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One designer.Many agents.

A senior-led design studio in Dubai, working with funded startups in the UAE and Saudi Arabia.

The name

Every brand starts on paper.

قرطاس

Qartas is classical Arabic for paper, parchment and scroll: the surface every idea is first worked out on.

The word shares an ancient root with chart, card and cartouche. One word for a plan, an identity and a name.

How we work

People decide. Agents build.

Our symbol is eight pen nibs meeting at one point: many hands, one decision.

  • A person decidesStrategy, direction, every detail of type and Arabic craft, and what is ready to ship.
  • Agents doResearch, wide explorations, production of every screen and state, and handoff files.
  • You approveTwice: when we choose a direction, and before anything ships.
See the full process
Principles

What we hold to.

Craft is the proof.

Every screen and letterform has to survive a senior designer’s scrutiny. Speed never excuses a weak detail.

Arabic and English are equals.

Both languages are designed together from the first sketch, with native right-to-left layouts.

Show, don’t claim.

A free audit and real work say more than a slogan.

Calm confidence.

Many of our clients are regulated and need to look trustworthy. We design for clarity over hype.

Work with us

Let’s start on paper.

Tell us what you are building. We reply within one working day, or send you a free audit within 48 hours.

Start a project