The Arabic Designers Handbook by School of Art, George Mason University

The Arabic Designerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Handbook

Eva Al Radaideh

The Arabic Designerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Handbook Eva Al Radaideh

Copyright ÂŠ 2020 by Eva Al Radaideh All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

Dedicated to my Mama, Best friend (Jude), Phineas and Pepper Peetâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Coffee &, Forever

Contents History of the Arabic Writing System

Typography

Interviews

Layout Design

UX/UI

Conclusion

103

Sources

104

Having knowledge of the Arabic writing system and its history will allow you to gain a deeper understanding of the languageâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s visual characteristics.

The Arabic Designer’s Handbook

History of the Arabic Writing System Origins Arabic is the fifth most spoken language globally, with 25 countries claiming it as their official language, and over 310 million native speakers19. The Arabic script falls under the Semitic language family along with Hebrew and Persian and is written from right to left. While many scholars dispute the origins of its alphabet, evidence shows that Arabic descends from the Nabataean Aramaic script, and the Mesopotamian Syriac script26. The Ancient Nabataeans used Aramaic script to produce documents and engravings, however, they spoke a dialect of Arabic. Aramaic script is characterized by cursive letterforms and is written from right to left. Ancient artifacts and preserved documents show the similarities between the Arabic and Aramaic alphabets. Even after the destruction of Nabatea, their script survived in Northwestern Arabia—specifically in smaller tribes. This was followed by an evolution of the Aramaic script into letter shapes that are attributed to what is now known as Arabic30.

Aleph

Beth

Gamal

Daleth

Waw

Zain

Heth

Teth

Yodh

Kap

Lamadh

Mem

Nun

Semketh

‘E

Sadhe

Qop

Resh

Shin

Taw

Ancient Aramaic alphabet

History of the Arabic Writing System

Role of Quraan The Quraan was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) by the Angel Gabriel in the seventh century. At the time, literacy among Arabs was not widespread and preservation of the verses was done through memorization. Many of the Prophet’s companions recorded the verses on paper, bone fragments, palm leaves, and cloth21. In 633 C.E., Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) died and his ally Abu Bakr was elected as Caliph. Abu Bakr, and the three following caliphs known as al Khulafa’ al Rashidu, are credited with the expansion and conquest of outside territories to spread the word of Islam48. The expansion brought a large influx of newly converted Muslims who did not speak or read Arabic fluently—leading to a pattern of mispronunciation of the Quraan. The Holy Quraan was written using pre-diacritic scripture, meaning that many words looked very similar and were understood through intuition, context, or memory. In order to avoid distorting the holy messages of the book, grammarian Abu al-Aswad al-Du’ali was appointed to develop a diacritic system to better distinguish Arabic letters40.

i’jam I’jam

harakat Tashkil

Pre and post diacritics of Arabic

Abu al-Aswad al-Du’ali’s method of creating new diacritics was based on the movement of his mouth when reciting the Quraan. He proposed placing a dot either on top of, the side of or below the letter. Those dots represent the fatha, dummah, and kasra40. Al-Duali’s new process of writing Arabic established the way we read Arabic today.

History of the Arabic Writing System

Varieties of Arabic The Arabic language can be classified in two ways: Modern Standard Arabic and Colloquial Arabic. Modern Standard is what we see in Quranic verses, formal education, and is universally understood by all Arabs. Colloquial Arabic is the variety of dialects spoken in various Arabic speaking countries. It can be classified into many groups34.

The Arabic Designerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Handbook

Levantine Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Palestine

Egyptian Egypt

Tunisia Morocco

Jordan Lebanon

Khuzestani Iran

Syria Iraq

Palestine Algeria

Mesopotamian Iraq

Iran Kuwait

Libya

Egypt

Western Sahara

Saudi Arabia

Sudan

Eritrea

South Sudan

Maghreb Morocco, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Western Sahara and Mauritania

Sudanese Sudan, South Sudan, and Eritrea

UAE Oman

Yemen

Gulf Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, Oman Yemeni Yemen

History of the Arabic Writing System

The Arabic Designer’s Handbook

Colloquial Arabic is a result of influence by surrounding countries and multiculturalism. Levantine Arabic, for example, will often use French words (merci, pardon)52. Those learning Arabic as a new language will study Modern Standard Arabic, as it is the most widely understood version. It is common knowledge to consider the audience when designing any sort of project, and this also applies to Arabic design. Be sure to use the proper form of Arabic, whether that be Modern Standard Arabic or Colloquial. For a product that will be marketed to a variety of regions or to new Arabic speakers, it is best to utilize Modern Standard. However, when marketing a local restaurant event in Jordan, feel free to use Levantine Arabic. Colloquial Levantine

MSA

‫العامية المشرقية‬

‫فصحى‬

Difference between colloquial Levantine and MSA Arabic

Calligraphy Arabic calligraphy being used as a means of communication soon transformed into the basis of fine art in Islamic culture. Muslim scholars and calligraphers utilized this art form to decorate sacred Quranic text and hadith, this was to show not only the importance of the text itself but to also display detailed attention to the words of God32. Many Muslims in the seventh century had converted from worshipping idols or statues, which led to the prohibition of Muslims from drawing or painting any living creature. These rules were set in place to prevent a reversion into past habits and ultimately led to the transformation of calligraphy into an art form49. This method of fine art was also used to adorn architecture, jewelry, ceramic, carpets, and the holy book itself; the Quraan.

History of the Arabic Writing System

Styles of Kufic: Early Kufic

Eastern Kufic

Foliate Kufic

Square Kufic

The Arabic Designerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Handbook

One of the earliest calligraphy styles in Arabic history is Kufic, which originated in the Iraqi city of Kufa in the seventh century. It is described as an angular and geometric script that continued to evolve into numerous different styles that would help historians understand what country and time period Arabic artifacts might have originated from3.

Kufa

More advancements to Arabic came to light under the Abbasid Dynasty in 750 C.E., thanks to work from calligrapher Ibn Muqla, who codified the six Arabic calligraphy scripts to encourage a more unified foundation of the art29. Muqla is credited with establishing the principles of calligraphy. One of the main aspects of his guidelines to note is that the letter alif is the height of seven rhomboid dots. A rhomboid dot is the diamond shape formed when a reed pen or qalam is pressed against a surface in a downward motion1. The height of a letter provides the artist or writer with the diameter of the circle to be used as a guide for all other letters in the alphabet27.

Rhombic dot

Rhombic proportional system of the letter alif

History of the Arabic Writing System

Kufic Kufic is one of the oldest scripts in the Middle East. It originated in the city of Kufa, Iran in the seventh century and continued to develop into different variations over the next few centuries. It is characterized as a geometric script, with angular strokes and extended horizontal lines. Kuficâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s geometric form allowed it to be used to decorate Islamic architecture, ceramics, and more. It was also the primary script to document the Quran prior to the development of Naskh3.

