The Arabesque as a cultural interface for contemporary packaging design in the Arabian Gulf

This thesis explores the graphic symbol as an interface for communication in a local as well as globalized environment. Specifically the research examines the arabesque as a cultural interface for contemporary packaging design in the Arabian Gulf by addressing the graphic application of the arabesque as a cultural, religious and social element in the design of selected food and beverage labels.The aims of this research include a brief investigation in the history and evolution of the arabesque in traditional and contemporary visual culture; a semiotic and visual investigation in the meaning of the arabesque; the graphic application of the arabesque in contemporary packaging design; and the arabesques potential as a cultural interface.This research is informed by a review of published sources on the definition, history and evolution of the arabesque as an ornament; a typology of the arabesque as a visual motif; a semiotic analysis of the arabesque in the context of traditional Islamic culture and globalization; three case studies of arabesque designs in selected contemporary food and beverage label designs from the Arabian Gulf; and the incorporation of the arabesque in the ‘re-design’ of three contemporary packaging designs followed by an online survey of graphic responses from participants in the Gulf region.The research is framed by discourses on visual culture and meaning making (Grabar; Ali; Kuhnel; Berger and Luckmann; Kazmierczak) and the semiotics of Arab cultural identity in a globalized world (Boutros; Fox and Asfour; Said; Sebeok and Danesi). Analysis and interpretation of the survey data demonstrate a positive response to the potential of the arabesque as a cultural interface for contemporary packaging design in the Arabian Gulf, particularly in cross-cultural communication, and marketing. The participants’ responses also raised unexpected issues for the graphic designer regarding the context and ethics of applying cultural symbols to the marketing of consumer products