The city’s most creative educational establishments explore a range of themes from identity to ecology and hospitality in a series of talks, exhibitions and competitions.
The American University in Dubai (AUD) has a roster of 10 events lined up for Design Week including a tribute to David Bowie; a Swedish wood furniture show; sculptures inspired by the industrial revolution; and an homage to Frida Kahlo. A Water and Sand exhibition sponsored by Grohe and Alserkal has been planned as well as a large scale mural made with recycled or donated materials which will be installed on campus. Martin McGinn, a designer and professor at the Ulster University in Belfast, will lecture on recent research on how educational and design principles can cross over into patient care within the healthcare and medical industry.
‘From Design to Identity’ is the theme of this year’s International Design Conference hosted by the College of Fine Arts & Design at the American University in the Emirates (AUE) from 25-27 October (10am – 3pm). Keynote speaker Dr Rayan Abdullah, Professor of Typography and Design at Hochschule fur Grafik und Buchkunst in Leipzig, will draw on his extensive experience which includes redesigning Volkswagen’s new corporate identity and the German Eagle symbol for the German Government. He will explain how current trends show that design is gradually, but irrecoverably, moving towards a common sense of identity with regional contexts.
Heriot Watt University sets 100 of its design and architecture students a challenge on 18 September to create an engaging product measuring no more than 2mx2mx2m which interacts within an ‘in-between space’ of 3mx3mx3m. Five finalists will be announced on 6th October and full-scale models of their designs will be manufactured and exhibited on campus. The overall winner will be announced on the first day of Dubai Design Week.
Chelsea College of Art Short Courses presents a panel discussion on the GuestExperienceEvolution. Speakers include Hotel Design tutor Manuela Mannino, a hospitality executive and a major hotel operator. Moderated by a high-profile design journalist, the talk will explore how the hospitality sector is rapidly evolving to satisfy the demand for culturally engaging experiences in hotels and public places.
The Silicon Park project from Canadian University Dubai is a competition open to all Dubai universities. Students were asked to design charging docks for smart devices incorporated into streetlights, sustainable running and cycling tracks and electric car docking stations. The top ten submissions will be exhibited and the winner announced during Dubai Design Week.