Generation Next
Lujain Abulfaraj’s passions for design and calligraphy collide in her latest project which aims to make Arabic-language learning fun.
By Kate Hazell
The smooth curls and artistic staccato shapes that form the structure of the Arabic language have been the source of endless inspiration for the modern design world. Yet, when 32-year-old Lujain Abulfaraj realised her three-year-old son was struggling to communicate with her Arabic-speaking father, she could no longer stand by and watch the younger generation become alienated from the ancient language.
“My kids love learning, they’re inquisitive and curious, but the way Arabic is taught today is not good enough,” the Dubai-based mother of two says in an Americanised accent common among Arabs who grew up in the region and who were taught English in an international school. “My son started to dread Arabic classes, which upset me. I realised I had no idea how to raise a bilingual child, and many of my friends with young children felt the same.”
It’s a common struggle across the GCC. Young families are embracing rapid globalisation, yet while English becomes more prominent across a modernised Arab world, the younger generation, who might not see the importance of Arabic to communicate and evolve, are disconnected from the mother tongue of their heritage.
Abulfaraj grew up in Saudi Arabia, where Arabic was spoken at school and in the home. English was an important part of the school curriculum both in KSA and in Kuwait, where her family moved when she was nine. Her mother, a passionate Montessori teacher, immersed the young Abulfaraj in self-directed activity, hands-on learning, and exploratory, collaborative play. Her father was CEO of a publishing and distribution company, which meant that the young creative also grew up with books, newspapers, and magazines throughout the house, helping her subconsciously absorb ideas about font, typography, and design. Being immersed in Arabic at home, in her surroundings, and at school meant the language seeped easily into Abulfaraj’s consciousness, something that’s not the case for young children growing up in the GCC today.
Takween is a toy made up of modular shapes that can be connected to build every letter in the Arabic alphabet. Photo: Lujain Abdulfaraj
After studying visual communications at the American University of Sharjah, Abulfaraj co-founded a Dubai-based design studio, Twothirds, in 2016. But at home, she struggled to find design-focused toys and books in Arabic that would help her teach her children the language (she has a son, now nine, and a five-year-old daughter). So Abulfaraj launched Akwan.me—akwan means “universes” in Arabic— an ecommerce platform that curates educational toys, tools, and books that are in Arabic and that have a contemporary edge. As a design aficionado, Abulfaraj places importance on the aesthetics of educational tools. “Pretty much everything I found that was good quality, well designed and fun was in English,” Abulfaraj explains. “There was a lack of good Arabic learning tools, and when I did find something it was after a lot of digging. So I founded Akwan as a purpose-driven company to help parents like myself.”
Abulfaraj also took classes in typography and calligraphy, with the hope of realising an idea that was evolving in the back of her mind where she could use her skills to reinvigorate the love of the Arabic language. Knowing the importance of interaction and exploration to engage children in learning, Abulfaraj designed a toy made up of nine modular shapes that could be connected magnetically in multiple ways to build every letter in the Arabic alphabet. It’s a simple idea, but one that took a lot of patience, editing, and reworking. Abulfaraj spent three years ironing out the concept, spending hours in classrooms and with focus groups, involving children in the design process and asking for feedback on prototypes.
“One of the most important lessons I took from studying at AUS was to critique my own work as a designer,” she says. “So my first step was to research vigorously. I found that it’s important to respect the child’s taste and not to assume certain things prior to the design process. I noticed that by using the same shapes to form different letters, kids started to notice patterns and the repeated, similar shapes that occur in seemingly very different Arabic letters.” She also ran the letterforms past designers in her community, including Layth Mahdi, Ghaya Bin Mesmar, Lara Assouad, Wael Morcos, Mohammed Sharaf, and her Twothirds business and creative partner, Sara Al Arif. The final product, Takween, launches later this year on Akwan.me, and is made from a non-toxic, anti-bacterial resin that’s eco-friendly and robust. Most importantly for Abulfaraj, it combines functionality and form, core attributes in any quality design product.
The aim is for every bilingual family in the GCC to have one in their home, “like Lego,” Abulfaraj says hopefully. “I want to raise my kids to be global citizens, to be compassionate about the world but who don’t forget where they’ve come from. I want them to be proud of their culture. Also, for me, reading the Quran gives me guidance; it keeps me grounded. The Quran is really hard to explain because everyone interprets it in their own way, so for my kids to be able to understand the ancient scripture and interpret it for themselves is a huge gift.”
Another of Abulfaraj’s designs, the Malaab series, created colourful playgrounds crafted from letters of the Arabic alphabet. Here the letter Kaff in Riyadh, for Saudi Design Week, 2019. Photo: Lujain Abdulfaraj
Photograph of Lujain Abulfaraj by Tashkeel
