ARABIC TYPOGRAPHY IN THE CURRICULUM: PERSPECTIVES

FROM THE MIDDLE EAST

Tina Sleiman1, Lama Ajeenah2
1
Zayed University (UNITED ARAB EMIRATES)
2
Dar Al-Hekma University (SAUDI ARABIA)

Abstract
Arabic typography has recently been developing and flourishing at a very rapid pace. In 2000, the first
comprehensive book on Arabic Typography came out. Following that, a number of publications on the
topic have entered the market on a yearly basis. In 2004, Ms. Huda Smitshuijzen AbiFares, founded
the Khatt Foundation as an online creative network for the region, which has promoted and further
encouraged projects and events (from conferences and seminars to exhibitions), and advancing
research related to Arabic Typography. Moreover, over the last fifteen years, unprecedented attention
has been given to Arabic typeface design, experimental Arabic type, and bilingual treatments of type.
In light of these developments, this paper explores how Arabic typography is embedded in higher
education curricula, through case studies from two institutions in the Eastern Arab region. Learning
outcomes, project briefs, and samples of student works are presented, along with comparisons and
general observations. The methods employed consist of literature review, interviews, and content
analysis. Analyses of students’ projects are discussed to uncover some of the obstacles student face
and suggest possible solutions. Techniques used in the making are also presented: these vary from
hand-drawn type and hand-made/sculpted 3-dimensional letterforms, to digitally produced typography
projects with vector-based and bitmap software.
We conclude with perspectives on challenges and opportunities currently faced in the instruction of
Arabic typography, in parallel to industry requirements. Among these is an increased need for
restructuring the design curricula in the region in a more innovative manner, while keeping up with
international standards.
Keywords: Arabic type, typography, education, experimental typography, bilingual design, typeface
design, Middle East, Arab gulf, higher education, design, visual communication, graphic design.

1 INTRODUCTION
In 2000, the first comprehensive book on Arabic Typography came out. Following that, a number of
publications on the topic have entered the market on a yearly basis. In 2004, Ms. Huda Smitshuijzen
AbiFares, founded the Khatt Foundation, as an online creative network for the region, which has
promoted and further encouraged projects and events (from conferences and seminars to exhibitions),
and advancing research related to Arabic Typography.
Furthermore, a very fast growing number of new, quality Arabic typefaces have been designed and
can be easily purchased from foundries such as linotype, or directly from the designers such as
Pascal Zoghbi’s “29letters” or Tarek Atrissi’s “Arabic Typography”. Dr Nadine Chahine had the
opportunity to work with the late legendary type designers Hermann Zapf and Adrian Frutiger, to
design Arabic counterparts for the Frutiger and Palatino typefaces. In addition to that, several
experiments on bilingual adaptation have been done as part of the Typographic Matchmaking series,
such as the Storyline project, a collaborative approach among Max Kisman, Naji El Mir, and Hisham
Youssef. The project allowed for a cross-cultural dialogue through designing two typefaces (2d digital
screen and 3D construction typefaces). The drawback of the project was that it scarified some of the
Arabic typographic rules for Latin. According to Kisman, elMir, Youssef, in AbiFares, (2010) talking
about their project “to enable the Arabic characters to fit into the grid, we eliminated descenders… this
was a revolutionary step that broke with traditional lettering conventions of Arabic script” (p. 249).
Kampman (2011) thoroughly presents the two approaches to contemporary Arabic type: reintroducing
calligraphic features on one hand, or disconnecting Arabic typography from calligraphy on the other.
Bilingual design in terms of visual identity and layout design has also been on the rise. Several
designers such as Wissam Shawkat, Hussein al-Azaat, and Ganzeer have participated in introducing

