IQRO' Reimagined: A Visual Transformation for Timeless Literacy

The Iqro book is a familiar presence in the childhood of many people in Indonesia. Its black cover, featuring the portrait of a humble elderly man and distinctive Arabic script, has served as a gateway to Qur’anic literacy for decades. Toward the end of 2025, however, a bold initiative emerged to give this legendary book a new face through a project titled IQRO' Reimagined. This project is a collaboration between the men’s care brand Kahf, creative consultancy W Brand Consultant, and IQRO' Center. Its aim is to reconnect the method of learning the Qur’an with younger generations through a more fresh and contextual visual approach.

The project did not emerge overnight. The relationship between Kahf and W Brand Consultant has been established since 2019, during the creation of Kahf’s brand identity. W Brand Consultant was appointed by Paragon Corp to develop the brand strategy, visual identity, and overall brand experience for Kahf.

This long built trust allowed communication to move quickly. On Wednesday, December 24, 2025, the Kahf team presented the redesign idea to W Brand Consultant. Ibnu Hafiz Fadhilah, Brand Designer at W Brand Consultant, shared that the team felt highly enthusiastic as they found a shared vision with Kahf. Within a week, Kahf introduced the design team to IQRO' Center, accompanied by Yayasan AMM Depot IQRO' research and development division. This online meeting marked the official starting point of the visual transformation of the Iqro book.

In its creative process, W Brand Consultant conducted extensive research on the dynamics of Arabic typography and Islamic design in Indonesia. They discovered a unique phenomenon, in Indonesia, Arabic script carries a sense of sacredness that creates a halo effect. Even though the Iqro book is not the Qur’an, the presence of Arabic letters leads people to perceive it as sacred.

Research conducted between 2019 and 2026 highlighted a stagnation in Islamic design within the country. Ibnu explained that Qur’anic design in Indonesia tends to be uniform and has not evolved significantly over time. This contrasts with historical evidence showing that Qur’anic design has always been open to exploration.

Three key findings emerged from their study. Historically, the Qur’an influenced Islamic design, while Islamic design developments also shaped the visual form of the Qur’an. This reciprocal relationship contrasts with the current condition in Indonesia, where Qur’anic design dominates most Islamic visual expressions.

Additionally, the decorative style commonly seen today, characterized by Riq’ah and Diwani scripts surrounded by luminous ornaments, originates from explorations during the Ottoman Sultanate between the fourteenth and seventeenth centuries. Before that period, Qur’anic design was far more diverse, including minimalist approaches such as the Samarkand Kufic style.

Today, Islamic design in the Middle East has evolved toward more contemporary expressions. One notable movement is Hurufiyya, an artistic approach that treats Arabic letters as modern visual language, often abstract and not limited to literal reading.

The stagnation rooted in Ottoman style has left Islamic design in Indonesia feeling disconnected from younger generations who seek visual novelty. Based on this research, the design team adopted the concept of “type as image,” inspired by Hurufiyya. They deconstructed the original Iqro calligraphy and transformed it into a primary visual element.

Significant changes are also visible in the physical format. The new design adopts a zine format with accordion folding. This choice serves a technical purpose, the dual sided fold separates Latin and Arabic content, aligning with their respective reading directions, left to right for Latin and right to left for Arabic. Other adjustments include the book’s size, reading flow, paper selection, printing technique, and content categorization, all without altering the original learning material. The visuals are made more expressive and dynamic to resonate with contemporary audiences.

Despite the transformation, the design team retained three key elements as identity anchors, the santri symbol, the photograph of K.H. As’ad Humam on the back cover, and the original Arabic “IQRO’” lettering. These elements carry deep philosophical meaning and remain strongly embedded in public memory.

Color also plays a role in bridging continuity and renewal. The palette is dominated by Kahf’s signature Nature Green and Deep Blue, combined with expressive zine inspired accents. This approach maintains alignment with the initiating brand while introducing a new visual energy.

“Desain IQRO akan didorong ke arah yang lebih kontemporer dan Kahf yang biasanya minimalis akan merespons zine yang lebih ekspresif,” said Ibnu Hafiz Fadhilah, describing the technical challenge of merging these two characteristics. He added that the process required balancing two reinterpretations at once, modernizing Iqro without losing its authenticity, and allowing Kahf’s design language to respond contextually to a new medium.

From Kahf’s perspective, the project is part of its “Bener Bareng” campaign for Ramadan 2026. Aldian Alfaridz from Kahf’s Brand Building team explained that the idea emerged from reflecting on Qur’anic literacy challenges within society.

The need to learn Qur’anic reading from the basics is not limited to children, many adults face the same need. However, many feel hesitant, embarrassed, or afraid of being judged for starting from the beginning again.

“Our main objective is to present IQRO’ in a format that feels more contextual for younger generations, especially those who want to relearn how to read the Qur’an from the basics but feel reluctant or left behind,” Aldian explained.

IQRO' Center responded positively to the initiative. Saniko, Creative Representative of IQRO' Center, described the collaboration as part of continuing the legacy of K.H. As’ad Humam in combating Qur’anic illiteracy. The center ensures that despite visual changes, the learning structure and reading rules remain fully aligned with the original method.

The redesign project inevitably faces non technical challenges, particularly potential public debate regarding the perceived sacredness of Arabic script. However, the team believes that design diversification is necessary to accommodate diverse learning needs.

Positive signals have already emerged through strong public interest, with many people asking how to obtain the new version after seeing its design. Currently, IQRO' Reimagined is produced in limited quantities as part of the Ramadan campaign. Any possibility of mass production will be decided by IQRO' Center as the custodian of the method.

The hope is that this initiative will encourage more designers to explore Islamic design in Indonesia. As Ibnu Hafiz Fadhilah noted, modernization does not need to conflict with Islamic design, history and authenticity can serve as endless sources of inspiration for renewal. Through IQRO' Reimagined, a book that once symbolized childhood nostalgia now attempts to transform into a relevant companion for the future of Qur’anic literacy in Indonesia.