MULTICULTURALLY OBSESSED

So whats all this talk about multiculturalism? Why is it important? Is it even relevant?
At Obsessive Compulsive Designers | OCD, were obsessed with multiculturalism, and have made it an integral part of our culture. In short, that means we respect diversity. More than an abstract concept, diversity helps us look at and understand the world in different ways. It adds a richness and depth, not only to our personal lives, but also to our designs. Most importantly, our understanding of diversity allows us to help our clients better communicate with their diverse audiences. So where does this passion come from? To understand this, you need to understand me and my wife, the founders of OCD. My name is Jontie Karden and my wife is Kung Pik Liu. While we come from different backgrounds, we share a passion for better understanding our world and the varied groups with whom we share it. I was born in a small town in New York State, and like many small towns it was predominantly white and Christian. The people were good, honest and hard-working. However, among them, were some who saw other racial, ethnic and religious groups as a threat. There was this distinction between us and them. Born and raised in this environment, I found myself somewhere in the middle. I was white, so when people looked at me they saw us. At the same time I was also a member of them. My family is ethnically Circassian, a group of Muslims from the Caucasus Mountain region of present-day Russia. Because of wars with Russia, there is a large Circassian diaspora spread across more than 50 countries around the world. My father immigrated to the US from Syria, and my mothers parents from Russia and Germany. In addition to the ethic differences, there was the religious difference. Being Muslim was something very

rare in my hometown, and looked on with some level of mistrust. To this day I recall my history professor teaching us how Islam spread across North Africa by the sword, and anyone who didnt convert to Islam was killed. This idea was later refuted by my professor at Cornell. He was an Israeli professor visiting from Tel Aviv University, and explained how Islam spread in a relatively peaceful manner, with reports of Islam spreading by the sword being completely

unfounded. I had a lot of respect for that professor, and he helped reinforce the idea that diversity doesnt equate with conflict. We can all be different and still treat each other with tolerance and fairness. Despite some negative experiences, I took pride in growing up different. It helped me understand the world from multiple perspectives, and it gave me not only a respect for diversity, but a passion to learn more. I

LEFT: Circassian from the Circassian village of Kfar Kama in Israel RIGHT: Circassians in the French mandate legion in Syria

TOP: Sai Yeung Choi Street South, Monkok, Hong Kong. photo by winhunter BOTTOM: A panoramic view of the Hong Kong Island skyline at night. photo by david iliff

was finally able to act on this passion when I went off to college and met people from around the world. I loved learning about my new friends, their histories, languages, faiths, and probably most of all their cuisines! Even though biology was my major, I took other courses to help me better understand the diverse world around me. My first semester writing course was titled, Death and Burial in the Ancient Word (a morbid, but insightful course!) and my second semester class was taught by a professor of Latino Studies who always supplemented the course with his insights on diversity. I also took courses on American Indians, the history of the Middle

East, the Arabic language, and more. Not to proselytize, but my philosophy regarding diversity is best summarized by the Quranic verse, O mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know each other (not that you may despise each other). My wife, Pik, has a somewhat different story. She was born and raised in Hong Kong. Everyone, including her, shared the same culture and language. So growing up, she never had a feeling of alienation or of being different from those around her. However,

her culture didnt address some of the spiritual questions she had, and for that she went looking to the outside world. As she attended a Christian high school, she explored the answers to her spiritual questions. It was also during high school that she was exposed to the field of graphic design, and felt an instant connection. As it wasnt a popular subject at Hong Kong universities, she decided to study graphic design in NYC, at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT). It was in New York City where she made friends with people from around the world. In addition to the cultural opportunities in NYC, such as museums, she was able to learn firsthand about different cultures, languages, and cuisines. It was here that she continued her spiritual journey, now exploring the Islamic faith. After much study and contemplation she decided to accept Islam as her own. Little did

she know that a few months later, in September of 2001, her new faith would become a household topic of debate and discussion. In an ironic twist, on 9/11 she found herself on a subway train below the World Trade Center, after the first plane had hit. Attacked by people of her own faith, she tried to understand why this happened, only to start receiving accusing glances and comments from fellow New Yorkers. It was during this time that she understood the importance of bridging the understanding gap between Muslims and the West, and so designed multiple projects to accomplish this goal. In late 2001, we met each other and were soon married. We found it fascinating that we got along so well, despite being from opposite ends of the Earth. After living in both the Northeast and Midwest, we eventually settled down in California to make our

photo by mohammad mertaban

home. It was here that we opened Sakina Design, an online retailer of contemporary Islamic art, an attempt to bridge Islam and the West. In addition we started our own full-service graphic design studio, Obsessive Compulsive Designers | OCD, where we specialize in multicultural branding. As you can see we belong to multiple worlds and are able to communicate between these worlds. This is because we have an intimate

understanding and a vested interest in each of them, and love to help people understand these different aspects of our identity. What was once a novelty and source of entertainment and joy, has now matured into a profession. We are passionate about using design to communicate information between diverse group, in order to improve understanding, build bridges, and benefit people and societies.

OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE DESIGNERS | OCD: We are a group of creative, conceptual, hard-working, value-oriented, socially conscious, eco-friendly graphic designers. We only take on projects that we believe in, and so when we work with you, know that we are committed to your project. Just sit back and relax, well do the worrying for you.
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