UAECreatives Magazine Issue 4 - December 2023 by Umesh Ponnusamy

DEC 2023

MAGAZINE ISSUE 4

Directory of Freelancers, Consultants, Entrepreneurs, Startup Founders and other Creators of their own destiny in the Emirates

What’s clicking? with Rashmi Dadhich

Getting Digital Transformation & eCommerce right with Martin Sandmeier

CONTENT Editorial

Pick of the Month: Powerful Planet

UAE Consumer Insights: Brands fail to deliver seamless digital experiences

Featured UAE Consultant of the Month: Martin Sandmeier

Featured UAE Creative: Rashmi Dadhich

Get listed in the UAE Creatives directory

The IT Help Guy: Technology Management for Creatives

Freelancing Experiences of a Serial Creative: PART 2

SYLAB (Support Your Local Area Business)

1 EDITORIAL Dear Reader, Finally, the new year is almost upon us. 2023 has seen a lot of industry shake-up with AI tools and the drama at Open AI, not to mention wars and natural disasters. Here’s wishing our Planet Earth and it’s inhabitants a peaceful and healthy year ahead. This is the only planet we have for now, so let’s keep it alive and safe! In this issue, we treat you to the inspiring journeys of talented and hard-working individuals - Ignite Digital Consulting’s Martin Sandmeier and Creative Food Photographer Rashmi Dadhich. With the COP-28 in progress in Abu Dhabi, UAE is leading the way in addressing climate change and sustainability, so it was apt to feature “Environmental Photographer of the Year” contest shortlists and winning entries as our Pick of the Month. Plus we have the usual features Remyniscences of a Freelancer and the IT Help Guy. Sincerely Umesh Ponnusamy Editor

feedback@ uaecreatives .com

2 PICK OF THE MONTH

Powerful Planet:

Environmental Photographer of the Year 2023 Shortlists and winners In its fifth year, the Environmental Photographer of the Year contest has once again dished up images of Earth that are as stunning as they are challenging. But while the aim of the competition is to put the focus on the issues facing our planet, and many of these images show confronting weather extremes, the contest is a hopeful one, celebrating innovation and the efforts underway to repair past damage. This year, almost a quarter of the entrants were under 21, and the photographers spanned 159 nationalities. Read the full report and see all the shortlisted and winning photos:

https://newatlas.com/photography/environmentalphotographer-year-2023/

UAE CONSUMER INSIGHTS

Cisco App Attention Index reveals UAE consumer fury - Brands fail to deliver seamless digital experiences

Khaleej Times, 22 November 2023 An astounding 97 per cent of consumers in the UAE have reported experiencing performance issues when using applications over the past 12 months, a survey showed on Wednesday. Cisco on Wednesday launched the latest report in its App Attention Index research series, revealing escalating consumer expectations for digital experience and increased pressure on brand owners to optimize application performance and security. The global study, which examined the digital behaviour of more than 15,000 global consumers — including 1,005 in the UAE — also revealed the emergence of a new breed of application user who is more empowered, sophisticated, and demanding in its use of digital services. Read the complete report https://www.khaleejtimes.com/business/cisco-appattention-index-reveals-uae-consumer-fury

CONSULTANT 4 UAE OF THE MONTH

Martin Sandmeier A Visionary Leader in Digital Transformation and E-Commerce

n the dynamic business landscape of Dubai, Martin Sandmeier emerges as a force in the realm of digital transformation and e-commerce. With an extensive career spanning three decades, Martin is the founder of Ignite Digital Consulting. His professional journey encompasses pivotal roles in globally renowned organizations such as Etisalat, Amazon, and

Souq.com. In this first part of our 3-part interview, we navigate through the pages of Martin›s illustrious career, unravelling the strategic insights and innovative methodologies that solidify his stature as the go-to leader in the ever-evolving landscape of digital commerce and customer experience.