Naskh Naskh is considered one of the most popular and widely used scripts in the Arab world. It is characterized as an elegant cursive style with curves and horizontal strokes. Naskh first appeared in the seventh century, but was further developed by Ibn Muqla and has solidified as the primary script used to write the Quran3.

The Arabic Designer’s Handbook

Thuluth Thuluth was developed in the tenth century during the Abbasid Dynasty. The name translates to one-third in English and is named such because the pen used is a third smaller than other calligraphy pens. Thuluth is characterized as an ornamental script with deep curves and vertical slants. Its fluid structure and thin strokes make it easy to read and understand, and it was regularly used to write ornamental headings, Quraanic inscriptions, and architectural inscriptions17.

Riq’a Riq’a was introduced in the ninth century and is derived from Naskh and thuluth. It is a simple style of calligraphy developed to write government documents quickly and efficiently. Riq’a is characterized as a simple script with a thick baseline, short strokes, and lack of ornamentation. Diacritic dots are connected to final and isolated letters in Riq’a calligraphy4.

History of the Arabic Writing System

Diwani Diwani was developed for the use of communication between Turkish Sultans and for official government documents in the fifteenth century. It is characterized as an ornate and detailed form of calligraphy with a slanted baseline of 60°. Diwani has long, curved strokes and requires wide space between lines47.

Muhaqqaq Muhaqqaq was invented in the eighth century and continued to develop until the fifteenth century. Muhaqqaq translates to “strongly expressed” and was used for architectural inscriptions in Egypt. Muhaqqaq’s distinctive features are its angular strokes, balanced ascenders, and compactness.

The Arabic Designer’s Handbook

Nastaliq Nastaliq was introduced in the fifteenth century in Iran, and is a combination of Naskh and Taliq scripts. It was originally designed to write Persian poetry and was further developed by Sultan alTabrizi. It is characterized by its fluidity, long horizontal stokes, and varying letter thickness.

Taliq Taliq was introduced in the eleventh century and translates to “hang” in English because it is distinguished by its hanging letters. Taliq was originally used to write formal letters, poetry, and books It is characterized as a script with round edges, horizontal strokes, thick strokes, and hanging letters.

History of the Arabic Writing System

The Arabic Designerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Handbook

Arabic calligraphy was and still is a crucial part of Middle Eastern and Islamic culture. Its influences and variations played a major role in the development of modern Arabic typography styles and rules. We can now look to find moderately complex Arabic typefaces that mimic the ornamental calligraphy strokes used in the past. While there is a clear distinction between typography and calligraphy, it is still important to understand the roots of each to better serve the design process23. The Printing Press The invention of the printing press has allowed for the modernization of economic, social, and civilizational factors worldwide. Printing has allowed the spread and democratization of information, allowing it to become accessible to more people over time. This sparked a significant increase in literacy rates over the years and aided in the revolution of technological progression35. Before the introduction of the mechanical moveable type by German goldsmith Johannes Gutenberg in 1439, printing relied on the long process of using engraved wooden blocks to transfer ink to paper38. The possession of books was exclusive to the elite upper class, and the turnover of information was limited. There were also no standards or regulations for grammar or formatting43. Moveable Type is the system of printing that uses individual characters made of tin, lead, and antimony. These characters were more durable than wooden blocks and could be reused to create new letter blocks38. As printing continued to spread throughout European countries, the Ottoman Empire remained obstinate in keeping Western inventions away from their culture. This was the result of the religious tension between the Ottomans and Europeans following the Crusades39. Despite refusing to adopt printing to their society, the Ottomans were experiencing a thriving political dynasty with flourishing military and artistic acquirements. They relied on scribes to write and spread documents using the Diwani style of calligraphy. There was also no demand or need for the duplication of any documents, thus reducing the necessity of printing39. The reluctance of transitioning to printing was also fueled by fear of distortion or misrepresentation of the sacred Quraan. In 1485, Sultan Bayezid II issued a creed banning the use of printing using Arabic metal type20. Evidence shows that printing other languages, like Hebrew, was considered permissible in the Ottoman Empire. The strict rules revolving around Arabic printing are likely to be due to Islamic conservatism, especially in regards to holy text38. Meanwhile, in Europe, printing expanded to Fano, Italy, where the first Arabic book, Kitab Salat alSawi 1537, was printed under the sponsorship of Pope Julius II3.

History of the Arabic Writing System

Alessandro Paganini saw a financial opportunity in 1537 with the Middle East having not yet accepted printmaking, and decided to print copies of the Quran to be exported. This business venture had failed as the printed Arabic type was not comparable to the beautiful calligraphic detail and adornment the Holy Quraan would normally display3. Despite the Middle East’s reluctance in welcoming the innovative printing press, Europe continued to develop various Arabic fonts that were used in the production of scientific or educational books. Robert Granjon was a notable French type designer that developed many Arabic typefaces, including the Arabic Grande (headline) and Arabica Piccolina (body) fonts, which were used to print 1,500 copies of the Bible in Arabic in the 1590s3.

Robert Granjon’s Arabica type from Trismegiste (1585)1

The primary reason Europeans printed Arabic books was for the language’s educational benefits, especially as it began to be taught in higher education in the Netherlands. Geometry, grammar, and contents of the Quraan were some of the many factors of interest that motivated the printmaking of more Arabic books3. In 1726, Ottoman dignitary Ibrahim Müteferrika drafted an essay arguing why the Sultan should allow the opening of an Arabic printing shop. Ibrahim explains that the benefits of permitting print would: •

Aid in the reproduction of educational texts.

•

Decrease book prices and encourage the opening of libraries.

•

Reduce ignorance through widespread information.

•

Expand the Ottoman market to Europe, where Arabic type is already available and poorly designed.

•

Match Ottoman technology with European technology39.

The Arabic Designer’s Handbook

In 1726, Sultan Ahmad III lifted the ban on the Arabic printing of secular text3, and Ibrahim Müteferrika proceeded to open the first Arabic printshop in the Ottoman Empire39. Ibrahim criticizes European Arab typefaces, as they were taken from old Maghribi styles prior to IbnMuqla’s set calligraphy rules. Ibrahim Müteferrika collaborated with Yonah ben Yaakov Ashkenazi to develop typefaces that resembled the Naskh style of calligraphy. Ibrahim and Yonah then published several books at the Müteferrika press, including dictionaries, geographic studies, historical documents, grammatical books, etc39. In 1853, Hanna Abu Saab introduced lithography to Lebanon, which marked the beginning of the country’s flourishing printing history. Lithography is the process of printing from metal or stone plates. It allowed for the preservation of the beautiful calligraphic details in Arabic script3.

Map of India by Katip Celebi, printed by Müteferrika press.

