Kheradnameh No. 3

Editorial Design, Layout Design & Visual Identity

Kheradnameh is a student-run journal published by the Philosophy Association of the University of Tehran. The publication provides a platform for philosophical inquiry, critical reflection, and the exchange of ideas. Each issue brings together scholarly articles, translations, essays, and discussions on major philosophical themes alongside content related to academic and student life, fostering meaningful intellectual engagement within the university community.

The third issue was organized into three primary sections:

Considering the diversity of the content and the journal’s primary audience—philosophy students—the main design challenge was to create a clear editorial structure that would enable readers to navigate the publication effortlessly while maintaining a coherent visual identity throughout the issue.

The cover design features Elizabeth Anscombe, whose work appears in this issue in relation to the philosophy of war. Her presence on the cover establishes a direct conceptual connection between the journal’s visual identity and its editorial content. The color palette was developed around the symbolic contrast of blue and red: blue representing virtue, reason, and moral good, while red serves as a reference to conflict, violence, and the tensions embedded within ethical discourse.

To improve navigation and readability, a systematic editorial structure was developed throughout the publication. Page numbers were integrated with section identifiers, allowing readers to recognize the journal’s organization at a glance. Custom section dividers were designed using a unified visual language, while distinct colors and titles were assigned to each section to strengthen differentiation and orientation. All dividers were intentionally placed on odd-numbered pages, enabling faster access to specific sections during browsing.

The illustrations were created in collaboration with graduate illustration students from the Faculty of Fine Arts at the University of Tehran under the supervision of Dr. Fadaei. Beyond their visual function, these illustrations were intended to encourage deeper reflection on the philosophical themes explored throughout the publication.

My role in this project included the complete visual design of the journal, encompassing cover design, editorial art direction, layout design, section-divider design, visual system development, and maintaining visual consistency across all components of the publication.