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Open until 11:30 pm
This 4-day course introduces students and professionals in graphic design or typography who wish to engage meaningfully with Arabic script, whether or not they have prior type design experience, to the foundations of Arabic type design through an integrated approach combining historical background, critical analysis, drawing exercises and digital implementation. Participants will leave with a small but functional set of digitized Arabic letters and a collective printed specimen of their work.
Course Objectives:
- Gaining a historical and stylistic overview of Arabic scripts
- Learning fundamental principles of Arabic type structure, modulation and contrast
- Understanding the interplay between convention and innovation in type design
- Being introduced to Glyphs App for designing and spacing Arabic type
- Producing a set of digitized Arabic letters and a simple specimen
Course Outcomes:
- To create a mini type concept (small Arabic character set)
- To produce a test phrase spaced and exported in Glyphs
- To design a collaborative printed specimen featuring everyone’s work
- To acquire a deeper understanding of the creative and technical process of Arabic type design
Recommended for:
Students and professionals in graphic design or typography who wish to engage meaningfully with Arabic script, whether or not they have prior type design experience
Facilitator
Mohamad Dakak
Based in Cairo and Cambridge, Mohamad Dakak is a type designer and researcher. He holds a PhD in Typography and Graphic Communication from the University of Reading, where his research explored diversity in Arabic type styles and their impact on readership. He also holds an MA in Typeface Design from Reading and a BA in Visual Communication from Damascus University.