History of the Arabic Writing System

The Monotype keyboard for Arabic letters was introduced in 1938. It consisted of over two hundred letters with their different letterforms, ligatures, and diacritics. In 1976, the first laser typesetting machine, Monotype Lasercomp, was released. This new technology led to the digitization of existing Arabic fonts by type manufacturers, and the release of Arabic Letraset dry transfer sheets3. The first popular encoding system used was the American Standard Code for Information Exchange (ASCII), which was introduced in 196033. This system worked well for English as it allowed for 128 various character assignments but was restrictive for other languages that exceeded that character limit. Letters and characters are stored by numbers, and the limited characters allowed heightened the risk of data corruption when two characters were assigned to the same number53. This led to many parts of the world applying different encoding systems that created trouble and confusion when shared on different servers. The Unicode standard resolved this issue with its introduction in 1991, by providing a unique number for every single type of character in every language and unifying all coding schemes53. The Arabic Unicode chart is titled Arabic (0600â&#x20AC;&#x201C;06FF) and lists all possible characters, vowel marks, punctuation marks, archaic letters, and more50. Digital typography continues to evolve with the evolution of technology, bringing us to where we are with design today. As a result of the Ottoman Empireâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s opposition to printing in the 15th century, the Middle East is lagging behind Latin graphic design. Nevertheless, many Arabic designers have begun to take more initiative in the past decade to ensure that future generations of students will have new design principles and expressive typography to rely on3.

‫‪The Arabic Designer’s Handbook‬‬

‫‪29‬‬

‫‪06B‬‬

‫‪06A‬‬

‫‪069‬‬

‫‪068‬‬

‫‪06F‬‬

‫‪06E‬‬

‫‪06C 06D‬‬

‫‪۰‬‬

‫ې‬

‫ۀ‬

‫ڰ‬

‫ڠ‬

‫ڐ‬

‫ڀ‬

‫‪067‬‬

‫‪066‬‬

‫‪065‬‬

‫‪064‬‬

‫‪063‬‬

‫‪062‬‬

‫‪061‬‬

‫‪060‬‬

‫‪٠‬‬

‫ـ‬

‫ذ‬

‫ؠ‬

‫؀‬

‫‪0‬‬

‫‪۱‬‬

‫ۑ‬

‫ہ‬

‫ڱ ڡ‬

‫ڑ‬

‫ځ‬

‫ٱ‬

‫‪١‬‬

‫ف‬

‫ر‬

‫ء‬

‫؁‬

‫‪1‬‬

‫‪۲‬‬

‫ے‬

‫ۂ‬

‫ڲ ڢ‬

‫ڒ‬

‫ڂ‬

‫ٲ‬

‫‪٢‬‬

‫ق‬

‫ز‬

‫آ‬

‫؂‬

‫‪2‬‬

‫‪۳‬‬

‫ۓ‬

‫ۃ‬

‫ڳ ڣ‬

‫ړ‬

‫ڃ‬

‫ٳ‬

‫‪٣‬‬

‫ك س‬

‫أ‬

‫؃‬

‫‪3‬‬

‫‪٤‬‬

‫۔‬

‫ۄ‬

‫ڴ ڤ‬

‫ڔ‬

‫ڄ‬

‫‪٤‬‬

‫ل ش‬

‫ؤ‬

‫‪؄‬‬

‫‪4‬‬

‫‪٥‬‬

‫ە‬

‫ۅ‬

‫ڵ ڥ‬

‫ڕ‬

‫څ‬

‫ٵ‬

‫‪٥‬‬

‫م‬

‫ص‬

‫إ‬

‫‪؅‬‬

‫‪5‬‬

‫ۆ‬

‫ڶ ڦ‬

‫ږ‬

‫چ‬

‫ٶ‬

‫‪٦‬‬

‫ن ض ئ‬

‫‪؆‬‬

‫‪6‬‬

‫ا‬

‫‪؇‬‬

‫‪7‬‬

‫‪؈‬‬

‫‪8‬‬

‫‪؉‬‬

‫‪9‬‬

‫‪؊‬‬

‫‪A‬‬

‫؛‬

‫‪؋‬‬

‫‪B‬‬

‫‪ALM‬‬

‫‪،‬‬

‫‪C‬‬

‫؍‬

‫‪D‬‬

‫؎‬

‫‪E‬‬

‫؏‬

‫‪F‬‬

‫‪٦‬‬

‫ۦ‬

‫‪٧‬‬

‫ۇ‬

‫ڷ‬

‫ڧ‬

‫ڗ‬

‫ڇ‬

‫ٷ‬

‫‪٧‬‬

‫ه‬

‫ط‬

‫‪٨‬‬

‫ۈ‬

‫ڸ‬

‫ڨ‬

‫ژ‬

‫ڈ‬

‫ٸ‬

‫‪٨‬‬

‫و‬

‫ظ ب‬

‫ۉ‬

‫ڹ‬

‫ک‬

‫ڙ‬

‫ډ ٹ ‪٩‬‬

‫ى‬

‫ع‬

‫ۺ‬

‫ۊ‬

‫ں ڪ ښ‬

‫ڊ ٺ ‪٪‬‬

‫ي‬

‫غ ت‬

‫ۻ‬

‫ۋ‬

‫ڻ‬

‫ګ ڛ‬

‫ڋ ٻ‬

‫‪٫‬‬

‫ػ ث‬

‫ۼ‬

‫ی‬

‫ڼ‬

‫ڬ ڜ‬

‫ڌ ټ‬

‫‪٬‬‬

‫ؼ‬

‫ج‬

‫۽‬

‫ۍ‬

‫ڽ‬

‫ڭ ڝ‬

‫ڍ ٽ ٭‬

‫ؽ‬

‫ح‬

‫ێ‬

‫ھ‬

‫ڮ ڞ‬

‫ڎ پ ٮ‬

‫ؾ‬

‫خ‬

‫؞‬

‫ۏ‬

‫ڿ‬

‫ڟ‬

‫ڏ ٿ ٯ‬

‫ؿ‬

‫د‬

‫؟‬

‫‪٩‬‬

‫۩‬

‫۾‬

‫ۮ‬

‫ۿ‬

‫ۯ‬

‫۞‬

‫گ‬

‫ة‬

Calligraphy has heavily influenced the development of Arabic typography and is considered an integral part of Arab identity. Understanding Arabicâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s various typographical terms and systems will help you successfully utilize this art of communication.

The Arabic Designer’s Handbook

Typography Arabic Alphabet The Arabic alphabet is made up of consonants, with 28 letterforms that can be arranged into four stages: final, medial, initial, and isolated. These stages determine the shape of the letter and are based on their position in any given word7. Isolated

Final

Medial

Initial

Connectors

The letter-stages of the alphabet.

Arabic is bidirectional, meaning that its numbers are written from left to right, and text is written from right to left. While this may seem confusing, it does not have any impact on the speed of comprehension in Arabic speakers.

