SHARJAH

Pentagram partner Samar Maakaroun (while operating as Right to Left studio) was invited to create a new brand identity for the Emirate of Sharjah to help connect Sharjah’s rich history to its ambitious and vibrant arts and cultural scene and promote it as an exciting place to live, work and visit. As a nod to Sharjah’s own past, the slogan was taken from the much-loved 1970s sign ‘Smile, you’re in Sharjah’ that greeted motorists as they entered the city. The new identity embraced this friendly tone, playfully emphasising Sharjah’s openness, its rich heritage, its lively arts scene, industrious and enterprising nature, and its vibrant culture.

The accompanying graphic language takes the arch as its starting point: emblematic of the city’s architecture, the arch is also a symbol of structural integrity. The elegantly rounded motif replaces the two lowercase ‘a’s, introducing an element of transitions and passageways, that in turn embodies the ideas of transformation, progress, and journeys through Sharjah.

The brand package integrated the same DNA, colour system, motion and form in two separate languages, creating one face, one brand identity speaking equally fluently in two different languages. Samar and her team also provided recommendations for a more minimal approach in the guidelines, suggesting the usage of the wordmarks separately to give stature to one or the other language depending on context. The ultimate aim was for Sharjah to have the same face, the same attitude, the same fluency and ease regardless of what language it was using. The visually equal x-height and width means that both languages can be used side-by-side. This gives both languages equal footing, instead of the usual stacking of one language on top of the other, which always leads to one being dominant, or neither being visible and ownable enough.