To brand the AutoCAD Arabization tool that I developed in 1989, I designed a logo which I based on an Ottoman calligraphic device called the Turgra. The original design was implemented on the cover of the Arabization tool’s manual using available stock of colored paper. The colors of the paper influenced the design of the digital version which I implemented many years later for an article on my blog about the Ottoman Tugras. The article provided an analysis of the origins of the Tugra and gave examples of its adaption in a number of modern logo designs, one of which is the well known Aljazeera TV channel logo.
One specific Tugra I found in the book by Naji Zainuddin Almussarif, Wonders of Arabic Calligraphy, fascinated me for its wonderful rhythm and exquisite balance. This Tugra was created in the early 20th Century by the Turkish calligrapher, Mustaf Haleem. I traced the design as an Adobe Illustrator file and then tested the design in a typographic exercise that represented a small poster.
Original logo design for the AutoCAD Arabization tool
