A Must Read

What do designers need to know in order to work with both Latin and Arabic typography? Plenty.

For a myriad of reasons, the western world has become aware of and, hopefully, more sensitive to the Arabic culture. As a result, graphic communicators in the western world are being asked to add insight into Arabic culture and graphic communication to their creative palette. This, however, is clearly easier said than done. Creating design that will perform acceptably in the Arabic community takes a lot more than adding a new suite of fonts to your hard drive. It takes the realization that the foundation of Arabic graphic communication is very different from that in the western world.

The good news is that there is a book that goes a long way in helping the western design community learn about this issue. Extensively illustrated with more than 200 examples of the best in contemporary Arabic typography and graphic design, "Arabic for Designers" by Mourad Boutros is an authoritative guide for designers unfamiliar with Arabic script.

Using visual examples and case studies, Mourad Boutros takes the reader through the entire range of graphic design applications – newspaper and television news typefaces, book jacket designs, corporate and brand identity, logotype conversions, advertising, design for print and fine art.

The author shows how non-Arabic speaking designers can work with the language and understand and respect its cultural nuances, whilst avoiding the pitfalls and mistakes to which many others have fallen victim.

Arabic for Designers demonstrates how designing with Arabic can yield incredibly innovative, beautiful and successful results. Based upon over 40 years' experience of working with an array of corporate and creative clients, Mourad Boutros addresses the rise in global awareness about Arab culture in ways that inform and inspire.

This book is an invaluable reference for design students, design professionals, marketers and anyone interested in Arabic culture and language.

Allan Haley is Director of Words & Letters at Monotype Imaging. Here he is responsible for strategic planning and creative implementation of just about everything related to typeface designs.