The first Fikra Graphic Design Biennial organized itself as a government agency with five departments. This created an immediate need for an identity with sufficient administrative gravity. We considered official-looking seals (too obvious) and department names branching from the main title (too abstract), then selected Friz Quadrata for the position.

Friz had fallen out of fashion among contemporary designers, but remained gainfully employed on government letterheads, pawn-shop signs, and mass-produced goods. That everyday familiarity matters. Set carefully, with changing frames and a bold color palette, it looked as though it already knew which office you needed.

On the website, Friz is paired with the monospaced, typewriter-inspired Pica. Language selection has been given its own small administrative procedure. Arabic and English occupy two sides of a rotating surface; a slider, randomly positioned when the site opens, turns one language or the other into view. The Arabic and English logos cross over in between.

The pages themselves were left largely freeform for the designers involved to assemble. There are limits to how much order you can expect from the Ministry of Graphic Design.