MENA competition puts the spotlight on type design

Fonts and content that lend themselves well to translation could be a vital tool for global brands and their stakeholders.

The Horouf competition aims to raise awareness of the importance of type in design. The MENA-based competition recognises both Latin and Arabic fonts in recognition of the bilingual work regularly carried out by designers in the region.

Designing in separate languages can be challenging; what may work in one may not translate to the other. This difficulty is exacerbated by the fast-moving nature of the MENA market.

The competition will be hosted by Nuqat, a creative platform based in Kuwait, and 29LT, a type foundry based in Lebanon, in the hope that it will bring recognition to outstanding designers and raise awareness of the challenging nature of creating effective typeface for businesses.

The competition is targeting all countries across the MENA and GCC regions and welcomes both Arab and non-Arab designers, both local and international. Award winners will be announced in November 2014 at the annual Nuqat Creative Conference in Kuwait. The winning designs will be exhibited and put forward to be published and sold in the market by 29LT.

Wakim Zeidan, a founding member of Nuqat says, “The whole Nuqat team is proud to launch such a unique competition and quite honored to have 29LT approaching Nuqat to collaborate on a much needed initiative in the region.”

To enter the Horouf competition, click here.