Mi3DiM Design Story

Hi, I'm Hamid Matoub, a designer, web developer, and multipotentialite hailing from Chlef, Algeria.

Visual arts have been a significant influence on me from a young age, and my hobbies have revolved around it ever since. I am a self-taught individual and have acquired my knowledge and interests through research, experience, and chance.

I go by the pseudonym "Mi3DiM," which is a combination of the last three letters of my first name, "Hamid," and the first three letters of the word "Dimensions".

Sketching has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. I first picked up a pen and began drawing when I was just four years old. It quickly became an addiction, and I found myself sketching on any surface I could find, all the time. My early tools of choice were chalk, blue pens, and pencils.

As I grew older, my interest in watercolor painting emerged when I was 13 years old. I became more interested in the final form of the drawing and started focusing on creating a full composition with a background, effects, and lighting.

Sketching has been a vital tool in expressing my thoughts and communicating with myself. It's not just a fun and enjoyable hobby; it has become a necessary part of all my interests and endeavors. Sketching is my go-to planning tool that helps me to think and plan my projects.

I vividly remember the moment when I first laid eyes on a cardboard cube and pyramid. From that moment on, I became inspired and completely obsessed with the idea of transforming my sketches into tangible, three-dimensional objects that could be touched and viewed from different angles. Thus, my journey into the 3D world began, where I began constructing an array of objects such as racing cars, houses, and robots, using colored cardboard, copper wire for spindles, and bottle caps for wheels.

As I delved deeper into this hobby, I was compelled to learn the basics of geometry in order to design and fabricate more intricate objects. Eventually, this passion led me to explore 3D design using computer programs like 3ds Max, Maya, and Blender.

From a young age, I've been intrigued by technology. Any mechanical or electronic device that came into my possession was quickly disassembled and reassembled in an effort to understand how it worked and how it was designed. I was always eager to repair or modify devices, but my ultimate goal was to own a computer.

In 2006, I finally acquired my first computer, which marked the beginning of my quest to learn everything I could about how it worked. I experimented with various programs and operating systems, constantly seeking to expand my knowledge and skills.

My daily access to the internet was a game-changer for me. I devoured technical and cultural articles, watched tutorial videos, and applied what I learned in real-time.

It wasn't until late 2009 that I was introduced to open-source software, particularly the Linux operating system. I was so intrigued that I ordered my first Ubuntu 9.10 CD from Canonical. After installing it on my computer, I continued to use it alongside Windows. In 2012, I took the plunge and switched entirely to Linux and open-source software for all of my computer-related activities. The switch was a game-changer for me, as I found the experience more comfortable and enjoyable, ultimately leading to improvements in my overall computing experience.

To me, cooking is like an art form, where we use our senses of smell and taste to create something beautiful and delicious. It's like painting, but with the added element of mixing colors, shapes, flavors, and ingredients to make something that pleases both the eyes and the stomach.

I started my culinary journey with baking cakes and decorating them with creams, then moved on to making pizza, fries, and other fast food dishes, like Karantika and Maakouda.

Eventually, I became interested in different types of dough and local Amazigh bread, which is famous in Algeria and North Africa, such as Matlouh el koucha, Matlouh tajine, Aghroum akouran, Baghrir, or Tighrifin. I also explored various traditional sweets like Makroudh, Tcharek, Ghribia, and main dishes that are typically served during Ramadan and other special occasions.

In 2017, I decided to completely change my eating habits and focus on healthy, natural ingredients. I eliminated sugars, hydrogenated oils, and processed foods from my diet, and began experimenting with nutritious ingredients like olive oil, date molasses, and whole wheat flour.

Now, I aspire to create commercial and awareness projects that promote healthy eating habits and offer alternatives to our traditional cuisine.

I started my journey in graphic design by drawing and image editing, I used several programs to edit raster images, the first of which was of course Paint, but the most important image editor I started with and plunged me into this field was GIMP, I also used Photoshop before I moved to Linux, where I used also Krita.

My experience with CorelDRAW and before it PowerPoint made me more inclined to vector design, and for that I used several vector editors: Xara, Illustrator, and the one that got my most interest is Inkscape, for its simplicity and lightness with its availability on Linux.

I relied on Illustration to design icons, logos, vector graphics and user interfaces, and made it a tool for planning, brainstorming, sketching and wireframing.

Accordingly, I participated in the design of several visual identities, by designing the brand logo, choosing colors, appropriate writing fonts, designing graphic elements and various internal or external supports, following the criteria that make the visual identity coherent, which would give better visibility and credibility to the brand.

Vector design helped me design SVG images that I used as graphic elements in videos and animations using ToonBoom, Animate (ex-Flash), Blender, and also for creating web pages.

I began my journey into programming in 2006 after reading a book on BASIC language. Since then, I've explored several programming languages, including Delphi, C#, Java, Python, PHP, JavaScript, Node.js, Go, and Dart.

In 2011, I began specialized training in databases and concurrently focused on acquiring skills in web technologies, while also exploring the development of desktop and mobile applications.

As a web developer, I followed the traditional learning path of using HTML/CSS and JS/jQuery on the front-end and PHP/MySQL on the back-end. I discovered my knack for CSS styling, thanks to my background in design, and supplemented this with knowledge of preprocessors such as Less and Sass, as well as frameworks like Bootstrap.

I also honed my skills in PHP using OOP and utilized it for various projects, including Joomla, Drupal, Moodle, WordPress, and Magento, among others.

To enhance my project management skills, I used tools like Git, Gulp, and Webpack for task management and version control.

Additionally, I adopted Agile methodologies, focusing on Scrum to monitor work progress and increase productivity. I also employed time management techniques such as Pomodoro and used apps like Notion to keep track of notes, tasks, and projects.

My interest in UI design started when I got my first computer. I was fascinated by the design of windows, menus, and buttons. I started by imitating UI designs in PowerPoint and later switched to using Inkscape instead of Photoshop because I found it easier and more accurate for UI design. Inkscape is also available on Linux.

I have taken courses in UX Design, which helped me develop my own design process. In 2018, I compared the most popular design tools and concluded that Figma is the best tool for me.

To bring my UI designs to life on the web browser, I have worked on developing my skills in writing clean and clear page code, making pages responsive on different screen sizes, and using frameworks such as Bootstrap. Pinegrow Web Editor has helped me be more productive.

My passion for UI design and coding has led me to love and excel at both. I now work at the intersection of design and coding, striving to create beautiful and functional user interfaces.

What's next?

Throughout my life, I've had a diverse range of interests and enjoy exploring and learning about new things. However, my main focus is on the areas where I excel the most, while keeping other activities as hobbies.

In recent years, I've been working as a freelance designer and web developer. Currently, I'm interested in entrepreneurship and plan to create projects that prioritize design and serve as a platform to showcase my passion.