When starting out the Qalam Institute project, one of the first issues that comes up is the name. The name needed to convey the key points of the institute:

1. Focus on teaching Islamic academics
2. Classical name that would appeal to youth and elders alike
3. Something relevant to the Qur’an, as the institute’s seminars are Qur’an focused

The logical conclusion to this was to name the institute Qalam -

[Your Lord] has taught [you] by the pen (qalam) -96:4

By referring to it as ‘Qalam” another branding issue was solved – namely that the institute did not want to become known by an acronym, such as QI or something of that sort. This eliminated any kind of logo that was an alpha representation of Q and I together.

You can see some of the iterations here below of different logos that were presented:

The more ‘iconic’ logos did not receive positive feedback. In the end, the logo chosen gave the unique look of having Qalam spelled out in English, and the middle 3 characters also spelling Qalam in arabic. The added color on the dots gives a distinctive look and allows the color to be used further in other print materials.

Back of a flyer for a course. The front side (designed by someone else) utilized more graphical elements. The back was intended to offer more detailed information.

This is a flyer I made for a program called ‘Degrees of Excellence’

Project: Create a flyer that would appeal to youth and stand out amongst the plethora of flyers usually found in a local Masjid.

I purchased a stock image for this flyer because it accurately represented one of the main themes this course would cover: Individuals striving to create a successful community.

Front and Back: