Project Overview
One of my side projects has been creating, managing, and writing content for CalligraphyQalam.com, a website that introduces U.S.-based audiences to the art of Arabic, Ottoman and Persian calligraphy.
I designed the original website in 2009, and it was a trusted source of information for educators around the U.S. for over a decade. In 2021 I redesigned the website, introducing a responsive layout that works on mobile and tablet interfaces, and updated the backend technology to reflect current best practices in web design.
The website includes nine videos about calligraphy, an extensive image gallery, and detailed information about scripts, calligraphers, classes, and other resources.
Awards
w3 Gold Award in the General Websites-Art category
Communicator Award of Distinction in the following categories:
Features-Website Redesign, General-Education
Indigo award (Silver) in the following categories:
Website Design, WordPress Themes, UX, Interface & Navigation
Accolades
Calligraphyqalam.com is, in my estimation, the most complete and informative website on the subject of calligraphy in the Arab, Ottoman and Persian world. I regularly refer people to this website because the information is clear and the content is well-organized and thorough. The website gives readers an overview of the traditional learning process for calligraphy, and goes into detail about tools and historical information on the various calligraphic scripts. Calligraphyqalam.com is a wonderful resource for students, scholars and anyone interested in this art form.
—Wissam Shawkat, Calligrapher and Designer based in Dubai
In 2012, the Rubin Museum in New York City screened two of the films created for CalligraphyQalam.com, and in 2011 the Louvre purchased portions of my thesis video footage for a multimedia exhibit about calligraphy in their Islamic Arts wing (opened in 2012). My thesis website is also mentioned in the book, Art of the Islamic World: A Resource for Educators, published by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2012.
Images
Process
This project was designed using Adobe XD and and developed in WordPress, using Generate Press as the base theme / block-based theme builder, and the Envira gallery and Generate Blocks plugins.
