Studio Shizaru’s logo for Iranian art and heritage platform Simurghnameh mimics birds flocking in flight

“Crafting the visual identity for Simurghnameh was a labour of love,” creative director of Studio Shizaru Mehrdad MZadeh tells us. When Iman Afsarian, owner of the acclaimed Iranian magazine Herfeh: Honarmand approached the studio for an identity for the emerging platform, “the team felt a surge of excitement”, he says as the project’s core idea of creating an online space dedicated to Iran’s rich artistic history “resonated deeply” with Studio Shizaru.

With a team based across Tehran and LA, the studio has a dynamic multidisciplinary practice with a portfolio that “spans diverse domains” (no really, they do everything from branding and architecture to carpet design). Working alongside experts from various fields with the same passion to preserve and promote Iranian culture, with this brief the designers were faced with the challenge of “encapsulating centuries of tradition, innovation, and human experiences into a cohesive visual language” in its creation of Simurghnameh’s visual presence.

As a studio that is intent on “building brands with meaningful narratives”, Shizaru initially drew on the meaning of the platform’s name — specifically ‘Simurgh’, (which means ‘30 birds’ in Farsi), for its dynamic logo design for the platform. Crafted to mirror the movements of a swarm of birds in the sky, where components come together to build one figure in flight, this formation is a “beautiful metaphor for a journey through Iranian art and culture, Mehrdad explains. “The Simurgh, a mythical bird in Persian literature, symbolises wisdom, longevity, and transformation. The concept draws inspiration from Attar’s The Conference of the Birds, where the birds embark on a transformative journey to find their king, the Simurgh. The 30 colourful lines representing 30 birds converging at the home of the Simurgh, only to discover that they are the Simurgh themselves, creating a powerful visual narrative with a contemporary aesthetic.” Guiding the user’s way through the site and its content, the elegant gestures of these bird-like blocks create a framework for navigation across applications.

Aiming to engage the younger crowd in Iran and uproot more “traditional aesthetics” with their graphic identity, Studio Shizaru hopes that the platform’s appearance presents contemporary perspectives that resonate with this new generation of creatives. Across web, motion and print, the team set out to create a visual catalogue for the non-profit that invites exploration and engagement with “the kaleidoscope of Iranian art and culture”. The result? “An identity that not only reflects our artistic sensibilities but also pays homage to the vibrant tapestry of Iran’s heritage,” concludes Mehrdad.