Logo Talks

I find it most irritating to look at all those badly done Arabic versions of there Latin counterparts. The lack attention given to detail that will in some cases even make the Arabic logo stronger than their Latin original. As graphic designers and visual communicators we need to step up and start working harder to strengthen the Arab script visual identity. We can no longer say that the market knows no better… That is an excuse for either our lack of time, ability, or effort. Nothing more…

In this article we will attempt to highlight only a few points that maybe able to help us achieve this. To do this we have to start from the beginning. So before starting with anything, lets quickly recap a little history of the Arabic script and its rules…

Some History

Arabic script includes many languages and it is the second most commonly used script after Latin. It includes 28 basic letters, and is the only script that still uses its vocalisation marks as a means to differentiate some words from others. It also includes countries such as Afghanistan, Arab countries, Iran, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Indian regions where the Pashtu language is used.

Islamic calligraphy mainly became an art during the Islamic empire, not only because of religious belief, but also due to the weight the calligrapher felt when writing the “word” of God. A calligrapher by the name of ‘Ibn Muqla’ was the first to perfect Islamic calligraphy by creating proportions and standardising Arabic letters. It was called the “Alif Module”.

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