Circular Arabic followed Akkurat Arabic as my second commission to design an Arabic companion to a typeface from Lineto’s library. Further to the challenges that are inherent to the task of designing a companion to an existing typeface for another script – stylistic fidelity, translation of voice to a different visual language, interpretation of features in a drastically different script, allocation of the style on the spectrum of expression of the Arabic typographic landscape, etc. – here some other aspects added to the complexity of the undertaking.

Circular was also designed by Laurenz Brunner, and like Akkurat it radiates his distinct design style. The two are unmistakably from the same hand, and I wanted to make sure that this was reflected in the Arabic version. By the same token, and for obvious reasons, the two should be meaningfully different in Lineto’s library. Circular Arabic therefore became an exercise in establishing similarity and contrast at the same time.

Circular is notably used by Spotify for its Arabic localisation, where it is employed to great effect across web and app.