Proceedings of EDULEARN16 Conference ISBN: 978-84-608-8860-4

4th-6th July 2016, Barcelona, Spain 4048
bilingual branding for the local market. Bilingual Layout design has also been developing by designers
such as Yara Khoury-Nammour, design director at Al-Mohtaraf.
It is clear that experimental Arabic lettering is popular, trendy, and much needed in the contemporary
era. Various examples of experimental Arabic typography are presented in the Arabic Graffiti book by
Pascal Zoghbi and Don Karl Stone, as well as the Arabesque books edited by Ben Wittner and
Sascha Thoma. They include a rich repertoire of public art and contemporary design that involves
Arabic lettering.
In light of these developments, how is Arabic Typography embedded in higher education curricula in
the Middle East? The paper aims at sharing the ways that Arabic typography is currently presented in
the graphic design curriculum at two institutions in the Eastern Arab region: Dar Al Hekma in Saudi
Arabia, and Zayed University in the United Arab Emirates. For each, the course learning outcomes,
project briefs, and samples of student works will be presented, followed by a comparison and general
observations on the ways Arabic typography is instructed at these two institutions. The methods
employed are literature review, interviews, and content analysis. The paper will be concluded by listing
challenges and opportunities we currently face at the institutions listed above, in the instruction of
Arabic typography, as well as in preparing students to use Arabic typographic skills in the workplace.

2 CASE STUDIES

2.1 Arabic Typography at Dar Al- Hekma University

Dar Al-Hekma University (DAH) was established in 1999 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. It is recognized as a
premier non-profit institution of higher education for women in the Kingdom. The Hekma School of
Design and architecture’s mission statement is “ to conserve the culture and aesthetic values of Saudi
Arabia”. As education in Dar Al-Hekma is constantly developing to match the needs of the Arab
market, the courses are structured to match the needs of the Saudi market. The department offers
courses such as Arabic Typography, Bilingual Corporate Identity, and Arabic Book Design.
The course of Arabic typography introduces the rules of Arabic typesetting based on the various
forms of Arabic writing. Students are introduced to basic type design and custom lettering. In
addition, it provides a survey of the history and evolution of Arabic typography, with particular
reference to Islamic calligraphy and Arabesque patterns. This course is an introduction to the
realm of publishing and print industries relative to Arabic culture and traditional forms.

2.2 Arabic Typography at Zayed University

Zayed University (ZU) was established in 1998 in the United Arab Emirates. The Department of Art
and Design was initially a constituency of the College of Arts and Sciences, however, it branched out
to become the College of Arts and Creative Enterprises (CACE) in 2013, and obtained NASAD
accreditation in 2015. Among its goals are: “to serve as an academic center of the arts by tracking the
development and growth of the cultural identity of the country through documentation and research”.
CACE offers various programs including a BFA in graphic design. Students enrolled in the graphic
design major are female, with a vast majority of Emiratis. Arabic Typography is embedded in the
curriculum as part of the Typography I and Typography II courses (ART 356 and 456).
In Typography I, students experiment with Arabic type by hand and explore bilingual typographic
treatments in poster design.
This is an introductory course on the subject of typography in which the principles of typography
are examined through the study of letterform anatomy and construction, type composition, and
the history of typography. Dealing with both the Latin and Arabic alphabets, students examine
the use of type as a created social symbol for communication as well as type as object form.
In Typography II, students start by adapting a Latin logotype into an Arabic counterpart, and continue
by designing their own Arabic typefaces.
This is an advanced typography course in which students gain theoretical knowledge on
typeface design, while they develop and produce individual and unique typefaces in Arabic and
Latin. Incorporating skills from Typography I, students research and develop a typeface with a
series of fonts that will provide a solution to a visual communication problem. Students will
acquire the advanced understanding, techniques, and skills required in the workplace.

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2.3 Student Learning Outcomes at both institutions
Coincidently, student-learning outcomes in Arabic Typography for both universities are divided into the
following three categories:
• Experiment with various placement techniques of Arabic type onto visual layouts, and
experiment with conceptual expressive typography.
• Relate the rules of Latin typography to Arabic typography through bilingual adaptation
• Design an Arabic typeface, by constructing initial, middle, ending, and freestanding letters, in
addition to some ligatures and numerals.
At both institutions, students have the opportunity to utilize Arabic typographic skills in other courses,
but for this paper, we have chosen to focus on the courses that aim specifically at building the
students’ typographic foundations.