UAE CONSULTANT 4 OF THE MONTH Your journey involves significant experience in both traditional and digital retail. How has the evolution from traditional to digital channels influenced your approach to business strategy and customer engagement? I consider myself extremely fortunate to have experienced the evolution of retail from physical to omni-channel, phygital and pure-play, and the development of technology and methodologies over that time. I would say the earliest lesson I learnt, which was very much re-enforced during my time at Amazon, is that nothing stands still or remains the same for long. NEW WORLD Looking back, what really stands out is that Amazon taught me and my colleagues about agility long before “Agile” become a buzzword, and it is perhaps this that has influenced my approach to business strategy

and customer engagement over the years. In any aspect of THE FUTURE business now, there is no one-size fits all. Every customer and client has different problems that need solving, different circumstances, wants and needs, and different challenges to overcome. Treating each client as unique, fully understanding where they want to get to and what is stopping them getting there, is critical for successful consulting. Very much like the hyperpersonalisation approach that business are attempting to pursue from a customer perspective, understanding each client’s unique situation and adapting my approach as required is so important. And from a strategy approach, appreciating that the road to a client’s vision will never be perfectly smooth and that there will be many occasions where we need to course-correct or

UAE CONSULTANT 4 OF THE MONTH pivot is extremely important. And this can be driven by both internal and external influences, many beyond a client’s control, METAVERSO so one also needs to ensure one is agile enough to navigate curve-balls. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, strategy is nothing without execution. This is why Ignite Digital does not only offer strategic advice and direction, we can also leverage our network to help a client implement that strategy effectively. In Consulting, your emphasis on a hands-on approach rather than relying on fancy presentations is very refreshing. Can you share a specific example where this approach led to a successful outcome for a client? In a sector that is traditionally renowned for a presentation-

centric approach, convincing clients that this is not the best value-add for their business has sometimes proven challenging. Perhaps the best example I have for the question you CHECKOUT TIME ask was one of my previous anchor clients, a large and very well-respected supermarket chain in the UAE. SHOP

From the very outset, the initial introductory presentation was no more than a few slides, as the focus was more on engaging with the client, listening to their needs and getting them to trust that I was there to help them achieve their aim. After being selected as their partner in their digital journey, the focus was to spend time with key stakeholders across the core functions of the business: Operations, IT, Marketing, Finance, Supply

UAE CONSULTANT 4 OF THE MONTH Chain and Logistics. But only after being fortunate enough to spend time with both the Chairman and the CEO, so important in understanding the vision from the very top and also getting their buy-in to what I was there to support them with. After understanding every functions’ strengths and challenges, I then circled back around to help each function understand the wider landscape, the aim being to foster a culture of collaboration, so everyone would embark on this journey as an aligned team striving for the same outcomes. Having regular meetings with the key stakeholders and steering committee leaders to update them and keep them up to speed with progress also encouraged them to retain my services for the implementation phase once the discovery and ideation phases of my scope were almost complete. This personal, collaborative, client-centric and hands-on approach for sure played a large part in gaining the client’s trust and convincing them the

approach we took was the right thing to do in order to achieve success. (To be continued…)

IGNITE

Digital Consulting FZCO Helping You Ignite Your Way to Digital Success Dubai Media City Get in touch:

+971 56 149 6172

5 FEATURED UAE CREATIVE

RASHMI DADHICH Rashmi is a Dubai-based Food Photographer and Food Stylist who loves capturing and communicating pictorial stories, bringing to life-enriching imagery that highlights the delicacy of food.

5 FEATURED UAE CREATIVE Beginning of the Journey Can you share the moment or experience that inspired you to shift from being a Teacher to pursuing a career in food photography and styling?

Being a Montessori teacher for kindergarten children, I was moved by the artistic methods used to impart knowledge. So, when I moved to Dubai in 2016, I started to explore décor for my home. This process inspired me to start my props collection and slowly extended to styling food with props and backdrops. I painted my own backdrops, started to trade them (very briefly), which lead to finally picking up on camera journey.

Creative Intersection How do you see the connection between your background in Montessori education and your current role as a Food

Photographer and Stylist? Are there any unexpected crossovers?

Yes, it’s a great question, I would mention that the creative elements of both Montessori and food styling seem to be deeply intertwined. In both domains, you need to stay on your feet and think out of the box, keep your audience engaged and enthralled. Staying focused and gaining attention are critical. Yes, the cross-over has had its own challenges, especially the business elements, being employed as a teacher vs turning entrepreneur in a new country has been an enriching experience and over all that doing it all by myself has taught me enduring experiences and created lifelong memories.

