Modularity and abstraction

’Over the past years I’ve given many workshops on the principal of modular Arabic typography, trying to teach the idea of rhythm repetition and proportion, which are very serious things,’ says the Lebanese designer Lara Assouad. ’They’re the basics and foundations of typography.’ A graphic and Arabic type designer, Assouad explores her chosen disciplines from playful, non-calligraphic and historical perspectives, looking to remove typographical design from its constrictive shackles. Modularity, she explains, is key to this, and the notion of creating whole stamped alphabets from found or abstract objects is at the core of her design practice. It’s an approach Assouad will be exploring further during typographical workshops at this year’s Dubai Design Week, which runs from 26 – 31 October.