From the everyday to the exceptional, this is where Saayman, pronounced Simon, has her say about life, design, code and everything in between.
Fuelled by a keen sense of curiosity, Saayman Says is where I love to share my sometimes less than conventional ideas and thoughts.
I aim to drive a sense of wonder.
My posts challenge the mundane and everyday. From the words of Euripides: “Question everything”.
Saayman at Work
I work in the technical side of the creative industry. I entered the web industry 10 years ago and found my niche within the field of front end layout, user experience and interface design.
Within the field of design, concept is everything:
– It is what drives efficacy. It summons insight.
More beautiful than any spoken word, more contagious than a cold.
It is the ultimate foundation upon which all great designs are born.
Below please find a series of featured work that I have done over the years. It should provide you with an overview of my skill set and experience within my field.
My UX Process
UX processes can vary so drastically project to project, so it's important to identify that this isn't set in stone. However, that being said, this is my own personal template that I use for managing a project. View here.
Flashquote Insurance Quoting System
I've seen this project through from low fidelity to high fidelity, having created the logo, copy, design, html and css for this amazing project.
UI and UX for SAU Online
This project is still a work in progress, but feel free to take a look anyway.
SAU Uncovered Newsletter
Over the past few years I have been responsible for SAU's quarterly newsletter. From concept to writing editorials on behalf of our CEO, I am proud to call this one my baby. For a complete overview of newsletters from the past few years, check out the ‘Uncovered Recovered’ section on the company’s marketing website here. To view this particular newsletter, click here.
Insurance Software
I was privileged to work on the front end design, UX, animation, cross-platform optimisation and testing for this "all-inclusive" insurance system.
https://isuite.systemsdirect.co.za
Get A Grip for Cancer
This was a superb initiative which ultimately raised a lot of money for cancer by selling hair clips / grips. I worked on the logo and slogan for this and am proud to say that it was one of my earlier works.
Host City Guide
This was my personal stamp on what would go down in our history books as the year the Fifa World Cup was hosted in South Africa. I designed the series of official tourism guides for Nelson Mandela Bay Tourism.
Innovative Ad
This was one of the first ads I did for SAU when I first started with Systems Direct. When I look back on it now, I'm grateful that I recommended a logo revamp.
Gauteng Automotive Value Proposition
Just another booklet design.
Feel Famous Campaign
"Feel Famous" was the slogan I designed for a series of ads that implied that the companies service was so exceptional that it made their clients feel VIP or in this case "famous". Click here to view an ad.
This ad series was extended through a series of direct mailers which became known as the Popular Premiums mail series. View here. I designed the html template, came up with the concept and copy. The line "watch our premiums rebel against expectation" was inspired by a line from one of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's books. Sherlock Holmes: "My mind rebels against stagnation".
Feel Famous Ad
This was one of my favourite images we utilised from the campaign.
National Driver of the Year
This artwork was for an event for the Eastern Cape Department of Transport. I was even lucky enough to be involved with the decor setup.
Incentive Planner Guide
Another booklet for Nelson Mandela Bay Tourism with a focus on business development.
SAU Retractable Banner
This was a retractable banner I revamped for the company after years of begging them to update their reception banner. When I presented them with this image, they couldn't resist.
Verve Logo Series
The client wanted something contemporary and classy with a hint of vintage.
Wingos Posters
This was one of my favorites and I ended up having a lot of fun with this series and copy: "Do you speak the Wingo lingo?".
Planet Waves CI
Another example of my earlier days at the old television-like CRT (Cathode Ray Tube). We used to do what felt like hundred of these, but we always endeavored to keep our creative flair alive by focusing on the client's individuality.
SAU4U Website
Another Bootstrap based site, with some playful use of CSS and Jquery animation. Click here to visit this site.
Everything on here was designed by yours truly, from the ads, newsletters and calendars through to the video.
Digital Time Machine
This was a project of my own devices all the way from my mad lab. For the companies 25th birthday, I decided we should create a digital time capsule in an unconventional celebration of their business relationships that had stood the testament of time. I dubbed them "Time Travelers". Click here to take a look. Should I some day cease to work for the company, I'll be sure send them a reminder to not forget to send out the time travellers notes.
ECPACC Annual Report
An annual report with some African panache.
SAU Website
I designed this baby using Boostrap as a the framework and created the copy, logo and slogan. I had a lot of help with the development of the Google Maps Api "Find a Broker" application from another developer, but learnt a lot about working with C# objects in Jquery. Click here to view.
Eastern Cape Liquor Board Ad and Billboard Campaign
These ads were run to promote responsible drinking within the local community in the Eastern Cape.
Designer Living Logo
I designed this logo for a close friend of mine and I am very pleased to say that business is booming.