1971 ‫ولدت عام‬ Left to right

Right to left

Bidirectionality of Arabic

It is composed of three alphabetic systems: letterform, i’jam, and tashkil. Letterforms and i’jam are essential to the comprehension and understanding of the language, whereas tashkil is only applicable in cases wherein a proper vocalization is necessary (e.g. religious text, educational content, etc)3.

Typography

Diacritics Arabic diacritics were introduced by Abu al-Aswad al-Du’ali to improve the phonetics of the language in the seventh century. The two primary types of diacritics are i’jam and tashkil. I’jam is the method of dotting to distinguish similar letters from one another. More specifically: ‫ب‬, ‫ث‬, ‫ت‬, ‫ن‬, ‫ج‬, ‫ح‬, ‫خ‬.. Without the dots, many of these letters would look too similar and be difficult to read. Tashkil is the use of harakat to better guide the reader on the correct pronunciation of the word. Harakat is typically used when proper pronunciation is important; like in the Quraan or for formal education. The inclusion of harakat depends on the audience. I’jam

I found Ajidu

Someone Ahada

He took Akhatha

Got accepted Kubela

Before Kabl

Tashkil

He accepted Kabela How i’jam and tashkil can change the meaning of a word

While it is not necessary to use harakat all the time, it is recommended that you utilize the shaddah and tanwin vowel marks as they can impact the ambiguity of a word9.

Dagger alif

Kasra Tanwin Dammah

‫ألف خنجرية‬

Shaddah

‫شدة‬‎

‫كسرة‬

‫تنوين‬ ‫الضمة‬ Sukon

Fatha

‫سكون‬

Alif Waslah

‫و َْصلَة‬ Alif Maddah

Types of harakat

‫َم َّدة‬

‫فتحة‬

Typography

Type Anatomy Understanding the foundations of Arabic type anatomy is important when making design choices or when crafting a new typeface. The Arabic language does not have a system of fixed lines, contrary to the Latin alphabet (cap-height, x-height, ascender, descender, baseline). These lines vary based on the calligraphic style the designer decides to use54.

Ligature

‫تعليق‬

I’jam

‫نقطة‬

Fatha

‫فتحة‬

Ascender (sky)

Sky 2

Loop/tooth

Base Earth 1 Earth 2 Earth 3

Flat tail

‫ذيل‬

Shoulder

‫كتف‬

The Arabic Designer’s Handbook

I’jam

‫نقطة‬

Tooth

‫سن‬

Head

‫رأس‬

Hamza

‫حمزة‬ 1 ‫سماء‬

2 ‫سماء‬ ‫سن‬/‫حلقة‬

‫القاعدة‬ 1 ‫أرض‬ 2 ‫أرض‬ 3 ‫أرض‬ Period

‫النقطة‬

Tail

‫ذيل‬

Stem

‫إيقاف‬

Since Arabic type design is still in its infancy, there are few resources explaining how to set a typographic grid. Designer Pascal Zoghbi developed a system of grids that can be applied to a typeface based on the ascender, descender, teeth, diacritics, and bowls54.

Shoulder

Eye

Slack tail

‫ذيل‬

Letter anatomy

‫عين‬

Bowl

‫كتف‬

Bowl

‫زبدية‬

Eye

‫زبدية‬

Hamza

‫عين‬

‫حمزة‬

Head

Bowl

‫رأس‬

‫زبدية‬

Neck

‫رقبه‬

Tooth

Dot

‫سن‬

‫نقطة‬

Tooth

‫سن‬

Stiff tail

Chin

‫ذقن‬

Arm

Eye

‫عين‬

‫ذيل‬

‫رأس‬

Bowl

‫زبدية‬

Flat tail

Tooth

Head

Stem

‫ذيل‬

‫رأس‬

‫إيقاف‬

‫سن‬

Stem

‫إيقاف‬

Typography

The transition from calligraphy to printing led to some issues in the production of digital Arabic typography. Important details such as ornaments and ligatures were sacrificed for the sake of functionality in the printing press. Calligraphy follows a rhombic system based on the letter alif, since this system could not easily be followed by designers digitally, a lack of set grids exists. This limitation might be one of the reasons for the lack of research and innovation in the Arabic typography world6.

Rhombic proportional system of the letter alif

The Arabic Designerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Handbook

Type Design Issues Despite being the fifth most spoken language in the world, there is a major shortage of usable Arabic type. Comparatively, Latin type has tens of thousands of type varieties that have been designed for all sorts of situations, such as use with mobile design, print design, decoratively, etc. This correlates strongly with the high number of research studies conducted to understand how a Western user digests information based on typography and layout. More research like this is necessary to understand the comprehensive needs of the Middle East. A majority of the few Arabic fonts currently available were designed by Westerners during the beginnings of the printing era with the goal of converting the Ottomans to Christianity during the Crusades. Even modern-day typefaces sold by Western companies have been traced and lacked consultation from an Arabic speaker or designer3. Lara Captan, a type designer from Lebanon, titles this as the westernization of Arabic typography. She notes that Western Arabic fonts fail to show any cultural significance or heritage, which is unfortunate becase the Middle East is culturally rich44. The industry is now seeing change as young Arabic designers are becoming more proactive about the importance of unity and cultural integrity through their typography. The American Institute of Graphic Arts highlighted the success of various Arabic type foundries being opened up in the Middle East. Kristyan Sarkis, a co-founder of TPTQ Arabic, specializes in recruiting Middle Eastern designers to create new and unique Arabic typefaces44. The need for more Arabic type designers is still at largeâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;especially with the spread of globalization and bilingual design. It is important to develop typefaces that align with Arab values and express their cultural identities. The best way to accomplish this is by encouraging Arabs to take initiative and work together to solve this problem.

Typography

Kerning Kerning is defined as the space between characters in a word. Since Arabic is a cursive script, kerning likely won’t always need adjustments during typesetting. However, special attention should be paid to isolated letters. Isolated letters should be within a certain distance from any connected glyphs to avoid confusing the reader. Some words, like ‫و‬, are composed of a single isolated letter which increases the importance of good kerning11.

Too tight

The Arabic Designerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Handbook

Good kerning

Impact of kerning on readability

Typography

Kashida Kashida, or Tatweel, is the art of line justification of Arabic script. Rather than increasing the space between words, kashida allows for the elongation of the lines between letters37. It can be used for emphasis, legibility, aesthetics, or justification55. Kashida makes Arabic script more flexible than that of Latinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s as it allows for even left and right alignment. The issue with the justification of Latin text is that it disrupts and dismantles line spacing, making it difficult to read without distraction (especially for readers with dyslexia, thus reducing accessibility). Arabic, on the other hand, allows for the extension of certain letters to create a more harmonious approach to justification without breaking the text itself. Standard format

Kashidas

Text in standard format and with kashidas

This technique can be utilized in bilingual design to balance the interactions between Arabic and Latin. It equalizes line and paragraph length to prevent awkward or unwanted space. Context and audience are critical when it comes to applying kashida to your design work as it has historically been utilized for different reasons. One of the most notable is its role in the Tajweed of the Quraan. Tajweed is the act of proper and orderly recitation of the Quraan. Diacritics and Kashida are used to aid in precise pronunciation of the verses. The letter (y), for example can be extended to show that the reader must hold that note for a longer period of time when reciting. Kashida has also been used to mark the beginning or end of a pargraph in writing. Calligraphers of the Quraan used to use Kashida to mark the beginning or end of a Surat, or chapter37. There are many limitations on Kashida when typesetting, these limitations vary between font choice, word processor, and calligraphic style. It is important to be cautious when using Kashidas as some programs will insert a hyphen to elongate text and will cause the text to look imbalanced.

