here the designer uses several approaches to track her success. First, “The right design with a strong and powerful concept can be topped with a professional brand, but [the success] is measured through an increase in sales.” Next, recognition through online platforms via social media and web traffic are major factors to let a brander know what’s working for the public and what isn’t.

When Bazzi isn’t working towards impressive accolades in her field, she spends time traveling, attending toy exhibits, and brainstorming concepts and ideas with which to move her inspiration forward. “I enjoy the beginning and end process of all my projects,” says Bazzi when asked what she enjoys most about her work. “I enjoy the beginning process because I get to brainstorm different concepts and ideas. As for the end, it’s just so refreshing to see your work finally done and ready to blend into its environment,” she says. Expect to see a successful shift toward interactive and game design for the future of Manifest Design Inc., and learn more about the brains behind the business at Behance.net/aliabazzi.

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