3 OBSERVATIONS ON STUDENT OUTCOMES

3.1 Experimental Type: Projects, Results, and Observations

3.1.1 3-Dimensional Type
At DAH, The first project given to students is based on applying experimental typography using
different applications. During the project, students choose an Arabic word, and research its origin,
meaning, and people’s interpretation. Through their findings they create a 3D type using various
media to explain the meaning of the word. They can use any medium such as clay, wood, gums, etc.
The project allows the students to identify the different parts of the Arabic letter and construct hand
rendered letterforms using experimental medium.
The project was given in two ways to execute 2d and 3d type. Some students chose playful words
such as doughnut, and charade (Fig. 1), while others chose serious issues that imply to political or
social connotations such as the word Gazza, and strike (Fig. 2).

Fig. 1: Charade by Malath Alnemari, and Doughnut by Dalia Khoja, DAH, Fall 2015

Fig. 2: Strike by Lama Nagro, and Gazza by Razan Rayes, DAH, Spring 2013

3.1.2 Vintage Arabic Type

Branching from the same category of experimental type, another project is given to students to design
an advertising poster based on historical context. The students are asked to examine vintage
advertising posters typographically, stylistically and study the layout used. During the project, they
learn about historical usage of Arabic fonts in advertising.

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 Fig. 3: Fish Fash vintage advertising poster by Mosly, DAH, Spring 2015

3.1.3 Overlay of Type onto image

At ZU, students experiment with various placing techniques of type onto imagery, in order to observe
the transformation of a composition through the incorporation of type as an added visual element. With
the exercise being done entirely by hand, students have a wealth of typefaces and styles to explore
and trace from, using the “Arabic Font Specimen Book” by Edo Smitshuijzen.

Fig. 4: Visual Compositions by Dana Al Mazrouei, ZU, Spring 2013

3.1.4 Expressive Typography

For the following exercise that deals with expressive typography, students utilize creative thinking and
problem solving to illustrate and communicate the lyrics of a song using only type. The exercise was
first trialed digitally and has proven to be much more creative when students produced the work
entirely by hand, as they are no longer limited with the digital typefaces that are accessible to them.

Fig. 5: Excerpt from Fairouz’ “Ana Sheherazade” by Nour Al Saeri, ZU, Fall 2015

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3.2 Bilingual Treatments of Type: Projects, Results, and Observations
3.2.1 Bilingual Poster Design
Bilingual design has proven to be more challenging. Not only did students represent quotes visually,
but also create mirroring posters that work harmoniously together. At DAH, The students’ submissions
in English were stronger visually than the Arabic ones in terms of typeface and layout design.

Fig. 6: Bilingual poster design by Dalia Khoja, DAH, Fall 2015

At ZU, even though there were some excellent results, in general students spent too much time
looking for Arabic and Latin typeface combinations that work well together side-by-side, and so the
project was revised to focus only on Latin typography in order to produce more complex outcomes,
while implementing the Arabic component as experimental “handmade” to give students more
flexibility in the way they explore and utilize Arabic type.

Fig. 7: Bilingual Posters by Aisha Al Romaithi and Noora Al Ali, ZU, Spring 2014

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3.2.2 Logotype Adaptation Design
Bilingual design was also implemented in logotype adaptation. This assignment has proven to be a
success at both institutions in the cursive as well as the geometric styles, as students have the
freedom to customize and adapt a few letters as they see fit.

Fig. 8: Cursive Logo adaptation for “Unilever” by Caren Ghandour, DAH, Fall 2012

Fig. 9: Playful Logo adaptation for “Rango” by Dima Sharbatly, DAH, Fall 2012

Fig. 10: Line-based Logo adaptation for “Lavitco” by Reem Bafaraj, ZU, Fall 2012

Fig. 11: Geometric Logo adaptation for “Dice” by Sharina Al Sayegh, ZU, Fall 2015

3.3 Typeface Design: Projects, Results, and Observations

3.3.1 Text Type, Display Type, or Bilingual Type Adaptation?
In this project, students have the option of creating their own typeface based on a concept, style, end
use or even an adaptation for a Latin typeface.
During Ajeenah’s experience in teaching the course at DAH for five semesters, for a total of 62
students, 96% have leaned towards designing display/title typefaces, while 4% have explored the
design of text typefaces. When it comes to bilingual adaptation 11% design bilingual adaptation from
Latin fonts.
At ZU, the numbers are similar. During Sleiman’s experience in teaching the typeface design course
for five semesters, for a total of 66 students, 88% have leaned towards designing display/title
typefaces, while 12% have explored the design of text typefaces. For the first two times that the
course was taught (Fall 2011, Fall 2012, and Fall 2013), students were expected to design a bilingual
typeface (Fig. 14). However, due to several factors including time constraints, it was suggested that
students focus only on designing an Arabic typeface. In Fall 2014 and Fall 2015, among the 31
students who were enrolled in the course, 8 students (25%) chose to do an adaptation from a Latin
typeface.