Culinary Roots You mentioned a focus on plant-based foods, desserts,

5 FEATURED UAE CREATIVE and fluids. What draws you to these particular aspects of culinary photography? Being a born vegetarian, I’ve always been exposed to natural grown ingredients of food. Cooking is something I love and have been exposed to it since childhood. My global nomadic experiences broadened my horizons and culinary definitions. From living at Mount Abu, Jodhpur, Bangalore, Navi Mumbai, Wokingham (UK) and now Dubai, these cities have immensely contributed to my greater revelation of simple food. The creative aspects and innumerable options that you can showcase with drinks, desserts are only restricted by one’s imagination. Hence, I’ve always been drawn by them more than other aspects. In addition to this, it’s the color !!! The richness and purity can be presented in an eye catching and natural manner.

Global Inf luence Having lived in the United

Kingdom, India, and the UAE, how has each country influenced your approach to food photography and styling? Each country has its rich and enthralling cultural heritage spread over centuries, and their journey of evolution has had an immense impact globally. Been interwoven, these countries have a lot of synergies and love for their culinary traditions and inheritances. When you think of it, it’s such a mindblowing explosion of taste and richness. I am blessed to have had these experiences with me. I have tried to reflect these in my output in many ways – direct and indirectly.

Self-Training Journey As a self-trained photographer and stylist, could you share a key lesson or challenge you faced during your learning process that significantly shaped your approach?

5 FEATURED UAE CREATIVE Challenges are numerous but the key lesson I have learned, which will always be with me – if you are not satisfied with your output, keep trying until your soul and mind meet the eye. Social media - Youtube has been my coach, it would be unfair to expand on this any further.

Equipment Choices Your photography equipment includes a Nikon D750 and Godox lights. How did you decide on this particular setup, and how does it contribute to your creative process? Choice of photography equipment plays a critical role and has a lot of significance in the portrayal of culinary aspects, such as color, depth, richness and clarity. To be honest, I believed that Nikon would be true to their brand image in delivering this experience, hence after a lot of thought I went ahead with them, and I am happy about it. The sync between light and camera are identical to oxygen

and life.

Narrative in

Photography You mentioned attempting to communicate a narrative through your photography. Can you share an example of a project where you felt particularly successful in conveying a story through your images? I am of the belief that every image has a story that it communicates, every viewer has his own vision and interpretation of the narrative. Some are successful, while you have failure too. It would be unfair to select one project, as for me, each and every project is focused on my attempt to succeed and create a lasting impression. However, I would like to share one such experience, wherein I had an opportunity to shoot for a small standalone café, run by a young entrepreneur, he was struggling to attract online

5 FEATURED UAE CREATIVE customers, the menu shot was such a fun-loving experience, I was happy that at the end of the project, I was able to help his business get back on track.

Cultural Influence Who are the creative professionals you admire, and how has it contributed to the cultural richness reflected in your work? Having lived in a multi-cultural society over a span of 20 years, across multiple countries with varied mixture of culture, lifestyles, and beliefs, it would be impossible for me to narrow down to a few aspects. Having an open and broad sphere has been my hallmark. I am influenced and inspired by the smallest of day-to-day activities and occurrences around me. The Christmas season is very special for me, I just love to immerse myself in all things related to the season, there are endless possibilities

of expressions and creativity, I have no words to describe the feeling.

Advice to Aspiring Creatives For individuals aspiring to redirect their careers towards their passion, what advice would you offer based on your own journey of transitioning from education to food photography and styling? I am too naive to be commenting on this one. All I can state is don’t go for the glamor. It’s tough. You need to stay invested in terms of time and effort. Your dedication to the craft will be testament to success. You need to cultivate a mindset to be a life-long learner.

View Rashmi’s work: https://www.instagram.com/ prop6foodphotographer/

C D D D C A O C D E ES U I O RT S R N R I W C A GI I D E E TE IG I/ G A IS RT T RI OP C A E N U N R N T T R A T TE Y ER IS L O T O T ERX R R R T

CREATIVES 6 UAE DIRECTORY

www.UAECreatives.com Calling all creative professionals, freelancers, consultants, entrepreneurs, solopreneurs, startup founders etc.

