Neshan, the first Iranian graphic design magazine

[text] editorial board of Neshan, Iran / [images] courtesy of Neshan, Iran

During the past 20 years, graphic design in Iran has expanded beyond solely layout and book cover design. Its prospective has become gradually more comprehensible to students, universities, businesses and the public. Today, the work of Iranian graphic designers is acknowledged internationally, and many examples of their design abilities have been highlighted in many professional publications such as Graphis, Novum, CA, Print, Etapes, KAK, 2+3D, Typo and TPG.

Among the first generation of Iranian graphic designers, the two legendary Iranian designers, the late Morteza Momayez and Farshid Mesghali have received the Icograda Achievement Award. This award is the highest recognition granted by Icograda to designers for their contribution to graphic design. In respect to the active involvement with international design organizations, Iran has five members —excluding Morteza Momayez who passed away on October 25, 2005—in the Alliance Graphique Internationale (AGI).
In 2003, an entourage of passionate graphic design advocates conferred with the goal of pronouncing to the world the fascination and significance behind Iranian visual design. The objective was to publish a professional and educational magazine with the intention of ameliorating ties between the graphic designers of Iran, Asia and all parts of the world. The group included some visual communication professionals: Majid Abbasi, Saed Meshki, Ali Rashidi, Firouz Shafei, Iraj Zargami and the late Morteza Momayez. Later Ebrahim Haghighi, joined the group as editorial consultant.
The editorial board was anxious to introduce international graphic design to Iranian designers especially students. They also obliged in promoting Iranian graphic design and its roots to the international audience. Led by the iconic designer and editor-in-chief, the late Morteza Momayez, the first volume of Neshan Magazine was established in Winter 2004.
The first of international graphic design publications in Iran, Neshan composes Iranian graphic designers’ profiles and insights, along with those from all over the globe. The publication features design related subjects, articles and interviews, in conjunction with exhibition coverage, which at times draws international partakers.
Ideally, Neshan serves as the gateway for artists to project their work to the design community and the worldwide public. The editorial board at Neshan Magazine environs itself with diverse stages and categories of design, bearing in mind the roots of Iranian graphic design and as the evolution of design progresses, so do the subjects read about in Neshan.
Neshan persists to attract domestic and international readers and contributors. One of the major accomplishments has been the documentation of Iranian graphic design history, both through publishing images and motifs of Iranian graphic art and by introduction of first generation designers. For this reason Neshan at its first phase (5-year plan) dedicated its editorial to those designers who have had a major contribution in design but stayed unknown for the younger generation. Starting 2010, after completing the first phase of publication, Neshan is looking forward to featuring the new generation of Iranian graphic designers who have had even more impact in the international design scene.
Today Neshan is read by many Iranian visual communication students and professionals, and has become a solid source of Iranian design. In the international design community Neshan has gained substantial credits and has circulated more among design professionals. Since 2005, Neshan became a member of International Design Media Network.
Neshan is enlightened to have the support and contribution of various international designers for each edition throughout the years. Along with renowned Iranian designers, Neshan has had the privilege of featuring well-known international designers such as Anthon Beeke, Seymour Chwast, Andre Francois, Shigeo Fukuda, David Hillman, Alain Le Quernec, Uwe Loesch, Holger Matthies, Stefan Sagmeister, Ahn Sang- Soo, Paula Scher, Leonardo Sonnoli, Maciej Urbaniec, Massimo Vignelli, Catherine Zask, Martin Wootdli, Ralph Schraivogel, Cyan studio, Jonathon Barnbrook and many others. We have been also honored to have some of the prominent writers such as Michael Bierut, Steven Heller, Emily King and Vanina Pinter, among our permanent contributors.
Starting its 6th year, Neshan continues to commit publication of design insights relating to Iranian and international graphic designers, with a broad array of design focus; retelling history, enlightening today’s masterpieces and as graphic design flourishes, taking another step forward.