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 Fig. 12: Midad by Lujain Siyamak, and Shanghai by Sarah Al-Ghamdi, DAH, Spring 2015

Fig. 13: Mawj Hade’ by Noora Al Ali, ZU, Fall 2014, and Rakaez by Shaima Al Obaidli, ZU, Fall 2015

Fig. 14: Zee Font by Zainab Al Thaibani, ZU, Fall 2013

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3.3.2 Experimental Approaches to Type Design
Some students designed typefaces that would challenge the typographic conventions. Mawadah
Mutasim, for instance, worked on a typeface where readability was not her main concern. The main
focus was set on preserving the aesthetics of Arabic writing. She was inspired by ElSeed; who is a
French-Tunisian street artist. His artwork incorporate traditional Arabic calligraphy painted on walls, a
style he calls 'calligraffiti.' so she designed a flipped font that is meant to be used in graffiti and read
from left to right using a beveled pen stroke.

Fig. 15: Odography by Mawadah Mutasim, DAH, Spring 2015

Rana Aleysaye (DAH) had an interesting concept where she created a pattern and formed letters
based on it. The motif and type worked interactively together where the pattern had to be adjusted to
fit the type and the type had to match the motif. Interestingly, without any communication with each
other, Sara Al Khayari (ZU) thought of a similar concept with a similar outcome.

Fig. 16: Arabesque by Rana Aleysaye, DAH, Fall 2011

Fig. 17: Zigzagy by Sara Al Khayari, ZU, Fall 2012

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4 CONCLUSION

4.1 Bilingual Typographic Treatments

In terms of typographic matchmakings, a lot of progress has been achieved, and with a wealth of
typefaces available, there are better opportunities for presenting the two languages together in a
harmonious manner on the same page. The challenge in education is that typefaces must be bought
separately and placed in computer labs for students to work on, as the current Adobe Creative
software incorporates a very poor package of Arabic type. As students often prefer working on their
own laptops, it is not as easy for them to work with Arabic type, unless they have the means to
purchase a library of Arabic fonts for their personal use outside of the university computer lab, or until
Adobe Middle East incorporates a decent number of quality Arabic fonts in its system to serve the
education sector.

4.2 Typeface Design

Since the invention of type families by Morris Fuller (Abifares, 2000, p163), we see Latin type
constantly developing and challenging technology while it is still in progress for Arabic typography.
The type family can vary in style, weight, width, proportion, angle, stroke, decorative variation or
contrast. Often, the variation in Arabic fonts is very limited. Mostly reduced to weight and slope.
Usually the variation in type family is originating based on context and the end use of the font. Today,
it is more about style. Especially when it comes to students’ projects. The fact that students did not
enter the working field, is a factor that contributes to their preference to lean towards designing
typefaces that are more stylistic rather than needed. Hence, decorative title type is most common
outcome of the typeface design project, which can also be required by certain clients to distinguish
their brand identity amongst other competitors in the market. But style alone is not enough to make a
good typeface. Design should go beyond style to serve a need within a cultural, political, or social
context. Students enrolled in Arabic typography courses tend to shy away from text or script base
typefaces and design typefaces that are originating from Kufic script, which is considered a simplified
geometric version of Arabic scripts. This could be due to several reasons: it could be linked to the time
limit of the project, the western education they receive where Arabic foundation is not strong, and
finally their limited knowledge of Arabic calligraphy. According to Cordula Peters, the chair of the
Visual Communication department at DAH, “A lot of time is spent on teaching students design history
and theories based on Western textbooks written by Western designers. Little time is spent on really
delving into the rich history of Arabic type”. Furthermore, The divorce between design and calligraphy
is one of the main reasons behind the limitations of Arabic type design development. Type educators
are usually graduates from western universities whereas Arabic calligraphers are learning calligraphy
individually from a mentor without attending a design school. The separation is hindering collaboration
where every party is anxious of getting involved in the other’s filed of expertise. According to Obeida
Sidani, design principal of “Les Folies” design studio, “calligraphy and manual letter drawing need to
be a prerequisite in all design courses. It is the only way to understand the letterforms, connections,
angles, [proportions and rules]”. He continues: “We need much more experimentation. We are in the
phase of trial and error but we are not evolving.”

