ABJAD CORPORATE IDENTITY
MUSEUM OF TYPOGRAPHY IN LEBANON
Historically, as a result of Lebanon’s geographic location, it has always been at the crossroads between the East and the West. This is reflected in a modern culture that embraces both Latin (English/French) and Arabic languages.
To celebrate this duality, the identity developed for this project is developed stylistically in a way for the Latin and Arabic type to work together in harmonious composition. The Arabic and English type is interchanged in role between foreground and background. Therefore, the identity follows a system of using a Western pattern for the logos and stationary dealing with affairs external to the museum (eg. main logo, visiting card) and an Arabic pattern for the logos and stationary representing internal affairs (eg. library's sublogo, business cards).
The main logo has the pattern of Latin alphabet treated in a way that reminds us of the time when writing on stone was used as means of documentation, and this is contrasted by the Arabic calligraphy on top presenting the museum’s name which is pronounced as “abjad”, with reference to the Arabic “abjadiat” meaning: alphabets.
In the sublogos which are used within museum, an Arabic pattern is used with Latin type on top; the patterns used are inspired by the decorative characteristic of Arabic calligraphy, whether it is in the writing itself (sublogo for the museum's library) or in the various abstract floral patterns used (sublogo for the museum's cafe).
The rest of the stationary is Arabic and English business cards (size 10 by 5cm), letterheads pages 1 and 2 (size A4), envelope (size A4), sticker (size 15cm, 12.5cm ), hand bag for the museum's bookshop (size 45cm, 40cm, 14cm), and rapping paper. These also follow the system of using the Arabic pattern for internal affairs (employees' cards, letterheads, etc.) and the Latin pattern for external affairs (visiting cards, envelope, sticker, etc.).
The geometry in drawing the Koufi type (classical Arabic typography) is used as an arabesque pattern for the rapping paper. On the one hand, it is decorative and based on arabesque art. On the other hand, it's educational, indirectly introducing the buyers and receivers of gifts to the art of drawing alphabets in Koufi.