UI/UXArabic
8 common mistakes in Arabic UI design and how to avoid them
By [AUTHOR_NAME]5 min read
The eight mistakes
- Mirroring logos and non-directional icons.
- Decorative Arabic fonts in long or small text.
- Ranges like “1–3” flipping to “3–1” in Arabic context.
- An English word at line end jumping to the wrong place.
- Fixed-width buttons that don’t fit translations.
- Tight line-height clipping dots and diacritics.
- Inconsistent number alignment in tables.
- Designing in English then “translating” the UI later.
How to design Arabic-first
Start designs with real Arabic copy, not Latin placeholder text; pick a multi-weight Arabic display face plus a comfortable reading face; write ranges in words (“from 1 to 3”) in Arabic text; and test every screen on a real phone before handoff.
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Should every icon be mirrored in Arabic?
No — only directional icons like arrows and progress; logos and fixed symbols stay as they are.