4.3 Experimental Type

There seems to be a growing interest in various forms of experimental Arabic typography for graphic
designers and visual artists. We believe that this interest should be further cultivated at institutions in
the region. Expressive type, for example, which is rooted in Italian Futurism and Avant-Garde French
poet Stephane Mallarme, aims at visually presenting a group of words in a way that captures its
meaning and presents it in an attractive way. This style has been revived in a contemporary manner
by Ivan Chermayeff and Thomas Geismar in the 1960s, and published as a book in “Watching Words
Move” in 2006. Arabic expressive type would be treated differently as Latin expressive type would be,
but can be just as exciting. In a region that greatly appreciates the literary word, but is in need of
fostering a greater reading culture, expressive type could increase interest in the written word,
presented in expressive visual form.
Experimental type could be tackled through 2D and 3D formats using a variety of colors or absolute
contrast as stand alone or in relation to other elements. There are other opportunities such as kinetic
type, which has now become a course at several institutions. The book “Type in Motion 2” shows
various examples of how it is being used, including 3 examples that employ Arabic type (one from the

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American University in Beirut, one from the Lebanese American University, and one from VCU in
Qatar). Dr Nadine Chahine recently used this approach to promote her typeface: Zapfino Arabic.
There is a big potential for kinetic type as it can be used for television and cinema, in addition to short
videos posted online or apps and interactive publications.

4.4 Final Remarks

There have been several conferences on Arabic typography over the last decade, but perhaps we are
in need of additional ones than deal specifically with the educational aspect of Arabic typography.
There is also a need for restructuring the design curricula in the region in a more innovative manner,
while keeping up with international standards.

REFERENCES
[1] AbiFares, H. (2000). Arabic typography: A comprehensive sourcebook. London: Saqi Books.
[2] Linotype (Arabic Fonts) retrieved from: http://www.linotype.com/6732/arabic.html
[3] Paccal Zoghbi’s 29 Letters (font catalogs) retrieved from: https://www.29lt.com
[4] Tarek Atrissi’s Arabic Typography (font catalogs) retrieved from
http://www.arabictypography.com/
[5] AbiFares, H. (2010). Typographic matchmaking in the city. Amsterdam: Khatt Books.
[6] Kampman, F. (2011). Arabic Typography, its past and its future. (BA, Thesis). Retrieved from:
http://www.islamicmanuscripts.info/reference/books/Kampman-2011-Typography-Bachelor-
Thesis-Arabic-Frerik-Kampman-20120823-download.pdf
[7] Zoghbi, P. and Stone, D.K. (2013). Arabic Graffiti. Berlin: From Here to Fame.
[8] Wittner, B. and Thoma, S. (2009). Arabesque: Graphic design from the Arab world and Persia.
Berlin: Die Gestalten Verlag.
[9] Wittner, B. and Thoma, S. (2011). Arabesque 2: Graphic design from the Arab world and
Persia. Berlin: Die Gestalten Verlag.
[10] Smitshuijzen, E. (2009). Arabic font specimen book. Amsterdam: De Buitenkant.
[11] Peters, Cordula. Personal interview. 23 January 2016.
[12] Sidani, Obeida. Personal interview. 28 January 2016.
[13] Chermayeff, I. and Geismar, T. (2006). Watching words move. London: Chronicle Books.
[14] Woolman, M. (2005). Type in motion 2. London: Thames & Hudson.
[15] Arabic Type Today. (2015) (Video Zapfino Arabic by Nadine Chahine) retrieved from:
http://www.arabictype.com/blog/arabic-fonts/zapfino-arabic-is-released/

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