The Arabic Designerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Handbook

Without kashida

With kashida

How kashida can improve bilingual text

Typography

Justified paragraph without kashida

The Arabic Designerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Handbook

Justified paragraph with kashida

Typography

Kashida rules While typesetting with kashidas is not currently favorable using Adobe programs, you may still find yourself in a situation where you will need to manually apply kashidas. There are some rules55 to consider when typesetting using kashidas and they can be found below:

Never elongate more than one letter.

Do not stretch the following letters.

Do not elongate too many letters in one line.

The Arabic Designerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Handbook

Ligatures Ligatures are the combination of two letters, or ligatives, to form a single glyph in typography. A ligative is a set of characters that can be combined with ligatures5. This form of orthography can be used aesthetically for most letters, but is required for use with the lam-alif ligature. Like kashidas, ligatures can be utilized for improving line justification by shortening the length of a word to make them more compact22.

Required lam-alif ligature

Different stages of Arabic ligatures

Designer Interviews

What better way to understand the logistics of Arabic design than to speak to professional Arabic designers based in the Middle East?

Interviews with Ibrahim and Ramez.

The Arabic Designer’s Handbook

Designer Interviews

Ibrahim Hamdi

Interviews with Ibrahim Hamdi and Ramez Ragab. Interviews were conducted via Zoom and translated from Arabic.

When did you start graphic design? I started about ten years ago, 2010. What made you want to become a graphic designer? It started out as a hobby, but then turned into a full time job. I then got into freelancing for about five years. Your online portfolio on Instagram is very impressive! Thank you. Are they typefaces or hand lettered? They’re hand lettered using Sketch. In Latin design, we have a term known as “type anatomy”, which include ascenders, descenders, etc. Hang on — let me share my screen with you. I’m trying to get a better understanding of (type anatomy) in Arabic. There are very little resources on the internet about this. As you can see, the baseline is here, ascender, sky, and earth are here… Do you use grids like this when working with type or hand lettering? Not always. It depends on the type of lettering and style. We would use these grids when using fonts, it’s necessary with fonts — not so much with typography (hand lettering), so not with a single word or sentence. This would be used with a font or typeface, like OTFs or TTFs. That’s when we would start to use those terms.

Great! Thank you for clarifying. What designers influence or inspire you the most? Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m inspired by many designers in the field, I mean from even before I entered the field. There are many designers that design Arabic hand lettering and type. Pascal Zoghbi, Kristyan Sarkis, and Nadine Chahine. These designers inspired me to start learning how to hand letter and design in Arabic. I did not study Arabic typography. I am currently trying to gather inspiration from modern fonts and typography in Latin to make a mix between Arabic and Latin typography, I think that this approach would help modernize Arabic type. I try to pay attention to current events and (design) progress so that (designers) are able to further and improve our branding/brand identity design skills with feelings of modernity as opposed to classicality. What are your thoughts on the current graphic design situation in the Middle East? The situation in the Middle East is due to the slow introduction of technology, as well as the current living and life conditions. Basically, our design situation is the opposite of that of the United States, as their design situation is more stable than ours. Yes, I agree! I watched Lara Captanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s video on the ongoing design problem the Middle East is currently facing. There are no typographic principles in Arabic as there are in English. The root of this issue is that most Arabic designers do not communicate with one another, and this affects the development of consistent design principles, especially for students who are currently studying or want to study design. During my studies of Latin graphic design, I have learned to dissect each letter in the alphabet. I also learned about typeface classifications and important typesetting skills (kerning, tracking, leading). These types of resources are scarce in the Arabic design community. In order to combat this, Middle Eastern designers must begin to communicate with one another to develop a more consistent set of design principles. The situation of graphic design is much better than it was, I think, ten years ago. When I first started, there was no way to draw inspiration, the subject was limited

to a single artist, and an artist of one nationality. Lebanese. I mean, there are none (sources of inspiration) in Egypt and Kuwait. There were little sources of inspiration, and it was hard to keep up with the times. I mean, we have a big problem in Arabic calligraphy. It is only good to a certain extent, the use of a pen and its movement allows it to be excellent. However, there has not been one person that was able to take the rules of penmanship and calligraphy and successfully computerize and further develop it. During the last ten years, of course the situation was much worse than now, but it is now much better than when I first entered the field. From the time I started any source of inspiration was limited to the artists that I spoke of earlier. Most of which, I eagerly followed their work. Pascal Zogby is a very inspiring one, and I always followed his work. What advice can you give designers looking to learn Arabic graphic design? It is best to start by learning Arabic calligraphy. By this, I mean before being able to break the rules of calligraphy, we must have a full understanding of its informational baseline in order to extract the variety of styles from it. We should study and understand the different classes of calligraphy: Kufi, Naskh, Thuluth, Maghrebi, Nastaliq, and many others. Typography breaks the rules of calligraphy, and we should use calligraphy and extract new styles from it. You must start by understanding the root of typography, calligraphy, first so you can then develop and improve it. Great, thank you so much for your time today Ibrahim! This information is very valuable. Thank you, thank you!

