Alumni Spotlight: Tarek Atrissi
Where and what are you working on right now?
I am running my own design studio, Tarek Atrissi Design, with offices in Barcelona (Spain) and an office in The Netherlands. Our studio (www.atrissi.com) focuses on branding and cross-cultural communication. Some of the most exciting projects we have just completed are the visual identity design for the Saudi Design Festival – as well as developing the branding and exhibition graphics for the first-ever held Islamic Arts Biennale, a massive contemporary show about lived traditions in different contexts and geographies.
In parallel to our work in the studio, we run our own type foundry, specializing in designing and producing bilingual typefaces (Arabic & Latin) and distributing it at www.ArabicTypography.com We produce retail fonts that we feel are missing from the existing font palette available in the Arab world. We also develop custom fonts for companies requiring multilingual type solutions, and our clients included Apple, BBC, Mathaf Arab Museum of Modern Art; Riyadh Metro System; Etisalat Telecom; among many others.
What impact has SVA MFADesign had on your career?
The program had a very tangible impact on my career. It helped gain confidence, exposure, inspiration, and all in all fast-tracked my career development. I built a network in my two years at SVA that lasted all my career. My classmates stayed an incredible source of inspiration and motivation- as I followed them build their own careers based on their interests and talents.
I think what I gained most out of the program is an entrepreneurial approach of thinking that is usually difficult for designers to acquire- and this certainly has been a key factor in helping me run my studio for 20+ years as a commercially viable and solid business- in addition to being a creative practice constantly trying to explore new boundaries in the field of design – particularly in the Middle East and North Africa.
If you could choose a thesis topic today, what would you pick?
I might choose the same topic! Back then I worked on designing and developing a new Arabic font- and this has shaped my career focus as through our work we have developed some of the most visible fonts used across the Arab world: For TV networks; Telecoms; Metro System; Post Offices; Big brands; Large sporting events… etc. The technology associated with type design is
in constant change and that is why I will probably choose again the same topic- to explore it within current trends and needs. Maybe with a focus on Variable Fonts Technologies- which we have been recently experimenting with it and seeing what creative potential this offers for the Arabic script
Anything else you would like to share?
This year marks 20 years since my graduation from SVA! It was great to talk to the SVA students today at our lecture.
Instagram: @atrissi
Portfolio: atrissi.com
