Jawaher Alali The opportunities to learn type design in Bahrain were almost non-existent, so when I had the chance to create a type design course for third year university design students at Bahrain Polytechnic, I based it loosely on Reading’s type design MA as I was a graduate of the program. From its start in 2020 until today, the course has grown but not without challenges. In 5 years the course has gone through different instruction modes: online, hybrid, and in-class. The number of students has also grown rapidly, from 10 students in 2020 to 40 students in 2024. Despite those challenges, the course provided an opportunity for the students to explore typography in a way that changed their perspective on typography and its role. Students have also became increasingly interested in creating Arabic typefaces, with the vast majority of students choosing to create an Arabic typeface in 2024.
The presentation will cover my approach in the classroom to encourage creativity, and also will showcase some of the students’ typefaces, with a focus on the Arabic script. Some of the typefaces are inspired by history, such as one that is based on Dilmun-era seals, while others are more modern or even experimental, such as a display typeface with one form per letter. Other typefaces look towards other cultures, such as the Sini style, or Art Deco. The presentation will include reflections from my own learning journey running this course, with the hope that my experience will help others navigate teaching type design. The presentation will also touch upon the aftermath of the course, sharing the students’ reflections and the impact of the type design experience on them.