Ramez Ragab

When did you start graphic design? Look, the subject is affected by many things. In the beginning, or what is called in Egypt: al-Sarsajiyat (political activities). The period of Sarsajiyat began about seven years ago, and it was the period in which I became interested in becoming a professional graphic designer. I began to turn it into a career about three years ago. What is your design specialty? All things typography and lettering. Are you currently working as a designer? Right now, I work as a graphic designer, however, they also have me complete a lot of side projects like storyboards and character design. This company really takes a person and forces them to discover new skills. Can you talk a little more about your role in typography at your current job? I basically design taglines and typography for a brand’s social media. For example, with branding, I work with my team to design logotypes (either hand lettered or a font) in English or Arabic. I also sometimes design a full brand identity for a company. Outside of my current company, I design music covers for local musicians. Who is (are) the designer(s) that inspire you most? One who inspires me very very much is Ehab Elhamzawy, an artist and graphic designer. He is a kind, humble person in the most unexpected ways. He’s very passionate about what he loves (design) and always tries to help others improve their designs and lettering. The second designer is named Najeeb. He’s a hand-letterer, and one of the first letterers I knew of in Egypt that letters in English. He is another person who’s helped me and affected me greatly with my hand lettering and typography. He helped me with my alphabets (design) and encouraged me to start lettering in English. I actually started lettering in English, not Arabic, but was forced to switch to

Arabic because of its high demand in Egyptian markets. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m trying to find more work for lettering in English. The third designer that inspires me is Mohammad al-Mahdy. Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a great designer that has a very unique typographic style that he always sticks to. I am currently trying to get a better understanding of Arabic grids, as there are specific grid styles used in Latin typography. Do you mind taking a look at these grids I developed based on my research? This subject is closely tied to Arabic calligraphy, why? Each style of calligraphy has its own type of grid. For example, Ruqâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;a has a different grid than Thuluth does. The idea of making one single grid to encapsulate all the styles of calligraphy is very difficult. Designers are still trying, to this day, to create a unified and consistent typographic grid system. There are few people that have been successful, like Pascal Zoghbi and Ahmad Jaber. These people have been able to transform this concept into something beautiful yet simple. Arabic is surely more difficult than English, as Arabic has more varieties of type. The topic is still wide open. How did you start learning about hand lettering? It was during a period of depression and difficult times. I found that the best way for me to run away from my problems was by learning new things. I first began with beatboxing, then dancing, and then rap. I wanted to design a poster for myself (for marketing), so I began to research how to get started and discovered graphic design. I then decided to try and design a logo and learned more about typography. Once I read more into it, I realized I must first learn about Arabic calligraphy - so I started learning how to hand-letter. Before discovering all the artists that inspired me to be where I am today, I was alone. There was nobody to teach or show me how to do anything. So, one by one, day by day, I began to teach myself. The main goal in my life to always learn. So I can keep working and keep doing what I love.

What are your thoughts on the current design situation in the Middle East? Wallahi, shit. I currently work for an Egyptian company. Lebanon is great with certain aspects of design, Jordan is great with others. Unfortunately, Egypt is late in the design industry and is not at all good at employing us. A designer is literally responsible for everything: copywriting, art direction, and account managing. Even higher-level companies are still not ideal. Clients aren’t the greatest and the designer has no real benefit from that experience. International companies have better clients, however, they’re not what they seem to be. To an outsider, they have great employees, a great office, great workplace environment, but in reality—many problems actually exist. These types of companies take advantage of their employees, especially those new in the field. They take their money by giving them small paychecks or paying them very late. Their justification for this is that they gave them a great portfolio piece or exposure. The really great companies with good pay and good clients rarely hire anybody, and they also normally hire outsiders from other countries. Another issue is that they really only hire every five years or so. Right now, graphic design is not the best in Egypt, and there isn’t much effort being put into improving the industry in the Middle East. Would you say Egyptians don’t value design? Exactly. There has been great improvement in some aspects; like branding. But it still isn’t enough, and improvement is moving slow. That’s likely because printing entered the Ottoman Empire so late, which led to our design history beginning in Europe by people without much experience in our language. What advice can you give designers looking to learn Arabic graphic design? Play, but with organization. Explore outside yourself. Great! Thank you so much for your time today. Of course, thank you!

Work by Ramez Ragab

Layout Design

Beautiful typography combined with strong composition will effectively transform your design. A good grid system and structure will take your project to the next level.

The Arabic Designerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Handbook

Layout Design Layout Grids are necessary tools that graphic designers utilize when solving visual and organizational problems. Not only do they help the audience predict where information will be present on a page, but they also provide clarity, streamline navigation, allow designers to collaborate more effectively, and ensure consistency and harmony14. Both Latin and Semitic languages should use a grid and layout system when it comes to their designs. The primary difference, however, is that Semitic languages read from right to left, whereas Latin languages read in the opposite direction. This alone heavily impacts the way a designer might approach a task, especially when working on a bilingual design piece.

Layout Design

Layout Psychology There are few research studies regarding how Arabic text layout impacts perception, performance, and interest. The English language, however, has had numerous studies that indicate how margins, spacing, and overall layout make a significant impact on comprehension. Studies like this are crucial as they help designers make decisions based on their audienceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s demographics, and more specifically, age groups. They are also crucial in helping influence web design-based decisions and can produce higher conversion rates when done correctly. Design and educational guidelines are heavily influenced by research like this as we might see in double-spaced essay requirements or leading type basics56. Researchers Ganayem and Ibrahim wanted to gain a better perspective on how alignment and layout might impact reading comprehension and performance in Arabic. They found that the use of multiple columns in Arabic text arrangement can negatively impact comprehension; however, it has no impact on reading time. They also recommend the use of a single column layout with a longer line length. Leading has not proven to show any significant impact on reading or comprehension time56.

Ideal Arabic column design for typesetting

These findings show how outdated many Arabic educational books might be and the detrimental impact that would have on students learning Arabic-based subjects, or new Arabic speakers. There is still a demand for more research on how Arabic typography impacts understanding. Hopefully, more studies will come to light in the future as the design industry grows in the Middle East and North Africa.

The Arabic Designerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Handbook

Globalization Globalization is the integration of goods, culture, and people across the world, and no country is immune to its effects36. As we continue to evolve technologically, we can see the impacts of social media, information technology, and mass communication on multiculturalismâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;especially in graphic design. The Middle East largely opposes globalization in an effort to preserve religious and cultural values. Despite that, they are still seeing the spread of restaurants, entertainment, fashion brands, and social media in their countries. These not only contribute to their economy, but also to their perception of brands and standards of graphic design. Western corporations must be culturally-versed when entering the realm of cross-cultural design. This is important as it helps prevent embarrassing and expensive mistakes when extending products or services abroad. Major companies like Nike and Dior have gotten into major trouble when they attempted to incorporate Arabic script in their products. Dior embroidered religious Quraanic verses on a dress with no regard for whom it might offend. Nike was accused of using the word: Allah in their sports shoe design13. Mistakes like that can be avoided by diversifying the American workforce and by seeking advice from designers or citizens of the countries being advertised to. Arabic speakers should be consulted when translating or setting Arabic type, online translators are oftentimes not reliable and the true meaning of a word or sentence can be lost or misunderstood. Some companies have mistakenly printed Arabic script in reverse, rendering it impossible to understand. Errors are inevitable but they are also expensive and put companies at risk of embarrassment, loss of credibility, and financial failure. It is essential for businesses to invest in liability protection for their assets and there should be equal investment efforts focused on the cultural integrity and sensitivity of multicultural design. Globalization also contributes to the easy export and consumption of entertainment. More specifically, it contributes to film and music. Hollywood studios are seeing a higher rate of revenue growth in international markets compared to the domestic market. This can be attributed to considerations made during production to appeal to larger audiences worldwide, global exportations and promotions, and the development of movie theaters in other countries25. It is important to note that factors like genre and politics can impact the success of any film in a given country, which is why comedy tends to under-perform in global box office revenue. Streaming services like Netflix and Spotify have provided the opportunity for the integration of crosscultural experiences through the addition of foreign films and ethnic music. So where does graphic design come into play? As these streaming services continue to add titles to their platforms for the world to enjoy, various design considerations need to be made to ensure their success.