Get listed in our online directory for free. Just email

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with the following details: Full Name Job Title

Short Bio (100 words) LinkedIn URL

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IN M T D C D F IR RE M AR D ER A EV RO ES A EC A N D A K S D E C N A A U N T I E I LO T ET K G TO IV G T P LY T D C A ET IT I N E P I M I G PE N TO S RS E STA O IT ERON IN AL ERNG D RT RS R S G S

CREATIVES 6 UAE DIRECTORY

7 Abdul Aziz

UI/UX Designer Product Designer

Angelina Verghese Photography: Corporate, Events, Social, Advertising

David Alexander

Director, David & William Advertising Agency

Gerard

Founder: The IT Help Guy IT Support, Technologist

Islam Mahdy

Founder – IM Hospitality, The Menues, Samzkraze

Jacob John

Storyboard Illustrator. Character Design

SO TR A FO PR C EP TR FT N C TH U O O A RE W TO A R N A D N G E EA EA V IN A N D R U TE EMV O ID EU IN RE TI T ER C N EN T N E R O E ST E EN T IS G RS T O R R T S S S T

CREATIVES 6 UAE DIRECTORY

Malesh Ponnusamy Graphic Designer

Muhammad

Developer, Frontend Developer, UI Designer

Muthusankar Rajapather Art Directors, Artist, Graphic Designers

Rashmi Dadhich Food Photography

Remy Francis

Animation, Artist, Cartoonist, Illustrator, Video Creator

Sabiha

Theatre Artiste, Event Manager, Real Estate, Logistics

CREATIVES 6 UAE DIRECTORY

Photography, Creative Director, Software Training, Animation

Suchi

Illustrator, Graphic Designer

SO A PR C TR FT N C O O A W TO A RE D N G E I V A N U TE A EMV O ID IN RE C N EN T N O EO ER T EN T IS G RS T S T

RU ID IT ER EO S

FO U

Samy

Umesh Ponnusamy Copywriter, UX Writer, WordPress Content Publishing & Support

Get listed in our online directory for free. Just email

addme@uaecreatives.com

7 THE IT HELP GUY Technology Management

Why it is vital to all creative businesses The Challenge of New Tech Science and Technology is an evolving phenomenon. New tech triggers multitudes of trends in modern times. Unlike in the past as in the 80s and beyond, the internet age has spawned an abundance of varying commercial enterprises that demand diverse and skilled competitive creative talent to do complex work.

New

Arrival what’s what’s new? what’snew? new?

Tech & Revenue Computer Technology has also provided uncountable software tools to meet all demands in the workplace. For creatives who telecommute as freelance businesses, it is vital to be aware of all current tech and tech trends to be ahead of their competition if they wish to keep their revenue

stable. Part of that is knowing how to manage their technology assets. Tools a Plenty Technology assets are all electromechanical devices that creatives use to generate revenue. These are not limited to physical devices and the virtual platforms that run on them but all forms of digital subscriptions to cloud services free and paid. It extends to a complete global network. Knowing the technology and how it works are two different things. Knowing your Tools Browsing through the menu in a device and tapping to generate a result, using creative applications such as CAD, imaging, and video and audio editing are forms of work categorized

7 THE IT HELP GUY as operations. Of course, a certain level of creative imagination is required to skilfully produce professionalgrade work on the latter. But if the user’s level of knowledge of the device’s functionality and features they are using is little to nothing, it can be a serious issue if the device fails. Tech Tools & the Freelancers Imperative Freelance creative business people must know how to manage their technology assets. They must know the G FOR WE’RE LOOKIN performance DESIGNER limitations of their assets. When an investment is made to run a business, it is vital to calculate how long before the cost of the investment is covered up by the revenue including the profits. To be continued…

Data Recovery Services, Personal Home Backup and Support Systems, & System Upgrades, etc., for more details go to: www.theithelpguy.com

GERARD PERERA

is a Consultant & Systems Integration Designer at WITECON. With his knowledge and experience working in the field of Electronics Engineering for over 30 years, he does visualization, planning, and implementation of digital technology projects including enterprise automation, IT Infrastructure designing, Security, for global corporate clients in Telecommunications, Digital Media (Broadcasting), Financial institutions, Academic Institutions, Petroleum, and Construction. Website: www.witecon.com

FREELANCING EXPERIENCES OF A SERIAL CREATIVE

Getting

more bang for the buck 2 PART

in freelancing

“Remy”niscences of a Serial Creative New York Chapter

When I first started working in New York City, understandably, I was so intimidated with the history of the city when I landed there to work in 2006 and one advice a friend who was a Jersey kid gave me was to walk in the city with an attitude :o). And so with a rosary in hand more than 15 years ago, I sat in the path-train passing Hoboken, waiting to reach my destination in utter anxiety that grew stronger as I passed ground-zero of the once towering World trade centre. When I stepped into the beautiful streets of NYC

walking, under a cool rainy drizzle, my heart melted with the thought of relief. I could be myself and nobody cared who I was in the largest metropolitan city in the world! I could be a dot in the crowd and still actually belong. Phew! I did not have to throw an attitude, I could simply be myself. What is the meaning of attitude! I had an associate tell me off a few months ago. For crying out loud, I never beat myself over it. As art is subjective, I let the comment pass and also was glad if this squashed a 10-year business dealing with this. At least I did not encounter a larger loss. I did not want to

