“Exhibition of Logos of the Qajar-Era Press”

Exhibition Campaign & Visual Identity Design: “Neshan” Logos of the Qajar-Era Press

November 2024

We were commissioned by the Iranian Graphic Designers Society (IGDS) to design the campaign and visual identity for Neshan, an exhibition exploring the history and visual evolution of logos used by newspapers and periodicals during the Qajar era, along with a series of accompanying lectures and panel discussions. The exhibition was held at the Iran Graphic Museum, while the academic talks and research sessions took place at Ward Gallery.

Approximately 100 logos from Qajar-era publications were selected for the exhibition. These were broadly divided into two categories: image-based logos and typographic logos, with the latter representing the majority. One of the most distinctive design and calligraphic techniques of the period was Mothanna (mirror writing), in which the title of a publication was written symmetrically as a mirrored composition. Inspired by this historical convention, we designed the exhibition title using the same technique and combined it with the two trumpet-bearing angels adapted from the logo of the historic newspaper Sur-e Esrafil. This visual composition was intended to evoke the act of announcing important news and to communicate the spirit of the exhibition.

The exhibition was based on the research and the book of the same title by Mohsen Ehteshami.

Our scope of work included:

. Art direction
. Poster design
. Invitation card design
. Social media banners and promotional posts
. Environmental graphics for the exhibition and lecture series
. Certificate design
. Exhibition statements and interpretive texts

This was a project we truly enjoyed—one that offered not only a rewarding design experience but also a valuable opportunity to learn from an important chapter of Iran’s graphic heritage.