Launched in August 2024, cairobonitas is a youthful design studio that is determined to break down stereotypical approaches and understanding of Arabic design. This was one of the launch posters created!

This poster, designed by Amina Metwaly-Gabr as part of her bachelor’s project publication, [ WITH MY LOVE AND MY AFFECTION, GEDDO. ], honors Dr. Hanaa Abdel Fattah’s multifaceted career. The circles represent his roles as actor, translator, writer, academic, and thespian. Each stands alone yet intersects with others, forming a dynamic Venn diagram that captures the interconnected complexity of his work rather than isolating each field.

This poster uses an excerpt from Arabic poet Qays ibn al-Mulawwah’s poem/story written for his lover Layla bint Mahdi. It is a popular poem praising their love story.

A’ala Allah is a cherished Egyptian phrase symbolizing trust in divine will, translating to “leave it to God.” A message of faith and surrender, it’s rendered here in vibrant green—a shade deeply rooted in Islamic art traditions—radiating a sense of spiritual calm and hope.

This design blends tradition and modernity in beautiful Arabic calligraphy with minimalistic English. The strokes are in a bright blue that breathes positivity, as in the line, “Everything ends up working out.” Beautiful Arabic script is blended harmoniously with a small English typographical element, bridging an uplifting message.

This prose, written and designed by Metwaly-Gabr, is on unrequited love. Its poignant centerpiece asks, “How can I tell you I’ve missed you in a way that hurts your heart as mine does?” The subject confronts the futility of their longing: “I’ve stolen all I can from you … you’ve robbed me, my heart’s thief. Have we become two thieves, robbing each other blind?” Layered type shows this emotional depth, with cascading text embodying heartache and scattered fragments reflecting broken thoughts.

Branding and merch design for Fati’s fits, the viral Egyptian donut and desserts business as they started a small brand for kitchen wear and accessories. The original branding colors are a mixture of pink shades as its a “girly” brand. The 2 apron designs were targeting different personas each; one for the chaotic chefs at their own kitchens and the other for the neat and “hot” chefs.

The Winter ’25 packaging for Fullslang is a vibrant celebration of youthful energy and self-expression. The design features a mix of modern abstract illustrations and bold, playful graphics. The palette is accented with pops of vibrant colors creating a dynamic and eye-catching look.

Details like swirling rainbows, checkerboard patterns, and cloud motifs blend seamlessly with quirky elements like floating ribbons, candles, and graffiti-inspired.

Zafran is an elegant industrial display typeface, full of curves and sharp angles, the typeface has an oblique feeling and unified spaces that create neat alignments.

Mestika is a resinous spice, in Arabic means gum, the name is Mestika cause the mestika has a mixture of sharp edges and cursive connections, that mixture gives the typeface an edge to stand out, a low contrast sharp design with 9 weights making it works well with text and headlines.
The typeface comes with 9 weights and Pixels weight, and works in variable axes, the Typeface is based on Naskh calligraphy, something in between the Iranian and the Arabic styles.

o Kalaya is a typeface inspired by Latin posters, designed to fill the gap for a similar style in Arabic while following traditional Naskh calligraphy. It features two variable axes: weight and corner curvature.

Built from modular components with consistent width but varying height, the typeface unifies through connectors, combining calligraphic structure with an experimental touch.

Zaatar is a dynamic Arabic typeface abstracted from a mixture of Arabic Ruq’ah and Nastaliq, the slanted baseline with a geometrical contemporary touch, manifest a strong contrast between thick and thin strokes, present a retro-futuristic impression yet an Arabic calligraphic seriousness. and it comes with five stylistic sets giving it a variety of typographic possibilities.

Zaatar means thyme, which was first cultivated in Mediterranean Levant, then used by ancient Egyptians for embalming.

Felfel is an Arabic typeface inspired by the classic Ruq’ah calligraphy, with a modern twist.
Designed to address the need for versatile Ruq’ah fonts in Arabic design, Felfel balances elegance with practicality by reducing the excessive line spacing typical of Ruq’ah. Ideal for headlines and quotes, it supports Arabic, Hindi, and Farsi numbers, and is compatible with major Arabic-script languages.

Mamluki A’sri is an Arabic phrase that translates to ‘Modern Mamluk’. It’s a contemporary Arabic display type design, inspired by the historical Mamluk Kufic script existing in the interior architecture of the Sultan Hassan mosque and school in Cairo, Egypt.

It highlights and revives the essence of the Egyptian hidden Mamluk heritage through typography innovation.

The Islamic pattern in the background is designed using the Mamluki A’sri letters’ strokes.

Through his Arabic & Latin lettering, he reimagines traditional forms with a contemporary flair, crafting pieces that balance bold expression and cultural authenticity. His work transforms letters into art, blending structure, fluidity, and personal style to create captivating visual narratives.

This sub blends 2D and 3D illustration styles, each uniquely crafted to reflect personal thoughts and nostalgic memories of cherished moments. The mix of techniques creates a visual journey, capturing emotions and revisiting good times through art. Each piece stands as a reflection of those feelings, merging the simplicity of 2D with the depth of 3D to tell a story that’s both personal and relatable.

This artwork combines modern urban elements with traditional Arabic calligraphy, showcasing vibrant red and teal hues that form a circular composition. The intricate calligraphy, likely carrying cultural or poetic significance, envelops a mundane telephone booth, creating a striking contrast between tradition and modernity. Positioned in a public space, it transforms an ordinary setting into a visually captivating blend of art and heritage, drawing attention to the beauty of Arabic language.

Saint Verena is a Coptic Egyptian saint who accompanied the Theban Legion on their journey to Switzerland. She is renowned for teaching the Swiss people the principles of hygiene and basic medical care. Born in Thebes (modern-day Luxor, Egypt) in the 3rd century AD, she joined the Theban Legion, a Coptic Egyptian military unit led by Saint Maurice, which served under the Roman Empire during the reign of Emperor Maximian.

“Cairo at Night”
As darkness falls, Cairo’s streets come alive, pulsing with the rhythm of a city that never truly sleeps. Every corner tells a story of resilience and vibrant life. The sign is a reflection of this energy—a tribute to the streets, the city, us, the night, the wanderers, and the dreamers who walk its streets under the soft glow of streetlights. It’s a celebration of a city where the night is not an end, but a beginning.

AR text to be send

Daad Geem is a Cairo based, women led art collective designing unique art products and collectables. Our bug pin collection celebrates nature and design.

Scenes From Khayamia is an AR tribute poster to Cairo’s amazing khayamiya craftspeople who became significant during Egypt’s Mamluk rule. The Craft is still practiced today in Old Cairo and requires a mastery of geometry, illustration, design and color theory.The AR poster can be viewed via a custom Instagram filter.