Pakistan’s First Digital Urdu Platform for Creative & Commercial Writers
Design
Development
iOS
Android
Server Side
OneByte created Alif Kitab as Pakistan’s first Urdu language platform that has not only provided writers a
platform to write and publish stories but also gauge a wider audience. Some of the scriptures published on
Alif Kitaab were adapted into TV screenplays by major entertainment channels. OneByte was successful in
aiding Alif Kitab in its aim to promote Urdu language through a digital platform that allows writers to
showcase their writing talents in Urdu language/literature.
Background
Urdu is the native language of Pakistan, however, there was no existing platform for Urdu writers to
publish their content digitally. With printing options becoming expensive day by day and a lack of
audience in print media, there was a huge need for a digital solution.
Umera Ahmed who is a multiple award-winning Urdu writer envisioned Alif Kitab to fulfill the need for a
comprehensive digital platform for Urdu writers and partnered with OneByte to deliver the right product.
She chose to work on Alif Kitaab after determining how difficult it was for upcoming writers to exhibit
their work to a wider audience.
The Challenge Was To
OneByte had to take into consideration that developing a web platform that is not in English is
intricate and challenging especially when the language is written from right to left (RTL). While
designing the application, encoding the fonts precisely is very important so that the fonts won’t
distort the visual appearance of the website. The solution had to be adaptive for different
publication types so that it could incorporate various types of writings without distorting their
meaning.
