Zero Posters is an experimental project from Jordan-based Designers Alaa Tameem (@alaatameem) and Tariq Yosef (@tariqyosef). Seeking to tackle stagnation in design, the pair created Zero Posters as an outlet for exploring new techniques and styles, with a focus on explorative typography and grid systems through Arabic typographic posters.
Emerging in 2017, Zero Posters now hosts an abundance of varied, enticing poster designs. At the time, the designers tell us, they were looking not only to expand their ‘visual communication knowledge through an exploration process in layouts, techniques, and compositions’, but also ‘to enrich the Arabic design content on the internet’, and ultimately find a way of getting out of their comfort zones.
‘By its very nature, most of the work we do is experimental-based design, because it should lead to learning new techniques and styles’, they continue. With each poster’s creative process serving up a new, pivotal nugget of knowledge, they become part of a larger pursuit in exploring new creative ground. For Alaa and Tariq, Zero Posters consistently presents fresh opportunities to develop their skills – including from traditional techniques such as ‘sketching, using a scanner and creating photography-based posters’, all the way through to programs such as ‘Photoshop, Illustrator, After Effects and Cinema 4D’.
‘A feature of the Middle East today that its people communicate in both English and Arabic’, Alaa and Tariq continue. ‘Latin and Arabic are now living together, and their differences have never been more apparent.’ With most of their posters centring around Arabic, the designers add that ‘working on Arabic and Latin together is challenging to build harmony and balance, as each written language has its own character and structure’.
Alaa and Tariq also share their excitement about their new, soon to be released custom Arabic typeface, The Manchette. The custom typeface has been created with poster design in mind, and was inspired by old Arabic calligraphic titles in newspapers. ‘To become the best versions of ourselves, we must take on new experiences’, the designers add. ‘Stepping out of the comfort zone is challenging, and the more challenging the experience, the better.’