Play with Fire — Experiments in Arabic Type Design

“Play with Fire” captures three stages of fire – warmth, sparks, and light – through a dynamic exploration of Arabic typography and design. The book opens with conversations featuring three of the lab’s experts and two guest contributors, discussing the Arabic letter, its diverse practices, origins, and contemporary relevance. Topics also include experimentalism, learning and unlearning in design education, local versus global design standards, and design research. Additionally, the 13 participants share their hopes, dreams, and ambitions. The next section documents the lab’s workshop process, where inspiration ignites through visits, tours, and archival research. Through individual and group brainstorming, participants push beyond letter creation to develop functional writing systems, resulting in 13 new Arabic typefaces – experimental, sentimental, or entirely unconventional. The book concludes with a showcase of the exhibition held at Eyen’s space in Amman. This larger-than-life display features typographic installations and specimens of the 13 typefaces, inspired by sources ranging from urban landscapes, folktales, and traditional forms to speculative design, optical illusions, physics, and more.