This year DRAK turns its attention to the essence of Ras Al Khor community. The project involves assigning three designers the task of designing three utilitarian objects, fusing function with contemporary aesthetics, for three commercial outlets. This community is a home away from home for its inhabitants, whose daily lives are connected through these every day outlets.

For this year’s edition, DRAK explores the community of Ras Al Khor through research and presentation in a drive towards highlighting the intricacies of their daily life. Three commercial outlets (a bakery, a barbershop and a calligraphy and advertising shop) will be the main researched case studies. Each outlet has been assigned a designer to research the day-to-day activities, observe the interactions and transactions happening, and use the collected data to design a contemporary object of use to that outlet. Whilst industrial and mass-produced materials will be the prime ingredients for these products, they will also be refreshingly contemporary and sleek to offset the rough and rigid surface of Ras Al Khor Industrial area.

Amal Haliq will look at the barbershop, Faissal El-Malal the advertising and calligraphy shop and Khalid Mezaina at the bakery. The designers are also encouraged to further research the area and its community, interact with its people in order to have a real experience that helps them in the design process and to envision products or projects that reflect and support the DRAK18 design topic. Ola Allouz, a professional photographer will cover all three projects and more of Ras Al Khor Industrial scenes in her cinematography project.

About DRAK

Design Ras Al Khor (DRAK) is a collective design platform established in 2015 in Dubai. Founded by UAE based designers: Khalid Shafar, Khulood Thani and Nadine Kanso, DRAK’s objective is towards drawing attention to the potential for Ras Al Khor Industrial Area – one of the oldest in the city - to become Dubai’s newest creative district. As an annual event DRAK is growing by covering different topics in design, involving more design practitioners, and creating a design movement that encourages research, innovation and exploration of materials.