Layout Design

Album and movie covers, promotional material, and other products need to be designed specifically for their intended audiences. This is especially important when trying to appeal to audiences in conservative nations. An example for this distinction comes from Harley Quinnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s character from the 2016 movie Suicide Squad. Warner Bros Studios advertise the movie with Harley Quinn wearing her iconic outfit: a cropped shirt with shorts. However, the production company kept the conservative audience in mind for the international trailers which resulted in a digital alteration of Quinnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s shorts to appear longer28. Entertainment modifications donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t need to be as extreme as the Warner Bros example, however, this concept should still apply to all international and cross-cultural design work.

Imagery

Color choice

The Arabic Designerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Handbook

Language

Icons

Design considerations that can convey different meanins in different cultures

Layout Design

Hofstede Insights’ Country Comparison Tool An excellent tool to utilize when designing multiculturally is Hofstede Insights’ Country Comparison Tool. It models the values of 6 different dimensions (power distance, individualism, masculinity, uncertainty avoidance, long term orientation, and indulgence) of any given country, and allows the user to make comparisons and draw conclusions. It is recommended to utilize this tool when creating a design for a different country as these factors heavily influence the way a user might perceive your work18.

Hofstede’s Comparison Tool link

Jordan

Lebanon

Comparison between Jordan and Lebanon

The bar chart above shows the Hofstede Comparison between Jordan and Lebanon. It gives values for each of the six dimensions for each country provided. You can use this tool to see the major differences between any country to best manage this information within your project.

The Arabic Designer’s Handbook

Power distance “the extent to which the less powerful members of institutions and organisations within a country expect and accept that power is distributed unequally”18.

Individualism “the degree of interdependence a society maintains among its members”18.

Masculinity “the fundamental issue here is what motivates people, wanting to be the best (masculine) or liking what you do (feminine)” 18. Uncertainty avoidance “the extent to which the members of a culture feel threatened by ambiguous or unknown situations and have created beliefs and institutions that try to avoid these.” 18. Long term orientation “describes how every society has to maintain some links with its own past while dealing with the challenges of the present and future”18.

Indulgence “the extent to which people try to control their desires and impulses”18.

Layout Design

Bilingual Design Middle Eastern designers are currently facing the challenge of incorporating both Latin and Arabic typography in their projects. Bilingual design is a growing necessity, especially with the large numbers of Western tourists and English speakers in the Middle East and North Africa. Some of the many existing services or locations in the MENA region will typically require both Arabic and English text to maintain accessibility: • • • •

Road signs Grocery stores E-Commerce Signage

• • • •

Public transportation Tourism hotspots Packaging Branding

Bilingual directional street sign in Jodan

Bilingual no smoking airport sign

The Arabic Designerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Handbook

When experimenting with bilingual design layouts, be sure not to compromise the basic graphic design principles we know and love. Graphic designer, Randa Abdel Baki, proposed various types of bilingual design layouts that can be used to increase efficiency in comprehension, and maintain harmony between the languages12. Types of layouts, as defined by Randa Abdel Baki

Axial System

Mirroring System

Interlacing System

Complementary System

Bilateral System

Layout Design

Axial System

The bilingual axial system is when Arabic and English scripts are laid out on either side of a vertical axis. It is preferable to align Arabic to the left and Latin to the right.

The Arabic Designerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Handbook

This method of alignment allows for a harmonious layout. Aligning Arabic and Latin copy in opposite directions creates a straight divider with the negative space12. The example shown is of a magazine spreadâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s grid and final product.

Magazine spread axial example

Mirroring System

The bilingual mirroring system is most commonly used in packaging, stationery, and with scripts of considerable length. It separates the script on either side of the product with each side displaying only one language. Visual density and design should be mirrored on both sides12.

The example provided is of a mock tech screen cleaning brand named Seen. The name of the brand is a pun, based on the Arabic letter Siin. This company sells internationally, and finds it necessary to include bilingual design to appeal to a larger audience. You can find Arabic on one side, and English on the other.

Arabic bilingual system layout example.

English bilingual system layout example.

Bilateral System

The bilateral system is when Arabic and Latin script are centered on the same axis. This layout system is frequently used on road signs, billboards, and flyers12.

The example provided is a billboard for a fictional coffee company in the Middle East. Bilingual billboards are regularly seen in the Middle East to appeal to both locals and tourists alike.

Arabic bilateral system billboard example

Interlacing System

The interlacing system is where both Arabic and Latin are intertwined in one unified form. The advantage of this system is that it allows the designer to blend both languages perfectly. This system should only be used for short copy because it does not work well with long copy12.

The example provided is of two poster designs advertising a college campus welcome ceremony. The interlacing system is used to show the date and time of the event without compromising the integrity and simplicity of the design.

Post design showing interlacing system

Complementary System

The complementary system is where one script complements the other. The primary language displayed should cater to the main audience. In this system, the balance of each text should not be equal. The second languageâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s information should only be used as reference or guidance12.

The example provided is a homepage of a fictional restaurant called Delight. Delight is an American restaurant that has a large Arabic-speaking customer base. Because of this, their website has additional information in Arabic regarding dietary restrictions, seating requirements, and any updates.

Complementary system example

Layout Design

As the world grows more reliant on technology, the need for suitable design grows higher in third world countries. Having a good foundation of the user experience needs of an Arab user will help improve Middle Eastern design problems.

The Arabic Designer’s Handbook

UX/UI Design Globalization and Technological Modernization As the world continues to adapt to the effects of globalization, many Western businesses have begun to search for entry strategies into the Middle Eastern markets. This, coupled with the growing reliance on technology, will result in a high demand in positive user experience—especially in Arabic. A successful example of marketing and business strategies in the Middle East can be observed through the restaurant industry. McDonald’s, Burger King, Starbucks, and P.F Chang’s are viewed as luxury dining options in that region, whereas here in the United States, they are actually considered fast food or casual dining. This is a result of exceptional marketing and adaptation to Arabic culture and political dynamics. The Middle Eastern economy is one of the fastest growing in the world due to the majority of the population being under the age of 2541, and a rapid increase of women in the workforce (Rogmans). Therefore, companies need to focus on the importance of IT modernization and improved UI/UIX, especially for the Arabic user. The expansion of ridesharing in the Middle East gives introduction to the importance of designing for the Arab user. Uber recently purchased Careem, a major ridesharing service in the Middle East, for 3.2 billion dollars. Careem will continue to operate with its own branding, however, and will also likely integrate features Uber has and vice versa42.

