Qasida

Observing the massive rollout of Arabic fonts over the past couple of decades has been akin to watching the unique shape of an entire language undergo gentrification on a global scale. Some of the evident causes are the worldwide invasion of electronic devices, software applications, ad campaigns and corporate identities recycling design elements across international markets, and the implementation of geometric design in modern software having become very easy and accessible compared to the more time-consuming calligraphic design. This phenomenon is not unique to Arabic fonts. Something similar has been happening to CJK and South Asian scripts, but it’s quite notable with Arabic because the visual manifestation of this particular script had been deeply calligraphic for centuries, so a sudden pivot towards geometric minimalism in both text and display Arabic typography seems so much more McLuhanesque — our tools making us, etc.

So chances are you’ve never seen an Arabic font quite like this one. Qasida, our second collaboration with Kourosh Beigpour, was made as a case study in how highly artistic Arabic lettering needs not be compromised in order to accommodate modern digital typesetting environs. A backlash to the aforementioned gentrification, if you will. True Arabic display lettering is a wild mosaic of connection and a call-and-answer kind of flow. Qasida accomplishes such lofty aims within the parameters of a reusable typeface, a bottomless resource for creating an authentic one-off lettering look.

The name of this font, Qasida, is an Arabic word that means epic poem. This epic poem is made of thicks and thins, points and loops, gorgeous curves, flowing connectivity and a unique rhythm. Use it as big as you can, please.