Khatt Chronicles in Conversation With Lara Balaa

Khatt Chronicles: Stories on Design from the Arab World

Yara Khoury Nammour interviews Lara Balaa, Lebanese editorial designer and PhD Candidate at Rutgers School of Communication and Information. They discuss Balaa's journey into becoming a graphic designer, and her fascination with connecting graphic design to storytelling, strategy and communication.

Balaa shares her experience of teaching design history, questioning how knowledge is consumed and produced, and how this has led to her interest in research and writing on design from the region. They unpack Lara's approach to editorial design and her emphasis on creating an easy and enjoyable reading experience, especially in bilingual publications.

Balaa recounts her experience researching and writing her book "Emile Menhem: Invigorating Arab Journalism," part of the Khatt Books Arabic Design Library series. She describes the collective mentality of the 70s generation of Arab designers whose design work motivation was social engagement.

Balaa reveals some of her inspirations and important design commissions that have left an impact on the way she practices design today. She also discusses setting up Maajoun design studio in partnership with Khajag Apelian – where they attempted to mix commissioned design work like their seminal book design project for Beirut-based Hachette-Antoine publishers – with initiating design projects such as exhibitions and workshops.