Various flags from around the world

UX/UI Design

Language considerations Language choice goes beyond simple translation. In fact, it is best to avoid translation software in any foreign design project. Arabic text that is directly translated will likely be a sentence or two longer, which can hinder the usability and visual design experience of the targeted audience. Language must be short and concise for the sake of streamlining convenience and communication. This demonstrates the importance of hiring Arabic speakers or translators to write copy24. Understanding local culture while conducting user studies in the MENA region is vital in preventing offensive, uninteresting, or misunderstood copy. Arab cultures tend to be more conservative as their economy and politics are based on Islamic beliefs. As a designer, you should have a full understanding of the behavior of any chosen country. By developing a target audience, conducting persona analyses, and sending out user studies, you are more likely to develop a positive user experience24.

Target audience

Persona analysis

User studies

Positive UX

Formula for positive user experience design

The Arabic Designerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Handbook

Inter-travel in MENA is common, especially with the Islamic pilgrimage and large tourism industry. This shows that using Modern Standard Arabic is preferred over Colloquial Arabic to ensure that all Arabic speakers will understand. When designing an application or website with a search option, it is best practice to utilize a multilanguage format. Arabic speakers are very familiar with the English language, and more often than not, will need to search for English named brands. Consistency and familiarity are an important aspect of UX design24. Popular products, like the iPhone, will likely be searched for in English and not Arabic.

Example of multilanguage search format

Visual design Since Arabic speakers read from right to left, it is important to take the placement of buttons, menu bars, icons, etc., into consideration. Mirroring is the best method of ensuring good user experience for an Arabic user.

UX/UI Design

Desktop mirroring

English desktop

Text is left aligned

Post icon points to the right

The Arabic Designerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Handbook

Search icon should not be mirrored

Arabic desktop

Post icon indicates direction and should be mirrored

Text is right aligned

UX/UI Design

Mobile mirroring

LINE Welcome! Name Icons placed on left side

Phone Number

Password

Create Account

English login for Line

English text

‫‪95‬‬

‫‪LINE‬‬ ‫أهالبك‬ ‫أهلا‬ ‫بك !!‬

‫‪Text translated‬‬ ‫‪to Arabic‬‬

‫إسمكك‬ ‫اسم‬ ‫‪Icons placed on‬‬ ‫‪right side‬‬

‫بريدكلكتروني‬ ‫بريدك الا‬ ‫االلكتروين‬

‫تليفونك‬ ‫رقمفك‬ ‫هات‬

‫السرية‬ ‫كلمتكلمرور‬ ‫كلمة ا‬

‫حسابك‬ ‫ب‬ ‫إصنعع حسا‬ ‫إصن‬

‫‪Arabic login for Line‬‬

UX/UI Design

Icon mirroring

Do mirror forward and back arrows

LTR forward

RTL back

Do mirror icons showing movement

LTR forward

RTL back

Refresh

Do not mirror refresh icons or icons showing objects

Iconography and their meanings are generally universally understood by all Arabs. When showing clocks or direction of movement, refrain from mirroring as Arabs perceive those the same as the West.

The Arabic Designer’s Handbook

Volume mirroring

LTR volume

RTL volume

Do mirror volume levels and bars

Data mirroring

Phone

72 of 128 GB Used

LTR Phone storage

‫ب‬.‫ غ‬١٢٨ ١٢٨ ‫من‬ ٧٢ ‫المستخدم‬ .‫ب‬.‫غ‬ ‫ من‬.‫ب‬.‫غ‬ .‫ب‬.‫ غ‬٧٨ ‫المستخدم‬

RTL Phone storage

Do mirror data graphics and charts

Phone

UX/UI Design

Font size Arabic text reads smaller, and should be at least 3 point sizes larger than you would normally use in English The example below shows the phrase â&#x20AC;&#x153;hi, how are you doing?â&#x20AC;? in English and Arabic in their proper pt. sizes.

35px

38pt

31px

38pt

Inaccurate point equalization between languages

35px

38pt

35px

42pt

Accurate point equalization between languages

Do increase Arabic pt. sizes

The Arabic Designer’s Handbook

Types of calendars Different countries in the MENA region use different types of calendars: Gregorian (Latin), Gregorian (Syriac) and Islamic Hijri31. It is very important to consider your user base’s primary location when incorporating a calendar in your UI design. The best option would be to include all options and allow the user to choose based on preference.

February

‫ﻳﻨﺎر ﻛﺎﻧﻮن اﻟﺜﺎﱐ‬

Example of 2020 Gregorian (Syriac) Arabic calendar

The Arabic Designerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Handbook

101

Conclusion There can be no doubt that graphic design still has a long way to go in the Arab world, but the rise of progressive design in Lebanon and Egypt gives hope to a successful and culturally rich design future. To get a better understanding of typography design in Arabic, you must memorize the various calligraphy styles, understand their proportional systems, and practice! This will allow you to gain hands-on experience with each letter and understand why the availability of universal type grids are so rare in arabic. Working with calligraphy and understanding its relationship to typography will enable you to utilize type in a more efficient way. The best way to improve the basis of Arabic graphic design is through the increase of communication between Middle Eastern designers. Globalization, while generally opposed by conservative Middle Easterners, will be the best method of increasing connectedness and conversation. The more designers that understand the need for research on Arab user experience, branding strategies, perception and comprehension of typography and layout, etc, the more the demand will increase. Our duty as bilingual designers is to bridge the cultural gap between the Latin and Arabic typographical struggles, and propose solutions to mending the issue of combining both texts. While the resources online are scarce, it is imperative to reach out to fellow designers: ask questions, practice your calligraphy, explore the environment around you and try to understand how diversity impacts the life you are living now and life back home. You are the solution.

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Sources

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Copyright ÂŠ 2020 by Eva Al Radaideh Editorial, design, and cover by Eva Al Radaideh. Edited by Jonathan Alvarado. Critique and assitance by James Hicks.

The Arabic Designerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Handbook The purpose of this book is to educate you on the steps you need to take when incorporating the Arabic language in your design work. Graphic design in the Middle East has only recently become recognized as a profitable industry. This has led to a shortage of resources on the topic thus making it difficult to best utilize this complicated language in design work. More and more Middle Eastern universities have begun to add graphic design courses. This shows that the coming decades will invite improvements and modernization in design. As the world grows more reliant on technology, the need for suitable design grows higher in third world countries. The Middle East is far behind the West in the design workforceâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;preventing the evolution and improvement of Arabic design techniques. The number of available resources on English design techniques are infinite, whereas searching for Arabic design resources is much more limited (especially for Arab-Americans).

About the Author Eva Al Radaideh is an Arab-American graphic designer based in Fairfax, Virginia. She began discovering her passion for all things typography while attending George Mason University. Currently, Eva is working on improving her understanding of Arabic type and design.