FREELANCING EXPERIENCES OF A SERIAL CREATIVE

waste time running behind the person for the pittance payment I was supposedly promised. That non-payment was the price that buyer has paid to blow-up a seemingly valuable business rapport and a world of reputation in the industry and future recommendations I may have been glad to make, all washed down the drain. For just $500 dollars, I did not mind losing in gratitude of a 10-year experience I enjoyed with that association. With that positive outlook, I am pleased to move on, not brooding a second over it.

your Teacher Being an experienced person does not make you immune from nay-sayers or rudeness and arrogance. This exassociate chose to say “deliver quality work before showing an attitude!” There are no spectators or a court of public opinion to support one artist by an individual opinion nor support against rumour mongers, except move away and do your own soul-searching whether you are right or wrong.

4 decades of experience in life has taught me that I am not going to get back a minute I spent thinking about @rembrandz.com oppressors or haters or 2023 narcissists and look at © Remy Francis ourselves as victims, but happy to spend time on how to repair Website: https://rembrandz.com/ any wounded spirit and get ahead stronger.

REMY FRANCIS

Experience & Soul-Searching is

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com /in/remyfrancis/

SYLAB: 9 (SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL AREA BUSINESS) We support local businesses, startups, entrepreneurs, solopreneurs etc. We welcome you to tell us your entrepreneurship story and we’d love to feature you, just contact us at features@uaecreatives.com Our UAE Entrepreneurs Wall of Fame (in alphabetical order):

D I

DAVID & WILLIAM ADVERTISING Building Digital & Print Brands in the UAE

David Alex +971 4 3529860 info@davidandwilliam.com www.davidandwilliam.com

DHRONA DESIGN ACADEMY

Samy +971 50 2820 678 Instagram.com/ A Design Academy for aspiring Media Professionals DhronaDesignAcademy - learn Adobe Creative Suite, Cinema 4D, Rhino 3D Modelling, Graphic Design, Interior Design, Video Editing

IGNITE DIGITAL CONSULTING

Martin Sandmeier +971 56 149 6172 martin@ignitedigital.me

IM HOSPITALITY

Islam Mahdy +971 (0) 50 564 6493 +20 (0) 1 2002 1825 4 islam@imhospitality.com www.imhospitality.com

Digital Transformation & E-Commerice Consulting

We craft F&B dreams, reshape menus, and ensure every bite tells a remarkable story

SYLAB: 9 (SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL AREA BUSINESS)

ORB EVENTS

REMBRANDZ

S T V

Sabiha +971 54 565 8882 Theatre Productions, orbeventsuae@gmail.com Visual Arts/Literature www.orbeventsuae.com Festivals, Dance/Poetry/ Music/Stand Up Comedy/Talent Hunt Shows, Advertising/ Corporate/Event Film Production

Animation & Video Production

SPOIL YOUR WALL

Creative and beautiful wall decals to personalise your home or brand your work space.

THE LITTLE BIG THINGS

Creative Illustrations for unique and vibrant stories for any type of project and medium.

VIBE EDUCATION

Remy remroute@gmail.com www.rembrandz.com/

Yousuf & Mustafa Fidali +971 50 985 3714 www.spoilyourwall.com

Suchi asklittlebig@gmail.com www.thelittlebigthings.me https://www.instagram. com/suchi.draws

Ramees +971 55 282 4466 KHDA approved learning info@vibeedu.com centre offering a wide www.vibeedu.com variety of learning experiences from management certifications, accounting, IT, Quality control, and language certifications courses.

SYLAB: 9 (SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL AREA BUSINESS)

WITECON

Providing IT infrastructure solutions to SMEs. 360º Services in Automation and System Security.

Gerard +971 6 74 777 87 +971 55 8833 733 https://www.witecon.com

We support local businesses, startups, entrepreneurs, solopreneurs etc. We welcome you to tell us your entrepreneurship story and we’d love to feature you, just contact us at features@uaecreatives.com

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Freelancers Consultants Entrepreneurs Startup Founders and other Creators OF THEIR OWN DESTINY IN THE EMIRATES

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