Bilingual Design Layout Systems: Cases from Beirut

Abstract

This paper identifies and analyzes the challenges of bilingual design layout systems in Beirut. With the rapid spread of globalization, English and Arabic often enter the public realm together. As the design industry also rapidly develops and the Western influences are manifested, the duality of languages and scripts are constantly negotiated. This paper investigates various bilingual design layouts and proposes six new variations of bilingual design layout systems for designers, educators and students to employ and develop further. By employing an illustrative methodology in which different layout systems are both examined and compared, the author proposes visual structures for bilingual readers, adding an extra layer to the understanding of visual communication while offering the viewer the choice of reading both scripts.