Alphacrit: June 19, 2020

We’re at it again! This time we’ve got a special Alphacrit session with Sahar Afshar and Naïma Ben Ayed focusing on Arabic type design. Sahar and Naïma will offer constructive feedback to four participants on their in-progress typefaces via Zoom. Sol Matas will host the session to keep everything running smoothly. Keep reading to learn more.

Join us!
Alphacrit will be livestreamed as a part of Typographics TypeLabs on June 19 at 18:00 pm BST (17:00 pm UTC).

Follow @TypographicsNYC for the link or keep checking their website until details are available.

What to expect: Four people will present their in-progress Arabic typefaces, each receiving approximately 10 minutes of feedback. The entire session will last about an hour. Participants will have the benefit of sitting in on the other critiques as well. To keep it focused, we suggest presenting either a single weight of a typeface or come prepared with specific questions about a multi-weight typeface. Specimens need to be ready a couple of days before the session so plan ahead!

When & where: Friday, June 19 at 18:00 pm BST (17:00 pm UTC) via Zoom.

Who can participate: This session is open to everyone, of any skill level, and the four spots will be drawn lottery style. Preference may be given to those who haven’t participated before and those that identify with an underrepresented group. That includes, but is not limited to: women, people of color, people with disabilities, and LGBTQ+ individuals.

How to apply: Fill out this form https://forms.gle/VuJm6Pctejwz2Lny6

Applications due by: June 7, 2020


More about Sahar and Naïma

Sahar Afshar is a type designer and researcher from Iran. Her interest in typography during her years as a student at the University of Tehran led her to the University of Reading, from which she holds an MA by Research in Typography & Graphic Communication. She is currently based in London, where she works as a font developer at Dalton Maag Ltd, and undertakes research as part of her PhD on the print history of the Punjab region. Finally, as a member of the Centre for Print History and Culture, she helps to manage events and publications with a focus on the printing of various writing systems of the world.

Naïma Ben Ayed is a Provence born (France), Paris graduate (Estienne school, 2009), London based, type and graphic designer. She set up her independent practice in 2019 after working for several years at Dalton Maag studio. She creates original visual identities, Arabic and Latin retail and custom typefaces, lettering and everything letters. She gives workshops regularly on Arabic and Latin type design in places like The CASS London, MMAG Amman, Tashkeel Dubai and Tumo center in Yerevan. She spoke about setting up her independent practice at IsType 2019 in Istanbul.