A Profound Bridge Between Cultures...
Arabic for Designers
by Mourad Boutros
In a time when the eyes of the entire world are focused on the Arab countries -- cultures clash, understanding is lost. What the populations of two opposite cultures see every day in the news media tends to drive those cultures further apart rather than providing a basis for understanding. I find myself tainted with the images seen on the nightly news and the daily newspaper -- as do so many millions of others in the Western world. However, this book, Arabic for Designers, through the language of graphic design, art, illustration, photography and advertising, provides us with a profound bridge between our two cultures!
Mourad Boutros opens the book with two stunning images. No, I'm not going to show them to you. First is a photo taken from a 1996 LIFE magazine where an Islamic pilgrim is bowing in prayer to Mecca, seeming to face a Coca-Cola machine. 'The Pause that Refreshes' reads the caption. Next, Mourad shows a spread of newspaper front pages from around the world reacting to the events of September 11, 2001. Both images are callus statements that incite anger, insult, distrust and yes -- ignorance of the other. Both send an all too clear message that while cultures are the product of their own visual images, it's the graphic designers, photographers, writers and media who can either sooth or enrage the populations of each. Arabic for Designers is a profound look at how and why cultures can clash in today's world. Mourad writes:
"Arab cultures were thrust onto center stage and in a way have not been able to leave since then. From Islamic extremists to Jordanian businessmen, the impact of September 11th on the worlds of communication and commerce have reshaped and reframed how the Arab community views itself under the scrutiny of the global lens."
Arabic for Designers is also a profound look at the true beauty of Arabic graphics, photography and typography. This is one book that should be enjoyed by all, but carefully studied by anyone who shapes visual media in today's society.
Fred Showker
WITH MORE THAN 200 examples of the best in contemporary Arabic typography and graphic design, this book is an illustrated primer on how to work with Arabic and understand and respect its cultural nuances.
For an array of reasons, the worlds of business and communications rely more and more on the cross-hybridization of Latin and Arabic graphic design approaches. As the book reveals, it is a process that can yield incredibly innovative, beautiful and successful results. Without the proper knowledge, however, creative campaigns and endeavors, not to mention the money invested for such efforts, can easily be lost.
Visual examples and case studies span the range of graphic design applications (newspaper and television news typefaces, book jacket designs, logotype conversions, clothing design and art). Designers of all sorts will have a guide to proceed with their own projects. Arabic for Designers is the first book of its kind to delve into these issues in a way that makes itself useful for non-Arabic speaking graphic designers regardless of their industry, ability or level of experience.
Arabic for Designers is an extension of Mourad Boutros's life work. Compiled from over 40 years of working with an array of corporate and creative clients his approaches to working with Arabic clearly provide the groundwork upon which designers will be able to apply their trade.
Don't miss
Arabic for Designers
By Mourad Boutros
Hardcover: Page Count: 224, Size: 7 1/4 x 10 3/8, Format: Extensively illustrated in color throughout --
List Price: $34.95
Price: $22.02
You Save: $12.93 (37%)
Also See:
* The New Visual Culture of Modern Iran
* Designing Across Cultures
See similar titles in the Design department Keywords: Design and Publishing: graphic design, layout, aesthetics, arts
Participate in your Design BOOKSHELF
Lots of fun and information for all... we don't review or recommend any books we haven't seen and read.
- Ask for the DT&G Monthly: to receive DT&G newsletter each month, with more books as they hit the shelves, design news, software and program reviews, field trips to design studios, Photoshop Tips & Tricks, photoshop tutorials, typography, fonts, and a lot more!
- SUBSCRIBE : to the Designers' CAFE email list
- Link to this site, and then show us the link. We'll send you any of our current door prizes, just for your trouble.